It’s 4am when my alarm goes off, but I’ve been awake since 3am, hyped with the anticipation of what promises to be a spectacular day ahead. It’s early but the five of us are all excited, some in the group, myself included having never been on a balloon ride before. It had rained overnight and I was initially concerned about the sunrise but by now it had cleared and we knew it was going to be a special experience. Our group of 5 trooped off with the other 27 passengers today, 16 per basket. It was still dark with the sun only just starting to break the night sky when we boarded our basket, with Captain Tomas manning the ropes, and within minutes we were airborne. Gliding with the wind patterns, we started to climb, it was calm and quiet, the silence only interrupted with excited whispers and, the roar of the propane keeping us afloat.
The land below us starting to look like the veins of a leave, where animal and jeep trails criss crossed the earth. We approached the river and our captain brought us down only feet above the earth for the most wonderful birds eye view of hippos and crocodiles before we climbed again to enjoy the sun rising in the sky behind us, the famous mountain shaped like a Masai Warrior waking from his slumber. An eagle eyed passenger spotted a leopard, still elusive to us in our search for the big 5, I didn’t catch it but just knowing they were there was enough for me. The tranquility of the experience moved everyone to whisper, if they spoke at all. I had no idea a balloon ride would be so calm and serene. I was in owe of the landscape around me, as I have been so many times in the last 2 weeks.
We were airborne for 1hr 15mins before the captain told us to take our landing positions and we came down to earth with the gentlest of bumps. We then boarded the jeeps that whisked us off for breakfast in the middle of the bush. A table just for the five of us, with a waiter on hand to bring us drinks, a champagne bar at 8am, well why not! After collecting breakfast from the buffet, fresh fruit, sausages, bacon, beans and freshly cooked omelettes we returned to our table to find a bottle of champagne waiting and OJ for mimosas. Whilst the other parties behaved like this was an everyday experience for this, our group with jubilant and joyful, laughing with our waiter and inviting the captain to sit with us for a drink and conversation. We were in the middle of the bush, kippa and impala surrounding us, eating breakfast and drinking champagne. The remainder of our group joined us at 10, by which point we were pretty merry. Rita knew the head waiter and so the remains of the champagne were shared out between the other ladies in our group, the other passengers having left by this point. Off we set for the remainder of our days game drive, with two extra bottles of champagne for the road! In incredible experience, with a wonderful group, I made the right decision in this being my gift to myself for the big 4-0 in March.
Additional Information:
Our balloon ride was organised via Adventures Aloft through Mada Hotels. The cost was $500 on the ground which can be paid by cash or card but a $50 cash deposit is required if you don’t book in advance. The experience is worth the money and it is significantly cheaper in the Masai compared to Serengeti where we were quoted $800. The Masai Mara is significantly smaller than the Serengeti and so you chances of spotting animals is greatly improved. Tips are collective but we did tip our own waiter separately, our captain also produced a video of the experience that was 6 mins long and cost $50. If your photography skills aren’t up to it then this is a fantastic moment of an excellent experience. I dressed warmly as recommended, with a base layer under long trousers and a fleece plus my waterpoof jacket due to the earlier rain however, it gets very hot up there. The sun wasn’t too strong for us in the morning but the heat from the propane alone is enough to see you lose some layers, if you add a hot summer morning that it can become warm very quickly. Binoculars are useful for spotting in the distance, I used my iPhone 16 PRO rather than my long lens as I found the images were coming out better. In respect of mobility, you do need to climb into the basket but there are ground staff on hand who can help you.
Comments