THE African bush will strip you bare. Layer upon layer of cotton wool values, carefully applied to our pampered Western lives by generations of advertising executives, will suddenly become superfluous - ridiculous even.

But once peeled - forget, make-up, dressing up for dinner, the mobile and laptop, and packing more than one pair of (sensible) shoes - you will revel in new-found freedom. All that matters is the wall-to-wall, raw beauty of this awesome environment. Sure, guests come to view the wildlife, but this corner of Botswana, in the Limpopo valley, can offer so much more.

It will both hone and rattle your senses, assault your pale, soft skin and burn your memory with images that not even the best photographer can truly capture. Expect a rough ride, literally, but embrace that thought with spirit and you will be rewarded. Being on horseback feels less intrusive to nature than chugging along in a 4X4. It is by far the best way to tune in to the surroundings and horses can tip-toe through bush impervious to vehicles, bush that can just as easily hide an elephant as a squirrel. Sauntering close to the camp one morning just after 6am, the lead horses stopped, ears pricked, senses focussed.

We crept forward until one of a pair of leopards exploded away in the opposite direction and the other ran at us, ears flat back, snarling his displeasure at our interruption of his romancing.

He was deterred by the lightening reaction of our guide, Kobus, his trusty bull whip, and some loud, choice words in Afrikaans. "Another day at the office," he says. In such situations, the co-operation of your mount is vital and this is what sets these horses apart. Not only are many of them capable of excelling in a competitive sphere, they are brave, fast, sure-footed, responsive in all gears and love their job. That is not to say, however, that just anyone can ride here.

This is rough terrain, pitted and rocky, criss-crossed by watercourses with high, steep banks, punctuated by ditches, fallen trees, and pock-marked by scrubby acacia and magnificent trees, all of which can be jumped or negotiated slalom-style, at speed. It's exhilarating.

There is no doubt you'll see impala and the comic warthog on this holiday, also kudu, tiny steenbok, waterbuck, the massive eland antelope, and wildebeest, zebra and giraffe may be persuaded to join the horses for a gallop.

Elephants are also plentiful here. On my last ride, it was a thrill to see an infant, no more than a day or two old, bumbling along behind an ever attentive mother, struggling to control his limbs and trunk, which swung like a rope in the wind. Raptors are a-plenty and there's a miriad of other colourful birds, smaller mammals, reptiles (even a croc or two) and, if you stay a night at Pete's Pond camp, you can watch a sinister pack of catfish hunting at night.

Lucky guests will spot leopard, probably lazing the day away draped over a tree, cheetah and lion, though close encounters with the king of beasts are best avoided, of course. Every ride is led by an knowledgable and experienced guide, complete with rarely-used rifle to ward off unwanted attention from opportunistic lions and charging elephants, whose angry trumpeting rattles the ears and rumbles through your rib cage. Similarly, the rides are back-marked by another member of staff.

During the dry season, April to October, groups can enjoy bush safaris (the Tuli Trail) staying under canvas or, at any time of the year, guests can choose to stay at Fort Jamesons, in luxury chalets.

Those who pick the safari will be up before dawn, spend between five and seven hours a day in the saddle, arriving at camp in time for lunch and a shower, followed by a siesta before an evening game drive or walk, and a sumptumous dinner accompanied by iced drinks.

If there is such a thing as five-star camping, then this is pretty much it. The route takes in some breathtaking and varied scenery that those who stay at Fort Jamesons will miss. Best of all, you can drift off to sleep listening to the sounds of the bush.

Reached via a short flight from Johannesburg, Fort Jamesons is an oasis with lush green gardens, plunge pool, comfy lounge, well-stocked bar (where no small amount of time is spent) and a hide overlooking a waterhole that's busy with animal traffic all day.

The camp, a former farmhouse, is built around a huge and ancient mashatu tree, one of many which lend their name to the reserve through which it is such a privilege to ride. Around the perimeter is a fence, electrified to elephant proportions, but you will see those animals just the other side of the wire, feet from the chalet doors, hoovering up mashatu leaves on their way to drink.

Guests ride twice a day from here - a long stint early in the morning and a shorter escapade around 4pm, returning to the newly-built bar in front of the stables in time for a cool drink (watch out for the turbo shandies) while the horses roll in the orange glow of sunset.

If it's your birthday, however, you may take in the view from the comfort of the water trough. People here make their own entertainment! There's no TV, no newspapers, nothing really, for miles and miles, and that's another reason why it's such a fantastic place to visit.

So, this is a lot more than just a safari. It is more a wild life experience than a wildlife experience.

Jaws drop, hearts leap and wide-eyed stares will be gritted by copious amounts of dust but this experience is guaranteed to produce some of the biggest smiles ever to split riders' faces.