Amboseli
Picture this – as you climb into the basket, the breeze gently starts to lift you up, the sun just starts to rise and you can feel it’s warmth on your face, cutting through the crisp clean air of Amboseli. You continue to ascend and slowly start to drift over the open wood savannah grasslands peppered with Acacia tortilis (Vachellia tortilis) trees through which a vast array of wild and majestic animals criss-cross. Across the vista, you see one side of the park crowned by the magical Mt. Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest free standing mountain. And on the other side, the view is of lush green wetlands, open savannah grassland and Lake Amboseli. You continue to float over pristine wilderness until the time comes to descend and land, and you are whisked away for a delectable champagne breakfast – a perfect way to end an unforgettable day.
Masai Mara
A balloon ride/safari in the Masai Mara begins just before dawn. Departure is from a perfect natural launch site behind Little Governors’ Camp, and flames from the hot air balloon burners light the darkness as the crews inflate their craft. The first, pink tongues of sunlight flicker across the skies as the hot air balloon fills, then rises. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow-coloured canopy, you’re off for a game-viewing adventure with an entirely different perspective. What amazes most first-time balloonists is the absolute stillness: the silence as you float above the plains, the forest and the rivers of the Masai Mara. Even if you’ve flown elsewhere, this is a unique experience.
The flight lasts an hour or so, drifting wherever the air currents take you, and with ample opportunities for photography and video filming.
Then your Kenyan Hot Air Balloon Safari in the Masai Mara finishes with a flourish. In the time honoured tradition of balloon flights the world over, you toast your return to earth with a champagne breakfast, cooked wherever you land. The Balloon Safari ends with some leisurely game viewing on the way back to Camp.
It is a tradition that each passenger is presented with a certificate signed by the pilot to commemorate the flight.
