DAY 1 One of us will meet you at the airport and then you will be transferred from Maun to Macatoo camp by small plane (either a Cessna 206 or 208), giving you a fine view of the Okavango Delta. Camp is a short drive and (depending on the time of year) an exciting boat ride from the airstrip. After a quick look around camp and lunch, there is usually time for a siesta before tea, and the evening ride when you can get to know your first horse. You return to camp for a hot shower and candle-lit safari supper.

DAY 2. Wake up with a cup of tea or coffee in bed, followed by light breakfast with homemade toast and muesli, then a ride out from camp to stretch our legs and explore. Depending on the season this may involve some galloping, (or even swimming) through the flood waters or pushing-on through seas of tall grass following giraffe, zebra antelope, elephant, buffalo; whatever's out there. Back to camp for another brilliant lunch outside with the guides, if you're lucky it might be our famous chicken pie, and there's usually some wine to encourage a little nap before tea. The evening ride (by now you might be on a different horse) is deliberately slower-paced for safety reasons and it's a good opportunity to ask questions and take photographs. Leopard sightings are not infrequent, the bird-life is some of the best in the world and towards sunset there is often elephant or hippo interaction to enjoy. A sundowner gin and tonic can be enjoyed out in the bush before riding back to camp to freshen up. There's no guarantee that dinner is always eaten in the same place...

DAY 3. Wake up as normal with freshly-brewed coffee or tea and depending on your whim, either ride out again (perhaps to find the rare semi-aquatic antelope, the red lechwe), or join one of our guided walks, game drives or perhaps a spot of fishing for bream from the boat? The riders and non-riders can meet up for a delicious champagne breakfast under one of the large baobab trees. After lunch take the opportunity to relax and either swim in the pool or sort out your digital photos. Homemade tea and cake is followed by the sunset ride, exploring the lower flood plains where elephant often gather at a pool. As dusk closes in, it is fascinating to watch them interact in the wild, and being on horseback brings you that much closer.

DAY 4. We ride through different country, making our way through clouds of bushman hair grass to plains dotted with fig trees. We might encounter giraffe or shyer antelope while passing through mophane woodlands. Our pace increases as we break out onto the flood plains, often disturbing troops of baboons. Return to camp for an afternoon of leisure, or the possibility of hiring a helicopter for an hour to gain access to remote and otherwise totally inaccessible parts of the delta with spectacular photographic results. Finish off the day with a spot-lit night drive.

DAY 5. This morning we ride deeper into the heart of the delta, without returning to Macatoo. After six hours in the saddle, on reaching another river system we find our fly camp already set up - our home for the night. While the horses take a well-earned rest in the shade, our afternoon may be spent swimming or walking. Fires are lit at night, creating a strong human presence to keep marauding animals away from the horses. Night watches are fun and guests usually join in. To camp out so freely in the Okavango bush like this is a wonderful experience and one that few people experience. Fly camp is basic but very beautiful as you can see from the photos and, of course, we do our best to provide excellent food, a comfy bed and hot water for the bucket showers after a long day's riding.

DAY 6. Having helped to keep watch under the stars, the next morning we splash through water on the vast open plains, home to blue wildebeeste and Burchell's zebra. The riding may be fast as we approach deep reedy areas full of bird life open-billed storks, squawker herons, slatey egrets, cattle egrets, pygmy Egyptian geese and many more. After our night at fly camp, we return to Macatoo along the myriad of waterways lined with large trees.

DAY 7. Today's riding in this magical place takes you cantering through the shallow flood plains, admiring the deeper pools of lilies. Here, the cape buffalo can gather in large numbers (anything between a dozen and 2000 individuals) and we have to creep up on them using the islands as cover. The evening offers a quiet ride with memorable smells of wild sage and the warm African dust as the sun goes down on your chilled Savannah Dry or Sauvignon Blanc. Your dinner will be a memorable one with another surprise location in store.

DAY 8. Today we ride along some of the high palm islands which offer great sweeping views of the Delta plains. We'll maybe take an exhilarating gallop and run with the game before bush brunch in a surprise location. After tea we'll do a slower ride, taking time to stop and watch the sunset with a drink in hand before returning to camp, have dinner under the stars of the southern hemisphere and maybe play a few silly games before bed.

DAY 9. By now you are familiar enough with guides Bongwe and Sekongo to request your favourite horse from the safari so far, and because Macatoo feels like your second home you can really enjoy yourself riding out into the bush and exploring. Even though we offer a horse-riding experience, it really is a safari and we often do see leopard (and lion sometimes) as well as the general game - antelope, buffalo, giraffe and zebra.

DAY 10. If you haven't been fishing yet, maybe now is a good time to rest your legs a little and get out into the Delta waters without a horse. There's a good chance of seeing some hippos up-close from the boat, perhaps elephants crossing one of the deeper channels and maybe one or two small crocodiles. Take your camera and binoculars for the excellent birding opportunities.

DAY 11. Sadly, it's time for your last wake-up call, last morning ride and farewell bush lunch. But don't worry, now you know where we are; and you won't be the first guests to come back again next year!!

This itinerary only serves as a guide; all scenarios are dependent on the season and levels of the Okavango flood. At times it may not be possible to go on fly camps and during cooler months one longer ride may replace the normal morning and evening rides. AHBS reserves the right to alter the itinerary in any way and leaves this to the discretion of the guides. Local weather conditions may also affect game movements