Sambulenni Horse Safari Namibia Namibia Nestled among the Tambuti Wilderness this private farm of approx. 9,000 hectares covers unspoiled mountains and savanna bushveld with plenty of wildlife. The small setup (only 5 guestrooms) offers an informal atmosphere, privacy, personal attention and quality.  The waterhole located near the lodge is frequented by wildlife and offers an excellent opportunity to observe and photograph wildlife without having to leave the comfort of your chair. There is a tremendous amount of wildlife around the lodge, including: black-faced impala, Damara dikdik (smallest antelope in the world), oryx, springbok, kudu, eland, gnu (black and blue), zebra (Hartmann and Burchell), giraffe, klipspringer, duiker, baboon, cheetah, leopard, spotted and brown hyena. Safari Ride Center-based ride Endurance Ride Meeting: Windhoek Airport: Windhoek Eros Airport (ERS) Transfer: Windhoek Eros Airport (ERS) or Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) Riders: Min 1 riders Max 6 riders Trip Brochure (PDF) Trip Rating Travel Stories

Packages and Options

Click here for updated current rates.

 

Transfer and Other Charges:

Private pick-up/drop-off is available from Windhoek Eros Airport (ERS) or Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) at set times on Saturdays only!

Sample Itinerary: Safari Week - subject to changes

Please, note that the operator recently moved to a new location and is still exploring new surroundings. Because of this we ask the riders to be flexible and able to understand that sometime ‘routes’ are very flexible as we may encounter dead-ends or simply terrain where we cannot get through on horseback.

Day 1 (Saturday): Arrival
Pick up from Hosea Kutako, Namibia’s international airport. After a 5 hour drive (drinks and snacks available in the vehicle) you arrive at the farm, where we will be waiting for you with refreshments and do the introductions.
After a good shower we go to the stables to sign the briefing & indemnity forms, to be introduced to our gorgeous Arabian horses and to answer any questions you may have.
Drinks and dinner will be waiting for us upon our return to the farm.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 2 (Sunday):  Game Ride
Our first morning ride will take us to an open area often frequented by springbok, black-faced impala, white-tailed wildebeest, oryx and Cape eland.
A light lunch (bread, salad, cheeses, etc.) will be taken at the farm. Our ride in the afternoon will take us to another area which seems to the favoured by giraffe.
After settling our horses we will walk back to the farm for a shower, drinks and dinner – in no particular order.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 3 (Monday): Morning Ride & Afternoon Sundowner
After breakfast, we will leave for a ride until lunchtime, taking us over a few hills with beautiful maerula and tambuti trees and some acacia before heading out for more open terrain.
The afternoon is at your disposal for a siesta, to chill or watch wildlife at the waterhole in front of the garden.
In the late afternoon, we pack some coolboxes filled with drinks and snacks and drive the LandRover to a beautiful sundowner spot somewhere in the bush. A light dinner will be served at the farm.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 4 (Tuesday): Morning Game Ride
For today’s riding, we take the horses out for an easy and relaxing ride, on the lookout for the impressive Cape eland, elegantly trotting oryx, dainty springbok and majestic kudu.
After a few hours in the saddle lunch will be served at the farm.
The afternoon is at your disposal to hike or just relax. If you prefer to take a day out of the saddle we offer a daytrip to Etosha National Park at an additional fee.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 5 (Wednesday): Picnic Ride
Today, we’ll leave slightly later than the other days. The ride will be split into a morning and afternoon ride with a delicious picnic during the hottest hours of the day. The table will be laid and ice cold drinks are ready to be enjoyed.
After a short rest, we will saddle up the horses and slowly meander back to the stables. The remainder of the afternoon is at your disposal. Dinner will be served at the farm.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 6 (Thursday): Woodlands Ride
This ride will take us through some beautiful woodlands providing us with plenty of shade. We will be looking for dolomite rocks eroded over thousands of years into very sharp points. We will park our horses at the bottom of the rocks. Those of you who would like to climb these rocks please bring sturdy gloves and shoes. We will be back in time for a late lunch.
The afternoon will be for you to relax.
A braai is on the menu for this evening (minimum 2 persons).
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 7 (Friday): Morning Game Ride & Sundowner Ride
After breakfast, we saddle up and will be on the lookout for zebra, giraffe and other species. Today we will be back before the end of the morning and lunch will be served at the farm.
We will ride out later in the afternoon again and take you to one of our many great spots where we can enjoy the sunset with a drink and a bite and the sound of jackal as background music. Just before darkness sets we will head back to the stables in time for a late dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm
 
Day 8 (Saturday): Departure
Unfortunately, it is time to say goodbye to our lovely horses and the rest of the staff. Of course, you are more than welcome to extend your stay.
Meals included: Breakfast

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Sample Itinerary: Endurance Week - subject to changes

This program is held from Monday to Monday.
We recommend that you arrive the latest the Monday before the ride as this will give you plenty of time to get to know your endurance horse and for the horse to get to know you!

