Nofa Equestrian Resort on horseback safari. . .

. . . off the plateau down to the dessert floor. . .

. . . unexpectedly but inevitably exactly a resort and a safari on horseback. . .

see the green above, with natural misgivings about what we were walking into, across that green as we arrived came hurtling a galloping horse, stirrups swinging free, without a rider. . . visions of what had happened. . . did not excite confidence.

and the rest you'll have to imagine. Over the dunes we went, more dunes stretching out before us and herds of oryx . . . then towering above them giraffes, our houses unphased allowing us to pass between them, the giraffes curious. . . zebra. . . antelope, Ankole-Watusi cattle and Greater Kudu, which last I had to look up. . . I didn't risk getting my camera out . . . then down in the valley we approached a wirenetting enclosure with a pride of lions who appraised us like we were lunch. . . and further on our lead, there for the less adept riders than Jo, Holly and I, pulled us up hard against the wirenetting a tiger followed us along. . . then a liger and most beautiful a Saudi Arabian tiger, like stripes of men and women in their thobes and hijab white very white stripes and black. . . just like this:

next time out perhaps a camel safari:

snaps from the camera on our route of return: