Apart from the hiss of the burners, the flight above the Masai Mara plains is magically silent. The pilot controls the height of the craft by regulating the flow of hot air into the balloon. At the end of the flight the passengers are treated to a champagne breakfast, complete with flowers, china and crystal set out on a table placed under a convenient acacia tree. The finishing touch to the flight is a game drive back to the lodge or camp and the possibility of seeing the same pride of lions or herd of elephants that had been viewed shortly before from above. Over a dozen balloons depart from sites near six of the lodges and tented camps.
Visitors are often able to view four of the ' big five '.