You’ve been dreaming of your Tanzanian safari for thus lengthy, and the day when it begins has lastly arrived. How about exploring this unbelievable nation from a novel perspective on a Serengeti balloon safari?
Uncover why so many safari guests fall in love with the Serengeti. Preserve an eye fixed out for large cats, even greater elephants, and nearly each form of safari wildlife you possibly can think about. You may additionally see giraffe, impala, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, a whole lot of species of birds, and which will all simply be earlier than breakfast.
You’ll always remember watching these animals work together from above, whether or not you see a hunt, an enormous herd or a mom defending her cub or calf. Plus, there’s the Serengeti’s unforgettable surroundings: observe Africa’s iconic acacia timber, the park’s golden grasslands and nice piles of boulders often known as “kopjes”.
After your Serengeti balloon safari, spend a while on this busy northern Tanzanian city often known as Arusha, and also you’ll expertise energetic streets crammed with life and coloration.
Right here’s every little thing you have to find out about experiencing the Serengeti from a scorching air balloon!
Associated learn: 10 Issues to do in Tanzania
Right here’s a fast breakdown:
Find out how to Expertise a Serengeti Balloon Safari
Serengeti Nationwide Park provides a novel and exhilarating expertise with its Balloon Safari.
From the vantage level of a scorching air balloon, you possibly can admire the huge great thing about the Serengeti grasslands and get an entire new perspective on the park’s ample wildlife.
It is a really exceptional journey.
Start your day at daybreak with a one-hour flight (climate allowing), the place you will notice wildlife and migration from above and beneath as you soar over the huge savannah. Upon touchdown, take pleasure in a heat welcome with champagne and an beautiful breakfast within the wilderness. Then, head again to your lodge for an thrilling recreation drive.
The new air balloons are normally accessible within the Ndutu space between December 20 and March 31, whereas they function within the North Serengeti from July 1 to October 31.
You’ll usually take off at round 6:30am and return to camp by 9:30am to proceed your safari expertise. This exercise is appropriate for people aged seven years or older who’re moderately cell, bodily match sufficient to fly and have a way of journey. Please observe that weight restrictions might apply.
The place to Have a Balloon Safari within the Serengeti
Occurring a balloon safari in Africa might be fairly costly, however let me let you know, it’s completely value each penny spent on this unbelievable journey within the sky!
There are a number of designated spots within the Serengeti the place you possibly can take your balloon safari. The perfect location for this unique airborne wildlife viewing expertise will depend on components such because the abundance of animals in a selected space of the Serengeti Nationwide Park, the proximity of your lodge or lodge, and your alternative of balloon operator.
The central a part of the Serengeti provides a formidable array of wildlife, together with wildebeest, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and boasts one of many highest concentrations of huge cats within the park.
Kogatende is usually in comparison with Switzerland because of its picturesque panorama, which resembles the rolling hills of that nation.
It’s no marvel it’s referred to as “the Serengeti,” as its terrain intently resembles that iconic African nationwide park, with its huge plains and the breathtaking Mara River operating via it. This area additionally occurs to be one in every of one of many few locations the place you possibly can witness firsthand the awe-inspiring phenomenon of the Nice Migration from July to November.
Nevertheless, for those who plan your go to between Might and July, Togoro turns into a wonderful place to look at this exceptional occasion often known as the Nice Migration.
Annually in East Africa’s Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, a shocking pure spectacle referred to as the “Nice Migration” happens. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebras, and different hoofed animals migrate via these lands. And guess what? Togoro is sometimes called the “Golden Plains of the Serengeti” because of its picturesque panorama of acacia and sausage timber.
When you’ve booked your Serengeti balloon safari, one in every of our crew members will offer you essential particulars about your early morning pick-up, what to put on, and what to anticipate throughout this extraordinary journey. This informative briefing normally takes place at your lodge the night earlier than your Serengeti Balloon Safari.
What to Count on from a Balloon Safari within the Serengeti
You’ll have to stand up early, as typically it’s a 30-60-minute drive to get to the start line. However if you arrive at the start line, the workers will warmly greet you.
Though it’s nonetheless darkish exterior, the sky is popping a shocking shade of purple. Whereas the crew prepares the balloon for flight, you possibly can take pleasure in a comforting cup of tea or espresso and a scrumptious biscuit. The new air balloon is heated to supply the required elevate for flight, whereas ropes maintain the basket in place.
Simply earlier than takeoff, there’s a transient security briefing and harness demonstration. The crew will instruct you on positioning your self within the basket and what to anticipate through the journey. As soon as every little thing is ready up and able to go, you might be free to enter the basket and “fasten your seatbelt”.
Good to know: For the reason that balloon strikes with the wind relatively than rocking by itself, movement illness isn’t a problem.
Normally, the recent air balloons have sufficient house and are divided into 4 compartments for a complete of 12 to 16 friends, guaranteeing elevated security and loads of room for everybody, in addition to breathtaking views!
