Balloon Safaris Ltd.
Balloon Safaris Ltd.
4.5
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
The ORIGINAL Hot Air Ballooning Company. Flying over the world famous Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya since 1976.
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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Balloon Safaris Ltd.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
145 reviews
Excellent
115
Very good
12
Average
8
Poor
3
Terrible
7
nic2410
Dubai, United Arab Emirates42 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
We weren't sure whether to book the hot air balloon flight as we were a group with kids (ages 6 to 10) but we decided to go for it and we were so glad we did.
We were picked up from our lodge at 4.45am and it was around an hour to the site. We watched the balloons being inflated which was great, and we had a detailed briefing from our pilot Paul, who has 2500+ hours of experience. He gave us a very good idea of what to expect, including different scenarios that could occur during take off and landing. We were lucky that both were very smooth - due to both the conditions and the experience of the pilot.
We were fortunate to see lions and a large herd of buffalo but would have still had an amazing experience if the animals hadn't made an appearance.
The breakfast afterwards was lovely - usually with these types of 'excursions' it is quite rushed, but we were there for ages chatting to our pilot Paul, and were offered multiple glasses of prosecco. There were quite a large number of bees swarming around the food and drinks on the tables which bothered some people but overall it didn't spoil things for us. In fact a couple of the staff took our son away from the main area and gave him a chair to sit on and stood by him to keep the bees away from him so he could drink his hot chocolate. There is a tip box at the breakfast which we put into as the staff were all so attentive and friendly. And Paul had taken a video and pictures from a camera outside the balloon which he edited into a nice souvenir video - he showed it to us and then said that the pilots were all supporting local schools and were sharing the photos and videos for a donation of $50, so make sure you take some cash if you would like to get these and give something to the local community.
Such an amazing experience, would highly recommend and especially with this company.
We were picked up from our lodge at 4.45am and it was around an hour to the site. We watched the balloons being inflated which was great, and we had a detailed briefing from our pilot Paul, who has 2500+ hours of experience. He gave us a very good idea of what to expect, including different scenarios that could occur during take off and landing. We were lucky that both were very smooth - due to both the conditions and the experience of the pilot.
We were fortunate to see lions and a large herd of buffalo but would have still had an amazing experience if the animals hadn't made an appearance.
The breakfast afterwards was lovely - usually with these types of 'excursions' it is quite rushed, but we were there for ages chatting to our pilot Paul, and were offered multiple glasses of prosecco. There were quite a large number of bees swarming around the food and drinks on the tables which bothered some people but overall it didn't spoil things for us. In fact a couple of the staff took our son away from the main area and gave him a chair to sit on and stood by him to keep the bees away from him so he could drink his hot chocolate. There is a tip box at the breakfast which we put into as the staff were all so attentive and friendly. And Paul had taken a video and pictures from a camera outside the balloon which he edited into a nice souvenir video - he showed it to us and then said that the pilots were all supporting local schools and were sharing the photos and videos for a donation of $50, so make sure you take some cash if you would like to get these and give something to the local community.
Such an amazing experience, would highly recommend and especially with this company.
Written 21 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for the lovely review, much appreciated!
I'll pass on the comments to Paul and the rest of the team in the Mara!
Written 1 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Where_to_travel_next
Vancouver, Canada6 624 contributions
Feb 2024 • Friends
My first hot air balloon ride was a great experience but hardly any animal sightings. The company would pick you up between 430-5am depending on where you are staying and about 45 minutes drive to the launch site in the dark. You must not bring any lighters onboard. It was neat to see the crew blow up the balloon. We ended up in a 16 person basket, 4 person in each segment. There are gaps in the side of the basket to help you climb in, but shorter legs may struggle a little. I am not a fan of heights but the takeoff was slow and smooth and stable and comfortable ride all the way. The touchdown was three mild bumps onto the ground. Unfortunately, the fog came in while we were mid air and the pilot could not identity our location to the ground crew and they could not see us so we ended up floating forward and backwards and then another direction as you are at the mercy of the wind each day so it delayed our landing. I am very surprised there was no gps, so poor communication to locate us. We reached our bush breakfast late and had to rush to eat as we were part of another tour. The instructions were detailed and the commentary onboard by Rodrigo was ok. Not much to say when you see just the spotted plains I suppose.
Written 3 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cizzy3434
Amsterdam, The Netherlands50 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
A Balloon flight over Masai Mara National Park is a must and if it is done with the right company and the right pilot, then it is a once in lifetime experience!
