Hot Air Balloon tour in Zanzibar

The balloon flies on the mainland rather than over Zanzibar, so it is combined with a safari rather than a beach day. Launch is at first light, which means a very early start and a transfer in the dark.

Flights last around an hour, drifting low over the plains as the sun comes up, with animals moving below. It is quiet in a way nothing else on a safari is, apart from the burner. Most flights finish with a breakfast set up in the bush where you land.

Dress in layers: it is cold before dawn and hot within the hour. Flights depend entirely on wind and are cancelled rather than risked, so build a spare day into the plan if this is the thing you most want to do.