As soon as all passengers are settled inside, the skilled pilot is prepared for takeoff!
He’ll gently heat up the balloon till it rises gracefully into the air, the place you’ll quickly witness an unbelievable dawn that completely illuminates the Serengeti plains.
It’s really an exhilarating but serene expertise! As you float over the huge Serengeti landscapes on this hovering vessel, there is no such thing as a turbulence or loud engine noise to disturb this environment; simply you (and a dozen different friends) having fun with this chicken’s eye view of the animals beneath, together with the fascinating dawn forward.
Throughout a balloon safari within the Serengeti, there’s an abundance of wildlife to look at. With a bit luck, you may even see a pleasure of lions, swish giraffes, an impressive procession of elephants crossing the huge plains, numerous hyenas, vibrant birds and quite a few species of plains recreation, together with wildebeest, topi, zebra and different antelopes.
The altitude through the flight varies from managed heights of about 300 meters above floor stage to skimming the treetops for panoramic views of the Serengeti terrain. On common, flights final roughly one hour, however relying on climate circumstances and discovering appropriate touchdown websites, flights could also be barely longer or shorter than 60 minutes. It’s value noting that any flights over 40 minutes can be charged at full value.
The chance to view the Serengeti from above is really unforgettable and can depart you with an enduring impression.
What to Convey on a Scorching Air Balloon Safari
What gadgets must you embody in your packing record for a Serengeti balloon safari journey? It’s extremely really helpful that you just costume appropriately for the safari expertise. This contains snug footwear and a light-weight windproof jacket or sweater for the cooler mornings.
Don’t overlook to pack a hat and sunscreen to guard your self from the solar’s rays. Whereas carrying a hat will not be very best through the balloon journey itself, it would come in useful through the scrumptious bush breakfasts.
Talking of which, bush breakfasts are an absolute should on an African safari. They provide an unbelievable alternative to take pleasure in scrumptious meals amidst the breathtaking surroundings of the huge Serengeti plains.
Additionally, make sure you deliver binoculars so you possibly can stand up shut and private with wildlife and seize superb moments along with your smartphone or digicam. The Serengeti provides numerous alternatives for video and pictures from excessive above in a scorching air balloon! Perhaps you wish to take a small digicam bag with private belongings with you, which you’ll be able to safe to the underside of the basket. However remember, that there isn’t a lot room on board to retailer luggage on the ground through the flight, so select properly what you deliver.
You may count on the morning to be chilly as you float excessive within the sky, however you’ll be pleasantly stunned to search out it’s not chilly! The new air balloon glides effortlessly with the wind, eliminating the opportunity of a cold breeze. As well as, the balloon itself is “heated,” which ensures a comforting heat that envelops you.
As you rise above the magnificent Serengeti plains, the encompassing air additionally progressively warms. So there’s no have to bundle up.
When Must you Guide your Serengeti Balloon Flight?
When is the very best time to e book your scorching air balloon journey within the Serengeti? It’s extremely really helpful that you just safe your spot within the Serengeti skies as quickly as you verify your go to. Ballooning is extremely well-liked, and availability is proscribed. We advocate reserving early to make sure a clean expertise.
Proceed the Safari Afterwards
Proceed your morning with one other game-viewing session. You possibly can have lunch in nature and return within the late night to take pleasure in a leisurely African dinner.
The next day, after breakfast, you proceed with a Sport drive in Ndutu plains – well-known worldwide because it hosts one of many largest mammal migrations. Witnessing over 400,000 calves being born throughout peak season is awe-inspiring!
You should have pleasant morning and afternoon recreation drives throughout countless Serengeti plains, that are residence to a rare focus of wildlife, together with wildebeest herds, zebras, gazelles, lions lounging in acacia timber…the record goes on! The Serengeti plains boast all members of Africa’s Huge 5 and tens of millions of zebras, birds, and different predators.
Serengeti Nationwide Park is legendary for its huge herds of plains animals reminiscent of wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras. It stays the one place in Africa the place large-scale land-animal migrations nonetheless happen. This park has turn out to be a global vacationer attraction and was acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage web site in 1981. As for the dearth of timber within the Serengeti, it’s largely countless plains; nevertheless, there are some “sausage timber” that elephants and giraffes feed on.
Observe that the park faces a number of administration issues, together with poaching, tourism affect, wildfires, and insufficient useful resource monitoring capability. Water shortage is one other vital problem because of having just one perennial river (Mara) spanning borders.
Numerous components threaten the ecosystem of Serengeti Nationwide Park, reminiscent of industrialization, human inhabitants development, farming, and poaching – endangering each wildlife species and native communities residing close to the park boundaries. Human-wildlife conflicts, inhabitants enhance, poverty, and unsustainable growth tasks additionally contribute to those challenges.
