Carly Crowe, Travel Specialist Western & Oriental
What’s the big appeal?
Meet the Operator
It’s not just about horse riding but the whole ranch experience, outdoor lifestyle and good old- fashioned hospitality. It’s great for couples even if only one person rides as many ranches offer fl y-fi shing, mountain hikes, kayaking, white water rafting and clay pigeon shooting.
“Book a ranch holiday as far in advance as possible. They are very popular with the local market and tend to get booked out early”
DAVID POINTER, HEAD OF PRODUCT WESTERN AND ORIENTAL
There’s luxury resort ranches with spas, luxury lodge or tented accommodation and gourmet restaurants; guest ranches offering an authentic ranch experience with holiday-type comforts; and working ranches’ true cowboy experience.
to bake bread and pastries with local herbs and how to make ice cream with bison sweet grass and cactus fruit. But for the ultimate experience, the Harry Redfern Cattle Drive (
harryredford.com.au) is a 19-day horse ride across the Queensland Outback in Australia in May. Guests learn the secrets of horsemanship and droving, camp under the stars and join in local festivals.
What’s new Ranch Rider (
ranchrider.com) has added 11-night escorted tours featuring Canada’s Calgary Stampede in July, from £2,985pp, and the National Rodeo Finals in Las Vegas in December, from £2,195pp. It has also expanded its range of big horn cattle drives in Wyoming. New to North America Travel Service (
northamericatravelservice.co.uk) is the luxury ranch at Rock Creek in Montana. All-inclusive rates start at £682pp per night. Guests can choose from a wide range of
activities such as horse riding, fl y- fi shing, mountain biking and archery. The Zapata Ranch in Colorado is
part of a new US programme from Audley Travel (
audleytravel.com). A 24- day National Parks Explored fl y-drive itinerary from £3,425pp includes three nights’ full board at the ranch. Journey Latin America
(
journeylatinamerica.co.uk) has introduced a 12-day luxury riding holiday in Chile’s Atacama Desert and Patagonia. Prices start at £4,799 excluding fl ights. Also new to the operator’s Argentina portfolio is La Sofi a, an estancia offering polo lessons for all standards of player, including beginners. Idaho’s 3K Ranch and Seven
Devils Lodge have joined forces to launch the Real Cowboy College (
realcowboycollege.com). One-week packages cover all aspects of cowboy life from choosing hats and boots to handling horses. Mustang Monument: Wild Horse Eco-Resort (
mustangmonument.com)
opens in the Spruce Mountains of Nevada this month (June). Accommodation is in luxury tipis, with all-inclusive room rates from $1,200 per night based on double occupancy. Activities include horse riding, wagon rides, campfi res and Native American storytelling. The Ranch at Emerald Valley (
broadmoor.com/ranch) opens in Colorado’s Pike National Forest on August 1. The property will offer 10 luxury cabins from May to October each year. Rates start at $435pp.
Tourism talk “Ranch holidays are on the up. There is a defi nite interest in the more active
side of this style of holiday. “The Rockies region has a vast array
of ranches for all tastes and skills – from guest ranches with spas and a luxury feel and dude ranches where you can be more active to the full-on working ranch where experienced riders can really get their hands dirty
Where are the most popular destinations for ranch holidays? Arizona and Montana, USA.
Would you recommend ranch holidays for families?
Ranch holidays are perfect with some offering children and teenage specifi c programmes. Our favourite is Black Mountain Ranch in Colorado. Kids are catered for by counsellors, who provide special activities including riding, hiking, fi shing, crafts and nature walks. Drowsy Water Ranch in Colorado caters for all riding abilities and is especially recommended to families. Kids are well looked after and there’s hiking,
swimming, archery, rafting and lassoing a steerhead.
Sample Package White Stallion Ranch £1,615.
Flights to Tucson with United Airlines, transfers and seven
nights’ accommodation. The price includes ranch activities.
wandotravel.com/holiday/united-states/ white-stallion-ranch
www.sellinglonghaul.com June 2013 21
TOURISM SASKATCHEWAN
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