Iceland holidays open up

Posted by Mark / in Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, Tavistock Travel Agents /

While the UK government continues to prevaricate over vaccination certificates, here’s the news from Iceland:

“We are super excited to share the amazing news with you that the Icelandic government has announced that all travellers are welcome to visit Iceland, starting tomorrow(!), without being subject to border measures, such as testing and quarantine, if they can show either:

 

• A certificate of full vaccination against COVID-19
• A certificate of previous COVID-19 infection

 

Both Iceland’s Chief Epidemiologist and Minister of Tourism have stated their will to allow vaccinated individuals into the country regardless of where they are coming from:

“From the point of view of disease prevention, it does not matter where an individual is coming from if he has a certificate to the effect that he has been vaccinated.”

Botswana: finally! a good news story

Posted by Mark / in Africa, Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, Tavistock Travel Agents /

During these dark times we can still dream, and there is good news around: Botswana’s famous inland Delta is renowned for being Africa’s best wildlife spot. The Delta’s ecosystem depends on the annual flood and for the last five years it’s been weak. This year it’s outstanding! Good news for wildlife, birds and the whole ecosystem. Whether you ride, drive or walk a safari to Botswana is as good as it gets.

Rainfall in the mountains of Angola determines the water level in the Delta which is measured at the village of Rundu in Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. This morning (St George’s Day) it reads 6.6m compared to the five-year average of 5.38, so it’s going to be an outstanding flood.

We can’t travel to Botswana at the moment, and my heart goes out to all those remote, specialist lodges that make a Delta safari so life-changingly special. But one day it will come back. And perversely, the absence of human traffic and activity is really good news for the animals, great and small. It’s a funny old world.

For all you technical people, here’s the Rundu report

Namibia: long distance riding

Posted by Mark / in Africa, Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

From prototype to perfection
It’s been several years in the making, but new for 2020 is the ultimate safari saddle.

 

 

It will be used on all the Namibia safaris and is fully adjustable to both horse and rider. A specially designed woollen girth with lots of built-in padding, will be much appreciated (by horse) on those long desert days. The handy water-bottle holders have been moved to behind the rider’s leg so no longer knocking on your knee! And there’s a little pocket for small things like camera, lip balm and sunblock which will be much appreciated (by rider).

Excellent leather, plenty of air-flow along the spine – it’s a work of art!!

Machu Picchu Summer Solstice

Posted by Mark / in Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, South America, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

The Incas and the Sun
Inca lore has it that the Sun God, Inti, rose from Lake Titicaca to control the heavens and the seasons. The Inca, the eponymous emperor of the Inca people, was believed to be a direct descendant of Inti.

Inti was anchored to the earth by The Intihuatana Stone, known as “The Hitching Post of the Sun” in English, which stands inside Machu Picchu. This remarkable stone is a precise indicator of the two equinoxes, spring and autumn, as well as other celestial events.

The name Intihuatana is derived from the local Quechua language and is rumoured to have been coined by Hiram Bingham. It comes from inti meaning “sun”; and wata which is the verb root “to tie or hitch” (huata- is simply a Spanish spelling). The Quechua -na suffix changes a verb into a noun for things like tools or places. Hence inti watana is literally an instrument or place to “tie up the sun”; in English that makes “The Hitching Post of the Sun”.

There is a similar, though totally unconnected, link with Ra, the Egyptian sun god. You could say that the dynasty of the pharaohs in Egypt and the much later dynasty of the Incas were each sun cults. And there’s nothing wrong with a bit of sun worship!

Machu Picchu and the Spring Equinox
Machu Picchu is south of the equator, just, so the spring equinox happens in September rather than March; March is the beginning of autumn here in Peru, whereas in the northern hemisphere, it’s t’other way around.

What is the Equinox?
The Earth is in ceaseless orbit around the sun and is tilted at 23.5° off the vertical which means the sun’s light and warmth swap between the two hemispheres twice per year, March and September. At equinox the sun is directly overhead at noon, as seen from the equator; night and day are of equal length. The name equinox comes from Latin aequus = equal and nox = night.

What is the ‘Solstice’?
A solstice occurs when the sun reaches the end of its tether, either in the extreme north, or south. There are two solstices: Summer on the 21st June and Winter on the 21st December. This year we have a very special opportunity to witness the Summer Solstice inside the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu in the company of one of the foremost Inca specialists, Edwin Duñeas.

Details of Edwin’s 14-day trip are here.

Winter Rides

Posted by Mark / in Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

Northern lights ride

Horse riding in Iceland during the winter months has real charm.

Venture Co offers a fantastic multi-day ride during winter where you have a good chance of seeing the northern lights, as well as exciting riding:-

The Northern Lights ride comes in a 6 days package and is also available in a 4-day format

And of course a little riding can be combined with some dog-sledding, whale watching or some quality time exploring Reykjavik’s Chocolate Cafe, Omnom!

Release the Inner Cowgirl!

Posted by Mark / in Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, South America, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

Following a year’s research we have just released the “Gaucho Trail” which welcomes you to release the inner cowgirl (or boy!).

A couple of hours away from Buenos Aires in Argentina is a large estancia (ranch) which specialises in cattle rearing. The fertile land in this area is flat and criss-crossed with rivers creating a tapestry of rolling grassland which is ideal cattle country. The estancia’s gauchos are born and bred to their trade and the criollo horses they ride are ‘home made’, quick, agile and really well mannered. In February 2019 we had our first wanabee-gauchos return from Argentina and they really loved the experience, proving with complete confidence that this stunning farm, with outstanding accommodation, great horses and a genuine gaucho welcome delivers what it promises. Given its location, north of Capricorn in the tropics, it’s a 12-month of the year destination. Min stay 3 nights; the Gaucho Trail is 7 nights.

