Terms

A balloon flight is a planned event in an unplanned sky. These terms exist so that you and we share the same expectations on the morning of your flight, especially when the weather decides for us.

Bookings are confirmed once we have received a 30% deposit and the manifest details for every guest in your party. The remaining balance is due 14 days before your flight date, or at the time of booking if you book inside that window.

All prices are quoted per person in US dollars and include VAT where applicable.

The fare includes hotel pick-up and return within the standard collection radius, the flight itself, a champagne breakfast in the bush after landing, and a flight certificate signed by your pilot.

It does not include Kenya Wildlife Service park fees (currently around USD 80 per adult per day in the National Reserve), conservancy fees if you are flying or landing in a private conservancy, gratuities, or anything you buy at your lodge. Park and conservancy fees go to the conservation authorities, not to us.

Roughly half of all flights that we cancel are cancelled for weather — too much wind at the surface or aloft, poor visibility, embedded thunderstorm activity, or a combination. The decision is the pilot in command's and it is final.

We make it as early as we can, but sometimes not until the burner is already lit and we have to step back. When we cancel for weather, we offer you a full refund or a rescheduled flight, your choice. We do not charge a fee either way.

Cancel more than 30 days out and we refund you in full less a 5% administrative fee. Between 30 and 14 days, 50%. Inside 14 days, no refund — but we will hold the value of your booking as a credit against any flight in the next 12 months, transferable to family or friends.

Each basket compartment is rated to carry approximately 115 kg per adult. Guests over that weight are warmly welcome — we simply need to know in advance so we can plan loading. Minimum age is 7 years and children must be tall enough to see over the padded edge of the compartment, roughly 140 cm.

We cannot fly guests in the third trimester of pregnancy, guests who have had abdominal or chest surgery in the previous three months, or guests with severe back, neck, or hip conditions that would make a firm landing unsafe. If you are unsure, write to us before you book.

Every guest signs a short participation waiver at the launch field. It confirms that you have heard the safety briefing, that the medical information you gave us at booking is still accurate, and that you understand that ballooning, like all aviation, carries inherent risk. Parents or guardians sign for under-18s.

We carry passenger liability insurance to the limits required by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, and additional cover above that. Our liability for delay, cancellation, lost personal items, or matters outside the flight itself is limited to the fare paid.

We strongly recommend that you hold your own travel insurance covering trip interruption, medical evacuation, and personal effects — most travel insurers in your home country offer this as standard.

We are licensed by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) for commercial balloon operations. Our pilots hold a KCAA Commercial Pilot Licence (Balloon). Our maintenance, training, and operations procedures follow KCAA Civil Aviation Regulations and reference the standards of the British Balloon and Airship Club (BBAC), which most established balloon operators in East Africa use as a benchmark.