A balloon safari over the Mara: is it worth it?

There is a moment, just after take-off, when the burner goes quiet and all you can hear is the plain waking up below you. For many visitors, that silence is the best memory of their whole safari.

Balloon flights over the Maasai Mara (often spelled Masai Mara) run every morning of the year, weather permitting. Here is what to expect, and how to decide if it belongs in your trip.

How the morning works

Before dawn. You are woken at around 4.30 or 5 am, often with a coffee brought to your tent, and driven in the dark to the launch site.

Take-off. The crew fills the balloon with hot air while the pilot gives a short safety briefing. You climb into the basket and lift off as the sky turns orange, usually around 6 am.

The flight. About an hour in the air. The pilot rises high for the view, then drops low over herds, rivers and treetops. Where you go depends on the wind, so every flight is different.

Landing and breakfast. The landing can be bumpy, and the crew shows you how to brace for it. Then a full bush breakfast is set up on the plain, often with sparkling wine, before a game drive back to camp by mid-morning.

Is it worth it?

Yes, if you love photography, it is a special occasion, or you want to see the scale of the Mara and the migration herds from above. In July to October, you may float over thousands of wildebeest.

Maybe skip it if you are nervous of heights, travelling with small children, or you would rather spend the time on the ground. You will see the same animals, closer, on a normal game drive.

How to book

Book through your camp or lodge, which arranges the pick-up. Flights from July to October fill up early, so book when you book your stay. Operators set their own rules on minimum age and fitness, so check those when booking, and know that flights can be cancelled at short notice if the wind is too strong.