A balloon ride over Mara is simply magical

A hot air balloon safari is listed among the world’s top 1,000 things one must do before they die, writes HELLEN MISEDA

"Always zip up, remember you are in the wild. You don’t want lions snooping at your door." That was Sammy Leiyo’s sobering goodnight message as he bid us goodnight at around 11pm.

Wildebeests

Our hostess, Crista Jappinen, marketing consultant, Hot Air Safaris crowned it with another awakening message: "Remember we meet at 4:30am because our journey kicks off at 5am."

We are at the great Masai Mara, Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve, situated in southwest Kenya.

We are booked in at the enchanted Entim Lodge, tucked in the wild and overlooking the breathtaking Mara River.

Our mission to soar in the hot air balloon is worth every dollar, thanks to Hot Air Safaris.

This is a big deal for us and even though none of us is accustomed to waking up in those wee hours of the morning, somehow we manage to beat the clock because of the excitement in the air.

In case you are not aware, a hot air balloon safari is listed among the world’s top 1,000 things one must do before they die.

Elated: The writer enjoys a glass of champagne after the ride.

Despite the biting morning cold, which is unlike the hot Mara weather, by 4:30am, we are awake and refreshed.

In 15 minutes, we are ready and hop into the van that takes us to the balloon launching point, which is about 45 minutes from the lodge.

When we arrive at the site. It is jam-packed with activity as the engineers inflate the monstrous balloon.

The baloon is indeed a gigantic affair, but the men are up to the task and in ten minutes, it is up ready to soar the skies.

"Hey guys, you can now hop in. We are good to fly," says Riz Jiwa, an experienced hot air balloon pilot who has flown in the Amboseli and the Mara for years.

The balloons are licensed to carry ten to 16 passengers and on this trip, we are six journalists — the pilot and eight European tourists.

We hop into the basket and before we can take off, the pilot gives the final instructions: "No phones please and when we are landing, kindly sit down so that the balloon can descend smoothly. Other than that, enjoy your flight and take in the enthralling sights of the Mara."

As the balloon smoothly glides up, I am at first jittery, wondering whether it will be a bumpy ride like the one we had on our trip from Wilson Airport, in Nairobi to the Mara. But the ride is as smooth as butter.

It is nothing like an aircraft take-off. You simply just lift vertically off the ground and hardly feel or hear a thing apart from the gas burner fuelling the balloon once in a while.

The interesting thing about the balloon rides is that while the pilot can control altitude, the direction in which you fly is dependent on that of the wind, so each ride is always a different experience.

We are riding about 500 to 1,500 feet above the ground and as we reach our cruising altitude, the feeling is indescribable.

The expressions from those on board range from ‘truly breathtaking’ to ‘awesome’, ‘stupendous’, ‘bewitching’, ‘spectacular’ and all those magical adjectives.

The balloon can go up for ever as long as there is enough fuel to keep it going, but at a certain altitude (like in space), there is a lack of oxygen, which is dangerous.

The balloon itself is massive, but the passenger ‘holding area’ resembles a basket and you feel like you are in a bird’s nest.

As the sun rises and the balloon glides across the sky, you actually feel like you’ve grown a pair of wings and it’s you doing all the ‘flying.’

You are able to feel the true expanse of the Mara, and ‘be one’ with all the plain’s inhabitants.

There is nothing but air separating you and the animals below — peacefully beginning their day.

The views of the landscape, the changing colours of the sky at sunrise, the sounds and the sight of the animals below, everything feels unreal.

Another great thing about a hot air balloon ride is that even though you fly quite high up into the sky, one does not feel uncomfortably cold or unsafe.

The gas burner fuelling the balloon emits heat that keeps the passengers warm and the basket feels protective and safe.

The pilot also plays a great role in the whole experience, as he not only keeps passengers well informed of what animals are below, but also reassures and entertains throughout the journey.

If you are looking for a truly memorable safari experience or the perfect gift for a loved one — be it a birthday, anniversary or even a marriage proposal — look no further than the hot air balloon safari at the Mara.

Many people who have sampled a safari before and enjoyed it may ask, "So what’s so special about going on a hot air balloon as opposed to a game drive?"

Well, here is the answer: A hot air balloon safari is in it’s own league and a wonderful way to experience Masai Mara in all it’s glory. It is quite some value for your Sh 40,000 per person per ride. This truly is a special experience and will serve one with memories of a lifetime. Once the ride is over, the landing is also smooth and is followed by a lavish five-star English breakfast, coupled with Champagne out in the bush — with animals all around.

Our host Crista says gentlemen looking to propose in style should do it on a hot air balloon ride.

"There is nothing that will take a woman’s breath away better than this will," she says.

She adds: "People across the globe travel for miles to come to Kenya for a hot air balloon ride because it is truly an incredible experience and we are extremely proud to be providing this magical service to our patrons."

Hot Air Safaris is on a mission to encourage Kenyans to take advantage of the opportunities that lie in their backyard, especially during the wildebeest migration period, as it is something completely different from seeing game parks in a four-wheel drive SUV.

Crista adds, "It really does give you a totally different perspective and feeling of just how special the Mara is and an understanding of why it has been declared the eighth wonder of the world."