Wake up before dawn with a quick cup of tea or coffee and a snack before setting off on your balloon adventure. Wrap up warm and enjoy the drive to the launch site in the dark, as you may be lucky enough to encounter some nocturnal animals.
On arrival at the launch site, meet your pilot and watch as your balloon is inflated ready for lift off. Launch as dawn is breaking, rise up in the sky as the sun rises. Witness the magnificent spectacle as darkness lifts, the sky is painted orange and the ground’s silhouette begins to take form. Float along the vast plains, following the whims of the wind, watching the mighty herds below. The launch site is in a fixed location, however the landing site is always an added adventure, for everyone, as it is determined solely on the wind direction and speed. Your pilot uses various altitudes and air layers to navigate the balloon across the rolling plains. Each flight is novel.
Go from skimming the tall grass, to just missing the flat table tops of the acacias trees, to soaring high above the plains at 1000 feet in the land of eagles and vulture. Fly over areas inaccessible to vehicles. Appreciate the awesome vistas as you float silently above the undisturbed game. No two flights are ever the same, making for a really magical experience.
The flight usually lasts for about an hour, depending on conditions. Celebrate your landing in the traditional way, with some chilled champagne before heading off to a celebratory bush breakfast. Indulge in fresh fruit and a freshly cooked breakfast complete with crisp tablecloth, bone china and shiny silver ware, in the company of your fellow passengers. A fitting finale to the morning. After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll be escorted to the rendezvous point to meet your guide to continue on a game drive back to camp.
