There’s something special about a trip on a hot-air balloon, from the remarkable feeling of stillness, broken only by the sounds from the ground and the occasional roar of the burners, to the 360-degree vistas that seem to stretch for ever. And when the landscapes you’re drifting over are as teeming with wildlife as those of the Maasai Mara, Amboseli and the Serengeti – heavy-hitters of East Africa’s safari scene – it becomes a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The flights take place in the cool of dawn when the winds are at their most obliging, but it’s definitely worth the early start. You may float over herds of wildebeest, elephants and all kinds of antelopes tinted rosy pink by the rising sun and see the scenery from a completely different perspective. After landing, there’s a final flourish: a superb breakfast served in the bush, complete with a celebratory glass of champagne.
