Offbeat Riding Safaris runs seven-night set-departure riding safaris scheduled throughout the year, taking small groups of up to twelve experienced riders across Kenya’s wilderness on horseback. For private groups, tailor-made safaris of five nights or more can be arranged, and for those preferring greater comfort over a mobile tented camp, Offbeat also offers bespoke lodge-to-lodge riding safaris throughout the country — a genuinely flexible range of formats built around the same core promise: real Kenyan wilderness, seen from the saddle.
The operation is best known for its traditional mobile tented camps, which move with the riding group across the landscape, creating an authentic safari atmosphere without sacrificing comfort or the expert camp support that makes multi-day riding in genuine bush country both safe and genuinely restorative at day’s end.
The Experience
Your week moves at the pace of the land itself — real distance covered across Kenyan wilderness, camps relocating alongside you to keep the sense of genuine expedition alive throughout. The mobile tented camps go up and come down with real expertise, giving you an authentic sense of movement through the landscape rather than a single fixed base with day rides radiating out from it.
If you’re travelling with non-riders, or just want a different pace one day, guided game drives and bush walks led by Offbeat’s experienced team deliver excellent wildlife viewing without requiring time in the saddle. Bush picnics and sundowners are a regular feature, often bringing riders and non-riders together for a shared moment that doesn’t depend on everyone being on horseback.
Prefer a lodge to a tent? The lodge-to-lodge itinerary gives you the same days in the saddle with a well-appointed room waiting at each stop instead — the same Kenyan wilderness, translated into a different kind of comfort at the end of the day, whichever version of “roughing it” suits you.
About Offbeat Riding Safaris
Offbeat Riding Safaris has built its reputation on genuine flexibility within the horseback safari format — set departures for solo travellers and small groups, tailor-made private safaris for those wanting full control over their itinerary, and lodge-based alternatives for guests who prefer comfort at the end of each riding day. This range makes Offbeat a natural fit for a wide spectrum of riders, from committed equestrians seeking a proper wilderness expedition to more comfort-oriented travellers who still want serious time on horseback.
The safari season runs nearly year-round, avoiding only April, May, and the short rains in November, with July through October coinciding with the annual wildebeest migration — genuinely spectacular timing that fills up quickly, with the operation recommending bookings at least six months ahead for those months. Groups are capped at twelve experienced riders on set departures, keeping the experience personal even at its largest.
What distinguishes Offbeat within Kenya’s crowded safari landscape is this deliberate range of formats under one operator — mobile tented camping, private tailor-made safaris, and lodge-to-lodge comfort all delivered with the same standard of horsemanship and guiding, giving riders genuine choice in how they want to experience Kenya’s wilderness rather than a single fixed approach.
Our Stewardship
Offbeat’s founder, the late Tristan Voorspuy, was a founding board member of the Mara North Conservancy, a partnership between more than 780 Maasai landowners and a dozen tourism operators that has become one of Kenya’s most significant community conservation models. Offbeat’s riding safaris operate directly within this conservancy structure. Simon and Rosy Kenyon, Jakob von Plessen, and Daisy Soames took over from the Voorspuy family in August 2024, all mentored by Tristan and Cindy, and now run two camps (Offbeat Mara and Offbeat Ndoto) within Mara North Conservancy, keeping the business on the same conservation footing.
