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. Hold an eye fixed out for giant cats, even greater elephants, and nearly each type of safari wildlife you may think about. You may also 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 colour.
Right here’s all the pieces you’ll want to learn 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 affords a novel and exhilarating expertise with its Balloon Safari.
From the vantage level of a sizzling air balloon, you may admire the huge fantastic thing about the Serengeti grasslands and get an entire new perspective on the park’s considerable wildlife.
This can be a really exceptional journey.
Start your day at daybreak with a one-hour flight (climate allowing), the place you will note wildlife and migration from above and beneath as you soar over the huge savannah. Upon touchdown, get pleasure from a heat welcome with champagne and an beautiful breakfast within the wilderness. Then, head again to your lodge for an thrilling sport drive.
The recent air balloons are often out there 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 notice that weight restrictions could apply.
The place to Have a Balloon Safari within the Serengeti
Happening a balloon safari in Africa might be fairly costly, however let me let you know, it’s completely price 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 perfect location for this unique airborne wildlife viewing expertise relies on elements such because the abundance of animals in a selected space of the Serengeti Nationwide Park, the proximity of your lodge or lodge, and your selection of balloon operator.
The central a part of the Serengeti affords 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 as a result of its picturesque panorama, which resembles the rolling hills of that nation.
It’s no marvel 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 in all 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 Might and July, Togoro turns into a wonderful place to look at this exceptional 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. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebras, and different hoofed animals migrate via these lands. And guess what? Togoro is also known as the “Golden Plains of the Serengeti” as a result of its picturesque panorama of acacia and sausage bushes.
When you’ve booked your Serengeti balloon safari, one in all our crew members will offer you necessary 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 generally 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 surprising shade of purple. Whereas the crew prepares the balloon for flight, you may get pleasure from a comforting cup of tea or espresso and a scrumptious biscuit. The recent 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 transient security briefing and harness demonstration. The crew will instruct you on positioning your self within the basket and what to anticipate throughout the experience. As soon as all the pieces is ready up and able to go, you’re free to enter the basket and “fasten your seatbelt”.
Good to know: Because the balloon strikes with the wind quite than rocking by itself, movement illness will not be a problem.
Often, the new air balloons have sufficient area 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 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 may be an abundance of wildlife to look at. With just a little luck, you might even see a pleasure of lions, sleek giraffes, an impressive procession of elephants crossing the huge plains, numerous hyenas, vibrant birds and quite a few species of plains sport, together with wildebeest, topi, zebra and different antelopes.
The altitude throughout 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 go away you with a long-lasting impression.
What to Carry on a Sizzling Air Balloon Safari
What gadgets do you have to embody in your packing record for a Serengeti balloon safari journey? It’s extremely beneficial that you simply 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 might not be excellent throughout the balloon experience itself, it should come in useful throughout the scrumptious bush breakfasts.
Talking of which, bush breakfasts are an absolute should on an African safari. They provide an unbelievable alternative to get pleasure from scrumptious meals amidst the breathtaking surroundings of the huge Serengeti plains.
Additionally, make sure to deliver binoculars so you may rise up shut and private with wildlife and seize wonderful moments along with your smartphone or digicam. The Serengeti affords numerous alternatives for video and pictures from excessive above in a sizzling air balloon! Possibly 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 note, that there isn’t a lot room on board to retailer baggage on the ground throughout the flight, so select correctly what you deliver.
You would possibly 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 recent 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 Guide your Serengeti Balloon Flight?
When is one of the best time to ebook 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 affirm your go to. Ballooning is extremely well-liked, and availability is restricted. We advocate reserving early to make sure a easy expertise.
Proceed the Safari Afterwards
Proceed your morning with one other game-viewing session. You could possibly have lunch in nature and return within the late night to get pleasure from 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 sport drives throughout countless Serengeti plains, that are dwelling to a rare focus of wildlife, together with wildebeest herds, zebras, gazelles, lions lounging in acacia bushes…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 known for its huge herds of plains animals similar 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 global vacationer attraction and was acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Heritage web site in 1981. As for the shortage of bushes within the Serengeti, it’s principally countless plains; nonetheless, there are some “sausage bushes” that elephants and giraffes feed on.
Observe that the park faces a number of administration issues, together with poaching, tourism influence, wildfires, and insufficient useful resource monitoring capability. Water shortage is one other important problem as a result of having just one perennial river (Mara) spanning borders.
Varied elements threaten the ecosystem of Serengeti Nationwide Park, similar 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 improve, poverty, and unsustainable improvement tasks additionally contribute to those challenges.
