Best Hot Air Balloon Safaris in Africa

Hot Air Balloon Safaris in Africa

Ballooning takes place at sunrise, which means a pre-dawn wake up with steaming coffee and a chilly drive to the launch. The sense of excitement ripples through you as the great balloons slowly fill with hot air, rising up ponderously above their tethered baskets. Take-off is a noisy, bumpy affair, which adds to the thrill and enhances the sudden serenity when you reach cruising altitude. The noise of the heating flame punctuates the quiet along with the soft whistle of air currents and occasional ‘ooohs’ from your fellow adventurers. Wrap up warmly – it’s cold up there!

The land below you is quiet in the peace of dawn as sunrise unfurls in bright colours on the eastern horizon. As the earth warms up, wildlife starts to move – the cool of early morning is the best time of day for game viewing, and a hot air balloon gives you an especially superb view of the plains. The balloon can fly relatively low over big herds (unlike helicopters and light aircraft), making this one of the best ways to see the full splendor of the Great Wildebeest Migration.

When you touch down on solid earth again, a glorious champagne brunch awaits you, prepared and served on the savannah – the perfect end to an extraordinary and serene safari experience.

Balloon Safaris & Tours

Historian's Cape Town, Victoria Falls & Kenya

From $12,960 per person sharing
17 days
Entrance to the Mount Nelson. Visit popular Cape Town attraction, the V&A Waterfront. Frolic in the water of Blue Flag beaches in Cape Town. Departure day at Rovos Rail station. The exterior of The Victoria Falls Hotel. View of the Victoria Falls sprays from the Victoria Falls Hotel as you enjoy their famous high tea. Victoria Falls at sunset. Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages in Nairobi.
Highlights

Private day tour of the Cape Winelands. Private tour of Robben Island and Cape Town city.

Destinations visited
Cape Town Johannesburg Kenya Masai Mara Nairobi
15 days
Black and white colobus monkey near Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. Cultural interaction with the Batwa tribe Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. The firepit at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest with Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp gorilla sighting. Exterior grounds of House of Waine. Hot air balloon ride over the Wildebeest Migration with Sanctuary Olanana. Predator sighting with Sanctuary Olanana.
Highlights

See the extraordinary Wildebeest Migration in season. Seek out Big 5 game viewing.

Destinations visited
Arusha Kenya Masai Mara Nairobi Ngorongoro Crater

Namibia Wildlife, Himbas & Dunes

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10 days
Transfers by light plane cut out long dusty days on the road & leave you with more time at each destination. The red sands of the Namib glow at sunset, leaving you with indelible memories of the world's oldest desert. Elephants thrive all over northern Namibia, despite the seemingly inhospitable terrain. Besides desert scenery & oceans of red dunes, game viewing is also very much part of this 10-day safari. There's always drama on a Namibian game drive: two gemsboks battle for territorial rights at an Etosha waterhole. When they say a room with a view in Namibia, they really mean it! Exclusive accommodation, easy logistics & plenty of privacy makes this tour ideal for a honeymoon. Mowani Mountain Lodge sits surrounded by boulders & big sky in spell-binding Damaraland.
Highlights

Visit the Himba people. See the ‘fairy circles’ of Marianfluss.

Destinations visited
Damaraland Etosha Namibia Sossusvlei Windhoek

Namibia Family Self-Drive

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10 days
Desert adapted elephant on the Onguma Nature Reserve. View from your room at Okonjima Plains Camp. Exterior of Onguma Bush Camp. Desert adapted lion on the Onguma Nature Reserve. Pull out beds at Doro Nawas Camp. See San rock art in Twyfelfontein. Swakopmund Guesthouse. Explore the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve by bike.
Highlights

Self-drive Namibia at your own pace. Marvel at millions of stars in Damaraland.

Destinations visited
Damaraland Etosha Namibia Sossusvlei Swakopmund
9 days
andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge game drive. Exterior of Arusha Coffee Lodge. Arusha Coffee Lodge is Tanzania's largest coffee plantation. Arusha Coffee Lodge room exterior. Primates in close proximity to Arusha Coffee Lodge. Arusha Coffee Lodge cottage interior. andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge Drink stop. andBeyond Lake Manyara Tree Lodge Flamingos Tanzania.
Highlights

Tanzania's top safari destinations. Excellent year-round game viewing.

Destinations visited
Lake Manyara Ngorongoro Crater Serengeti Tanzania

East Africa's Migration, Safari & Highlands

From $12,010 per person sharing
11 days
The Ololo Safari Lodge swimming pool. The Tower Suite at Ololo Safari Lodge. Enjoy a game drive in Nairobi National Park. An adrenaline-inducing river crossing during the wildebeest migration. Head out on a game drive through the Serengeti. Pathway to Gibb's Farm dining room. Ngorogoro Crater day excursion.
Highlights

Visit iconic destinations in Kenya & Tanzania. Fantastic wildlife & excellent guiding.

Destinations visited
Amboseli National Park Kenya Masai Mara Ngorongoro Crater Serengeti

Kenya's Amboseli, Samburu & Mara (Fly-In)

From $5,565 per person sharing
9 days
Luxury safari accommodation. Cultural immersions with the local Masaai. Pamperings in the bush. Delicious cuisine. Explore the landscape with locals. Revel in sublime African sunsets. Spend your evenings sharing tales of the day. Exceptional wildlife encounters.
Highlights

Learn about Samburu & Masaai culture. Exceptional Big Five game viewing.

Destinations visited
Amboseli National Park Kenya Masai Mara Nairobi Samburu

Family Kenya & Seychelles

From $7,970 per person sharing
11 days
The Ololo Safari Lodge swimming pool. Enjoy a game drive in Nairobi National Park. The Tower Suite at Ololo Safari Lodge. Exceptional wildlife sightings at Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp. Fly into the famed Masai Mara. Exceptional service and luxury at Kichwa. Engaging cultural encounters. Kayak over the Indian Ocean.
Highlights

A classic safari-and-island getaway combination. Perfect family itinerary.

Destinations visited
Kenya Mahe Island Masai Mara Seychelles