Seeing the immensity of Masai Mara and the migration below (zebras and wildebeest) is indescribable yet spectacular. The flight last 1 hour but it feels shorter. The staff is professional and courteous, the whole set up is worth every penny. Our pilot assigned was Francisco, with almost 3 decades of experience, no less and he was absolutely amazing. His skills were impressive and the landing was so smooth that we didn't even feel it. Thumbs up! In flight video is offered after the flight for a very reasonable price and we loved it.
Seeing the immensity of Masai Mara and the migration below (zebras and wildebeest) is indescribable yet spectacular. The flight last 1 hour but it feels shorter. The staff is professional and courteous, the whole set up is worth every penny. Our pilot assigned was Francisco, with almost 3 decades of experience, no less and he was absolutely amazing. His skills were impressive and the landing was so smooth that we didn't even feel it. Thumbs up! In flight video is offered after the flight for a very reasonable price and we loved it.
Written 8 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael F
Birmingham, UK309 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Very early start ( 4:30am ) with a hair raising drive in the dark , through floods after overnight rains to the very muddy launch site.
Captain Carlos ( the Spanish ballooning champion no less ) was extremely charismatic, and I’m told by my wife very attractive.
Boarding was difficult, lying on your back , but take off was smooth and effortless, as was the landing.
The flight itself went by in a blur but the views were great.
The real treat came at the end with a full open air champagne ( unlimited) breakfast in the bush, being watched by elephants.
There were clean chemical toilets , proper hand wash facilities, with hot water and a full menu including eggs cooked to order , hot coffee, vegetable samosas and much more .
An amazing achievement and a truly unforgettable experience.
I see some people questioning the price ($450 pp) but the logistics are amazing .The hotel pick up , the almost 2 hour drive to the site, the balloon , with wonderful ground crew, the cars then track the balloon to pick you up within minutes, ground crew there to help you off , followed by the magical breakfast, meanwhile they have to retrieve the balloon and basket and start all over again.
Money well spent if you ask me.
Highly, highly recommended.
Captain Carlos ( the Spanish ballooning champion no less ) was extremely charismatic, and I’m told by my wife very attractive.
Boarding was difficult, lying on your back , but take off was smooth and effortless, as was the landing.
The flight itself went by in a blur but the views were great.
The real treat came at the end with a full open air champagne ( unlimited) breakfast in the bush, being watched by elephants.
There were clean chemical toilets , proper hand wash facilities, with hot water and a full menu including eggs cooked to order , hot coffee, vegetable samosas and much more .
An amazing achievement and a truly unforgettable experience.
I see some people questioning the price ($450 pp) but the logistics are amazing .The hotel pick up , the almost 2 hour drive to the site, the balloon , with wonderful ground crew, the cars then track the balloon to pick you up within minutes, ground crew there to help you off , followed by the magical breakfast, meanwhile they have to retrieve the balloon and basket and start all over again.
Money well spent if you ask me.
Highly, highly recommended.
Written 31 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sunandsand232
Boise, ID175 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Originally, we weren't exactly sure what to expect with this balloon safari experience. I can happily say our party of 7 (6 adults 1 3 year old) really enjoyed our time in the air with Francisco our pilot. He was very personable, and explained how our morning would go prior to loading into the basket. The basket holds 16, though there were only 14 guests. Our party of 7 was on one side of the pilot and the other group of 7 was on the other side. Our take off and landing were great and we saw many animals from above (elephant, giraffes, hippos and even 3 lions walking on a road below) . Bring your binos! The breakfast was surprisingly good and was a rather 'fancy' bush set up which was unexpected. Our transportation to and from the balloon site was also very smooth. Edward and Phillip did a great job getting us there on time.
Written 3 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma W
21 contributions
Sept 2021
This was absolutely amazing. I was initially hesitant due to the cost but I had a friend who had done it and convinced us to go and it was worth every penny. The views were absolutely stunning. Our guide was great. The breakfast afterwards was also amazing. We also paid extra for the photos that get taken during the ride which was worth it. I would definitely recommend.
Written 29 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for the lovely review, and thanks for taking a leap and trying out this new experience! We are so glad you enjoyed yourslef!
Written 1 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Fiona H
Cairns, Australia91 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
We departed from our lodge at 4.30 and drove out into the into Maasai Mara where we met crew setting up balloons and we got to watch our balloons being inflated.
