Above: The stark wonder of the Namib. Below: The horses are exceptionally well cared for.
“
To call this
country beautiful
only scratches the
surface of the feeling
that it gives you. No
trace of humanity...
just endless hues
of browns, reds
and blues
“
and bigger until you come to the final
challenge: a huge, stomach-lurching
slope to reach the designated camp for
the night. It was here that I stood with
Phoebe Penny, the base camp manager
and back-up trail guide, and watched the
rest of the group descend. They looked
comically small when they finally reached
the valley floor below us.
“Just keep a slight tension on the reins,”
instructed Phoebe. “Don’t let Polka speed
up or go sideways. If she goes sideways,
her legs could get stuck in the deep sand
and she might pull a tendon. Ready?”
Part of what you learned, after
kilometres of dodging sudden holes at a
canter and bonding over a shared apple
during the mid-morning water break, was
to have complete trust in your horse. I
nodded and gathered the reins. After a
last, deep breath, we stepped off the lip
of the dune. The world slanted. Clumps
of sand were tossed up behind us as we
motored our way down in what felt like a
few seconds. We reached the bottom and
our horses danced on the spot, tossing
their manes and whinnying their delight.
Phoebe and I grinned at each other. Our
shadows were stretched long and thin
and the air had cooled. We’d just finished
one of the most aesthetically inspiring
days of the ride, and we had more of the
same ahead.
I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.
Left: A giraffe frames a golden moment during the ride. Below: Camp for the night.
HOW TO DO THIS SAFARI
The Wild Horses safari is an immersive
experience that should be on any horse
rider’s bucket list. The horses have
spirit, are well cared for and their health
is prioritised. After a transfer from
Windhoek, the ride starts in Wolwedans
and crosses the NamibRand Nature
Reserve before ending in Aus. Here you
visit the namesake of the trail – the rare
desert-adapted wild horses of the Namib
– and the ghost town of Kolmanskop,
before ending with a final, oyster-filled
lunch at Lüderitz.
Contact a Sure Travel agent for more
info or to book. Visit www.suretravel.co.za
or call 0861 47 48 49 to speak to an agent.
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 49