SIX OF THE BEST
HORSEBACK ADVENTURES
Galloping across the globe,
Laura Gelder discovers six of the best destinations for a holiday on horse-back, in luxury or under canvas
with a horseriding adventure in exotic Jordan – a hard hat instead of a flowing dishdasha is recommended. The iconic film celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012 but the timeless desert landscape of Jordan hasn’t changed much since then. Pick your way through the shifting sands of Wadi Rum, ride by windswept rocks and red sand dunes, take tea with Bedouin nomads and enter the ancient city of Petra just like Indiana Jones did. SELL IT: 10 nights from £1,285pp including a visit to Lawrence of Arabia’s house, camping under the desert stars, Petra, Red Sea city Aqaba and the capital, Amman.
www.unicorntrails.com
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the genteel polo arenas or out on the estancia rounding up cattle, Argentina offers the cowboy experience of America with a Latin twist. The fabulous scenery ranges from the vast, green, undulating plains – or pampas – to the high mountain passes and volcanoes of the snow- capped Andes. There are also Inca trails through the Calchaquí Desert, with its spiky cacti and mud-baked adobe villages. After a hard day’s lassooing, feast on local Argentinian wine and succulent steak reared on the farm. SELL IT: Seven nights at Estancia Huechahue, Patagonia from £1,809pp, working cattle over 15,000 acres of land with local gauchos.
www.inthesaddle.com
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ARGENTINA Famous for its horse culture, whether that be in
JORDAN Thunder across the desert like Lawrence of Arabia,
the sound of a jeep engine to puncture the peace of the reserve. Canter across plains past grazing zebra and giraffe, splash through wetlands for a glimpse of hippo or water buffalo or thread through thick woodland keeping a wary eye out for sleeping leopard. This is the ultimate green safari and it doesn’t have to mean roughing it – in addition to the numerous mid-range options across the country, there are also plenty of luxury lodges offering horseback safaris too. SELL IT: Seven nights from £995 in South Africa’s malaria- free Waterberg Mountains, with chances to see hippo, zebra, giraffe and impala and an add-on in beachside Durban.
www.2by2holidays.com
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a trip to the Canadian Rockies, even better if you coincide with one of the world’s greatest shows – the Calgary Stampede. Stay in the city for a weekend spectacular of rodeo shows and fairground fun with daring horseback feats and vast parades. Then head out into the mountains for a cosy, comfortable ranch stay and a chance to try and emulate those Canadian cowboys. Ride with real wranglers through mountain passes and alongside gushing rivers, stopping for a hearty barbeque lunch. SELL IT: The Three Bars Guest Ranch from £1,855 per adult with Western & Oriental. It offers family, kids and adult rides and log cabin accommodation in the Rockies.
www.wandotravel.com
4 40 January 2013 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
CANADA Pack a stetson and some kicking cowboy boots for
SOUTH AFRICA Get as close as you dare to African wildlife without
spaces – they even muster cattle by helicopter there! A ranch stay in the bush is a sensory experience of leather hats and spectacular sunsets through a haze of red dust. It doesn’t have to be arid outback though. The Blue Mountains of New South Wales, or the jungle and white-sand beaches of Queensland are a great alternative. Just head to woop woop (Aussie for ‘middle of bloody nowhere’), and after a hard day’s bush wacking on horseback, crack open a tinny on the porch and watch the wallabies lollop past. SELL IT: A rustic camping trail through the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales from £787pp with In the Saddle. Spot wild horses (brumbies), emus, wombats and kangaroos.
www.inthesaddle.com
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wild west. From New Mexico to Kansas, and California to Montana, America’s mountains, deserts and vast forests can all be a home on the range. Wyoming’s lush pastures and snowy peaks are classic cowboy territory and the setting for The Horse Whisperer fi lm and Robert Redford’s portrayal of the rugged ranch hand. In America you can leave the jodhpurs at home and ride the western way in denim, trying your hand at roping and penning. Choose to stay in luxury or camp out under the stars. SELL IT: The Lonesome Spur Ranch, with Western & Oriental, from £965pp. Set in Clarks Fork Valley, between Montana’s Pryor and Beartooth Mountains, it offers trips to local rodeos.
www.wandotravel.com
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USA Fulfi l the cowboys and Indians fantasy in the true
AUSTRALIA There’s nowhere like Down Under for wide open
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