A head for heights – Scenic flights and hot air balloon safaris across Africa
I’ve always been drawn to the world from above.
As a child, I remember hiking mountains, following cliff paths and loving school and Brownie PGL adventure trips. I suppose my head for heights began there.
At university, I spent my summers as a high ropes instructor, swinging through the trees of Longleat Forest and sending guests hurtling down zip lines. That led on to via ferrata in the Swiss Alps and even skydiving over the Wiltshire countryside.
There has always been something about the view from above. Fun and exciting, but also something more meaningful.
Since joining Aardvark Safaris, I have been fortunate enough to experience some of Africa’s finest airborne adventures. Here I share a selection of the finest scenic flights and hot air balloon safaris across Africa.
Hot Air Balloon
I’ve been on balloon safaris in both Namibia and Kenya, and while both were memorable, they offered very different perspectives.
Namibia, Tansy
The Namib Sky Balloon Safari takes you high above one of the oldest deserts on Earth. From the basket, the vast scale of the Namib unfolds below, with red dunes, mountains and dry riverbeds stretching to the horizon. The silence and sense of space are remarkable.
Tansy stayed at Kwessi Dunes and the bonus of staying at this lodge means you can take off straight from the lodge.
Kenya, Masai Mara – Tansy
The Governor’s Balloon Safari in the Masai Mara is a very different experience. Flying is often much lower, allowing you to drift above the plains and the Mara River and gain a unique view of one of the planet’s richest ecosystems. A couple of my highlights included spotting crocodiles and hippos splashing through the river below and looking down into a vulture’s nest containing eggs (a detail you’d never capture from any other transport). From July to October, you can witness the sheer scale of the Great Migration as large herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle move across the Masai Mara.
Both delivered unforgettable views from the same wicker basket, and beautiful champagne breakfasts on landing, but they couldn’t have felt more different.
Tansy stayed at Angama Mara.
Tanzania, Ruaha National Park – Jo
As we arrived at the launch site in the early morning, we were greeted by the sound of lions roaring, while the crew worked efficiently to inflate the balloon. Moments later, we lifted off just as the sun began to rise, its deep crimson glow filtering through the trees below. Drifting silently above the landscape, we watched a lion hunt unfolding beneath us and quickly discovered the reason for the chorus of roars that had greeted us earlier. A confrontation had taken place between the lions and a leopard, which had sadly not survived the encounter. It was a powerful reminder of the raw realities of life in the wild. Combined with the breathtaking scenery stretching across the horizon, it was easy to see why this is widely regarded as one of the most spectacular hot-air balloon experiences in East Africa.
Jo stayed at Kigelia Camp.
Scenic Fixed Wing Flights
One of the fastest ways to access the best safari areas is by light aircraft, and I still remember my first flight like this over the Okavango Delta, with glistening waterways, elephants grazing, and hippos wallowing below.
Kenya, Tansy
Scenic Air Safaris in Kenya takes this to another level, turning transfer days into part of the experience. Their fleet is varied, but their preferred bush plane is the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan.
You step on board, settle into leather reclining seats, put on a personal headset and are guided throughout by the pilot’s calm, knowledgeable commentary.
On a recent itinerary of high and low level flying linking Amboseli, the Masai Mara and Laikipia, highlights included the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro breaking through cloud, the unusually flooded Amboseli basin complete with big tuskers, skimming the shoreline of Lake Magadi where flamingos meet in their thousands, the forested ridges and waterfalls of the Loita Hills, escarpments of the Great Rift Valley and the rolling plains of the Masai Mara.
Tansy stayed at Angama Amboseli and flew to Angama Mara.
Namibia, Skeleton Coast Flying Safari – Francis
Namibia is spectacular and enormous and has very few roads, so flying over extraordinary landscapes and landing in remote places to explore geological features and expanses of wilderness is fascinating and exhilarating. Skeleton Coast Flying Safaris have superb pilots who are also outstanding guides, and they know this land like no other. An absolute highlight for me was seeing the Kunene River winding through rugged desert mountains from the air and landing on the Hartmann Valley airstrip in one of Africa’s most isolated regions – simply breathtaking.
