Hot Air Balloon Safaris

Lift off before sunrise for a roughly hour-long flight over the Masai Mara's plains, rivers, and wildlife, following the wind rather than a fixed route. Every flight lands to a champagne bush breakfast, making it an easy and memorable half-day addition to a Masai Mara itinerary.

A hot air balloon flight over the Masai Mara starts in the dark. Guests meet their pilot before sunrise, watch the balloon inflate on the ground, and lift off just as the plains begin to catch the first light — drifting silently over herds of wildebeest, elephant, and giraffe from a few hundred feet up, with no engine noise to give away your presence.

Flights typically last around an hour and follow the wind rather than a set route, so no two mornings look quite the same. Pilots hold internationally recognised licensing and fly low over rivers and open grassland when conditions allow, giving a genuinely different vantage point on animals that are used to seeing vehicles, not shadows from above.

Every flight ends with a champagne bush breakfast set up wherever the balloon happens to land, usually followed by a game drive back to camp. It’s an easy half-day add-on to any Masai Mara stay and one of the few safari activities where the “wow” moment happens in total silence.