Named in honor of the Maasai, the ancestral inhabitants of the area, Masai Mara is a large, world-renowned large game reserve in Kenya. The Mara teems with an abundance of wildlife, ranging from elephants, leopards, and zebras to impalas, giraffes, and, of course, lions - the king of the jungle. While the Mara comprises only 0.01 percent of Africa's total landmass, more than 40 percent of Africa's larger mammals can be found here. Additionally, there have been some 95 species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles and over 400 birds species recorded on the reserve.
After spending the last few days observing these beautiful mammals in a vehicle, I wanted a slight change of perspective - that is, looking at the animals from a bird's eye view. We coordinated with The SAFARI Company, which crafts adventures and promises memories that last a lifetime, to discover Transworld Safaris, which provides hot air balloon experience with a pick up and drop off service at the safari camp where I am staying. I exchanged a few emails with the SAFARI Company and Transworld Safaris, and arranged for an early pick up at 5 a.m. for the experience.
The weather in Kenya has been quite unusual this year with lots of rain. In fact, it has been raining nearly every single day at the Mara since November. Because of this erratic weather in the area, the road conditions have been less than ideal with many mud ditches. Our driver from Transworld Safaris arrived at the camp promptly at 5 a.m., and we took an hour-long bumpy ride in the darkness to the balloon launch site. During our drive, we spotted a few animals like zebras, gazelles, and African hares.
The majestic balloon was waiting for us at the launch site upon our arrival. The basket can hold up to 16 passengers - four passengers each in four separate compartments. After the initial inflation with two powerful fans and safety instructions on take off and landing led by our fearless pilot Carlos, we assumed our position in the basket to prepare for take off.
Pilot Carlos blasted fire to heat the air inside the balloon to gain lift. Soon the basket tilted to an upright position. After a few soft bounces, the hot air balloon was officially off the ground and we were flying above the fantastic Masai Mara!
Flying 200 meters over the northern tip of Masai Mara in a hot air balloon, I saw all sorts of mammals in their undisturbed, natural states. The gazelles were grazing, the elephants were trumpeting, and the giraffes were galloping. Then I spotted a lion, crouching behind overgrown grass, with her eyes fixated on a herd of impalas. Like a bullet, the lion bolted towards her target, but this time she won’t be bringing food for her cubs. This scene - the majestic animal kingdom - is a sight you will only see in an aerial view.
The ride lasted about 80 minutes - possibly the shortest 80 minutes of my life. Our pilot Carlos was a fantastic driver of the hot air balloon, guiding us through all the key spots and safely taking off, maneuvering, and landing the balloon. The feeling of being elevated above all these animals was quite indescribable.
The magical experience didn't end with the hot air balloon ride. After landing, we drove 10 minutes or so up the hill to where they had set up a breakfast station. I was quite hungry from waking up super early and from all the anticipation, so was thrilled to see a made-to-order omelet station along with fresh fruit, pastries, cereal, and - of course - champagne! Words can't do justice in describing the feeling of being elevated above all these amazing wildlife and viewing them from an aerial view. This was my first time hot air ballooning, but certainly not my last. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone visiting the Mara.
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