There’s something unforgettable about standing in the middle of the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania or Masai Mara, Kenya as wildebeest thunder past or watching hippos laze in the Zambezi River, Zambia as your guide whispers stories of the bush. But if you want an entirely different view – one that will take your breath away and stay with you forever – look up.
And then? Take off.
Mighty Zambezi River as I was leaving Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia.
Exploring Africa from the air is about seeing familiar landscapes from an entirely new angle. Whether you’re floating in a hot air balloon over endless plains, flying low over the tangled channels of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, or paragliding along the dramatic cliffs of Victoria Falls, Zambia from above is pure magic.
Here’s how to take your Safari to new heights (literally!).
Hot air balloon Safaris: sunrise and silence
With my daughter on our Spring Break Safari 2022 in Southern Serengeti, Tanzania with Serengeti Balloon Safari.
One of my absolute favorite Safari moments is floating peacefully in a hot air balloon above the golden grasses of the Serengeti or Masai Mara. Everything is so still… and the world is waking up beneath you. Herds moving gently below, giraffes on a journey, and elephants casting long shadows across the plains. You never know what you will see when up in the sky.
You’ll take off just before sunrise, and with any luck, you’ll catch that first golden light painting the land in warm amber hues. When I say it’s magical, I really mean it.
Hot air balloon Safaris are offered in several places, including the Tarangire and Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. It’s always a smooth early morning experience followed by a bush breakfast and bubbly under a flat-topped acacia.
Heli flips & light aircraft: Into the wild we go
Via Helicopter Horizons
Flying into remote Safari parks is part of the adventure! There’s nothing quite like landing on a makeshift bush airstrip while your pilot radios a quick message: “We may need to circle once – there’s a zebra on the runway.” (Yes, it happens. Often. And trust me, it never gets old.)
From the air, you’ll see the land unfold: verdant wetlands, deep escarpments, glittering rivers, and even herds beneath you that you wouldn’t spot from the ground. The first time I flew over the Okavango Delta in a four seater plane, I was stunned by the sheer geometry of it. The way water, reeds, and tracks form a natural patchwork quilt, stirred by the movement of elephants, buffalo, and hippos below.
Want an even more heart-thumping experience? Opt for a low-altitude helicopter ride over the Okavango Delta, the Zambezi River when or through the dramatic red canyons of Namibia. You’ll feel every curve, every cliff. It’s wild freedom in every sense.
Daredevils welcome: Skydives & paraglides
Microflight via Livingstone’s Adventure, Victoria Falls, Zambia
For my thrill-seekers, Africa is a playground waiting to be experienced upside down, inside out, and freefalling.
Skydiving over the Namib Desert? The contrast of the bright sky and red dunes is nothing short of cinematic. Or take a leap over Lake Victoria and watch its vastness stretch well beyond imagination.
Prefer something slightly less vertical? Paragliding over Zambia and Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls lets you soar like a bird across one of the most geologically impressive landscapes on Earth. Thermals carry you over escarpments, lakes, and forests – it’s peaceful... and a lot more accessible than people realize!
Why flying in Africa feels so different
On my way to Mala Mala Game Reserve in South Africa
Here’s something I love about air travel in Africa – it’s never just “a flight.” It’s a story. A moment. Maybe it starts with the car gently herding giraffes off the runway. Or it’s your pilot who’s been flying for 30 years and has tales to share that make your jaw drop. Or maybe it’s the fact that your ‘airport’ is a grassy clearing with no terminal in sight… just zebras hanging out near your luggage.
These little moments? They give your Safari an edge. A touch of magic. A different kind of freedom.
If you’re dreaming of Africa, don’t just think land cruiser and beautiful places-to-stay (though you know I love those, too). Let’s add the sky to your story.
Up, up… and Safari on.
