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

Later, enjoy a leisurely game drive back to the lodge and morning hour at leisure enjoying the lodge facilities. In the evening, head back to the reserve’s grasslands to “catch” more wildlife and also visit the Masai Village for a cultural tour experience.

On arrival at the village, you can expect to be greeted in the traditional manner, excited children and adults welcome you with song and dance, at certain times, and one of the dancers will jump up and down gracefully. The jumps are several feet high and as they jump higher the singers will raise the pitch of their voices. You will be invited to try jumping – (dancing), too. Thereafter receive a warm welcome into the unique oval, dome shaped homesteads (called Manyatta). The homesteads are made of cow dung and clay plastered over stick frames with thatched roofs, it is the job of the Maasai women to build these sturdy dwellings. Get a wonderful opportunity to learn about the history, culture and lifestyle of these Maasai. There is also the opportunity to learn about some of the customary practices, such as fire-making or beadwork, and to speak to the villagers in their homes.

Dinner and overnight stay in Masai Mara.

Accommodations: Elewana Sand River Masai Mara