The Strong British Pound Makes It Worth Going The Long Haul

Europe may be a steal when it comes to saving money on your holiday, but there are plenty of great value long haul destinations on offer. We spoke to riding holiday specialist Ranch Rider to find out where you can get a better deal.

Great value long haul holiday destinations

Canada

Recently the pound hit a six year high against the Canadian dollar making it one of the most sought after places on the map for British travellers.

Tony Daly, Managing Director of Ranch Rider, comments “The loonies downward trend against the pound is expected to continue so the country is great value for money and with a choice of working, guest and luxury guest ranches there are options for all budgets.”

The tour operator’s largest offering is in British Columbia, the collection including one of the most exclusive ranches in all of North America. 

The Siwash Lake Luxury Guest Ranch offers unlimited riding across its 80,000 acres and the owners will be introducing new heli-wine tasting tours in May. Ideal for those with kids in tow the Three Bars Guest Ranch and the Sundance Guest Ranch feature separate children’s programmes and numerous family friendly activities over the course of the stay.

Daly comments “With the pound riding high against the Canadian dollar, more clients are looking to extend their stay in the provinces they are travelling to.

A tailor-made self-drive will give you the opportunity to visit Canada’s national parks and historic sites and there are plenty of colourful festivals and Pow Wows on offer in the summer.”

The tour operator’s Canada riding holidays start from £919pp (two sharing) for a six night stay at British Columbia’s Tod Mountain Ranch. The price includes accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and transfers. Excludes car hire from £289 and return flight from 

South Africa & Namibia

South Africa’s rand is one of the more volatile currencies, but it’s also taken a tumble against the British pound.  

Daly comments “Now is the time to splash out on the luxury safari riding holiday you’ve always dreamed of.”

Ranch Rider offers stays at Ant’s Hill and Ant’s Nest.  Located in the malaria free Waterberg region, the riding holiday is ideal for families and the owners have a wide selection of ponies for children who are new to saddling up.

When not on horseback, your brood can enjoy specialised kids “bug” and “spoor” walks and big five game drives. 

The ranch also has a pool, and a safari that never ends, the resident wildlife including zebra, rhino, giraffe and buffalo are often spotted at the lodge.

Six nights with Ranch Rider from £1,293pp (two sharing) and from £530p (6-11 years) including accommodation, meals, drinks, riding safari and game drives, use of facilities and taxes. Excludes car hire from £225 (transfers from Johannesburg also available) and return flight from £839pp and from £730pp (under 12 years).

With the Namibian dollar pegged to the South African rand, Ranch Rider also claims Namibia could be worth a visit this year. The riding holiday specialist offers horseback adventures across the remote Namib desert, this vast swathe of land along the Atlantic coast home to the desert adapted Oryx and elephant.

When to book?

If you are travelling in a large group it is always best to book well in advance.

This way you’ll have a greater choice of accommodation and early booking offers will allow you to save more on long haul destinations.

You should also factor in return flights as costs can jump quite sharply if booking near to your departure date. We suggest confirming flights at least three months before you travel to avoid any price hikes with airlines.

Ranch Rider offers riding holidays to the US, Canada, South Africa, Namibia and Argentina. 

Ranch Rider (01509 618 811; info@ranchrider.comwww.ranchrider.com)

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