The Grammaticas family pioneered luxury tented safaris in Kenya when they established Governors' Camp on the banks of the Mara River in 1972. In 978 they began hot air balloon safaris and for the last 45 years, have flown the same spectacular route down the river.

The adventurebegins just before dawn. Departure is from a perfect natural launch site behind Little Governors’ Camp and flames from the hot air balloon burners light the darkness as the crews inflate their craft. The first pink tongues of sunlight flicker across the skies as the hot air balloon fills, then rises. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow-coloured canopy, you’re off for a game-viewing adventure with an entirely different perspective.

What amazes most first-time balloonists is the absolute stillness: the silence as you float above the plains, the forest and the rivers of the Masai Mara. Even if you’ve flown elsewhere, this is a unique experience. The flight lasts an hour or so, drifting wherever the air currents take you, with ample opportunities for photography and video filming. Then your balloon safari finishes with a flourish. In the time honoured tradition of balloon flights the world over, you toast your return to earth with a glass of bubbles and a delicious breakfast on the open plains. Enjoy a leisurely game drive on the way back to camp.