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Why travelling with Randocheval ?

HUNGARY : HORSEBACK RIDE FROM LAKE BALATON TO CROATIA...

Itinerary - Extensions - Horses and required riding level
Guiding - Accommodation - Dates and rates - More infos / booking

Discover Yves's photo album from his trip to Hungary in May 2006

ITINERARY

At the border of Hungary, Croatia, Austria and Slovenia, you will discover a pristine region, extremely rich in watercourses, ponds, forests and consequently, wildlife. Some of the rarest animal species in Europe such as the Otter, the Ferruginous Duck, the Black Stork and the White-tailed Eagle are still found here in appreciable numbers.

Attention, the itinerary below might be modified depending on climate, riding level of the group and availability of accomodations.

Day 1 - Saturday : Budapest
Flight to Budapest, capital of Hungary, with a bit more than two million inhabitants. The town is cut into two parts by the Danube river, separating the districts of Buda and of Pest.
Free lunch. Transfer by taxi or minibus from Budapest airport in South-west direction to Keleviz (180 km, about 3 hours drive). Meeting time is as 03:30 pm at the airport or for those who arrived some days before, at 04:30 pm at the Mercure Hotel Buda.
Arrival and room distribution at Lehner Manor (B&B), situated in the woods, in the middle of SOMOGY regional parc, a preserved and pristine landscape.
Dinner with all the participants and night at the B&B.

Day 2 - Sunday
After breakfast, we have a 15 minutes transfer to the stables at Somogyfajsz, where you will meet your guide Tomas (pronounce Tomash) and your horse.

Departure to the village of Somogyszentpál and its renowned wine cellars. We continue our ride between the moors in the protected area of Fehér Víz, part of the Lake Balaton national Parc.
Lunch will be the occasion to taste locally produced wines, grown on the shores of the famous lake. If the weather is clear, we can see the peaks of former vulcans, such as the Badacsony, on the opposite shore. At the end of the afternoon we go back to Somogyfajsz, where we will have dinner before returning to our accomodation for the night.

Day 3 - Monday
This morning we cross numerous pastures where the caracteristical grey cows of the region are breeded.
Lunch in the woods, near the abandoned village of Kak. After lunch ride across the BORONKA REGIONAL RESERVE, an ancient forest with chains of beautiful fishponds and finally arrive at our evening stop, a fishermen's village, nicely renovated. Accomodation tonight is a bit more rustique in a dormitory of a fisherman's house, with only one bathroom to share. Those who chose the comfort option will be transferred to their hotel in Libickozma, about 30 minutes away.

Day 4 - Tuesday
We leave the Boronka reserve for the Petesmalom reserve. Lunch break at Kisbajom, one of the most typical and best preserved villages of the region. We continue to the heart of Petesmalom reservation. In order to relax from our horse riding day, we can try the traditional hungarian thermal spas this evening. Dinner in a thatched cottage and evening around the fire place. Guests with comfort supplement will be transferred to the hotel or hunting lodge.

Day 5 - Wednesday
After breakfast, the group rides to Mike's fish ponds, that were once part of a country house park belonging to the counts SOMSSICH.
In the afternoon, the horses are given some time to rest and the riders will go to the thermal spas and later have a walk (on foot!) through the nature reserve of Petesmalom. This reserve, comprising 14 fishponds still used for fish rearing, is very rich in natural life. An expert instructs the riders about the different bird species present. Additionally Otters, one of Europe's rarest mammal species, live here both free and in enclosures and can easily be seen while feeding. Again the participants dine and sleep in Petesmalom. After dinner, those who have opted for the comfort supplement, will be driven to a Hotel/hunting lodge.

Day 6 - Thursday
Today we ride through forests and swamps of incomparable beauty to CSOKONYAVISZONTA, approx. 25 km South of Petesmalom. Here we will leave the horses near an old school house isolated on the shores of a pond within a large forest and will go back to PETESMALOM for dinner and the night. After dinner, those that have opted for the Comfort Supplement, will be driven to a Hotel/hunting lodge.

