With a map in one hand and a cold beer in one hand, I sat alone at the bar. Baobab Beach Backpackers Lodge In the coastal town of Vilankulos, you’ll see the sandbars and vibrant turquoise waters surrounding the Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique. I was planning to leave for Zimbabwe the next morning and was chatting with the bartender about travel arrangements. Suddenly, the headlights of the car illuminated the bar and I saw a familiar face facing me. I felt that my plan was about to change.
I met Mandy Let’s Rough a few days ago. Pat, a former resident of her and her husband, Zimbabwe, Mozambique Horse Safari, A family-owned horseback safari company, was able to ride together in Vilankulos as a special birthday treat. After traveling about 200 miles from Tofo, a small coastal village famous for diving, snorkeling and whale shark sightings, my friends Alice and I heard about their wonderful stories and the spectacular excursions they offered. , I got on with the company. ..
On my birthday morning, Alice and I enjoyed an exhilarating ride along the beaches lined with Vilankulos palm trees at low tide. Pat was our guide and his introductory words- “You have to ride fast to reach the red dunes before the tide comes” -were the music we could hear.
Riding side by side on a healthy and very well-trained horse, we thundered on the white sand and paused to give the horse a break before running through the steep red dunes. From the top of the dunes, a palette of bright blue tones stretched over the sandbars, looking towards the five islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago. Traditional dhows were scattered in the sea. I saw a fisherman pull a net and a local woman landing her prey.
A few days after the ride, while I was sitting at the bar, Mandy drove to Baobab Lodge to help run their horse program on nearby Benguerra Island for a few weeks due to an unexpected staff shortage. Asked if you are interested in. Immediately abandoning my travel plans to Zimbabwe, I found myself on a boat to the island’s paradise.
About eight miles from the mainland, Benguerra Island (the second largest island in the Bazaruto Archipelago) is a scuba diving paradise famous for its white sands and luxury resorts. While the main herd of more than 40 horses is based in Vilankulos, the Mozambique Horse Safari maintains a six-horse outpost in Benguela, serving luxury resort guests.
During the weeks I spent on Benguerra, I became acquainted with the horse that was taking care of me.Their history is recorded Mandy’s memoirs“Hundred and Four Horses: Farms and Families, Africa and Asylum Recollections”, along with 104 rescued horses, is an amazing dedication to farm animals, including a trip from Zimbabwe to Mozambique. Telling a story.
In 2001, Mandy and Pat received a letter informing them that they had to surrender their Zimbabwean farm. It wasn’t theirs anymore. The family was one of those forced to leave the house as part of President Robert Mugabe’s controversial land reform policy at the time. Deciding not to abandon his beloved animals and agreeing to accept animals from other exiled farm owners, Letzlav moves from one place to the next with an ever-growing herd, eventually bordering Mozambique. Has been reached.
As the peasants continued, it became more difficult to keep horses in Zimbabwe, so Letzlav decided to cross the border into Mozambique. “Since Mozambique was opened after the civil war and people were considering investing in the country, it seemed like a good idea to move the herd there and start a new life,” Mandy explained. “I didn’t know about the difficulties we face, but it seemed like freedom.”
After a long and challenging trip to Mozambique, the couple made a coat to help pay for the maintenance of the exiled herd. In 2006, Pat, who came from a long line of horse lovers, took six horses to Vilankulos and began arranging beach rides. That’s why the horse safari was born.
When did the business start? Cyclone Fabio It struck Vilankulos in February 2007, causing widespread destruction and stagnating the tourism industry. Three years later, in 2010, half of the Mandy and Pat herds were deadly to horses and died after ingesting abundant crotalaria plants near lakes grazing animals. The pandemic was another big setback.
Despite the challenges, the Mozambique Horse Safari offers epic horse riding adventures that attract tourists and travelers aspiring to explore one of the most beautiful coastal areas in the world.
On Benguerra Island, we moved gear from tourists to trail guides, led rides along the island’s pristine beaches, and wandered through different landscapes and waterways with guests from around the world. In the evening, I took my horse to the sea, swelling and swimming as the sun set. They seem to have enjoyed it as much as I did.
A horse named Tequila soon became my favorite. A charming and mischievous character, he was sent to the island after coordinating some escapes on the mainland. He learned how to get rid of reticence from other horses and gathered them for Zimbabwe. “It’s a hassle,” she added, “so he was sent to the island that now controls the roost.”
I also fell in love with the sweet and whimsical mare called Princess, who was rescued by Let’s Rough after being severely injured by a gunshot wound from her wilting, the tallest part of the horse. “It took her years to heal her,” Mandy said.
Retzlaffs’ dedication and love for horses resonates deeply with me and is a source of inspiration. “When you take responsibility for caring for animals, you never go back,” Mandy told me. “They rely on you for everything. Our horses have been saved — and in the end they have saved us.”
“They made a living for refugee families,” she added. “Every day is a happy day surrounded by my horses.”
Claire Thomas Is a British photographer and photojournalist with a focus on conflict, humanitarian and environmental crises, and social issues.You can follow her work Instagram When twitter..
