Moolmanshoek Horse Safari

Most guests fly into OR Tambo (Johannesburg Airport) where you’ll be met for your 4 hour road transfer to Moolmanshoek. Upon your afternoon arrival, enjoy a light lunch on the veranda taking in the incredible scenery.  You have the afternoon at leisure to get to know the lodge, the stable yard and the magnificent horses. If time allows, you’ll have a first ride in the late afternoon light.  Return to the lodge to enjoy drinks and a sumptuous dinner at Bamboebos Restaurant.

Breakfast on the veranda followed by a morning 4-hour yellow loop trail. A breathtaking ride through the donga forest with some exciting canters up steep trails, following a scenic route up the mountains with beautiful views into Lesotho. As you ride below the peak of Sekonjela’s Hat, the second highest peak in the Witteberg Mountain Range, you’ll discover unbelievable views over Moolmanshoek and towards the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho. All the young horses are raised in these mountains and can often be seen on your ride. Working your way back, you might find some pools filled with water for a dip.  Mounting up, the ride back down the valley takes you down steep slopes of sandstone with breathtaking views of the Moolmanshoek Valley, where you will be amazed at the dexterity of our incredible Boerperd, as they negotiate the slopes with ease.

A light lunch on the veranda precedes the afternoon ride, culminating in sundowners overlooking the plains. A warm dinner awaits at the Bamboesbos Restaurant.

The day begins with an early breakfast before a picnic lunch ride to explore the Bushmen Paintings. Journey through the Endurance blue loop, encountering wildlife such as rooi hartebeest, giraffe, and sable antelope. Explore overhangs with ancient bushman paintings estimated to be over 400 years old. Enjoy a picnic lunch in the valley under the willows. Large herds of rooi hartebeest, black wildebeest, impala, giraffe and sable antelope can be discovered on the ride.  A short ride down into the valley to enjoy a picnic lunch under the willows, where  you can relax in the shade as the  horses graze nearby.  This trail is a slower pace, with some long canters before you climb up the mountain. After a leisurely picnic lunch, you’ll ride back to the lodge.

Conclude the day with a three-course dinner at Bamboesbos Restaurant.

Indulge in a breakfast on the veranda before departing on the Holkrans Ride. A breathtaking ride through the donga forest with some exciting canters up steep trails, following a scenic route up the mountains with beautiful views into Lesotho. As we summit Sekonjela’s Hat, the second highest peak in the Witteberg Mountain Range we discover unbelievable views from the summit back to Moolmanshoek over Lesotho. All our young horses are raised in these mountains and can often be seen on our ride.  Working our way back to the shower pools where, in the summer months, we enjoy a refreshing dip in the pools before indulging in a delicious picnic lunch as we warm up on the sandstone rocks.  Mounting up, we follow narrow trails, passing the rare mountain bamboo that was discovered on the reserve, resulting in it becoming registered as a Natural Heritage Site.  We ride on to discover Holkrans, a large cave chamber where a unique water break has resulted in the rocky overhang, looking out over the Sandstone Ledges.

This unique cave offers an overnight experience for the adventurous, where, in the company of friends both old and new, you warm up around an open fire.  One could almost imagine how the cave dwellers of old would gather around a similar fire, sharing stories and the history of their culture.  Sleep on comfortable stretcher beds and fall asleep to the sounds of nature, as the fire casts its glow on the beautiful sandstone overhang.  Your horses graze contentedly a short distance away.

However, winter months are incredibly cold, therefore overnight stays are restricted to the summer months in fair weather.

This morning’s ride takes us along the ridge at the foot of the Pyramids to discover the Adventure Centre at Langesnek, where the adventure center offers abseiling or high ropes for school groups. The ride meanders through the valley behind Langesnek and on to the long open plains of the neighbouring farm, to discover vast herds of wildlife and the numerous “White Blesbok”. Riding through the wetlands to discover magnificent bird life before exploring the tracks alongside a small dam, where countless waterfowls can be observed. Lovely long windy canters back towards the lodge. Lunch back at the lodge before enjoying an eco game drive in the afternoon for a change of pace. After the sundowner and eco game drive three course Dinner in the Bamboebos Restaurant.

Jacobsberg Trail includes amazing game encounters as you canter through the open plain areas before climbing up the steep ridge leading up to Jacobsberg. Incredible views over the reserve before continuing to follow the valley’s edge in the shadow of Virsierskerf to discover the seven pools trail. On a hot summer’s day, the option of a swim in the pools to enjoy the crystal-clear mountain streams is an option before mounting up again to ride back through the plains.
Light lunch on the veranda before another afternoon ride. This afternoon you’ll visit the brood mares living out in the huge pastures – depending on the time of year, they may have foals with them which is always so special to see. Three course dinner in the Bamboebos Restaurant.

Savor another scrumptious breakfast on the veranda before an exciting ride up the Pyramid Mountain Trail. Climb the Pyramid Mountain, heading down over the side of the second pyramid onto the plains. Revel in the nice canters to the rocky outcrop overlooking the savannah, with game grazing contentedly on the steep mountain slopes. Enjoy amazing views and lovely rolling canters on the return ride, concluding with the sight of large herds of plains game on the open savanna en route back to the lodge. The afternoon offers leisure or a short late afternoon game viewing ride on the plains.

Early morning coffee or tea and rusks at the stables, before a final ride on the reserve before departure.