Attention all Wine Lovers! New Rides for the New Season!

We are currently in Chianti checking out some new rides for you all for the new season...watch this space!

The Tuli Block area of Botswana is a beautiful place. It combines African bush, riverside scenery alongside the Limpopo river and sandstone outcrops which seem to glow red at dawn and dusk.

Its a historically significant area as well , an area that Cecil Rhodes frequented as it spans the borders of three countries, Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The riding here can be combined in a two country horse safari with South Africa or as an itinerary on its own. You can even mountain bike here with a guide of course.

This is big game country. Riding with Zebra and Wildebeest for example cantering alongside them is a thrill I will never forget nor the shrieks of delight from the guests I was riding alongside. If you like Elephant this is the place to be. At a careful and respectful distance watching these powerful yet graceful animals is a privilege. Its their land and they are allowing us to share it.

The owner operators here are great fun and with their staff cater for your every need. This is wild bush camping five star treatment

Its an exclusive wonderful experience to have vast areas of unnamed bush all to yourself. In three days hard riding we never saw another soul.

It doesn't get better than this.

Botswana, Tuli Block. I recommend it.

Talking of Botswana. You will never believe the way in the the country! In a little open cable car over the Limpopo river. Perfectly safe but just Africa all over. The border post is a small hut with two smiling gentlemen no queue just you!

So you are in Botswana. Our operators here are a great young couple both horse mad , she english and he south african,and good business people too.

The horses are exquisite. Beautiful condition one and all, really beautiful and I don't eulogise too much about the horses but here stunning and english saddles hurrah

This is Africa a la David Attenborough. Open bush, acacia trees, Wildebeest, Impala, Waterbuck, Warthog, Hyena and of course Elephant and Lion. ,and that's just in the first few hours

The local people are the Tswana. Gentle courteous and welcoming.

More later. Bye for now from the country of the Tswana, Botswana.

Sign up for an escorted tour in 2010 and make Africa easy

There is an amazing lodge called Dinaka nestled under the Waterburg outcrop a series of cliffs called the seven sisters as there are seven bits which jut out more than the rest of the cliff. As you can see I'm no geologist but I hope that you get my drift.

Anyway its beautiful. To the rear of the lodge you have these ochre cliffs with nesting vultures and in front a large lake and the plains of Africa beyond. Quite something . The lodge is very remote although only four hrs from Jo'burg, many kms up a dirt track with little signposting but when you get there its luxury all the way. The best wines, beers, and spirits all included so just help yourself. And the food. Its very good indeed with lots of opportunities to taste the local delicacies like Kudu steaks whilst having the choice of vegetarian and other dishes to suit all tastes

One thing is for sure the bacon eggs and hot strong coffee goes down well after a three to four hour morning ride starting as soon after dawn as is feasible

And so to the riding. This ride is for intermediate riders and above as there are buffalo in the area and you need to get away sharpish on rare occasions. Also its quite fast so you need to be confident as well as competent. The horses are fit and raring to go.

So there you have it. This beautiful lodge normally attracts riders who have done some limbering up at the sister ranch Horizon or those who go from here to Botswana a three hour transfer to ride in totally open bush with the excellent chance of spotting elephant and lion. Both these safaris are offered by Redlands and are very popular with riders who are looking for a bit of spice

So hot up your riding and join me

There will be an escorted ride here later in the year

In Africa there is something for everyone

Its not a scary place believe me. Of course you need to avoid some parts of some cities but hey what about London, Sheffield or Bristol? Out in the countryside its a different matter. Life goes on very much as it always had done

So I'm in the far north of South Africa in the Limpopo region not too far from the border with Botswana

The Waterburg mountains are remote and beautiful but still only about four hrs from Jo'burg. Here you can ride a choice of about 60 horses and have great time. They take absolute beginners up to very experienced and you won't get eaten as there are no lion to do that to you and spoil your fun

You can stay here and swim in the glorious pool or with the horses in the lake . The food is very good and the english owners are lovely and nothing is too much problem. That's why so many people return to this haven

The horses are fast mind you if you want it and the game is there to be seen. Today I saw two beautiful bull Kudu with huge twisted horns. Google them to see what they look like. Imagine them passing within 20ft of you and your horse

Its an all year round destination which is great to know as we all can't plan ahead nor can be u restricted in our getaways

.......For those of you who have been following this blog over the past weeks you may have guessed

1\ I love horses
2\ I love to travel anywhere and have travelled a lot
3\ I love Africa and feel very comfortable with the people the country and the climate

So what does that mean? Well what I have in mind is the concept of escorted tours. There are a lot of people saying to me, I'd love to go to ... But! I'm not sure. If only you could come with us?