Day 1 (Monday): Arrival 
We will collect you from Windhoek Airport and bring you to the farm. At the farm we will introduce you to your horses and give you a briefing.
Tonight you will stay at the Lodge. Sundowners and a delicious dinner of local fare await you in the lapa, while we watch the resident kudu, black-faced impala at the waterhole. It is the beginning of your Namibian Endurance Riding Adventure!
Meals included: Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 2 (Tuesday): Introductory Ride
During the morning we will take the time for you to get to know the horses. A session in the veld will give both you and your horse a chance to understand each other. The rest of the day is spent either being very energetic doing something around the farm, or you can be totally lazy, enjoying the horses in the paddocks while you recline at the pool with a tall glass of icy something. Late afternoon will be spent on a training ride. During the evening we will explain some of the endurance do’s and don’ts and go through the theory of vet checks.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 3 (Wednesday): Game Ride & Endurance Training 
We will explore a little today, go into the bush to watch the game from horseback. We will return to the lodge for lunch and go for another short training session in the afternoon and practice a vet check.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 4 (Thursday): Game Ride & Endurance Training 
We will do some more exploring and enjoy the scenery and game from horseback. The lodge awaits us for lunch. In the late afternoon, the last chance to get more familiar with your endurance horse and maybe practice another vet check.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 5 (Friday): Preparation of Endurance Race (no riding)
It is time to pack up and begin our journey to the endurance ride. Depending on which ride you have chosen, the trip will take us anything between 1 and 4 hours. The journey might be slow trailing the horses, but you get to see (a small) part of the countryside. We will decide on where to put our grooming/holding areas and take the time to exercise the horses. The vet check, entries and weigh-in normally starts during the (late) afternoon. On Friday early evening the pre-ride briefing will be held, where the route and basic rules will be explained. The evening is sociable and we will join fellow riders for a drink, generally get to know everyone, catch up on news, have a good meal and early to bed.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight depends on where the endurance place takes place

Day 6 (Saturday): Endurance Race
Competition days! Early rise! Depending on the expected weather and your distance the ride starts around 5am. We will ride together. Even though one of our grooms will be helping us, you will be expected to assist with crewing and getting your horse through the vet check. The horses always come first, and their comfort and well being is our first priority. Depending on the terrain, distance, horse, and rider the speed will be anything between 13 and 19 km per hour. The prize giving is during the late afternoon or early evening; we’ll tuck the horses in and make sure that all is well. A drink, a good meal and soft bed is normally the order of the day after a good ride.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight depends on where the endurance place takes place

Day 7 (Sunday): Relaxed Ride After the Race
Feeling your muscles, hot coffee, check and feed the horses, breakfast, chatting, and packing up is how the day after the ride seems to go. We should be on the road by 10am. In the late afternoon we saddle our endurance horses and take them for a relaxed ride to loosen up their and our muscles.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at the Farm

Day 8 (Monday): Departure
By now we have all gotten to know each other quite well, we have had a busy week and done some serious riding, but alas, it is time to say good-bye. We will take you back to Windhoek Airport or set you on your way to the next part of your Namibian holiday or even better extend your stay.
Meals included: Breakfast

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Add-ons & Extensions
For those of you interested in Endurance, you can join the Introduction to Endurance Program as an add-on to the safari week. You can also participate in some of the local Endurance races.

                                                Windhoek area

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average High Temperature (°F)	89	87	85	82	78	73	73	78	85	88	90	91
Average Low Temperature (°F)	63	62	60	56	51	45	45	49	55	60	61	63
Average High Temperature (°C)	32	30	30	28	25	23	23	25	29	31	32	33
Average Low Temperature (°C)	17	17	16	13	11	7	7	9	13	16	16	17
Average Precipitation (days of rain)	8	9	7	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	4

Source: NOAA


Seasons
Most of Namibia enjoys a minimum of 300 days of sunshine a year, but generally, the winter climate is the most pleasant. Namibia has a dry climate. Most days are pleasantly warm, while the nights are generally cool (in winter temperatures can fall to 0 C.)

