On my recent trip to Tanzania, I decided to try out something new – a hot air balloon safari over the Serengeti plains. After much research, I decided that Serengeti Balloon Safaris was the go-to company for this unforgettable experience. I grabbed my camera and prepared myself to fly like a bird!The journey began at 4:30am. I was picked up from my lodge in a 4×4 vehicle and driven through the bush to the balloon launching point. Here, there were three balloons flying with 16 people in each – quite the large capacity. The team started to inflate the balloons and the excitement kicked in!
We were given harnesses and had to climb in the massive basket sideways in preparation for takeoff. Once we were all settled, the captain jumped in and the balloon was fired up. The basket slowly started to turn upright and before we knew it the balloon was soaring 1000 feet up in the air!
For the next hour, we glided across the plains in search of exotic wild animals. Hundreds of zebras, elephants, and giraffes filled the Serengeti in search of their morning breakfast. As the orange african sun started to rise, it started to feel like a movie scene – we had the perfect view.
When it was time to land, the captain told us to hold on tight as the balloon basket bumped its way into the ground. We had survived our first hot air balloon flight. As a reward, there was a celebratory champagne toast and luxury breakfast waiting for us.
The captain gave a speech and explained why there is always a champagne toast after each hot air balloon flight around the world. It’s a secret – you have to go on the hot air balloon ride to find out!
Flying with Serengeti Balloon Safaris was definitely a check off the bucket list. I highly recommend flying with them on your next Tanzanian Safari! Here is a video post about the entire experience on Instagram. You can find their website, contact information, and social media below. Happy flying!
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Photos were taken on a Canon EOS 7D Mark II with the Canon EF 75-300mm Lens
