Hot-Air Balloon Safari

There is no quieter or more magical way to see the savannah than from the basket of a hot-air balloon at first light. You rise before dawn and gather at the launch site as the crew inflate the envelope, the burners throwing warmth and light into the dark. As the sun lifts over the horizon you drift upwards, and the plains unfold beneath you in soft gold and long shadow.

From a few hundred feet the landscape reveals itself as the ground never can. Rivers wind through the grass, elephant move in slow files, and during the migration the wildebeest spread to the horizon like a moving carpet. The pilot rides the breeze low over the treetops and high for the wider view, and because a balloon makes no engine noise the animals below carry on undisturbed.

Flights last roughly an hour and finish with one of safari's great traditions: a full champagne breakfast laid out on the plains, often at the very spot where you land. It is an unhurried, celebratory end to an early start, and a chance to swap stories with your fellow passengers and crew.

Balloon safaris are weather-dependent and book up quickly in peak season, so we reserve places early. They make an unforgettable centrepiece to any Mara or Serengeti itinerary and require nothing more strenuous than climbing into the basket.