The hot air balloon ride is one of many activities you can try out at the Serengeti National Park. So why should you consider going on a hot air balloon ride over other park activities and is it worth it?
So in this article, I’m going to show you 7 reasons why going on a hot air balloon in the Serengeti national park is absolutely worth every penny of your money.
So, here are the 7 main reasons why I think the Serengeti balloon ride is worth it.
- Nocturnal Animal Viewing
- Very Safe
- The Thrill
- The Unique View Of The Serengeti
- Convenient Game Viewing
- A Taste of Bush African Breakfast
- Socialization
There are a lot more reasons why going on a hot air balloon ride is a pretty worthwhile activity.
The points presented above are my most outstanding reasons why I think it’s absolutely worth it.
In order to learn more details about why a Serengeti hot air balloon ride is worth it, you can keep reading this article.
1. Nocturnal Animal Viewing
The hot air balloons at the Serengeti are often very early in the morning. And you would have put yourself together as quickly as possible in order to make it for your flight.
Your adventure will start right after you step out of your tent or where ever you would be lodging.
Usually, the journey to the launch site of the hot air balloon will be on foot depending on how close your camp is.
On your mini walking safari to the launch site, you will have a unique opportunity to spot some nocturnal animals that you would never encounter at any other time of the day.
2. Very Safe
The time the hot air ball is popularly flown is usually early morning around 5:30 am as I have already mentioned.
The weather around this time is often very calm so you wouldn’t have to worry about turbulent flights or sudden heavy winds around the Serengeti.
There’s also a thorough per-launch safety briefing from the pilot. The flight time is usually an hour which is not super long.
The balloon also hovers around 1000 ft quite a safe height just about enough so you can see the vast spectacular panorama of the Serengeti beneath you.
You will sometimes be flown just above tree tops so you can have an up-close view of some of the most vicious mammals on the on the planet.
3. The Thrill
Everything from waking up really early through to the instructions from your balloon pilot to the, to the inflation of the balloon, and finally take off is going to be really fun for you.
It’s really cool and fascinating to see how the balloon gets inflated. At least, I was fascinated! Probably because I was super pump about my first ever balloon ride.
But hey! Trust me when I say, there’s something about seeing all the technical people patiently waiting together with you as the hot air balloon fills up and lifts off over the carrier bucket.
Unless your late like my wife was!
It’s indeed a whole different experience on its own. The excitement or otherwise you will feel when you wake up early in the morning to catch your balloon ride will be absolutely worth it because of the calm nature the skies offer during the early parts of the day.
Not only will you be glad about how calm and soothing the skies are going to be.
You will also be amazed that you dragged yourself out of bed when you see the spectacular sunrise over the plains of the Serengeti with animals running to hide away from the sun rays.
4. The Unique View Of The Serengeti
First of all, it’s simply worth mentioning again how extremely calm it is as you more or less levitate over wildlife animals in one of the most peaceful yet delicate manner.
The feeling of levitating is incomparable to any fast driving car or plane. The feeling alone is something you won’t forget in a really long time. But what’s more, is the view. My oh my!.
It’s the kind of view you struggle to have when you’re on a plane. When on a plane, you can only see at most 180 degrees, and that most of us will often tell friends and family how fascinating the view is.
But on a hot air balloon, you will be able to see 360 degrees. You will be able to see every direction of your choice. You will be able to view the endless plain fields of the Serengeti national park all at once.
It’s going to be like standing on the world’s tallest mountain with a 360 degrees view of the entire world spread out in every direction below you.
That’s the kind of view you will have floating over the Serengeti National Park.
You will be able to catch a fantastic birds-eye view of the Serengeti national park and the animals In it.
This makes a hot air balloon ride at Serengeti National Park a super worthwhile activity.
5. Convenient Game Viewing
Going on a hot balloon ride is a super convenient way of viewing the beautiful wildlife at the Serengeti National Park.
Usually, most people would say they couldn’t see a lot of things due to how large the Serengeti is as against the little time they had at hand.
The hot air balloon is an easy and convenient way of moving in-between viewing spots to catch some of the highlights on the park such as the great migration, animals preying, animals in their herds, etc.
Usually, the hot air balloon will set off from 3 primary sites and no matter the time of the year, you will be able to catch a spectacular view at this park.
These sites are the Central Serengeti where you will usually find wildlife gatherings all year round from an amazing birds-eye view looking over the Seronera River Valley where there’s an abundance of water supply for these precious mammals.
If you have your hot air balloon ride scheduled around May and June, you will be able to view the great migration pass through around this spot.
You will also be able to access another hot air balloon site around the Western part of the Serengeti.
You’re going to have a superb view of the Grumeti River as the Great migration makes its way along with this site in June and July.
The birds-eye view of the Grumeti River is priceless. You will see how some wild life animals brave the Nile river as many perish in a theatrical stunt to cross to the other side of the river.
If you board your hot air balloon ride on the South Serengeti plains around December, you will catch a unique view of an assembly of wildebeests as they calve through to February.
6. A Taste of Bush African Breakfast
Upon landing, you will be treated to a glass of champagne with welcoming toasts of “Maisha marefu” which simply means “long life”.
This will certainly be a climax to you if you’re on a romantic adventure with your beloved.
During our time, we had one of our friends pop the question to his long time sweetheart. It was such a romantic scene to behold.
After a few rounds of toast, you will be treated to some of the best African bush breakfasts in the middle of the Serengeti to finish off what you would agree to be one of the best experiences ever.
7. Socialization
The Serengeti is such a huge place to go to and usually, most visitors are on a tight schedule. So it’s usually hard to meet other travelers, spend time together to share your experiences.
But being caught up in a hot air balloon for over an hour with other visitors can be a great opportunity to meet other travelers who have also come over from near and far.
You will be able to talk about some of the things you have done so far at the park and also have the opportunity to hear other fun things other travelers have tried out and probably if you’re into it, you could also give it a try.
You might be able to make long-lasting acquaintances beyond friendship that may possibly end up in business opportunities or even life partners.
Related Questions
If at this point you’re convinced about how worthwhile this exciting activity is, here are a couple of things you might fancy and would help you prepare for a Serengeti hot air balloon Safari.
How Much Does It Cost To Go On A Hot Air Balloon Safari?
While there are several hot air balloon safari companies at the Serengeti with each charging a different price point, generally, a hot air balloon ride will cost you between $550 – $650.
This price will generally cover your balloon ride, champagne, and a delicious bush breakfast with options for vegetarians upon landing.
Usually, a lot of the money you will pay to ride in a hot air balloon at the Serengeti park will go into servicing and maintaining the balloons and other costs of operations.
In months like March, April, and May when there is usually a lot of rain, most air balloon flights may be suspended, canceled, rescheduled, or refunded if the weather is very windy or there’s too much rain.
What Do You Pack For A Hot Air Balloon Ride At The Serengeti?
In addition to a coat, you would also want to come along with your binoculars to help you easily explore the scenery below and a camera to capture this once in a lifetime moment.
What’s The Best Time To Go
The best time to go for a hot air balloon safari is during the dry season which is usually between June and October.
During this time the weather is conducive and is the ideal time to go for a hot air balloon ride with your friends and family at the Serengeti National Park.
Not only will the weather be conducive for ballooning across the sky but also it’s the perfect time to catch a glimpse of the majority of the animals in this park.
Can You Go On A Hot Air Balloon Safari Throughout The Year?
You would want to book this activity in advance because the hot air balloon safaris are heavily dependant on the weather so it’s impossible to go for a ride throughout the year.
Because of this, you cannot book this activity on a particular day and expect to fly the same day.