After approximately one hour aloft, the balloon lands while a breakfast is being prepared for us nearby. The smell of bacon, sausages and eggs drifts on the breeze as we sample exotic Kenyan fruits, homemade pastries and, if you wish, glasses of bubbly to toast our flight, a tradition initiated by the Montgolfier brothers.

A full day is spent game viewing and exploring this natural wonder with a visit to the Mara River, where the wildebeest migration takes place. Here, you can see both the hippos and the crocodiles that coexist in the same waters. The Masai Mara is Kenya’s most popular safari destination, and for good reason. It is a vast reserve of endless flat grassland crossed by rivers that play host to wildlife’s most spectacular moments. Its biggest drawcard is the Wildebeest Migration, when vast hordes of wildebeest roar through the park, bringing in its trail a wake of mighty predators. If you’re lucky enough to be in Masai Mara during the migration, pick a spot by the river and watch enraptured as crocs and lions compete to pick off stragglers from the clattering herds of wildebeest.
Accommodations: Sarova Mara Game Camp