You’ve been dreaming of your Tanzanian safari for therefore lengthy, and the day when it begins has lastly arrived. How about exploring this unimaginable nation from a novel perspective on a Serengeti balloon safari?
Uncover why so many safari guests fall in love with the Serengeti. Maintain an eye fixed out for giant cats, even greater elephants, and nearly each form of safari wildlife you’ll be able to think about. You may additionally see giraffe, impala, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, a whole lot 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 enormous herd or a mom defending her cub or calf. Plus, there’s the Serengeti’s unforgettable surroundings: observe Africa’s iconic acacia bushes, 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 full of life and coloration.
Right here’s every little thing that you must 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:
Tips on how to Expertise a Serengeti Balloon Safari
Serengeti Nationwide Park gives a novel and exhilarating expertise with its Balloon Safari.
From the vantage level of a sizzling air balloon, you’ll be able to admire the huge great thing about the Serengeti grasslands and get a complete new perspective on the park’s considerable wildlife.
This can be a really outstanding 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 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 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 may be fairly costly, however let me inform you, it’s completely price each penny spent on this unimaginable journey within the sky!
There are a number of designated spots within the Serengeti the place you’ll be able to take your balloon safari. The perfect location for this unique airborne wildlife viewing expertise depends upon components such because the abundance of animals in a specific space of the Serengeti Nationwide Park, the proximity of your lodge or resort, and your alternative of balloon operator.
The central a part of the Serengeti gives 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 surprise it’s known as “the Serengeti,” as its terrain carefully resembles that iconic African nationwide park, with its huge plains and the breathtaking Mara River operating by way of it. This area additionally occurs to be one among one of many few locations the place you’ll be able to 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 superb place to watch this outstanding occasion often known as the Nice Migration.
Every year in East Africa’s Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, a surprising pure spectacle known as the “Nice Migration” happens. Tens of millions of wildebeest, zebras, and different hoofed animals migrate by way of these lands. And guess what? Togoro is also known as the “Golden Plains of the Serengeti” because of its picturesque panorama of acacia and sausage bushes.
When you’ve booked your Serengeti balloon safari, one among our staff 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 Anticipate 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 place to begin. However if you arrive at the place to begin, the employees will warmly greet you.
Though it’s nonetheless darkish outdoors, the sky is popping a surprising shade of purple. Whereas the staff prepares the balloon for flight, you’ll be able to take pleasure in a comforting cup of tea or espresso and a scrumptious biscuit. The new air balloon is heated to supply the mandatory elevate 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 trip. As soon as every little thing is about 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 quite than rocking by itself, movement illness is just not a difficulty.
Often, the recent air balloons have sufficient house and are divided into 4 compartments for a complete of 12 to 16 friends, making certain 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 unimaginable 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 a turbulence or loud engine noise to disturb this ambiance; simply you (and a dozen different friends) having fun with this chicken’s eye view of the animals beneath, together with the charming dawn forward.
Throughout a balloon safari within the Serengeti, there’s an abundance of wildlife to watch. With a little bit luck, you may even see a satisfaction of lions, swish giraffes, an imposing procession of elephants crossing the huge plains, various 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 price noting that any flights over 40 minutes will likely be charged at full worth.
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 objects must you embrace in your packing checklist for a Serengeti balloon safari journey? It’s extremely beneficial that you simply costume appropriately for the safari expertise. This contains comfy 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 is probably not very best through the balloon trip itself, it is going to turn out to be useful through the scrumptious bush breakfasts.
Talking of which, bush breakfasts are an absolute should on an African safari. They provide an unimaginable alternative to take pleasure in scrumptious meals amidst the breathtaking surroundings of the huge Serengeti plains.
Additionally, you’ll want to deliver binoculars so you’ll be able to stand up shut and private with wildlife and seize superb moments together with your smartphone or digicam. The Serengeti gives numerous alternatives for video and pictures from excessive above in a sizzling air balloon! Possibly you wish to take a small digicam bag with private belongings with you, which you’ll safe to the underside of the basket. However be mindful, 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 would possibly anticipate the morning to be chilly as you float excessive within the sky, however you’ll be pleasantly shocked 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 progressively warms. So there’s no must bundle up.
When Do you have to E-book your Serengeti Balloon Flight?
When is the very best time to e book your sizzling air balloon journey within the Serengeti? It’s extremely beneficial that you simply safe your spot within the Serengeti skies as quickly as you verify your go to. Ballooning is extremely in style, and availability is proscribed. We suggest 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 infinite Serengeti plains, that are house to a unprecedented focus of wildlife, together with wildebeest herds, zebras, gazelles, lions lounging in acacia bushes…the checklist goes on! The Serengeti plains boast all members of Africa’s Huge 5 and thousands and thousands of zebras, birds, and different predators.
Serengeti Nationwide Park is known for its huge herds of plains animals corresponding to wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras. It stays the one place in Africa the place large-scale land-animal migrations nonetheless happen. This park has develop into a global vacationer attraction and was acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage web site in 1981. As for the dearth of bushes within the Serengeti, it’s largely infinite plains; nevertheless, there are some “sausage bushes” that elephants and giraffes feed on.
Notice that the park faces a number of administration considerations, together with poaching, tourism impression, wildfires, and insufficient useful resource monitoring capability. Water shortage is one other important problem because of having just one perennial river (Mara) spanning borders.
Numerous components threaten the ecosystem of Serengeti Nationwide Park, corresponding 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 initiatives additionally contribute to those challenges.
