Hot-Air Balloon Rides
Your pilot takes you through the important safety briefing ahead of your flight as the sky begins to lighten and the crew inflates the balloon - an envelope of Savannah gold and acacia green billowing into the cool morning, lit by the flames of the burners. You climb into the basket and prepare to lift into the dawn. Each flight is a different journey dictated by the direction of the wind, where the sights and sounds rise from the ground to meet you. We know where we’ve started but we don’t know where we will return to earth. This is part of the adventure. Sometimes the basket will be gently brushing the tips of the grass and then climbing, climbing through the layers of air until you’re high enough to see the curve of the horizon, painted gold and pink by the early sun. Our pilots not only have years of experience in harnessing the African wind, but are also interpreters of the wild lives in the ebb and flow of the landscape below. Around an hour or so after you lift into the sky, the basket will return to the plains of the Serengeti. But it’s not over yet.
“The Winds have welcomed you with softness. The Sun has blessed you with its warm hands….” The balloonist’s tradition is to toast the flight with bubbly. A short walk or drive from your landing spot will find you raising a glass to your time in the skies. We then seek to take care of earthly concerns and whisk you off by safari car to our special Serengeti breakfast spot. There is truly nothing to compare with breakfast served under the sweeping canopy of an acacia in the middle of the Serengeti plains. Tropical fruit, bread baked this morning and eggs cooked in the bush, all made more delicious by the location and served on linen, bone china and Sheffield cutlery in an 'Out of Africa' style. Shoulder to shoulder with your fellow passengers, this is a time to soak in the exceptional flight you’ve just been a part of and absorb the moment.
Balloon Safari Serengeti
Serengeti Balloon safaris pioneered ballooning in Tanzania and commenced flying in the Serengeti National Park Launching at dawn, rising as the sun rises, you gently float over the plains of the magnificent Serengeti National Park.
The Balloon Safari adventure starts early morning when you depart your lodge or camp. It is still dark and you may be fortunate to see nocturnal animals on the way to the launch site. When you arrive, you will meet your pilot and witness your balloon being inflated and prepared for launch. After a thorough safety briefing and demonstration of boarding and landing position you board your balloon and lift off! Rising as the sun rises your balloon floats in whatever direction the winds of the day are heading over this wonderful area.
Your pilot will use varying altitudes and layers of air to navigate the balloon over this amazing area. Each day is different, some of the flight may be low, offering a different perspective and at other times your balloon may climb to 1000’ or more. Nobody can predict, no two flights are ever the same and your balloon safari will be unique. While impossible to guarantee particular animals, you are likely to see various species from above and your pilot knows the area well and is also a committed conservationist and will point out animals, birds and features of interest.
The flight takes about an hour, depending on conditions. After landing, you celebrate in the traditional way with a champagne toast (well, an excellent sparkling wine) before heading off to a special ‘Out of Africa’ breakfast. Breakfast is prepared in the bush and served under a convenient acacia tree. Linen, bone china, Sheffield cutlery and freshly prepared fare in the company of your fellow passengers makes a memorable finale to your adventure. After breakfast, you are taken to the rendezvous point to meet with your driver guide and continue your day’s activities.
Balloon Safari Tarangire National Park
Using and A-415 Cameron Balloon with a Capacity of 16 passengers, you will be picked up from the lodges and camps throughout the park and bring them to the launch site. Typically , flights take off at sunrise. Take-off sites can vary depending on the weather but all are easily accessible. On landing, guest are served breakfast on the river banks as they enjoy panoramic views of the of the Tarangire River and the cool breeze through the baobab trees. Following the hearty breakfast, Guest are taken on a game drive en route back to their lodge or Camps and the drop-off points as agreed by the tour guides.