I've also talked to a lot of out best operators overseas and they would love us to organise escorted trips to take the hassle out of what can be a stressful experience into the unknown

So I think we should do it. I've cleared it with my managing director Karen Johnson and she's happy. So here we go we should set aside some dates in the year to do some amazing adventures!

What do you think?

.....

This is transcontinental travelling made easy

The trip out of Mozambique could not have been easier nor more memorable.

It started with a call from the manager of the resort rounding up the reluctant souls who were departing. The speedboat motors started turning two giant 200bhp beasts. Our bags were taken aboard and we , with flip flops in hand waded through the azure, warm Indian Ocean shin deep through the silkly sand and were whisked to the mainland 30 mins away. A mini bus was waiting the other end after more paddling, and the drive to the airport took all of 10 mins which included several stops for the driver to say hello to assorted people en route

Hardly time for a coffee before boarding and a two hour flight to Jo'burg and with loads of flights to choose from you are on your way back to home. About eleven hrs to Heathrow, overnight flight and only two hour time difference.

Jo'burg is a fantastic airport these days having received massive investment for the soccer world cup which South Africa is hosting this summer.
So its a fine place to act as a hub to Southern Africa

So that's it folks. A wonderful set of ideas and experiences. It can be yours too

Off again next friday so look out

M

Benguerra Island is about 14km off the Mozambique coast in an area they call the Archipelago.

There is a string of several islands which protect the coastline from the Indian Ocean which lies beyond. The whole area is protected within a national park.

The wildlife on the islands is diverse and for bird enthusiasts it is breathtaking. The islands boast not only varied coastal features from huge dunes to mud flats but also inland fresh water lakes and small sugar cane plantations.

The riding here is very variable . Within the space of five minutes you can move from riding alongside the full roar of the Indian ocean as its hits land for the first time in thousands of miles to picking your way through the bush on narrow tracks.

When you've finished the ride normally about two and a half hrs you can strip off put your swim gear back on a jump in that pool. All the villas at one of our destinations have private pools so you can skip the swim wear bit if you are daring! No one will see.

On that note breakfast at the beach cafe beckons and then onto the private speedboat to the mainland to the airport and onwards to Jo'burg. After leaving this paradise at midday today I'll be at my desk in London by 1100 hrs tomorrow.

No long queues or waiting. You arrive at the aircraft almost as its boarding. Why not ? This is Mozambique after all.

All nxt musings

.....Let's start with a quiz. And I bet you a Castle beer that I'll win cos you won't get this.

Where in the world can you ride beautiful horses on beaches that go on for miles, spend the afternoon scuba diving and the evening dining on amazing sea food and never ever think of wearing anything but a t shirt all year round?

Come on where? Give up?

Ok its....Mozambique. Yep. What a fabulous place. A colourful mix of Africa , Portugal and Arabia shows its historic and sometimes turbulent past. Its all very peaceful now though.

If you come you'd better take your watch off. Mozambique time is the order of the day. Why rush, relax it'll be OK


Mozambique even the name is romantic and exotic and you can get here really easily. I'll tell you how and what to expect when you arrive.

So its an easy two hour hop from Johannesburg into Vilanculos. The owner operators here are an amazing and lovely couple originally from Zimbabwe. Meeting me at the little airport terminal more of a hut with flowers really and whisked me off into another world.

Here you can ride for miles and miles at whatever pace you want , climb sand dunes go into the bush, whatever. The horses are great there are sixty of them to chose from so you will find one to suit.

When you are not riding there is so much to do mostly focussed around the water. Deep sea fishing , the world record Marlin catch was off these shores. Snorkeling and scuba diving there are over 400 dive sites and great reefs to compete with the Maldives. Visiting the Archipelago the islands off the coast a protected and exclusive domain. Redlands has a special relationship with a luxury hotel operator which gives our customers privileged access. I'm there now as I type!!
There are only three places on the entire island you can stay and we offer all of them.