After filling out our paperwork for the manifest, our pilot, Paul, gave us a briefing and assigned our positions for the basket. We climbed aboard and waited for lift off.
We were very fortunate to see quite a few animals on our flight, plenty of zebra, gazelles, wildebeests and birds. We even saw a herd of elephants and a jackal. The flight was magnificent !
After landing we were driven to another meet up spot for breakfast. Tables were set up and we were served a hot buffet breakfast.
This is definitely a must do, once in a lifetime experience.
After filling out our paperwork for the manifest, our pilot, Paul, gave us a briefing and assigned our positions for the basket. We climbed aboard and waited for lift off.
We were very fortunate to see quite a few animals on our flight, plenty of zebra, gazelles, wildebeests and birds. We even saw a herd of elephants and a jackal. The flight was magnificent !
After landing we were driven to another meet up spot for breakfast. Tables were set up and we were served a hot buffet breakfast.
This is definitely a must do, once in a lifetime experience.
Written 14 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Fiona,
Thanks for the lovely review. I hope that Paul looked after you guys up there, and that you had an yummy breakfast after landing. I forward all the TripAdvisor reviews on to the team in the Mara, to show that their hard work is appreciated, so thanks for taking the time to leave one!
Written 15 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
thompsB
Eloy, AZ227 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
We had prepaid our adventure. Our driver came to brief us the night before. Because of a rain storm upstream, Our camp recommended he go across the river and we meet him there the next morning. He decided not to heed the advice thus we wasted 90 minutes to get across the river then waited for 20 more minutes for a vehicle to come. That driver made the 60 minute trip in 40 minutes. He drove like a maniac. Our backs suffered the next few days. We took off 15-20 minutes later than planned. The balloon ride was serene. Unfortunately the animals didn’t cooperate we only saw about a dozen topi and a few ostriches. The landing gave us the most excitement. As we slid on the ground we tripped over sideways
Written 5 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and discomfort you experienced during your adventure. This is not reflective of our usual standards, and we regret that it impacted your experience. I have spoken with my team to make sure this doesn't happen again.
I also understand that you were compensated through your agent, and I appreciate your understanding in this matter. We are committed to addressing these issues to prevent similar situations in the future.
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed the balloon experience and in particular, the landing!
Written 21 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Grace G
4 contributions
Sept 2023 • Friends
I have been on balloon rides in Napa Valley, California and Luxor, Egypt. This ranks a distant third. Even at $450 a person, they still had the nerve to ask us to tip the balloon handlers (not the Aeronaut) on the ground. They should be ashamed not paying a descent wage.
Written 25 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I would like to start by expressing our sincere apologies for the less-than-ideal experience you had during your recent balloon ride with us. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we take it very seriously as it helps us improve our services.
Firstly, we want to clarify that it is company policy never to request or expect tips on behalf of our staff. Tipping is entirely at the discretion of our guests, and no one from our team should have approached you for gratuities. We are deeply sorry if this incident occurred, and we assure you that it does not reflect our standard practice. As such, it would be good to know exactly which balloon operator you used, as we have had, on occasion, reviews left on our page that were in fact intended for another operator.
Regarding the concerns about wages and working conditions, we take immense pride in our team and their well-being. In fact, we implemented a salary increase for all our staff in November 2022 and provided a bonus for the Christmas season. We are committed to ongoing improvements and plan to offer further salary increases this November. We've also recently hired 18 additional staff as ground crew in the Mara, on six-month contracts, to provide them with stability, as opposed to the daily hiring practices of some other operators.
At our company, we cultivate a positive and familial company culture, and we genuinely care about our team's welfare. We appreciate your feedback in this regard and will continue to prioritize the welfare of our staff.
We regret that your experience led you to share your concerns on TripAdvisor, as we believe that addressing them through direct communication with our office would have allowed us to gather more details and rectify the situation promptly.
For the past 47 years, we have been proudly operating in the Mara, and we are deeply committed to investing in our company and the local community. We prioritize Kenyan-made products wherever possible, from tablecloths to serving dishes, and we source our uniforms and finer details locally.
Once again, we extend our apologies for the aspects of your experience that fell short of your expectations. We genuinely hope that the rest of your safari and your onward journey were enjoyable, and we remain at your service should you wish to discuss this matter further or provide additional information regarding your balloon ride.
