Johannesburg - With the recent award of a Certificate of Excellence from the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, Bill Harrop’s “Original Balloon Safaris” has cemented its position as one of South Africa’s top travel experiences.
The award celebrates attractions listed on TripAdvisor that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews.
The honour is affirmation of the efforts of Bill Harrop, the original pioneer of commercial balloon flying in South Africa. Harrop began operating back in 1981 and has since carried hundreds of thousands of visitors on gentle drifts over the Magalies River Valley, some 45 minutes drive from Joburg.
Harrop’s choice of the Magaliesberg offers exceptional year-round weather and scenic interest – which includes the historic Cradle of Humankind, the Segwati Game Reserve and the Hartbeespoort Dam.
At the village of Skeerpoort, Harrop has constructed an award-winning Edwardian-style clubhouse where passengers converge at daybreak to watch the inflation of the balloons over a cup of coffee. Flights rise with the sun, when the air is calm and stratified.
After a flight of an hour or so, a lavish breakfast is served and passengers are issued with citations marking their “courage and fortitude to ascend unto the aether.”
Saturday Star