Francis enjoyed the Shoeman 3 night flying safari.
Helicopter
Kenya, Great Rift Valley – Tansy
As we sat over coffee in the Paddock House at Segera Retreat, looking out across the Laikipia landscape towards Mount Kenya, a helicopter appeared in the distance and headed straight for us. It was Andrew Francombe from Kenya Choppers, arriving to take us on a scenic flight across the region.
Four of us climbed aboard, headsets on and doors off, and within minutes we were crossing rivers, drifting down waterfalls, flying alongside a journey of giraffe and following Grevy’s zebra across the plains. At times, it felt more like a scene from a film than a safari activity.
Based at Ol Malo Lodge, Kenya Choppers specialises in tailor-made helicopter adventures, accessing remote corners of Kenya and the Great Rift Valley that would otherwise be difficult to reach. The doors off experience and ability to fly low and slow make for a remarkable perspective on the country’s landscapes and wildlife.
Of all the flying experiences I’ve had, this felt the most like true flight.
Tansy stayed at Segera Retreat.
Bird Nest, Segera Retreat
Kenya, Laikipia Country – Maddy
My first time in a helicopter was with Andrew and Chyulu Francombe, the owners and on-site managers of Ol Malo, and boy has this ruined all other modes of travel for me now (except for horses, of course).
This sundowner flight was a complete surprise, and the whole experience was like something out of a movie. With the dulcet tones of Katie Melua drifting through our headsets, we began our flight over the lodge and along a stretch of the Ewaso Narok River with goliath herons flying alongside us, before reaching a huge kopje where we enjoyed a refreshing gin and tonic. The feeling of complete weightlessness and freedom, as you glide effortlessly just 50 metres or so above the ground, is unparalleled and is something I would encourage anyone going on safari to do.
Maddy stayed at Ol Malo Lodge.
Botswana, Okavango Delta – Katy
Talk about the ultimate perspective shift! Flying doors-off was an absolute buzz. Your heart races the second you lift off, and it doesn’t stop.
We were hovering over elephant herds wading through the floodplains and spotting massive crocodiles on tiny islands. Seeing the Delta’s intricate network of channels from this high up was mind-blowing!
Just you, the wind, and the absolute wildest show on Earth.
Katy stayed at Splash Camp
South Africa, Winelands – Robyn
The Cape Winelands are breathtaking from ground level, but nothing quite prepares you for the view from above. Vine rows, mountain ridges and historic Cape Dutch estates stretch out beneath you in extraordinary detail. For me, a helicopter wine safari over one of the world’s most celebrated wine regions was one of my most memorable experiences, as exhilarating as it is indulgent. Pilots are outstanding guides, pointing out landmark estates and the geology that gives these wines their distinctive character, before touching down at carefully chosen vineyards for tastings made all the more special by the journey. It is the finest possible way to experience the Winelands.
Robyn stayed at Boschendal.
Zambia, Victoria Falls – Alex
Seeing Victoria Falls by helicopter was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. From the moment we lifted off from Baobab Ridge, flying low into the Zambezi Gorge, I was completely in awe. The steep walls of the Batoka Gorge, the raging river below, and the climb back toward the Falls were unforgettable. Circling Victoria Falls gave me the most spectacular view of its power and beauty – particularly as the water levels were so high, resulting in the incredible towering spray of water rising up from the falls – known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya which translates to ‘The Smoke That Thunders’. In just 20 minutes, I experienced it in a way I’ll never forget.
Alex stayed at Tongabezi, but all of the lodges on the Zambezi River offer this option.
What’s next?
There are still a few airborne adventures left on my list.
High among them is the Schoeman flying safari along Namibia’s Skeleton Coast that Francis enjoyed. The chance to explore one of Namibia’s most remote regions by light aircraft, landing between dunes, mountains and shipwreck-strewn coastline.
Not every head-for-heights experience involves flying. The canopy walkway in Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest offers a chance to explore the rainforest from 70 metres above the forest floor, with butterflies, birds and primates moving alongside you through the canopy.
I hope it won’t be long before one, or perhaps both, find their way into my future travels.
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