I wouldn’t in a million years have ever thought that any part of England bared resemblance to Africa’s beloved Kenya! With its glorious mountain peaks, its humid climate, its world renowned safaris and wildlife reserves, not to mention its glorious tropical lakes and park land, how on earth would modest England share any similarity at all?

At Adventure Balloons one of our most popular flight locations is Surrey and it’s no wonder really! During the flight, if you’re lucky enough, the wind will take the balloon over Hankley Common which is south of Farnham. Your pilot will introduce you to the common land areas from 3’000 feet in the air and strangely, the land bares a strong resemblance to the game reserves in the Masai Mara in Kenya. We like to get the most out of the flight for our passengers ensuring a memorable experience, so we like to play little games, for example on this flight path there is always a prize for the first passenger to spot a wildebeest! Just to the North of Hankley Common is the start of the River Wey, and if you take a look at the picture (above) of our Happy Birthday Balloon flying over the river as it winds its way to the Mill at Elstead, you’ll see an uncanny likeness of the picture (below) taken by company pilot Kim Hull when flying in Kenya over 15 years ago!

If you’d like the opportunity to see England from the same perspective, why not book your own surrey balloon flight adventure? You can enjoy the breath taking views and enjoy the sheer thrill of Britain’s most dreamed about past time; hot air ballooning. Book online or call us on 01252 844222.

In order to successfully fly a hot air balloon, the weather conditions need to be just right!  The skies need to be clear, no rain, the wind speed and direction needs to be right.  Unfortunately, during the British winter the weather conditions aren’t quite right for flight and that is why balloon operators stop taking passengers on balloon rides between November and March.  So if balloonists can’t fly during the winter, what do they do? 

Hot air balloon operators like us at Adventure Balloons keep ourselves busy during the winter months by going on little adventures of our own.  In the 1990’s it was popular for balloonists to take to the skies of Kenya for a hot air balloon safari.  Our very own Kim Hull was invited during the early 90’s to visit one of the company pilots who during the English wintertime worked as a pilot in Kenya. 

Balloon flights in Kenya occur during the morning as evening flights are not possible due to the strong, gusty winds and the fact that it gets dark very quickly.  I am sure you wouldn’t fancy landing in the Masai Mara at night among the African wildlife!  One particular camp in the Masai Mara in Kenya has guests flown in from the capital Nairobi to spend a couple of days joining in the safari fun.  One day is spent in a 4×4 for an overground safari with one of the camp’s guides.  The following morning is spent flying in a hot air balloon to experience the views of the Masai Mara from a unique perspective.

The group that arrives at the camp can be quite large and up to four hot air balloons would launch from the camp in the morning, each carrying 12 or more passengers.  The balloon flight lasts for around an hour and at the landing site, which is estimated by a helium met balloon, breakfast is prepared by the ground crew.  After the flight and breakfast, the guests are returned back to the camp in a 4×4 and the local ground crew stay behind to pack up the ballooning equipment.  The passengers then fly back to Nairobi, overjoyed at the incredible ballooning safari that they have just experienced. 

Take a look here for more information on Masai Mara and Serengeti balloon safaris.

Adventure Balloons certainly have their adventures!  Back in the 90’s during the UK wintertime, one of Adventure Balloons’ pilots would work in Kenya, Africa offering balloon safari trips.  As Africa is a popular tourist destination due to it’s fantastic wildlife, you can see why the pilot decided to commission balloon flights there!  Balloon flights in Kenya occur in the morning as evening flights are not possible due to gusty winds and the fast approaching darkness.  I bet you wouldn’t like being stuck in the African wilderness among the nocturnal leopards, hyenas and jackals! 

The camp that the pilot worked in is in the Masai Mara and Kenyan guests would be flown in from Nairobi for a couple of days, doing an overground safari during the daytime in a 4 x 4 and taking a balloon fight over the Masai Mara the next morning.  Up to 4 balloons would take off, each carrying up to 12 passengers for an hour long balloon flight whilst the Masai ground crew would drive ahead to the expected landing site to prepare breakfast for the balloon passengers.  After dining, the passengers would return to the camp site and then fly back to Nairobi.   What a fantastic experience those passengers must have had!

Take a look at the Adventure Balloons website where you can find tonnes of interesting and fascinating information about their flights, company history, cloud hoppers and lots more!

Safari’s in Africa have always been popular with tourists, but becoming more and more popular is the hot air balloon safari, which not only gives the tourists an astonishing view of the African landscape, it also gives a unique perspective of the wildlife in and around the national game parks.

During the English wintertime when it is not possible to fly a hot air balloon in the UK, many pilots go to work on hot air balloons in Kenya. This not only provides them an understanding of various weather conditions, it also gives them the experience of flying somewhere new.

Balloon flights in Kenya are predominately made during the morning, as afternoon and evening flights are not possible because of high winds. It also gets dark quickly and this can cause problems when trying to land.

There can be up to 4 balloons taking off at the same time and each balloon can carry 12 passengers or more. The launching of the balloon is the same as in the UK; first the weather is checked to see if it is suitable to fly, the balloon crew prepares the balloon, final checks are made and the balloon is launched.

The balloon flight will typically last for about an hour, depending on the weather and gives the passengers an unforgettable view of the African landscape and of course the wildlife and gives ample opportunities to photograph the stunning scenery to treasure for years to come.