Ruaha Hot Air Balloon Safari Tanzania

Ruaha Hot Air Balloon Safari Experience

From your camp to the balloon 0400 – 0515hrs

Get up with the birds and on the road before dawn, keeping your focus on the headlights in case you spot a predatory animal out at night. As the team gets the balloon ready for takeoff and lights the burners, you make your way to the Balloon Safari launch point.

Keeping safe & preparing to fly 0615 – 0645hrs

As the green and gold balloon floats in the lightning-lit sky, our seasoned captain discusses the crucial safety protocols and the proper launch and landing positions. We should leave now.

Journey through the soft winds 0645 – 0815hrs

As the balloon slowly ascends, your pilot will signal for you to get out of the basket and stand up. Your initial view from above – an endless expanse of acacia bush, granite outcrops, towering baobabs, winding river courses, and more. Big cats go on dawn hunts, hundreds of elephants come to the riverbank to drink, hippos laze calmly, and birdsong rises in time with the sun. Flying low over the treetops, our skilled pilot will explain the sights and sounds as you survey the riverbanks or soar into the sky’s deepening blue to take in this immense environment. You will descend softly to Earth after an hour or two in the air, feeling energised and prepared for your next adventure.

Celebrating a tradition 0815 – 0830hrs

God has laughed with you and gently placed you back into Mother Earth’s loving arms because we have soared so high and so well. After a brief game drive to breakfast, we will board a safari vehicle and, in keeping with balloonist tradition, toast the flight with sparkling wine.

Breakfast as nature intended 0830 – 0930hrs

In the middle of nowhere, under the swaying branches of a baobab tree, our crew has set a spotless table and is ready to bring you beverages, exotic fruits, and freshly baked bread. Let them whip up some mouth-watering breakfast selections while you kick back and reminisce about your flight with other travellers. You can simply “be” for the moment, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the sensation of letting your soul soar free, for the time to go on will come.

Ruaha Hot Air Balloon Safari

Despite the abundance of life, there is an undeniable sense of tranquillity here. As we float low above the river, you can hear the hornbill tapping on the vehicle window and the morning chorus of hippos snorting. On our balloon safaris, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the area, which gives you a better chance of seeing shy animals lurking around the next bush or stumbling onto a herd of 100 buffalo out of nowhere. As we float gently above the baobabs and acacias, the balloon dips to a level just above the expansive Ruaha River. The winds then gently guide us up to a height of 500 feet, where the dawn chorus ascends into the painted sky. You never know what extraordinary sightings you could catch at Ruaha, a crossroads for animals from southern and eastern Africa.

Land of Contrasts

As it winds its way upstream, the river opens up to expansive forests dotted with glades of softly grassed vegetation and aged granite outcrops. Its varied sceneries are especially pronounced in the areas covered by forests of enormous baobab trees. In a balloon, we can float head-high over the water or reverse directions and fly for a better view over the trees and bushes; the river is the lifeline of the park and this is frequently where the wildlife is to be found. Because this is such a diverse region, we are free to use our distinct perspective. With so much to see on a safari, no two days are ever the same.

Where North meets South

The animals are remarkable for a variety of reasons. At this transitional zone between the tropics and the subtropics, you can spot a variety of animals, including those native to East Africa like Grant’s gazelle and lesser kudu as well as those native to Southern Africa like roan, sable, and greater kudu. Notable animals that draw visitors to the park include buffalo and elephant herds that can exceed a hundred strong, as well as sizable prides of lions that prey on giraffe. Species such as wild dogs and cats are common in this park, which is known for its superb big game viewing. While larger animals are certainly a part of a Tanzania safari, it is the smaller, more unforeseen creatures that tend to steal the show here.