Classic Mara Safari
Three nights in the Maasai Mara with the Governors' Camp Collection, flown in on Governors' Aviation. One camp, up to three game drives a day, and nothing else on the diary.
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Experience
Balloon Safaris
Up before the sun, an hour over the plains with the burner off, and breakfast laid out wherever the wind puts you down.
At a glanceBy air
How longOne morningCollection well before first light
How hardLightStanding for the flight; you climb in and out of a basket
SeasonYear-roundThe dry months fly most reliably
JFMAMJJASOND
- Collected in the darkfrom camp, before first light
- The envelope fillsthe basket comes upright
- An hour aloftburner off, plains waking up below
- Breakfast where you landthe table is set as you touch down
You are collected in the dark. On the grass the envelope fills with a roar, the basket comes upright, and then the part people remember: the burner goes quiet and you are climbing in silence, listening to the plains wake up underneath you.
An hour over the Mara at a few hundred feet. Elephant herds read as pattern from up here, and the river lines show you exactly where the crossings happen. A good pilot flies low over the treetops when the air allows it and high when it doesn’t.
You land where the wind puts you, and the crew are already setting a table there. Breakfast arrives as they pack away the envelope.
Balloons fly over the Mara and the Serengeti, and in Amboseli with the full height of Kilimanjaro on one side. The dry months are the reliable ones; a still green-season morning is the quiet one.
Good to know
- One flight a morning, weather permitting. A grounded flight is refunded or moved. Nobody flies a marginal wind.
- Collection is early: usually well before first light, from camp.
- Baskets are shared, commonly eight to sixteen people. Private baskets can be arranged at some operators.
- Operators set their own minimum age and height, and they vary, so we confirm yours in writing before you book.
Balloon flight prices, operator minimum ages, height limits and basket sizes are set by each balloon operator and change by season. We confirm what applies to your dates in writing before you pay anything.
Up before the sun
The burner goes quiet, and the plains wake up underneath you.
Where to do it
Where we arrange balloon safaris
These itineraries already include it. Any of them can be rebuilt around your dates.
Out of Africa
Five nights with the Governors' Camp Collection, two on Lake Naivasha at Loldia House and three in the Maasai Mara, flown between them on Governors' Aviation.
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Plateau and Plains
Six nights with the Governors' Camp Collection, three in the Maasai Mara and three at Governors' Mugie House on the Laikipia plateau, where the activity list stops being game drives.
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Questions we are actually asked
What does a balloon safari cost?
The balloon operator sets the price, not us, and it moves with the season and with whether the basket is shared or private. We quote the current figure in writing alongside your itinerary rather than publishing one that dates within a month.
How long are you actually in the air?
About an hour aloft on most Mara and Serengeti flights. The morning itself runs longer: you are collected in the dark, the envelope takes time to fill, and breakfast happens wherever you land, so plan on the whole first half of the day.
What happens if the flight is cancelled?
You are refunded or moved to another morning. Nobody flies a marginal wind, and a pilot who grounds a flight is doing the job properly. It is worth having a spare morning in the camp rather than booking the balloon for your last one.
Is there a minimum age or a weight limit?
Operators set their own, and they differ: some publish a minimum age, some a minimum height, and most have a weight declaration. We confirm the ones that apply to your flight in writing before you commit.
Where can you balloon in East Africa?
The Maasai Mara and the Serengeti are the two that fly daily in season, and Amboseli puts the full height of Kilimanjaro on one side of the basket. Which one you fly over is usually decided by where your safari already is.
Is it frightening?
Less than people expect. There is no sensation of speed because you travel with the wind, the basket is stable, and the loud part is the burner rather than the flying. The landing can be a firm one, and the crew tell you how to brace for it.
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