Graham who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Energetic, fun and relaxing. | The daily format is great but over the week becomes a bit predictable - not just the timings, but even the frequency and length of canters, albeit modified by wildlife sightings. I guess I'm a fan of the variety of trail rides.
Mostly single-file, but realistically that was dictated by the fairly high grass and density of vegetation.

Tamsin who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Totally incredible | Everything about Macatoo and the team was brilliant, the way we were looked after, the wonderful horses and the guides. Could not have asked for more.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you for your super review. We are delighted that you enjoyed your safari at Macatoo].

Helen who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Fantastic place with fabulous people & animals | Excellent

Inge who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Botswana at its best | Great area for riding and spotting incredible wild life. Guides are excellent!

Angie who has been on 25 In The Saddle rides. Simply the best | Exceeded expectations. Wonderful splashy canters, and some nice long dry ones too.

Gill who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. A truly fabulous riding safari experience | The riding exceeded my expectations as the rides were great in themselves, leaving aside the truly special wildlife viewing encounters. We set out in a different direction every day and always saw something new. The horses were forward-going and the four hour morning ride included six or seven canters, a couple of them long ones. The real highlight was the 'splashy canters' through standing water and long grass when everyone got soaked by the kicked up water, and everyone had big grins on their faces.
You were allocated two horses for your stay which you rode alternately. The horses were beautifully managed by Mod, who has been at Macatoo for 27 years and was highly skilled at matching horses to riders.

Claudia who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing safari on fantastic horses | The horses were amazing. I would have been happy to do more cantering but I can see that the heat would make that hard!

Emily who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. I think horses could do with longer reins - especially when encouraged to let them graze by wildlife. Frequently people were pulled forward or out of the saddle or dropped reins as not long enough to accommodate grazing and maintaining a safe position

In addition - no water is carried by guides for guests and you are only provided with one bottle unless ask for another. This isn’t enough water for 4 hours out in the heat. It should be standard that more water is brought along for the break

Insulated water bottles to keep the water cold would also be a very welcome addition

The hospitality and staff were incredible. Very welcoming and friendly.
[Olwen from In The Saddle notes - you have made some good suggestions and I will forward them onto Macatoo.]

Yvonne who has been on 14 In The Saddle rides. Freedom | Had a great time with lots of watery canters.

Mark (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Amazing experience | I understand that the main purpose of the riding was to view wildlife close up, but I would have preferred a little more fast-paced riding. Too much time spent walking.

Jo who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Macatoo | Excellent

Roisin who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. dream horsey holiday with exceptional wildlife | The riding at macatoo provided a great mix of fast paced, exhilarating canters/gallops as well as slower rides to take in the magical sights and sounds of the delta. The splashy canters are an absolute must and our guides took some amazing photos of us enjoying these!

The horses were mannerly and very keen to show us a good time - they clearly loved their jobs and were well cared for. The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly and showed very impressive horsemanship.

The camp itself had recently been refurbished and was absolutely stunning - it felt like real luxury.

The standout for me was the setting and the wildlife (which was just astounding). It felt so remote and untouched. The variety of activities (riding , jeep , boat) was perfect as it allowed me to really immerse myself in the experience in many different ways and make them some trip. I particularly loved the jeep and boat trips with one of the guides (Bongwe) whose knowledge of the local wildlife was fascinating and endless.

Heather who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Amazing experience | Rode 4 beautiful horses, each several times, and was very happy with them all. Good guides who balanced pace, keeping us safe and great game viewing

Frances who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Fabulous | The riding is very well balanced between fast splashy canters and gentle exploration of the beautiful Okavango.

Vivien who has been on 44 In The Saddle rides. Splashy | The Delta was in full flood this year so we had lots of (deep) splashy canters. Good fun and got very wet! We had some amazing animal encounters too, elephants and hyenas visiting camp plus a territorial squabble between seven male lions near camp one night - unbelievable sound.

Elizabeth (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Extraordinary experience for riders and non-riders alike | The riding at Macatoo, under the brilliant guiding of Chief, was spectacular. His knowledge of the wildlife, and ability to read a herd as well as individual animals, meant we got close to so many different species and stayed safe. We also managed to run alongside some herds, including zebra, red lechwe and a mixed group of tsessebe, wildebeest and zebra. Other animals frequently seen on the rides included elephant, buffalo, kudu, impala, giraffe and hippo. We also got to see jackal, hyena, warthog and ostrich, plus many varied birds from hornbills to fish eagles.

The horses are incredibly fit and very forward going. I was paired with Neptune who I christened my pocket rocket, a small horse with plenty of power and gears whom I would happily have brought home if I could! However, the second horse I tried was very small and his gaits were too uncomfortable for me, so I did ask for a change. Mod and the team were so accommodating of riders' preferences and were happy to make changes.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you for your super review. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your safari. We hope it will be the first of many riding holiday adventures with In The Saddle.

