Hot Air Ballooning Hoedspruit

Hot Air Ballooning Hoedspruit

Hot air ballooning – every morning, at sunrise, you can go hot air ballooning with Sun Catchers Hot Air Balloons and depart from a launch site near Hoedspruit, Limpopo South Africa.
Come aboard Suncatchers Hoedspruit for an experience of a lifetime with a hot air balloon ride. If it is your first balloon flight, Suncatchers hot air ballooning will be your best balloon flight in the northern Drakensberg mountains near Hoedspruit Limpopo South Africa.

Make an inquiry or booking now! Email Anthony at info@hoedspruitonline.co.za

What does a Hot Air Balloon fight cost?

The cost of a hot air balloon ride is R4800 per person, valid till 31 October 2024.

We can also arrange a Hot Air Balloon voucher, hot air balloon packages, or an exclusive romantic hot air balloon ride. Hot air balloon rides are a definite bucket list adventure.

When does the Hot Air Balloon fly?

Flights are conducted throughout the year, with mid-summer sunrise at 05h00 and mid-winter sunrise at 06:30. We meet 20 minutes before sunrise at the launch site. You will be informed when booking what time you must be at the launch site.

Suncatchers Hot Air Ballooning offers a one-hour-long flight over the scenic Lowveld section of the Blyde River, 15 km west of Hoedspruit. The terrain is a mixture of farmland, private nature reserves, and wildlife estates. The mountains to the south and west provide shelter from the prevailing winds, thereby affording them good flying weather on most days.

As the sun rises, the landscape, the vegetation and, if you’re lucky, some wildlife will provide photo opportunities. Game spotting is not guaranteed, but you will see wildlife on most flights.

The pilots and crew will ensure a safe, enjoyable, and informative adventure that will be one of the highlights of your visit to the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere.  After the flight, guests making use of transfers will be returned to their respective lodges

What to expect with Hot Air Ballooning?

You meet before sunrise and coffee is served while you watch your eight-story high hot air balloon being inflated and prepared for flight. After a safety briefing, you should be airborne in time to witness the sunrise. The height above ground will vary from skimming the tree tops to as high as 2,000 feet. The pilot changes altitude in search of favorable wind directions and speeds.

The flight duration is about an hour, and the pilot will select a suitable landing site towards the end of the flight. The landing is an exciting event because the basket meets the earth at whatever speed the surface wind is at the time.

Light airs allow the softest of landings while fresh breezes necessitate a “positive” landing. The basket can serve as an anchor to slow the envelope down. If not already at the landing site, the ground crew will soon arrive to deflate and pack the balloon while passengers enjoy fruit juice and sparkling wine.

Who can participate?

Passengers must be fit enough to stand unassisted for an hour and must also be able to climb in and out of the basket. Youngsters are welcome but should be at least 1.2m (4 feet) tall so that they can see over the rim of the basket.  Regrettably, pregnant persons may not participate in a balloon flight. Hot air ballooning is a family outing.

What to wear and bring along to my hot air balloon ride

Hot air balloon rides can be nippy at dawn in the winter, but you will be surprisingly warm once you’re up in the basket.
Warm clothes will be useful during pre-flight. Bring your cameras and binoculars.

Staff and equipment

Your pilot is, of course, fully qualified and is also an expert in environmental interpretation.  We fly a Kavanagh 210 that carries a pilot plus 8-10 passengers. A Thunder & Colt 180 carries a pilot plus 6 passengers, and a Kavanagh 120 carries a pilot plus 4 passengers.

How to reach the hot air ballooning launch site?

Self-drive guests are welcome, and we provide detailed directions to meeting points. Safe parking will be provided for your vehicle, and you will be brought back to your vehicle after the hot air balloon ride. Some of the lodges in the Hoedspruit area provide transfers. We also make use of reputable transfer companies if you require a transfer. Transfers come at an extra cost and the amount depends on distance and number of guests. Suncatcher’s hot air ballooning is a bucket list adventure.

Balloon Flight Information required to make a booking

Please copy the form below and fill in all the required information if you want to make a booking for a Balloon Flight.

First name, last name, and weight of each passenger (I apologize for this, but it is a legal requirement)

Name of the Lodge where you will stay the night before the flight and the Lodge Telephone number.

Passenger mobile number:

Self-drive or Transfer?

Any medical conditions we should be aware of.

Is there a special occasion you are celebrating?

Email the information to Anthony at info@hoedspruitonline.co.za

Hot Air Ballooning – an adventure of a lifetime activity

Other things to do in Hoedspruit

Hoedspruit has many other adventure activities, restaurants, MTB trails, Big5 safaris, and Boat cruises close to Kruger National Park, the Panorama Route, and Blyde River Canyon. For more information on all these activities in Hoedspruit click here

For further inquiries and information, email Anthony at info@hoedsprtuitonlone.co.za

For more information on Suncatchers, and Balloon Safaris click here

For more technical information on Hot Air Ballooning click here

For accommodation options in the Hoedspruit area click here