There are 2 relatively short rainy seasons, the shorter occurs between October and December, while the main stormy period occurs between January and April. The storms are brief and spectacular. Forked lightening illuminates the dark thunderclouds while the rain refreshes the air and soaks down the dust.

Windhoek enjoys low humidity and gentle breezes, which make for a pleasant and comfortable climate in which to ride. The area averages between 200 to 400 mm of rain per year, all of which falls in the summer.

Provided when riding: saddle bag, water bottle and waterproof poncho.
Winters are usually mild to warm which calls for light clothing in the middle of the day and a sweater or jacket for evenings and early mornings when it can be quite cold. When riding, it is better to wear riding or walking shoes with chaps because some of the trails involve challenging gradients, which often require leading your horse. Cotton jodhpurs are better than synthetic products.

A light safari jacket with many pockets is ideal for carrying your compact binoculars, penknife, sun-hat, sunglasses, sun block, moisturizer, lip balm with spf, etc. Points for electric shavers (electric current 250VAC) are available. You are advised to bring battery-operated or conventional razors if you choose to stay in the tented camps).

This list is only a guideline for you

Travel documents and Voucher

Flight tickets

Passport

Visa (check with your consulate)

RIDING GEAR

Jodhpurs or cotton slacks

Footwear that is comfortable for both riding and walking in with a 1 inch heel (long boots & shoes with leather soles are impractical)

Mini chaps

Hard riding hat (mandatory), preferably light weight with good ventilation

Riding gloves

Wide brimmed hat

PERSONAL CLOTHING

Light weight clothing in neutral colours to blend in with bush

Jerseys and/or jackets are needed during the cooler winter months

Comfortable T-Shirts/Shirts

Jeans

Shorts

Underwear and socks

Sleepwear

Trekking boots/ comfortable shoes

Swimsuit

ADDITIONAL THINGS TO BRING

Personal Toiletries

Insect protection

Personal medications

Sore cream (for an emergency)

Camera and enough extra batteries

Small flashlight

Sun glasses with strap

Sun tan lotion and lip balm

Binoculars

Average ratings from 3 tour feedbacks (see details below) Horses: (5) Excellent (4) Very Good (3) Good (2) Satisfactory (1) Not Satisfactory Saddle/Tack: Accommodations: Meals: Host/Guide: other Riders: Name Date jolanta osuchowska 2/26/2016 jesus burgos 4/6/2008 suzanne bury 3/25/2007

Accommodations
This is a stationary ride, so all nights will be spent at the farm.

Description
The lodge is off-grid with water coming directly from the farm and electricyty being provided by solar panels.
Each of the 5 rooms differ, not only in colour and decoration but also in size. What they do have in common is a good bed, a good shower, air cooling, coffee/tea making facilities, a shaded stoop with a view over the established garden and waterhole.

The air conditioned lapa offers a view over the garden and waterhole. This is also the place where all meals are prepared and mostly served.



Room Occupancy
Single supplement is mandatory if we are unable to find another rider to share.



Meals
All meals are included from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 8.

Breakfast is normally buffet-style, whereas most lunches and dinners are served at a long table.
The meals are simple, but of quality produce and a combination of Namibian, American and European cuisine.
 
There's a fireplace for the chilly evenings, a Nespresso machine and a fridge filled with a variety of drinks (we keep an honesty bar, where guests write down what they have taken from the fridge - these drinks will be invoiced at the end of their stay and need to be paid for in cash).

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to dietary restrictions with prior notice.

This trip can accommodate special dietary requests.

Tack:		Endurance saddles with bumnahs
Horses:		Arabian and Arabian crosses
Pace:		All gaits, walk, trot, canter - 4-5 hrs. Some canter/gallop are more than 2 km | Walk | Trot | Canter | Gallop |
Level:		(3.5 to 4 out of 5)    Strong Intermediate
Age:		Min 16
Weight:		Max 190 lbs
Riders:		Min 1 riders	Max 6 riders

Endurance Ride Options
The opportunity exists for you to compete in an endurance ride. You will receive instructions during your stay and will be accompanied by Ingeborg, giving you the do's and don’ts and the why and why-nots during your training. She will also set the pace and give you further instructions during the actual competition itself. Your stay will be a combination of game viewing from horseback, the training for and the actual endurance competition. This means you will have the luxury of having 2 horses; one you will train for the endurance and the actual competition itself and the other horse is for your safari rides.
Please, inquire about the endurance ride dates.

