Aerial views of landscapes are always breathtaking. Whether you love looking out the window while your plane takes off or you like to use a drone to get some footage from above, getting a bird’s eye view of your surroundings can deepen your understanding of them. There is perhaps no better way to do this than taking a hot air balloon ride.
Here, we will walk you through our surreal flight over Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya.
We will also break down the cost, tell you how to book and what you can expect from the experience.
Our Experience of the Maasai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari
This was the very beginning of our safari and we hadn’t even entered any of the parks yet. We were woken up in the black of the night by our 3am wake-up call from our hotel. Our driver, Francis, was waiting for us outside to drive us to our hot air balloon location. He was immediately friendly and he seemed as excited as we were. We had been told our drive to the location would take roughly 1.5 hours and it was pitch black outside so we settled in to get some shuteye in the back of the jeep.
Little did we know that along this drive we would see a plethora of wildlife. Our driver stopped many times to show us giraffes, zebras, water buffalo and hyenas, all through the beams of his headlamps. We even got to see a pride of lions zigzag across the road in front of us – a traffic jam we were totally ok with! Francis, a Kenyan native, later told us he had been working as a game driver for almost 17 years, but his excitement and joy upon seeing the wildlife made the experience even more heartwarming.
We arrived at the take-off location just as the sun was rising. The view of the hot air balloons being inflated under an African sunrise was breathtaking in itself. While we were waiting to sign our waivers and do some safety checks, we noticed something moving over by our jeep. Originally thinking it was an impala, we gradually noticed its feline movements in the dawn twilight. A cheetah was checking out our truck and after seeing us, zipped right past us into the distance. The glee on Francis’ face told us this was not a common experience.
The sun continued to rise and we embarked on our hot air balloons. We learned that these hot air balloons can’t be steered but instead go in the direction the wind blows. The benefit of this is that it is perfectly still and quiet which is ideal for viewing wildlife. It also ensures each hot air balloon flight is a unique experience as even the pilots don’t know where they will land and how far they will travel.
There were about a dozen other hot air balloons also taking flight at the same time, all flying at different altitudes. This only added to the experience – the vibrant colours of the hot air balloons sticking out against the rising sun creating amazing photo opportunities.
The flight itself took about 40 minutes, and our pilot gave us information about the wildlife all the way through. We got to see herds of Zebra, Wildebeest and Impala. At one stage we even flew past a family of giraffes, dipping low enough to be almost level with their tall necks.
Once we landed, we were once again picked up by Francis and brought to our breakfast spot. The price of the hot air balloon flight included a prosecco buffet breakfast. We ate eggs, bacon, fruit and pastries with the passengers of the other hot air balloons all while drinking prosecco and coffee in the middle of the Kenyan savannah. This all happened before 8am and our actual safari hadn’t even begun.
The Price and Booking
The price of the hot air balloon safari may put some people off the experience, especially if you are budget travellers like us. We paid $450 each, which was almost half the price of our 6-day safari afterwards. This included all collections and drop-offs, the flight itself, the prosecco breakfast and a certificate at the end.
We booked this as an added extra with our safari company https://www.allscenerybudgetsafaris.com/ (we couldn’t recommend this company enough!) and they organised everything for us.
We debated for some time over the price and ended up booking it at the last minute. In hindsight, it was so worth the cost. It was a surreal, once in a lifetime, experience and we have zero regrets. Honestly, we can’t recommend it enough. You won’t be wishing you had that $450 on your deathbed!
The Finer Details of the Hot Air Balloon Ride
How to book? – Our safari company had offered it to us months beforehand and we originally said no. When we arrived at their headquarters 2 days before our safari they offered us again and we decided to go for it. So if you plan on going on safari anyway, just ask the company you book with if they offer a hot air balloon ride. There didn’t seem to be a need to book in advance when we were there but some times of the year get super busy (the great migration for example).
Was the flight comfortable/scary? – Each hot air balloon held about 10 people, separated into different compartments. We had a compartment between two and got great 360-degree viewing – this is helped too by the hot air balloon slowly spinning as you fly.
@kuben.adventures Hot air balloon safari part 2 #hotairballoon #hotairballoonsafari #kenya #kenyatravel #maasaimara #travelcouple
Neither of us are scared of heights but, honestly, I think even people who are might still enjoy this. It is very calm and still up there because you are going in the same direction and speed as the wind. It also felt super secure and professional, there were many safety checks and demonstrations and they had teams of workers setting up and checking the hot air balloons. Those operating the hot air balloons are also licensed pilots.
Lastly, bring layers! It gets colder than you think up there. We were fine in a hoodie/fleece and trousers but we’re glad we brought them.
How do you meet back up with your safari?
The hot air balloon ride is with a different company to our planned safari. The rest of our group opted not to do the hot air balloon (and immediately regretted it once we told them about it). We were brought to the Maasai reserve the night before by our original driver but were told we would be collected by a different driver (Francis) the next morning. The drivers then tail the hot air balloons to see where they land and pick up the passengers to bring them to breakfast. After breakfast, the drivers keep in constant communication over the radio and pick a suitable spot in the park to swap over. It was honestly so easy and we were back with the rest of our safari group right after breakfast.
Conclusion
Although expensive, we think it was so worth the cost. We got a birdseye view of the Maasai Mara Reserve and saw a tonne of wildlife from our hot air balloon. This made our game drives around the park later that day all the more special! We can’t recommend this experience enough. Do it, take loads of pictures, and make your friends jealous for months!
If you loved reading about Kubra and Ben’s experience make sure to check out their other articles HERE! I’ve also linked their Instagram below.
Leave a Reply