The beauty from above the plains of Africa brings up so many adjectives: peaceful, calm, beautiful and colorful.

On a ballooning day the morning begins with an early wake up, coffee or tea in your tent, a drive across the plains in the dark and arriving at the launch site. It is dark outside and the glow on the horizon means you don't have to wait long before entering your balloon. Excitement and anticipation fills the air. Lift-off happens right around sunrise, as it is the most predictable wind of the day, and the quiet ascent takes you over the landscape below.

Most hot air balloon flights last between 45 and 75 minutes, flying at altitudes between 20 feet and a few hundred feet. Since the balloon flies at the same speed as the wind, everything is calm and peaceful up above. You can see in all directions and guests can be seen looking at the wildlife down below, then out a little way and then at the horizon. It's magical.

We love to plan this activity for our guests, as it is a nice break of pace. The views from above are completely different than those on the ground, so we tell our guests to bring binoculars to look far out, spotting wildlife and unique landscape features. The basket accommodates between 12 and 16 travelers, so these balloons are rather large and slow moving. We do arrange private flights for families or friends traveling together.

When you land you are treated to a champagne breakfast and then you continue on with your game drive or head back to camp.

Email us at hello@andybiggs.com when you are ready to plan your next African safari. We give honest advice, we plan authentic experiences and deliver life changing adventures.