FAQ

With over 100 000 passengers flown over 3 decades, we hold a 100% safety record. Your safety is our priority and we only fly in perfect weather conditions. Our pilots are all highly qualified and holders of commercial pilot licenses.

You should be back at our meeting point between 10h00 and 11h00 A.M. This will give you enough time to reach your next destination should you join our safari the day of your departure (4 to 5 hours drive to Walvis Bay or Windhoek).

The balloon flies with the wind, at the same speed and same direction. At different altitudes, your pilot might find different winds. By expertly navigating, he can use them to change direction.

By adding heat with the burner or by letting the balloon cool down, the pilot will be able to control his altitude very accurately and enable the balloon to fly high up as well as really close to the terrain.

80% of our landings are on the trailer. Should there be fast winds on the ground, you will experience a “sports landing”, where your basket will “tip over” and it will drag for a few meters before coming to a stop lying on its side.

We are closed between the 15th of January until the 15th of February, as well as the 25th of December and the 1st of January. We fly every other morning at sunrise – weather permitting. 

The meeting place is at the Namib Sky Balloon Safaris office, approximately 1 hour before sunrise. The exact meeting time must be confirmed with our office the day prior to your flight. 

Children over 120 cm or over 6 years of age are allowed to fly and are tall enough to see over the basket edge. Smaller or younger children are welcome to follow the balloon with our ground crew in our retrieving 4×4 vehicle and join their parents at landing for the champagne breakfast. We are able to arrange babysitters free of charge but this service must be pre-booked. 

Our balloon safari has minimal impact on the environment. The retrieving vehicles are restricted to using existing tracks only and we ensure our footprint is kept to a bare minimum. All landing traces are removed and the environment is always left as we found it. The balloon base is powered entirely by solar energy where we also grow our own fresh produce for the breakfast. 

The choice of launch site depends mainly on the wind direction. Depending on the weather conditions, our pilots will choose the best location for take off. The main launching locations are: Kulala Wilderness Reserve (between Sesriem and Sossusvlei), and in the northern part of the Namib Rand Nature Reserve.

The evening prior to your flight, you will need to contact us to confirm the meeting time at our office. Should you need to be collected at your lodge please enquire with our office for a transfer option. Keep in mind that ballooning is weather permitting and if the pilot deems the conditions unsafe, he will cancel the flight. Should you wish to try the following day, please let us know as soon as possible so we can check for availability. 

If you have booked and payed through your travel agency, simply bring your voucher. If you have booked online through our website or if you have filled in a booking form to confirm your booking please take note that we will only process the payment after the flight at our office. We accept cash in EU, USD, ZAR and NAD – the daily exchange rate as provided by our local bank will apply. We also accept credit cards, debit cards and mobile payments. Unfortunately we do not accept American Express.  

Yes, our spaces are limited onboard the aircraft, as per our insurance policy and because children take up the same space as an adult they need to pay the same price too. 

So you’re pregnant? CONGRATULATIONS!!! Unfortunately we however cannot take you onboard as our insurance cover does not allow for expecting mothers to fly in our balloons. Although it is the safest form of aviation, each pregnancy is different and we cannot accept responsibility should anything happen to your unborn baby. 

We have different sized balloons that are used depending on the number of bookings on that day, our largest balloons can carry 18 passengers. All our baskets are oversized to allow plenty of space and comfort, everyone gets a “window seat”!