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 singular perspective on a Serengeti balloon safari?
Uncover why so many safari guests fall in love with the Serengeti. Maintain a watch out for giant cats, even larger elephants, and virtually each form of safari wildlife you may think about. You may also see giraffe, impala, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, lots of of species of birds, and that 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 unlimited 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 referred to as “kopjes”.
After your Serengeti balloon safari, spend a while on this busy northern Tanzanian city referred to as Arusha, and also you’ll expertise energetic streets crammed with life and coloration.
Right here’s every little thing it is advisable find out about experiencing the Serengeti from a sizzling air balloon!
Associated learn: 10 Issues to do in Tanzania
Right here’s a fast breakdown:
How you can Expertise a Serengeti Balloon Safari
Serengeti Nationwide Park presents a singular and exhilarating expertise with its Balloon Safari.
From the vantage level of a sizzling air balloon, you may admire the huge great thing about the Serengeti grasslands and get a complete new perspective on the park’s ample wildlife.
It is a really outstanding journey.
Start your day at daybreak with a one-hour flight (climate allowing), the place you will note wildlife and migration from above and under 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 resort for an thrilling recreation drive.
The new air balloons are often 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 fairly cellular, bodily match sufficient to fly and have a way of journey. Please observe that weight restrictions could apply.
The place to Have a Balloon Safari within the Serengeti
Happening a balloon safari in Africa will be fairly costly, however let me inform you, 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 may take your balloon safari. The very best location for this unique airborne wildlife viewing expertise depends upon components such because the abundance of animals in a selected space of the Serengeti Nationwide Park, the proximity of your lodge or resort, and your selection of balloon operator.
The central a part of the Serengeti presents a formidable array of wildlife, together with wildebeest, elephants, giraffes, zebras, and boasts one of many highest concentrations of massive cats within the park.
Kogatende is usually in comparison with Switzerland resulting from its picturesque panorama, which resembles the rolling hills of that nation.
It’s no surprise it’s known as “the Serengeti,” as its terrain intently resembles that iconic African nationwide park, with its huge plains and the breathtaking Mara River working via it. This area additionally occurs to be one among one of many few locations the place you may witness firsthand the awe-inspiring phenomenon of the Nice Migration from July to November.
Nevertheless, for those who plan your go to between Could and July, Togoro turns into a wonderful place to look at this outstanding occasion referred to as the Nice Migration.
Every year in East Africa’s Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, a shocking pure spectacle known as the “Nice Migration” happens. Thousands and 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” resulting from its picturesque panorama of acacia and sausage timber.
When you’ve booked your Serengeti balloon safari, one among our crew members will give you essential particulars about your early morning pick-up, what to put on, and what to anticipate throughout this extraordinary journey. This informative briefing often 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 rise up early, as typically it’s a 30-60-minute drive to get to the place to begin. However while you arrive at the place to begin, the workers will warmly greet you.
Though it’s nonetheless darkish outdoors, the sky is popping a shocking shade of purple. Whereas the crew prepares the balloon for flight, you may take pleasure in a comforting cup of tea or espresso and a scrumptious biscuit. The new air balloon is heated to supply the mandatory carry for flight, whereas ropes maintain the basket in place.
Simply earlier than takeoff, there’s a temporary 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’re free to enter the basket and “fasten your seatbelt”.
Good to know: For the reason that balloon strikes with the wind fairly 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 isn’t any turbulence or loud engine noise to disturb this ambiance; simply you (and a dozen different friends) having fun with this fowl’s eye view of the animals under, together with the fascinating dawn forward.
Throughout a balloon safari within the Serengeti, there may be an abundance of wildlife to look at. With somewhat luck, you might even see a delight of lions, sleek giraffes, an imposing 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 degree 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 shall be charged at full value.
The chance to view the Serengeti from above is really unforgettable and can go away you with a long-lasting impression.
What to Carry on a Scorching Air Balloon Safari
What gadgets must you embrace in your packing listing for a Serengeti balloon safari journey? It’s extremely advisable that you simply gown appropriately for the safari expertise. This consists of 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 sporting a hat might not be ultimate through the balloon journey itself, it can 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, you should definitely deliver binoculars so you may rise up shut and private with wildlife and seize wonderful moments together with your smartphone or digicam. The Serengeti presents numerous alternatives for video and images from excessive above in a sizzling air balloon! Perhaps you need 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 take into accout, that there isn’t a lot room on board to retailer luggage on the ground through the flight, so select correctly what you deliver.
You may anticipate the morning to be chilly as you float excessive within the sky, however you’ll be pleasantly stunned to seek out it’s not chilly! The new air balloon glides effortlessly with the wind, eliminating the potential 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 encircling air additionally steadily warms. So there’s no have to bundle up.
When Do you have to E book your Serengeti Balloon Flight?
When is the perfect time to e book your sizzling air balloon journey within the Serengeti? It’s extremely advisable that you simply safe your spot within the Serengeti skies as quickly as you affirm your go to. Ballooning is extremely fashionable, and availability is restricted. We advocate reserving early to make sure a clean expertise.
Proceed the Safari Afterwards
Proceed your morning with one other game-viewing session. You might 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 infinite Serengeti plains, that are residence to a rare focus of wildlife, together with wildebeest herds, zebras, gazelles, lions lounging in acacia timber…the listing goes on! The Serengeti plains boast all members of Africa’s Massive 5 and hundreds of thousands of zebras, birds, and different predators.
Serengeti Nationwide Park is legendary for its huge herds of plains animals akin to wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras. It stays the one place in Africa the place large-scale land-animal migrations nonetheless happen. This park has grow to be a world vacationer attraction and was acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage web site in 1981. As for the shortage of timber within the Serengeti, it’s largely infinite plains; nevertheless, there are some “sausage timber” that elephants and giraffes feed on.
Notice that the park faces a number of administration considerations, together with poaching, tourism affect, wildfires, and insufficient useful resource monitoring capability. Water shortage is one other vital problem resulting from having just one perennial river (Mara) spanning borders.
Numerous components threaten the ecosystem of Serengeti Nationwide Park, akin to industrialization, human inhabitants progress, 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.