We're sorry to hear you found the horses on the small side, but appreciate your feedback. The horses at Macatoo range from 14hh to 17.2hh. Some are Boerperd and Warmblood types which ride quite big, whilst others are TB or Arab types which ride a bit narrower].

Margaret who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Wonderful time at Macatoo Camp | Had a wonderful time at Macatoo Camp wildlife out of this world good guides and exhilarating canters - even a splashy one more a gallop which was great fun. Had some lovely surprises lunch in the Treehouse, sundowners in various locations and the bush supper. Met some lovely people. Have never had a camp breakfast before by the fire - had to watch the monkeys! Had 2 lovely horses Max and Radeski both forward and keen - had lovely morning and evening rides on them. Radeski gave me a fabulous ride with splashy canter/gallop and fast canters we had. Max was very chilled especially with the Leopard hiding in the bush and growling near the horses. it was all a good pace and great fun and the guide Chief was very informative when we were out riding telling us all about the wildlife and tracking the wildlife. We tracked a herd of 2000 buffalo one day which was wonderful

Tim who has been on 16 In The Saddle rides. Third visit and as enjoyable as ever | Varied terrain and pace. The horses I rode were honest and workman-like (and one rather more than that). They all do the job.

Nancy who has been on 8 In The Saddle rides. Macatoo Camp - lives up to its reputation for an amazing experience | They have horses to suit a wide range of riders and do a terrific job of keeping them happy and healthy in the bush. Mod runs a great program and will work with guests to find good matches, even if you have to swap around a bit to get it just right. Horses are all super with the game. There are plenty of fun long canters at the speed all are comfortable with (so this might vary with the group). Not much trotting, which is fine. You cover about 12-15 miles a day.

Janet who has been on 7 In The Saddle rides. Botswana - Macatoo | A magical experience. Katie the camp manger ensured we had a great time. The Guides Chief, Bernie & Sepo had great knowledge of the animals behaviour so we were able to get very close up, so the animals felt comfortable & content in our presence both on horseback and when in the safari truck. A certainly ‘a David Attenborough experience’. The riding was exhilarating especially the fast canters through the Delta waters. They got a perfect match for horse & rider. Katie & team were excellent. Excellent time was had.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your feedback. We are really pleased that you had such an enjoyable time in the magical Okavango Delta].

Rebecca who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Great to see the African wildlife from horseback! | It was a great experience to see the wildlife from horseback, we had come great experiences with the wildlife and got close to the animals to watch their behaviour. However I was expecting faster riding, we did do many canters however they were at a hand-canter speed. The horses were lovely and well cared for. The guide was very knowledgeable and felt safe while out riding even with the 'risk' animals.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your feedback. We are really pleased that you had some exciting wildlife encounters and enjoyed your safari overall].

Helen who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Marvellous hospitality & brilliant riding safari | The horses are outstanding & care and hospitality they show their guests is second to none.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: It's wonderful to hear that you had such a super holiday.]

Linda who has been on 21 In The Saddle rides. Another amazing trip to the Okavango Delta | Our eighth visit so expectations high. All met. Horses are very well matched by Mod - and on the rare occasion you don't quite match then no problem to change to another. I rode 4 different horses this time, my favourite was Thorne - a fantastic ex racehorse who suited me perfectly. The water had started to arrive (6 - 13 June) so we got to do some good, wet water canters.

When booking do be honest about your riding ability - you will get much more out of the experience if you are matched with a mount that suits your true ability.

[Abbie from ITS replies: A huge thank you for your super feedback and also your lovely email. It has been a great pleasure arranging riding adventures for you over the years. We are delighted that you had such a wonderful EIGHTH visit to Macatoo 🙂 ].

Elva who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Macatoo - Seeing big game from horseback is a privilege beyond imagination | The riding was brilliant. I was a bit nervous going due to a recent accident, and the team were so good at matching me to a horse I was comfortable on. Allowing me to switch horses when I felt a bit unsure. They horses are well cared for and all seem happy doing their jobs. Its not easy keeping horses in good condition in that climate, and in big herd, but the team do an excellent job.

Only slight negative was that another guest arrived half way through the week who was a repeat guest and requested the one of the horses I had been assigned for the week. Which meant I was swapped onto another one for my last two days. I understand this put the team in a bit of a difficult situation, as the other guest kicked up a fuss about wanting that particular horse and was pretty demanding. I didn't want to be difficult in response, but I was a little upset about it (quietly). Mainly as this was the horse I had got on the best with and had made me feel very safe. I don't blame the team for this situation, it was definitely the other guest's fault (particularly as she was there for 10 days and could have had him once I left).