Thank you for choosing us as your balloon ride provider, and we appreciate your feedback as it drives us to continuously enhance our services.
Written 27 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Traveller mehta
Dubai, United Arab Emirates30 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
We booked our tour from Apodiformes adventures and they booked us on balloon safaris ltd .
Our experience started with balloon adventures Ltd on a great note.
After we reached our lodge in the evening there was a staff waiting for us to brief us and issue us tickets for the balloon ride.
We were explained everything and our questions were answered.
We were picked up at 4 30 am from my Lodge and the driver promised us for some game drive along the way to the balloon flight site.
The captain was friendly and ensure we boarded the basket safely including my old parents. Staff assisted my parents. We took off and saw brilliant view of masai mara ..
We were lucky yo see a group of lions elephants and lots of other animals. Lots of pictures were taken by the captain.
We landed and my parents were carried down from the basket.
We reached the bush breakfast site and had lovely champagne breakfast. While having breakfast we saw couple of hyenas pass by along with zebras wildebeest!
Now here comes the best part of our adventure! My mother forgot her medication on the table and we left for our Lodge.8
After driving for an hour.. we heard lot of honking right behind us and the car over took us and asked us to stop!
The driver has my mom's medications!
We were overwhelmed and greatful for the gentleman who drove 1 hour at high speed to give us the medication back! God bless the staff!
I recommend this company and I am sure you won't be disappointed!
Keep up the good work.
Asante sana
Our experience started with balloon adventures Ltd on a great note.
After we reached our lodge in the evening there was a staff waiting for us to brief us and issue us tickets for the balloon ride.
We were explained everything and our questions were answered.
We were picked up at 4 30 am from my Lodge and the driver promised us for some game drive along the way to the balloon flight site.
The captain was friendly and ensure we boarded the basket safely including my old parents. Staff assisted my parents. We took off and saw brilliant view of masai mara ..
We were lucky yo see a group of lions elephants and lots of other animals. Lots of pictures were taken by the captain.
We landed and my parents were carried down from the basket.
We reached the bush breakfast site and had lovely champagne breakfast. While having breakfast we saw couple of hyenas pass by along with zebras wildebeest!
Now here comes the best part of our adventure! My mother forgot her medication on the table and we left for our Lodge.8
After driving for an hour.. we heard lot of honking right behind us and the car over took us and asked us to stop!
The driver has my mom's medications!
We were overwhelmed and greatful for the gentleman who drove 1 hour at high speed to give us the medication back! God bless the staff!
I recommend this company and I am sure you won't be disappointed!
Keep up the good work.
Asante sana
Written 25 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So chuffed to hear you had a wonderful experience. I pass on these reviews to the team in the Mara and it means the world to them to hear about how much you all enjoyed it.
Written 1 August 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi, we are staying at the Zebra Plains and Trailfinders are offering your company for a balloon safari. Could you tell me how far the launch site is from Zebra Plains please?
Written 20 March 2024
All I can tell you is that we stayed at the Ashnil Mara camp and out transfer was around 2 hours , made longer by the very heavy rains making some tracks and bridges impassable.
It was worth it though.
Written 21 March 2024
Hallo !! Bitte teilen Sie mir mit, bei wem Sie die Ballonfahrt gebucht haben und wie lange Sie in der Luft waren.
Herzlichen Dank im Voraus für Ihr Feedback.
Klaus-Ulrich Feldmeier
Written 10 August 2018
Bei welchem Unternehmen habt ihr eure Ballonfahrt gebucht.
Herzlichen Dank für ein zeitnahes Feetback
Written 10 August 2018
Hi, I would like to book a balloon ride for when I am in the mara in August. Please can you let me know how to contact you and where I can see your prices/packages? Thanks
Written 20 June 2018
Hello, I was hoping to find out if you are able to pick us up from the fairmont Mara ? We will be visiting in October and if so what are your price guides? Look forward to hearing from you. Many thanks
Written 30 May 2018
Hi there,
The fairmont is the furthest away from our launchsite. Over 2 hours. However there is another company that operates from there and a pilot posted there.
Written 14 October 2018
We will be staying at the Savora Mara Game Camp on Valley Road, C12 Masai Mara. How far is that from Balloon Safaris Limited and can we get picked up from there?
Thank You,
James Berk
Written 24 February 2017
Hi John.
Mara Sarova is approx. 30min from the launchfield and we do pick up from your Lodge.
Written 25 February 2017
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