I am paired with Joker, a 26-year-old well-groomed dark thoroughbred stallion. He is a former polo horse and seems to be patient and well-tempered. There are actually two sets of stables at Borana Conservancy, and the other has 20 horses and caters to more experienced riders. At both, there is a rider weight limit of 95kg. I hop on the comfortable English Wintec saddle and with one guide leading the way and the other trailing behind, we set off just as the last beam of sunrise lingers over the horizon
As we ride, I like to imagine that I’m on my way to King’s Landing. My Game of Thrones dreams are playing out in real life. I say something about being on ‘neigh-cation’, and my friends threaten to never speak to me again. We are accompanied by three dogs who run ahead on the trail to remove birds which can spook the horses, but mostly, it seems like they’ve come along for the sheer fun of jumping into puddles and chasing dik diks through the grass.
Most of the time, the horses walk, but intent on not being left behind, Joker sometimes breaks into a canter, and it is totally exhilarating. We get so close to reticulated giraffes that we’re practically eye to eye, and I can almost trace out the patterns on their skin. I wonder if they think I’m a centaur. I quite like the perspective of being part of the wild rather than just a spectator. When we come across zebras, they ride with us for a few seconds before breaking off. I feel like my safari experience has peaked. How will I ever be content with anything less?
Borana is a whopping 32,000 acres. If I owned that much land, I would start my own kingdom and be the ‘Queen in the North’. When we meet up with Michael Dyer - whose family owns the property - for sundowners on a sun-bleached hill, he seems far more laid back than one would think. We sit on camp chairs looking out onto the conservancy; the land sprawls on and on, as though infinite. Living in Nairobi where a new apartment always seems to be springing up, this place looks so empty...like maybe this is what the entire earth will look like after the rapture.
Our game drives are very eventful. We watch as a lion stalks through the dewy grass. It doesn't even seem to be hiding, but rather, steering a herd of zebras closer to the rest of the pride. Fortunately, if you’re on the zebra’s side, the lion’s strategy fails. Later in the evening, we see 17 lions and follow them for a while. There are no other vehicles in sight. They race and playfight, and the younger cubs deceptively look like cuddly little cats that you would want to pet. Borana had a successful lion breeding programme in 2017, and if our trip is anything to go by, you’re almost guaranteed to spot them here.
A kori bustard, the heaviest African bird of flight, looks at us indifferently. For such a tiny bird, the isabelline wheatear has such a hefty name. The colourful lilac breasted roller is always a joy to see. We come across another pride of lions, this time eight. When the guinea fowl start to cackle, the lions move on. Apparently, if you’re walking in the bush and hear a guinea fowl making a lot of noise, it indicates the presence of leopards or lions.
