Ride Overview
Ride like you are in “Out of Africa” with magic that is only found on the plains and in the foothills of the Serengeti. One of the most special rides offered and the epitome of the best of an African safari with all the comforts of a luxury lodge. Gallop the plains with the herds then enjoy sundowners on the veranda, truly a magical experience.
Ol Malo, your base for the week, offers riders and non riders an oasis for adventure, relaxation and privacy in abundance. Retire to your luxurious room and fall asleep to the sounds of the native animals. Ol Malo is a privately owned family ranch and game sanctuary in the wild Northern Laikipia district. It’s the heartland of the Samburu tribe. Your stay, in the heart of the African bush, is an intimate and highly personal experience. You’ll be exploring the mountains, painted valleys, deserts and some of Kenya’a best kept secrets. There are three options for accommodation – Ol Malo Lodge, Ol Malo House (for intact groups or families) and Ol Malo Nomad, the tented safari that uses a helicopter, a team of camels and the sure-footed horses onsite along with ancient tribal knowledge to transport you even deeper into this magical country.
Fishing, hiking, helicopter rides are all available to non riders. Itineraries are bespoke for each reservation to individual interests. Riding and Ol Malo Nomad are arranged for a minimum of 2 riders and a maximum of 4 riders.
Dates & Rates:
Sept. 1-Oct. 31, 2023 and Dec. 1-19, 2023: $964.00 USD per person per night, 2 night minimum.
July 1-Aug. 31, 2023 and Dec. 20, 2023-Jan. 6, 2024: 1,300.00 USD per person per night, 2 night minimum.
Ol Malo Nomad option: Additional $1,000.00 per group of 2-4 riders. Not offered Dec. 20, 2023-Jan. 5, 2024.
***Notes on this program and accommodation:
For the optimal experience, we recommend a minimum 5 night/4 day program.
It is recommended you arrive to Ol Malo on Day 1 rested, as there is game drive as well as riding in the afternoon. You may want to plan to arrive to Nairobi a day or two ahead of the start of the itinerary.
There is no WiFi onsite and power is by generator with no facilities for charging devices, nor are there hairdryers.
Rates include all meals, soft drinks, beer, non premium wine and laundry services as well as riding and conservancy fees.
Transfers from the Ol Malo airstrip are included. Transfers from Loisaba Airstrip are $58.00 USD per car.
There is a $250.00 USD guide/pilot fee per night – this fee is divided by the number of guests in attendance
This ride is NOT suitable for beginners
Comprehensive medical and travel insurance (including temporary Flying Doctor Membership where relevant in Kenya) is required for all guests traveling to the properties and is a condition of travel and stay.
Included
- Accommodation
- All meals, soft drinks, beer, non premium wine
- Horse and all tack
- Guiding services
- Game drives
- Laundry services
- Transfers from the Ol Malo airstrip (charter flight)
Not Included
- Airfaire
- Nairobi transfers between Jomo Kenyatta International and Wilson Airport
- Flight to/from Losiaba Airstrip
- Transfers to/from Losiaba Airstrip ($58.00 per vehicle, each way)
- Flying Doctor membership
- Travel insurance
- Grautuities at the end of your stay
Jay G.
This was an incredible trip; experientially, the best vacation ever. My daughter Julia was a great traveling companion and loved riding horses every day. They gave me a very fine horse named Kalahari, a 6 year old gelding who was obedient, capable, sure footed, very fast and gorgeous to look at. I did not fall off even once, but was very glad for the lessons I took. I was definitely the least experienced rider there, but do not feel that they had to accommodate me in any way. I even jumped a log once at the end of the week!. Julia had a little trouble with her horse at first, but came to love him by the end of the week. We had 7 guests in our group and 2 guides. They were a fun group to spend the week with and the food and amenities were wonderful.
The logistics of the trip were very well organized, and all the drivers and pick up people were in place at the appointed times. The only snafu was that our luggage was overweight at the Wilson airport. The attendant looked at 4 of us, who had just met, and told us that we had to collectively eliminate 35kg from our luggage. That was a bit of a challenge and I had to donate one of my suitcases to the cause. We put a bunch of our stuff in there and the airport staff kept it for us while we did our safari. We had to figure out a way for all of us to get our respective stuff back at the end even though we were not coming back at the same time. In the end it worked out fine, though I did miss some of the things I had to leave at the airport. I later found the fine print that spelled out the luggage weight limits for that airport.
Active Riding Trips did a great job organizing things for us. I liked doing a safari where we did not just sit in a truck all day, but got to actually DO something, like ride a horse. The elephant orphanage and giraffe exhibit were great fun too, though the lodge was pretty cool and I wish I had been able to spend more time there too. Maybe next time.
I loved the opportunity to take so many photos and attached a few of my favorites. Thanks again for everything.