Zambia Horseback Safari
Horse riding in the African wilderness is a unique experience for those who want to combine the pleasures of riding with a love for the wild and the thrill of an African safari. This is a unique experience which allows you to experience Zambian wildlife, scenery and culture at close quarters whilst staying in a wonderfully restored historic house called Shiwa Ng'andu (the subject of the book by Christina Lamb "The Africa House").
The main attraction of a horse safari is the joy of riding good horses over superb country, with just about every landscape dotted with game. The riding is varied, sometimes quietly walking, stalking big game and admiring the bird life, sometimes cantering through the water-meadows alongside galloping giraffe and lechwe.
Shiwa Horse Safaris is based at Shiwa Ng'andu in Shiwa National Park. The riding is challenging and fast with long canters and gallops where terrain allows, some steep climbs and descents, river crossings and diverse terrain to cross. Steve and Lucy Rufus are your riding hosts and have a wealth of experience and a big sense of fun and clients keep on returning to them.
Skill level required: Intermediate to experienced riders.
Shiwa Ng'andu Manor House
Shiwa has four comfortable en-suite guest rooms, furnished with most of the original pieces from Gore Browne’s era creating a feeling of bygone times. Simple hardwood fittings with unique paintings and photographs decorate the walls and each one provides a story and memory to be recounted to inquisitive guests during afternoon tea or sundowners on the lake shore. Meal times are an opportunity to sample the delicious farm produce and sit at the original dining room table that Shiwa Manor House Gore-Browne frequented in full dress whilst entertaining various dignitaries, from Zambian President’s, European Royalty and friends from around the world. At Shiwa House you will be greeted with a warm welcome from the Harvey’s who pride themselves on imparting their knowledge of history and stories surrounding Shiwa and Zambia.
Impandala Farm House
Nestled in a heady grove of tall trees, 10 minutes drive from the main house, is Impandala House. This is the most beautiful of farm houses with dramatic views and originally built to house a pair of Scottish missionaries translating the bible from English to Bemba. The house has four spacious and light bedrooms – two en-suite, a warm, hospitable lounge and dining room opening on to a typically colonial all round veranda that offers spectacular views down to the lake. Despite being a smaller version of the main house it commands its own impressive history and lays claim to being the location for Dr. Kenneth Kaunda’s incarceration and the final signings of the Declaration of Independence of Zambia back in 1964. The surroundings and gardens are regularly visited by game, making it a peaceful haven for bird spotters and is often referred to as a ‘writers paradise’ and those who wish to escape the stress of modern day living.