In terms of the Guides, we had Chief for the majority of the trip - my word he made us feel so safe. His understanding of the game and their behaviour was beautiful to watch. He managed to get us so close, so many times, but always in a slow calm way, that you never felt like we were interfering with the animals or disturbing them. While on previous trips I've had many charges/ chases, and being honest they are fun, it was pretty special they way he works, we never had any run ins at all. He was also great company, fun, easy going and incredibly knowledgeable. Roda our back up guide was also sensational. Sometimes unless you are riding close to the lead guide you can miss out on some information about the animals. But Roda was as qualified and knowledgeable and always telling us about what we were seeing. He has a lovely way with guests and the horses too. Excellent guy, I hope to see him as a lead guide soon.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you for this wonderful feedback on your much-anticipated visit to Macatoo. We're absolutely thrilled that you got to experience this incredible riding safari with your best friend - albeit slightly later than planned!].

Vanessa who has been on 6 In The Saddle rides. Holiday of a lifetime! | The guides were extremely skilled and very sensitive and respectful of all the wild animals. They helped us track and understand so much. The horses were well cared for and there was plenty of opportunity to change if you wanted to though I was extremely happy with my two, the kind hearted Orapa and nicely schooled Mohembo

Beverley who has been on 4 In The Saddle rides. Once in a lifetime amazing experience! | All of the horses were fabulous.

Faye who has been on 5 In The Saddle rides. Exceptional holiday | The horses were lovely to ride. All geldings. Due to the heat you alternated between two horses daily to ensure your morning horse (long ride) did not come out again in the evening. Any difficulties with tack were dealt with straight away - I needed a couple of holes in my stirrup leathers. One skinny chap needed a seat saver. I wasn't taking that chance and took my own!!

The rides had a guide and a back up and both were happy to take your cameras for good game shots especially if the animals were dangerous!! The guide (ours was Thabo) was sensitive to the needs of rhe riders in terms of pace and style - although we were encouraged to canter in a line to avoid racing he didnt worry if this wasn't followed if riders were fine. Guide very knowledgeable and we saw many animals and birds. You could also take a vehicle trip instead of riding if you wanted to - we elected to do this for lions!

[Abbie from ITS replies: Many thanks for your feedback; we're so pleased that you had such a great time at Macatoo. One way Macatoo manage their horses' workload throughout the year is for guests to try a horse on the shorter afternoon ride and then if it is a good match, they'll ride the same horse the following morning].

Charlie (this is their first In The Saddle holiday) Awesome | This was our first experience of safari and we were fortunate to be travelling with family and friends. A lifetime of memories made, exceptional hospitality, amazing game viewing and super adaptability to ensure we all were grinning all the time!

Our eldest daughter grew in confidence and found out she was braver and more capable than she thought riding - it took Africa and a great team to make her realise. Our younger non riding daughter had a fabulous time getting close to lions and joining up with us to brag! The balance of abilities, riding, non riding, ages, adult ailments etc all disappeared as the team managed smoothly to ensure we had the most fabulous, relaxing and exhilarating time of our lives.

The attention to detail, knowledge and kindness of the team did not go unnoticed.

Thank you Macatoo and In the Saddle
[In The Saddle replies - Thank you for leaving your feedback. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your holiday.]

Philip who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Amazing | Don't ever give a 5 star rating!!! This was 6 !! In the saddle great ,camp in Botswana great ,you have to go!

Rosalind who has been on 3 In The Saddle rides. Amazing in every aspect | It was an absolutely incredible riding holiday. I loved everything about Macatoo. Great to do a couple of afternoons in the Toyota land cruiser to see the lions close up and the rare wild dogs and finish the day with sundowners. We saw more animals than expected. Guides were very informative. My two horses were lovely and I felt very safe. Seriously loved every minute. My only complaint it went too fast.
[Becky from In The Saddle replies: Thank you very much for your wonderful feedback.]

Georgina who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. Dream Honeymoon | Our dream honeymoon in Macatoo, the most amazing experience, beautiful horses. Adventurous fun riding, we saw all sorts of game.
Abbie who helped us book, was fantastic (we were rather last minute for a honeymoon!) and she really took time to help us think about different trips.

[Abbie from ITS replies: Thank you for your super feedback. We're thrilled that you had such an incredible time at Macatoo. It was an absolute pleasure to arrange your Honeymoon!]

Rebecca who has been on 2 In The Saddle rides. What an incredible week at Macatoo. The team, the wildlife, the horses, the whole experience exceeded all my expectations! | Meet every expectation. Mod at the stables perfectly matched me with two beautiful boys, Huff Puff and Mohembo. I felt as if they were my own by the end of the week and felt so in sync with them.