While there’s no doubt that being alluded to as the Brangelina’s of the safari industry is quite a compliment, there’s much more substance to the work of Dereck & Beverly than appearances. Tiara Walters of South Africa’s Sunday Times weaves a story which we hope will “turn around a billion Chinese”. But it requires your [...]

March News – Plains of Change – ol Donyo Lodge, Kenya There is a fresh feeling at oL Donyo this month with the start of the rains that have brought welcome change to the Chyulu Hills. The land has awoken from a long, dry slumber and is celebrating with sounds and sights we haven’t seen for [...]

A Visit to Ol Donyo Lodge (full text and images here) So I just came back from a week in Kenya. I initially planned the trip because of a friend’s wedding and because of a Fashion Designers without Borders trip that I planned with Chrissie Lam the Founder of The Supply Change. The trip was [...]

Caught on Camera, Ride Kenya Seems that still Kruger is full of beans at the stables after a recent horse safari.                 Ride Kenya has set up a camera trap at the stables to keep an potential predators – and see what the horses are up to during [...]

To all our managers, staff, colleagues, and tourism friends in Kenya Our thoughts are with you all in Kenya this week for a peaceful transition in government and on the streets. Despite CNN and BBC wanting to show footage of the old election unrest, their efforts have largely been thwarted so far and there is [...]

On 22nd February, Ride Kenya assisted a vet from the David Sheldrick foundation in darting and treating an elephant with an arrow wound wandering near ol Donyo Lodge and the Ride Kenya stables.                   Ride Kenya managers Paddy and Kim were on hand to track the elephant and follow it [...]

December at ol Donyo was certainly eventful! Ample late season rains continued to nourish green grasses for the plains game, making for lovely photo opportunities. Mt Kilimanjaro was also frequently visible, and made for a stunning backdrop to a variety of bush activities, gatherings, and celebrations. The Christmas spirit was certainly visible as well at [...]

All too often in the world of conservation, we are peppered with tragic stories. De-horned rhino here, speared lion there, but today we bring to you a conservation story which might just give you great hope for 2013 and beyond. Sure, you might say, “but it’s just a set of games, who cares, what’s that [...]

Senior Editor, Sarah Gleim, selected Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge as her “must-see-before-you-die” property for the entire world. She loves its approach to conservation and safari. We are humbled, and honored. Thanks, Sarah. We hope you join us there soon. Read on Forbes.com

First Maasai Olympics in Kenya creates new tradition: The track and field competition uses warriors’ lion hunting skills for athletics “The Maasai Olympics is not just a sporting activity and event. It is a once–in–a–lifetime opportunity given by the Maasai elders to save this ecosystem,” Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains Conservation, said. In Kenya’s [...]

We are exceptionally proud that Ride Kenya Horse Safaris graces the front cover and features prominently in the 2013 Travel Guide of the prestigious UK’s Tatler January edition!  

Lara Logan of CBS 60 Minutes profiles “The Last Lions” filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert on location at their Great Plains Conservation Camps in Botswana Scheduled to air Sunday November 25, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT Lara Logan and a team from CBS 60 Minutes profiled filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert at their Great Plains [...]

Today, CNN featured both Ride Kenya and Selinda Canoe Trail in its article titled “9 Ways to Travel Africa in Style”. We are honored to be part of this adventurous round-up of authentic African experiences which slough off the glitz & glam and get real in the bush. Come join us soon.

Great Plains Conservation is not simply a tourism venture. As our name suggests, we are actually primarily focused on conservation and use tourism as a vector to achieve our conservation goals. Hence we we call ourselves a “Conservation Tourism” company. To this end, Dereck & Beverly Joubert founded Big Cats Initiative in partnership with National [...]

From the W Family, USA who traveled in August 2012: “Ol Donyo Lodge – fabulous place! So luxurious after being in the dust and tents! Although the animal viewing is different to other parts of Kenya, the place more than makes up for it in the unusual activities that they offer. We had a great [...]

There is still one more chance to join Ride Kenya in 2012! Our December Amboseli ride is fully booked, but several spaces remain open for our final December Chyulu Hills safari departing December 9th. Interested? Contact info@bush-and-beyond.com for more information on all Ride Kenya safari departures. Some recent images from the Chyulu Hills:     [...]

“This horse safari was fantastic! Paddy and Kim have some big boots to fill [after the original guides, Patrick and Nicola, have stepped back from regular guiding] and they do it very well.

 Very knowledgeable, interesting, funny. 

 I think this was an original trip, the group worked so well together, I’m really not sure [...]

Early showers in the Chyulu Hills have produced dramatic light and unbelievable  rainbows. Imagine an afternoon gallop under these skies!  

Recently our friends and colleagues at Ellerman House, based in Cape Town, hosted the annual ArtAngels charity art auction and party for the first time this year, following the success of the inaugural 2011 event at CIRCA on Jellicoe in Johannesburg where R1.6 million was then raised for charity This year, and going forward, ArtAngels [...]

As many of you know Dereck and Beverly recently made a new movie called The Unlikely Leopard Why not take 2 minutes and enjoy the short clip available here ? Easy Prey scene – The Unlikely Leopard

Another successful Ride Kenya safari season winds down, as the Chyulu Hills await the November short rains. A lovely dry season palette of muted tones is beginning to give way to vibrant greens, and herds of plains game are moving into the area to take advantage of the coming new grasses. All of the Ride [...]

A big welcome to Ride Kenya Horse Safari’s new head guide, Paddy Cowley! Paddy hails from England, where he grew up with racehorses and racing. Ultimately choosing a career in polo, Paddy has captained young England and played in the English high goal and around the world. Seeking new adventure in 2005, he moved to [...]

Ride Kenya Horse Safari’s new Amboseli Route has proven to be a smashing success. We had an amazing safari in August with a truly dynamic group of people.  Starting right at the base of the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro, the first two nights were spent on the border of Amboseli National Park. This is a new [...]

June has been a quiet month for Ride Kenya Horse Safaris, giving us plenty of time to school horses at home and prepare them for the busy season ahead. To help with this preparation is Sian Barton, who will be spending the next 3 months with us here at Ride Kenya whilst she is on [...]

The Unlikely Leopard, a brand new film by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, which premiered recently in New York City and Washington DC will be released on the National Geographic Wild Channel on the 15th of July in the USA at 9pm, with a  roll out internationally following that. “Enjoy a heartwarming tale that follows the [...]

With Patrick back from his annual vacation, we have been working hard to make sure that the horses are well schooled and fit before the season to the Chyulu Hills and Amboseli kick of. To make sure our guests can enjoy the same quality of riding that Ride Kenya Horse Safaris is known for.