Off for another beach ride now exploring this wonderful land. I'm turning into a twitcher.

More tomorrow

M

A passing thought about drinks in Africa as I've realised I've not said too much about this but not through lack of tasting

So first the wines. In my mind South Africa produces some of the best wines in the world right now. Its my hunch that like the Italians they keep a lot of the best for themselves.

A visit to Cape Town to see the spectacular table mountain, stand on the edge of the world at the Cape of Good Hope and visit the Cape wineries is a great addition to any southern Africa trip as its only a short hop from Jo'burg.

But if that's on the list but not this time don't fret as you will be able to taste great wines on all our trips as they all serve South African wine in all the countries offered. My favourite is a small vineyard close to Stellenboch called Thelema. Its range of whites and reds are superb and well priced. Try the unwooded Chardonnay if you like white and the Shiraz for the red.

Second the beer. Each country has a beer of which its proud. Zambezi beer in Zimbabwe, Windhoek from Namibia and Castle from South Africa. I like them all. You can get them in the UK but nothing beats an ice cold beer after a long day in the saddle.

Cheers!!!

Mark

And so from the Zim to retrace my steps to South Africa.

It's back to the car hire co at Oliver Tambo airport at Jo'burg and a 250km journey north to another experience on horseback.

If you've been thining wel Zim, that sounds great but its not really for me, well this one might be. A lovely area of South Africa called waterberg Mountains. Safe in every sense of the word as its all fenced so that those chaps who might cause you trouble like Mr Lion are kept out and safe as rural SA contines in the ways it has done for hundreds of years. Please don't think of small here, South Africa doesn't do small. You could ride for a week and needn't retrace your steps.

Whats special here. Well first the horses are. A mix of local African horse called Boerperd crossed with either Arab thoroughbred or warmblood to produce amazing stock. Bred for their enviroment. I rode a Boerperd X.T. A beautiful chap called Aptly Beaux or Bo for short. The countryside, mountains, streams, African woodland and views. Great riding, we saw animals too but not dangerous ones. This ride allows novices upwards so its great oppurtunity to ride in Africa if you are still developing as a rider. Its very good for experienced ones too.

Second you stay at a lovely safari lodge with crips linen sheets and a big shower, a bar and restaurant, a mix of chalets, Bliss. Lots to do for all the family, mountain biking, hiking, excursions and a big five game drive. So this is ideal for families and couples where one partner wants to ride a lot and the other doesn't. This is top notch accommodation, great avlue and is real Africa.

I loved my time at Waterberg but i've work to do!

Back to Jo'burg and then to Mozambique in the morning.

Victoria Falls is, or is it are, awesome in the true sense of the word........i won't try to describe them. Simple say go GO to Zimbabwe and you'll not be disappointed. Here is your chance to come before the crowds come back cos they will.

So to riding. This is a African adventure at its best. Having just finished 4 days in "the bush" as it's known, it is incredible. I had the privilege and pleasure of spending time with the owner operators of a fantastic company. James was born and bred in Zim and his wife Janine an Australian from Melbourne are just great. They are experienced horse people, own some lovely horses and give you the experience of a lifetime. I've just had it, wow.

Just imagine this, riding lovely horses through a variety of scenery and being a part of the movement of animals across the plains. Riding with Zebra, Wildebeest and Elephant. Watching the Baboons bickering. And if you are as lucky as me, seeing African wild dogs on the hunt. This was really special as they are one fo the most endangered species on the planet and have been hunted almost to extinction. And of course with the chance of seeing Lion, Cheetah and Leopard. That is why this ride is for intermediate and advanced riders only and then if only you are confident with the terrain and wildlife.

And when you've finished anything between 6/7 hours in the saddle you will find your camp that's been set up by Conald the head chef and his team. You will have a comfy tent all ready for you, a drop loo and shower from a canvas bucket and hot water. Dinner could be fillet steak and vanilla mousse or pumpkin soup and fish and chips. Yes, we really had Zambezi Bream and chips cooked over an open fire by these amazing people. Then to bed. No fences just you, your tent and the sounds of the African bush, thr frogs, the crickets and the lions calling far away you hope. Then the next morning at dawn, a wake up call, tea brought to your tent with lashings of hot water to wash, breakfast, yes you guessed it, bacon, eggs and all the trimmings. Off you go again for another day of exploration.