Day 7 - Friday
On this last day we will push down to the Croatian border: the Drava-River, the wildest river in Central Europe. Here the bravest participants have the opportunity to have a last (but not least) canter on the sandy river-beach. We have lunch in the heart of the DANUBE-DRAVA NATIONAL PARK, in Dravatamasi. In the afternoon we will leave the horses and are driven to Lehner Manor B&B, in Keleviz . Here the tour-closing dinner takes place.

Day 8 - Saturday - Budapest
After breakfast, transfer back to Budapest. If we have enough time, we might stop at lake Balaton. In Budapest we drop you off either at the airport or in the town center if you continue your stay in Hungary.

EXTEND YOUR TRIP

HORSES AND REQUIRED RIDING LEVEL

Horses
Horses are local breed. They are half-bred Kisber, hungarian saddle horses, very close to the English pure bred. They are very appreciated for trail riding as they combine physical strength and nice paces.

Tack
We use English style saddles and as some of them can be quite hard, we recommend to bring a sheep skin for a bit more confort.

Required riding level
This trail is recommended for advanced riders, at ease at all paces and with already a good experience on trail riding. The rythm is quick and you should be able to hold long canters.
Daily riding time is 5 to 6 hours, except Wednesday 1-2 hours.

Max weight : 90 kg
Minimum age : 14 years, with the requested riding abilities and accompanied by an adult.

YOUR GUIDES

The trail is guided by Tomas (pronouce "Tomash") or by another guide from his team. In any case the guides know perfectly well the region and will try to make you discover it under the best conditions.
The first day you will be welcomed by the owner of the Manor B&B, who also speaks French. On the trail the guides only speak English and Hungarian.
A logistic vehicle will carry your luggage as well as supplies, that you will be able to find all along the trail. There is no material carried by the horses.

ACCOMMODATION

The standard of accomodation varies during the trail. The first, second and last night are spent in a B&B, a big and comfortable house.
Rooms have 1 to 3 beds. The bathroom might be shared between 2 rooms, except if comfort option is booked.
The third night is scheduled in two fishermen's houses in dormitories (at 150m distance from each other), with the bathroom to be shared by all, located in one of the houses.
Fourth, fifth and sixth nights are spent in a dormitory in a renovated house in Petesmalom, with the bathroom to share (opportunity to visit the termal bath, depending on opening ours).

The upgrade comfort option allows you the possibility to replace the 4 nights in the dormitories (nights 3 to 6) by B&B or hotel accomodation with private bathrooms. In such a case, you will leave the groupe and the horses after dinner to be brought to the hotel, usually 20-30 minutes drive, depending on the days.

Restauration

Meals are served at the hotel or by the logistic team. It is their pleasure to make you discover typical and original hungarian cooking.

DATES AND RATES

- Option "Comfort supplement" 150€
The nights 3, 4, 5 and 6 are planned in dormitories. If you wish a more comfortable accomodation (in a double or single room, with private bathroom) you can book the "Comfort option" for these nights.

RATE INCLUDING

- the trail as described above, full-board basis
- transfers from and to the airport
- the financial guarantee of the deposits you send to Randocheval

RATE NOT INCLUDING

BOOKING - INFORMATION

For any inquiry, please contact Anne !

PRATICAL INFORMATIONS

COUNTRY

Hungary

LENGTH

LANGUAGE

GROUP SIZE

ACCESS

CLIMATE

Continental moderate climate. Winters are cold and snowy, summers long, often hot and with thunder storms. February and March can be very rainy. Autumn starts in September and is mild.

Formalities
Check with your local Embassy according to your nationality.

Vaccines-Health
No specific vaccination, we recommend you to be up to date with your usual vaccinations, in particular the tetanus vaccine.
Remember that a repatriation travel insurance is compulsory.

REFERENCE :CH36-Hungary-en