Day 10: Balloons and Nairobi

The "Safari Six" are a group of Brownell Travel Advisors who are making their way across Kenya over the next two weeks. Read on for a journal of their adventures each day!

Some of us opted this morning for dawn balloon safari!

And, it was early! We watched as the balloon was inflated against the first rays of sunshine, and our pilot went through safty proceedures. Then it was time to climb aboard. Lifting off was unnerving, but magical. Once aloft, the balloon floated gently over the plains, giving a bird’s eye view of the game below as the sun crept slowly over the horizon. To have perspective on the area where we have spent the last couple of days was incredible--we have covered a lot of territory, but from up there, the vastness of the park was overwhelming.

The flight lasted around an hour, and then our pilot skilfully landed the balloon in a picturesque area. Nearby, breakfast was already being prepared with a glass of champagne to kickstart our morning now that the sun was up.

A few hours later, we caught our scheduled flight up to Nairobi where we had a car waiting for us for the day. We split up, some wanted to do some shopping while others of us headed straight to Africa's most famous hotel, the Norfolk, where we had a dayroom awaiting us. This hotel has recently celebrated its centenary with a full face-lift and was an ideal place to have a good scrub up and rest, maybe even a massage or sauna, after the safari. The Norfolk has been drawing characters to its hallowed doors since they first opened on Christmas Day 1904. In many respects, Nairobi grew up around the Norfolk, which occupies a central but quiet location opposite the National Theatre.

This evening we have continued to rest before the last leg of our journey, Olonana.

To learn more about the travel advisors at Brownell, click here. Contact Meg North if you are interested in traveling to Africa.