More About The Serengeti

Since 1989 we have flown on the warm coastal winds that feed the richly nutritious grass plains of the south with ash from volcanoes. This is where animals in their millions choose to have their young. Much of the attention is on this, “the largest ungulate migration on earth” and indeed the sight of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, Thomson's gazelle and zebra in synchrony, driven by the common instincts to seek food and reproduce, is something that is hard to crystallise into words. It is about the vast scale of nature and yet it is also the story of each individual as it traces its journey across the grassland towards that far horizon. The wildebeest migration is a year round phenomenon, but you have to be in the right place at the right time to see it.

We are proud to be part of the ongoing efforts to conserve this remarkable part of our heritage, and our future. We support the critical anti-poaching work of the Frankfurt Zoological Society. Bernhard Gzrimek (President of FZS for over 40 years) was instrumental in the formation of the Serengeti back in the 1950s and the organisation maintains his commitment to the Park to this day. We also feel that it is through education that adjacent communities will know the importance, and feel the value of, conservation and to this end we support specific projects at the Robanda Secondary School through Focus on Tanzanian Communities (FoTZC). A Tanzanian safari directly contributes to the sustainability of this great eco-system, and to the engagement of its people in managing it for future generations.

The waters of the Seronera River, along which our flight path most often lies, feeds the Central Serengeti and its resident wildlife. The year-round water and grazing means a dependable game experience, where crocodile and great pods of hippo bask in the shallows and fish eagles glide between the acacia trees on the banks. Lion are regular visitors here as is the odd leopard, draped soporifically over a gnarly bough. The migration of wildebeest and zebra moves through here in search of fresh grazing between March and June, dispersing and re-grouping as they wend their way gently north. They return in November & December on their way to breed in the south. Whether viewing the action from just above the treetops or from 500 feet above, the feeling of being in a balloon is one of unbounded freedom.

Between June/July and November, a million and a half ungulates arrive to feed on the rain-fed grass of the northern plains around the Mara River near the border between Tanzania and Kenya. They cloud-chase back and forth, seeking the most succulent grazing, braving the crocodiles that lie in wait in the river and the lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena that prowl the wooded streambeds. Lone acacias and mesa-topped hills dot the waving grassy plains of this quintessentially African landscape. It’s a beautiful area to soar above with plenty to see and photograph. Untethered by roads, it’s possible to escape some of the more popular areas and enjoy the peace of the endless skies, making ballooning one of the most rewarding activities on safari in the Serengeti.