Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari

Close your eyes, and for a moment feel your body lift up, with you having no control over it, and there is a certain part of you, inside you, saying to yourself, I am crazy for taking this balloon safari. This is what most people feel, when the excitement of a Masai Mara hot air balloon safari crosses one's emotion of self-control and independence.

The feeling is indescribable, crispness of the African air, chill in the wind that hits your face as your Mara hot air balloon gradually rises, smoothness in the exhale of your breath, and the excitement to see and learn more. You'll be amazed by the silence as you float over the plains, the forst and the Mara River.

The sounds below drift clearly upwards; a lion's roar, elephants crashing through the bush, screeching baboons perched in the tips of the trees startled to see something above them.  One's physical presence can be felt on the plains of the Masai Mara when reading this. Your tour begins when you get your wake up call at your Maasai Mara safari lodge or luxury tented camp in the early hours of the morning, as you yawn away, and thoughts about your wildlife viewing from an elevated position begins to stir your mind. The fresh Kenyan traditional hot tea and coffee quickly awaken you, in fact preparing you for a "mission".The adventure begins just before dawn.

Flames from the balloons' burners light the darkness as the crews inflate their craft. As the first pink tongues of sunlight flicker across the skies, the inflated balloons begin to rise. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow coloured canopy, you're off for a game-viewing adventure with an entirely different perspective.

A number of lodges in the Masai Mara offer hot air balloon safaris. Balloon safaris in Kenya are ideally suited to the Masai Mara as the open, treeless, plains allow many of the animals to be seen from the air and, viewed from an altitude of several thousand feet, and the savannah scenery is breathtaking. The migration of the wildebeests from July to October is a sight that, viewed from the vantage point of a balloon, you will never forget. And photography is a must from this unique perspective.

Balloon Safaris take off just before dawn so that you are high above the plains in time for sunrise. Balloon Flights last for approximately one hour drifting wherever the air currents take you.  Once back on terra firma, the flight is celebrated with a glass of champagne and a breakfast in the bush, cooked on the balloons burners.Each passenger earns a certificate signed by the pilot to commemorate the flight. The Balloon Safari ends with a game drive, on the return journey to your camp.

By 6.00 a.m. you are almost arriving at the hot air balloon site in the Masai Mara. As you approach the site, the balloon seems bigger than you expected, the experience is one that has never been visited, and you are about to have a trip of a lifetime.

Liftoff! Up and away we go! At 6.15 a.m., the hot air balloon safari starts. The captain asks you to relax and experience the wonders under the African sky. As you finally start to get a grip on the elevation, an inner smile that resonates on one's face does not need an explanation. The wildebeest moving in large numbers across the Masai Mara plains, the beauty of the landscape when the rising sun's bright orange colors are displayed, the elephants at the water pool, and the gazelles and zebras scampering away, just if it was their first time to witness an alien object in the sky.

By 7.15 a.m., one is very content with balloon safari, and it is almost touch down time. There is a celebration, and for those who prefer a toast, champagne is served, as hot breakfast in the bush is being prepared. You ask yourself, is this true? I am really doing this trip of a lifetime in Kenya? In the Masai Mara? As the sweetness and aroma of the African coffee surrounds you, with fresh eggs being served as you like it, you hope for another ride, and wish that such luxury never ended. By the time you finish your breakfast, you have made up your decision to immigrate to Kenya because such life is only found here. You begin to question yourself, and you feel an urgency to seek, live and enjoy this pristine beauty, a once in a lifetime "thing".

By 9.00 a.m., you have been declared a champion, a mighty certificate of completion handed out to you which you hope to display in your home country, to family, friends, coworkers. Clapping and participation by everyone present makes you proud to have achieved a trip as wonderful as this. By then you hear a blaring sound of music or even an annoying buzz, you turn around and switch of the alarm clock. Your eyes wide open, you know that you have to get back to Kenya, to Masai Mara; again otherwise the recurring dreams will drive you mad.

Serengeti Hot Air Balloon Safari
A hot air balloon "Serengeti balloon safari" ride is the ideal way to see wild animals on the plains of Serengeti National Park - Tanzania and the Masai Mara Game Reserve in - Kenya. To explore the Game Sanctuary and astonishing landscape of East Africa famous wildlife parks is a life time experience which you will never forget. Once a year, every year the wildebeest and other plains game estimated to numbers more than two million animals, including zebra, topi, and gazelle a continuous move, milling and unsettle masse on a journey that takes 9 months crossing the cycle from Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve crossing the Mara River along the boarder of Kenya in the north, and Grumeti River to south-east into the Serengeti Plains to Ndutu were they stay for few months for breeding in Tanzania. 

Serengeti Balloon Safari Ride Full Itinerary
5:00 am pick up from your lodge or Camp in Serengeti, and transfer you to our launch site near Maasai Kopjes. Here you will meet your pilot for Serengeti hot air balloon safari, receive a briefing and watch the inflation of your balloon.
At dawn Serengeti hot air balloon will take off, rising as the sun rises and float in whichever direction the winds of the morning take us. Your pilot can precisely control the altitude of your balloon: sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below.

At other times he will ascend to 1000' or more to see the enormity and wonderful panorama of the Serengeti. From time to time the pilot must put more heat into the balloon with the powerful whisper burners. In between these burns, there is silence apart from the natural sounds below
The Serengeti hot air balloon safari flight is for about one hour depending on conditions, on landing you celebrate in the traditional manner with champagne (well, an excellent sparkling wine), before sitting down to a full English breakfast prepared and served in the bush in 'Out of Africa' style with bone china, linen table cloths, King's silver etc.

After breakfast you receive your Serengeti hot air balloon safari certificate and we drive you back to Lodge game viewing enroute. 9:30 am Arrive at Seronera ready to continue your day's activities road safari game viewing
Price All year round for Serengeti hot air balloon safari

Hot Air Balloon Flight Information

Please ensure that you are at the launch site by 6.15 am. Ask for an early morning call. The Manager at your Lodge, Tented camp and Camping Site will give you every assistance and further details regarding your balloon safari.

CLOTHING - We would advise you to bring a sweater or windproof jacket, as it may be a little cold before take off or at breakfast. Please be sure to bring a suitable bush hat which we recommend you wear both during the flight and at the open air breakfast. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended - please do not wear high heeled shoes.

INSURANCE AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY - Balloon Safaris are entirely safe with very experienced pilots, the best and safest equipments maintained to the highest required standard. It is however, a condition that each passenger, on boarding one of the balloons, absolves both Mara Balloon Safaris Limited and Travel agent, safari tour operator of any liability that may arise from any incident that may occur during or after a balloon flight, whatever the circumstances may have been to give rise to the incident.

PHOTOGRAPHY - You may bring whatever equipment you have including a video. Large camera cases may have to be taken in one of the chase vehicles

CANCELLATIONS - Due to the very limited space and the high demand for seats, cancellation charges will be levied for any bookings cancelled once it has been confirmed.

PRICE - The current price is US$425 per person which includes collection from all establishments, in Western Mara, balloon flight, champagne breakfast and return game drive. It is advisable to book in advance to avoid disappointment.
Balloon Safaris Limited reserve the right to cancel a flight for any reason whatsoever. If your flight is cancelled due to unforseen circumstances, a complete refund of any advance payment will be made. If the flight is cancelled at the launch site due to adverse weather conditions, a free game drive on the return journey is offered

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