Riding Level
You should be riding fit and strong. We have to take the safety and enjoyment of our horse(s) as well as yourself and other riders into consideration. Therefore, we require the following level of competence:
•you are confident at all paces and can control a (very) forward going horse across vary varied terrain
•you can rise/post to the trot
•you can stand in your stirrups when in canter/gallop
•you have a balanced and independent seat
•you have horse sense
We reserve the right to prevent any guest from riding if we feel they do not fulfill the competence level detailed above. If you are not riding regularly we strongly recommend that you get in practice before joining us on safari.

Pace
During your week’s stay (6 riding days), you will ride an average of 4 hours per day. The riding can be fairly intensive and you are welcome to take either a morning, afternoon or day off “out of the saddle” to enjoy the other activities or just recuperate by the pool.

Riding Terrain
The terrain is a combination of savannah and rocky mountains up to 2,000m. Some of our rides are designed to explore the mountainous trails where the views are stunning yet the game can be scarce and difficult to spot. Other rides, mainly along game trails on savannah plains will bring you in close contact with the game. All our trails are designed to provide you with as much variation as possible and are focused on quality riding.



Horses
Our horses are our greatest and most important assets. We have 16 pure-bred Arabian horses and 1 Arab cross. Some of the horses are youngsters, some are retired after having given years of faithful service and other are riding horses.
We have chosen our horses for their even temperament and to ensure a safe yet exciting ride. Some of our lovely creatures were bought in Namibia or born at our own stud, whereas others were imported from South Africa, Europe and the United States. Not only do they compete successfully in national and international endurance rides, but also achieve excellent results in the show ring.
It goes without saying that we've trained our horses in all aspects of trail riding. It is with great pride that we can say that we have happy, fun loving and forward going horses!
All effort is made to ensure the right combination between horse and rider.
We expect you to groom and tack up your own horse. This creates a bond between horse and rider that both parties will rely on during the day’s adventures. When you return from your ride, you will be asked to assist in showering your horse.

Weight Limit
For the welfare of our horses and their size, we limit the weight of our riders to 85kg for our safari rides and 80kg for our endurances and mountain trails.

Tack
We use light-weight endurance saddles covered with sheep skin bumnahs. These saddles –made by Leon Liversage– are comfortable for both horse and rider and designed for long hours in the saddle. All saddles carry a saddle bag that have enough space for cold water (provided) and your personal equipment (camera, suntan lotion, binoculars, etc.).
The stirrups are wide and give you plenty of support. Some of our horses are ridden either on an eggbutt snaffle bit or a French loose ring training snaffle bit.

Staff
The team consists of the grooms Venantius and Jeremie and Ingeborg.
Ingeborg’s love for Arabian horses started when she was still a youngster. During one of her dressage competitions as a child, she fell in love with a gorgeous white Arabian horse performing some magnificent dressage steps and promised herself “Later, when I’m all grown up I want to have an Arabian horse”. Now, years later she is the proud owner of a herd of 28 Arabian horses. Dreams can come true!

Passports

Passport valid for a minimum of six months after the date of departure from Namibia required by all nationals referred to in the chart above.



Visas

Not required by nationals referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days except:

1. nationals of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia who do require a visa.

Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the consulate or high commission for visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Types of Visa and Cost

Tourist, Business and Transit: US$50.

Validity

Valid up to three months from date of issue for stays of up to three months from date of entry. Extensions for a further three months are available from the Ministry of Home Affairs in Windhoek.

Applications to:

Consulate (or consular section at high commission); see Contact Addresses.

Working Days Required

Three to four.

Passport Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	Yes
USA	Yes
Other EU	Yes
Visa Required?
British	No
Australian	No
Canadian	No
USA	No
Other EU	No/1
Return Ticket Required?
British	Yes
Australian	Yes
Canadian	Yes
USA	Yes
Other EU	Yes

This information is not being updated on a regular basis. Hidden Trails does not take any responsibility for the accuracy of the above information. Please, consult the embassy or consulate for updated info.