Serengeti Hot Air Balloon Safari In Tanzania
A Serengeti balloon safari is a fantastic once in a lifetime experience, particularly suitable for a bird’s eye-view game viewing experience on your Let’s view Tanzania wildlife tour in northern Tanzania. Hot air balloon rides leave from three sites in this prime national park.
In Central Serengeti, wildlife gathers year-round in the Seronera River Valley where there is permanent water. The Great Migration passes through around May and June.
BEST TIME OF YEAR FOR A SERENGETI HOT AIR BALLOON SAFARI EXPERIENCE
The best times for a hot air balloon safari in Serengeti National Park are very similar to the best time to visit the park in general. From January to February or from June through September are the best seasons to visit, although it is best to plan your trip around the movement of The Great Migration. The winter is the best time to see the migrating herd in Southern Serengeti, while in the summer and autumn the Western Corridor and Northern Serengeti are the best places for viewing the migratory herds.
January-February: The winter is the best time to visit Southern Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. This region is often ignored by tourists due to its lack of wildlife during much of the year, which is a mistake.
The short rains in November draw the herd back towards its breeding grounds. This means that during the winter, these vast and plentiful grasslands are where you will find huge populations with wildebeest, zebras, and, of course, predators. February is also the calving season, which is a good time for viewing young wildlife and also when predators are likely to snatch some easy prey.
March-May: (When I visited) The Spring is the wet season, which scares away most tourists. However, you can find lower prices for safaris and lodging. In mid-march, we saw herds and predators every day so it is a great time to visit in the shoulder season.
June-September: During the summer, The Great Migration heads north. In the early months of summer, you will find the herd near the Grumeti River in the park’s Western Corridor. Watching the herd’s unfortunate meeting with the crocodile population during the crossing can make for an experience of a lifetime.
October-December: Short rains signal The Great Migration’s return to the grasslands of the south.
MY EXPERIENCE ON MY SERENGETI HOT AIR BALLOON SAFARI
The night before our Serengeti hot air balloon experience, our driver actually drove all the way out to our lodge. We were staying about an hour from the launch site so to save himself the early start the next morning, Steven our driver came and slept the night at our lodge.
The next morning we set off at 4:20 am from the lodge and began the bumpy drive through the bush on a route that often looked more bush than a road. Steven was wide awake and used the lights of the vehicle to spot African Hare, Spring Hare, and owls amongst other nocturnal animals. We also saw quite a large number of hyenas, zebras, and wildebeest who were in full-flight.
Just as the sky began to glow over the mountain range on the horizon, we arrived at the launch site. It was a spectacularly clear morning with light winds so it was perfect for the balloon flight. We hung about watching the colors change in the sky as the team began to set up and inflate the giant balloon.