Pushkar: a Marwari ride to the greatest show in Rajasthan, India.

Posted by Mark / in Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

We are giving a free Venture Co daypack to welcome all Pushkar riders 2019.

Pushkar is a place in India you may have heard of: it’s a small desert town 150 clicks SW of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Unusually it’s a pilgrimage site, complete with sacred bathing ghats, for both Hindus and Sikhs. But what it’s particularly famous for is the annual autumn ‘Camel Fair’.

The stat’s are startling: ¼ million traders wash and adorn 50,000 camels, a similar number of Marwari horses, and rather more cattle, all of which swell the local population for the five day fair. Add in the holiday atmosphere, magic sideshows and of course the races (camels and horses, but not together) and the scene is set for an experience of biblical proportions. Vibrant colours combine with the dusty haze and set the stage for horsemanship that will stop you in your tracks. Badminton it ain’t but attention gripping it most certainly is.

Our host for this ride often buys a stallion or brood mare at the fare, so we, as part of his entourage, are very much ‘in’. The trading and bargaining is utterly unfathomable: no visible sign can be seen and few words are exchanged; just a rather intriguing sash draped across clasped hands, concealing an ancient, tactile communication. Eventually a price is agreed and a deal struck but no-one knows the detail except buyer and seller. And low and behold a new horse joins the herd!

There are a couple of things that set our riding group apart: as you might imagine, tourists are bussed in to the fair on day trips, click their cameras and depart. We ride in across the desert, riding Marwaris, and arrive very much in traditional style. More subtly, the Marwaris we’re riding are top class examples of the breed and have all the right physical attributes, but they also have the intangible spirit that sets a classy Marwari apart. Local dealers will recognise this at a glance, and you’ll get a different reaction compared to the bussed-in brigade.

We can organise this ride in a number of ways: with a tiger safari, or without, including a visit to the Taj Mahal, or not and visiting Pushkar at the beginning of the itinerary or at the end. We remain flexible and can even include the Diwali experience in a Rajasthan fort. Please contact us for a detailed, tailored proposal and price.

 

Patagonia – Latest News

Posted by Mark / in Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, South America, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

Several of you will know Cathy in Chile and Dominik in Argentina, the wonderful characters who guide the trans-Patagonia rides. There are big changes coming up for 2020.

The problem we have noticed over the last two seasons is water – or rather the shortage of water in the rivers. The Grand Traversée ride contains as a star feature several river crossings which can be several hundred metres wide with the water lapping your stirrups and the horse’s belly all the way! It’s a thrilling experience, particularly because you can dip a cup into the river (upstream of the horses!) and drink directly from it; it’s that clean and glacier fresh.

The trouble is that rainfall in Patagonia’s summer (Nov to March) has declined significantly, making the lakes and rivers run lower than usual. Global warming? Well, probably. The glaciers still produce run-off but it’s not being topped-up from rain. We have traditionally crossed the Chile-Argentina border by boat across a lake to the rapids, up the rapids and across another lake to the new border. During late Jan, Feb and March there simply isn’t enough water in the rapids to make them navigable. The alternative is a 14 hour road / trail trip – which ticks everyone off!

Sadly we will not be running the Grand Traversée after Jan each year.

The Huaso Trail remains as it is but in a truncated season. We’ll be tweaking The Andes Crossing itinerary which will continue to run between Oct and March each year, but note the contingency plans on day 6. Here’s a summary of the Patagonia rides:-

Ride title	Days	Season
Grand Traversée	14	Nov, Dec & Jan
Huaso Trail	7	Jan & Feb
Andes Crossing	6	Oct to March
Patagonia cattle drive	Twice p.a.	Oct & March

 

The Grand Traversée remains my favourite, by far. An epic ride that takes you into the heart of remotest Patagonia giving you a glimpse of a way of life that is as far from ‘digital’ as it’s possible to get on a horse. I wonder how much longer this ultimate riding experience will be able to operate?

Okavango Delta water level Apr 2019

Posted by Mark / in Africa, Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

Water level in the Okavango Delta. (17th April 2019)
Recent updates from Botswana suggest that it is likely to be a dry year. Rainfall levels have been lower than normal and flood levels are lower than previous years. This will limit water activities in areas without permanent water, such as rivers and lagoons. Water activities are expected to start later than normal in 2019, probably around August time. However, when water is scarce wildlife congregates around pools making the game viewing spectacular, particularly from the back of a horse. Riding and game drives have been good, as have walks. All transfers in and out of camps that we will be using in July will probably be by land / donkey, rather than by makoro.

Quagga

Posted by Mark / in Africa, Blog, Featured Posts, frontpage, Horse Riding Holidays, Tavistock Travel Agents, Traveller's Tales /

I must admit I’ve never heard of a quagga, and couldn’t guess what one is!

Picture a zebra that’s been put through a washing machine and lost the stripes from its quarters and belly: that’s a quagga. They went extinct in the first half of the 20th C.

Enter the Heck brothers who were Nazi geneticists at Berlin zoo during WW II. They specialised in resurrecting extinct animals. Another German, Hr Rau picked up the baton in the 1980’s, after the death of the brothers Heck, which subsequently passed to the South African National Parks a decade ago. And hey-presto, derived from the Plains Zebra of Etosha, Namibia, please welcome back the Quagga. The first quagga foal, Henry, was born 5th Jan 2005. Numbers are now up to about a dozen, mainly in the Cape Town area.