Horseback Safari operator quits Kenya

A popular horseback safari operator is shipping out of Kenya due to the troubles there. Although the world recession has also played a part in their decision to close the business, Mark and Carla from Siruai Safaris say their failing faith in Kenya is the primary reason. We have seen the decline of the Mara with our own eyes," says Mark. "Our coalition government is utterly ineffective, and while they struggle to maintain law and order, wild life outside of National Parks/ Reserves stands no chance of being correctly protected. With 78 lions poisoned (that we know of) in the group ranches that we ride through there seems little point in offering a safari here."
The latest devastating events are the poisoning of the lions which looks to decimate the population of these proud, wonderful creatures. The problem stems from the cheap availability of highly toxic poison, a tiny amount of which can kill several lions. The method is the lacing of a carcass with the poison which the lions then feed on. The culprits? Some say it's maasai and pastoralists who are simply acting to protect their livelihood. When a lion kills a cow, it's a huge loss. The easiest, and cheapest way to keep the lions away is to poison them. Shocking but true. There is a scheme in place to compensate for cattle losses and negate the need for poisons but the areas where this is a problem are huge and the schemes are just beginning. There were calls to stop the selling of the poison, a bottle of which can be picked up very cheaply in most villages. Even with no new poison being brought in, remaining stocks will last a long time. Read more from:
Wildlife Direct: The Maasai are not poisoning the lions in the Mara Triangle
Living with Lions: Lion poisoning - an urgent issue
BBC: Insecticide 'killing Kenya lions

There are still operators offering horseback safaris in Africa and it remains an amazing experience - to spot wild game from horseback. See here for Horse Riding Holidays in South Africa, listed on www.findaridingholiday.com

UK holidays

You've got to praise the police/fbi for foiling such a devestating terror attack attempt.

With the resulting and understandable chaos at the UK airports and no telling how long it will last, it might be a good time to look at what holiday options there are on offer on our own shores.

In terms of riding country, the UK has some wonderful areas such as Yorkshire, the West Country, Northumberland, not to mention the outstanding scenery in Scotland and Wales.

There are a good range of options available on the site. Click here for UK riding holidays.

Italy's Medieval Horse Race

August is a wonderful time to visit Tuscany in Italy and why not time a riding holiday to co-ordinate with Siena's famous horse race and festival Il Palio. Held annually on July 2 and August 16, join 50,000 people who flock to watch this spectacular and totally unique horse race dating back to the middle ages. Read all about Il Palio on the official site and check out these operators running horse riding holidays in Italy

You've gotta love Latin America

So, I thought I'd tell you a little about a book that I'm contributing to. Due to be published soon, it's called Latin America and it's published by Livelist. It will be available on amazon sometime after August.
It's a great idea. Basically the whole book is excerpts from a diverse bunch of travellers, writers and photographers. So it's kind of community publishing. I can't wait to see the book. My contribution is about my wonderful riding holiday to Mexico. You can read the review here.

Cool off in Iceland

If the heat is getting too much for you in the UK, think about a riding holiday to Iceland. The summer is the best time to go for the best chance of good weather. It won't be anything as hot as the UK is right now and if you're unlucky (or lucky depending on how fed up with the heat you are), you might experience a fair bit of wind and rain too. While London is experiencing a heat wave with temperatures into the 80s farenheit, Iceland is lanquishing in the 60s. Whatever the weather, the scenery is spectacular and there's no better way to experience it than on top of one of the hardy native Icelandic horses. So, stop wilting and go after some adventure. Click this link to find riding holiday companies in Iceland

New Admin Section On site

So, a word about our new admin section. Programmed by the wonderful Bea Kremer, this section gives each of our advertisers their own password so that they can keep their holiday listings up to date, post new pictures, new info or special offers. It also automates the payment of listings - horrah.

Portuguese Holiday Homes

According to A Place In The Sun European Top 20, the top three places to buy a holiday home in Europe were, in order, Romania, Poland and Portugal - all offering over 400 per cent return on investment over a ten-year period! Well, Romania's infrastructure is still quite basic and you'd have to be brave to invest there, Poland is on the up but Portugal. Well Portugal is gorgeous. Warm weather, lovely scenery, wild beaches and what has this got to do with riding holidays I hear you cry. Well, you want your holiday home to be in a good area for riding don't you? Check out these horse riding riding holidays in Portugal