This is no posh copywriter doing this from his desk in London. I've just done this and it's real, makes you feel alive. I'm here now.

Some facts about Zim and this ride.....

Hwange National Park is about 2 hrs from Vic Falls along a very good road

Its the size of Belguim

Its home to over 40,000 elephants

The ride covers a lot of ground and differs dependant on the weather, ground conditions and the water locations. Whats for sure is that the ride will cover ground that no one has ever ridden before

Zimbabwean guides are some of the best in the world and to qualify as one they endure a gruelling 4 yrs apprenticeship and degree equivalent programme

This ride is the best value for big game rides in Africa, compare the prices

Redlands is the only company selling and operating horse holidays in Zimbabwe

...................landed at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, lets call it Zim shall we from now on. As this trip is about making sure we have the best destinations and best hotels for our clients, there was no room for sightseeing. I was picked up at the airport by our Zim ground handler and transport expert, they whisked me off to see three 4 and 5 star hotels.

They were all very good indeed. The great thing about Zim is that despite all the recent economic difficulties they faced recently their infrastructure like the roads is very good and has held up quite well. The hotel stock is also very good. Two of the three are very close to the fallsthemselves and you can see flumes of spray from the grounds and walk easily to them, the locals name the for the falls is the "smoke that thunders" and that is spot on, the third hotel is away from the falls, about 10mins drive but it overlooks the national park and a waterhole where the game congregates so this has a safari lodge feel about it. I think i'd like to stay at them all and the food is good at all of them too.

I do have to tell you about Victoria Falls hotel. Built in 1903 its the iconic monument in the town, impressive building, lovely grounds, visited by the queen in the 1960's. You get the picture. So if you like a colonial feel its the place for you, a place in history. But its not the building that does it ffor me its the views from the verandah, not patio please! The iron bridge ordered by Cecil Rhodes to be built over the mighty Zambezi linking the southern Rhondesia and the northern Rhondesia now Zimbabwe and Zambia, a tiny little green sign saying "to the falls", sucha tiny sign for such a colossus.

Three thoughts to finish off..............

First to be honest, there's not much at Vic Falls town apart from the Falls. Two nights here is ample.

Second whilst you are here you won't stop, excursions galore. Bungee jumping off the bridge, shooting Zanbezi rapids downstream, cruising sedatly upstream and the Falls themselves which i'm trying to get tomorrow.

Third the food is great and also gives you an oppurtunity to try different things like, eland, impala and warthog! My claim to fame is that i ate a Mopani worm which is a fly lava found in a tree and fried up with tomato, garlic and onion. It's not bad and is so nutritious that it's claimed it's going to be the new superfood. I don't think it'll catch on though as it still looks like what it is!

South African Visit

.......I'm a bit of a travel addict. I've come to realise and think i'm getting worse! I actually love the act of travelling itself. I like packing, making lists of what needs to go and i even like airports. If that makes me odd so be it. You are what you are.

I'm en route to southern Africa to check out a number of our fabulous operators in this amazing continent. Just got off a flight to Johannesburg from Heathrow T5. The British Airways flight went without a hitch and reminded me how easy it is to fly to Africa.

I left Heathrow bang on time at 2100. Had a glass of wine and dinner. Slept pretty well after watching a film that i can't now remember what it was about and awoke to sunshine and breakfast ready to disembark at 0900 local time. No jet lag and only a 2 hour time difference, plus 2. That's amazing as when you get off the plane not only are you in a different continent you are in a different hemisphere and therefore walk into the warmth of a mid summers day. Bliss after the hammering we are having with the weather inthe UK.

If i was to be going to one of the great operators we have in the Limpopo region of South Africa i would then hop in a car if self drive or be met by a driver and a mini bus which is what many guests prefer, and its a mere 3 to 4 hour drive to another world. I could be riding by lunchtime amongst the African big game.

But i'm not doing that this time.

I;m off to a more far flung destination. To Zimbabwe or Zim as its known out here. To Victoria Falls to be precise. One of the eight wonders of the world and the gateway to a huge area of untamed bush called Hwange. Just getting on the flight now. Just under 2 hrs north towards Tropic of Capricorn on South African Airways. A very good airline i have to say and competitively priced as well.

More of this journey tomorrow. I need to dash.