When to book, if you actually want a seat

Peak balloon season follows the Great Migration. July through October is when every brochure directs its arrow. Every brochure is right — but "right" is not the same as "the flight you will remember for ten years."

What we quietly recommend

Mid-June. The plains are still green from the long rains, the herds are arriving, and the mornings are clear without being crowded. You can book seven days out and still get a private charter.

Late February. The calves are new, the skies are extravagant, and the Mara empties of most long-haul visitors. The crew is at its sharpest because they've had a month off holiday season.

What to avoid

The last two weeks of July. Not because the flights are worse — they are magnificent — but because the camps are full, the roads to launch are slow, and you will share sunrise with forty-five other balloons on some days.

If you must go July to October, book Mara North. The conservancy caps balloons at six per morning, and it's the only way to keep the experience close to what it should be.