Stories of miles of breathtaking journeys
Hi, I’m Portia. A journalist and a traveler.
I became a full-time traveler and a travel writer after quitting my job over a year ago.
I spend most of my time with myself lost in the woods of the Himalayan states of India or sipping Chai with my local friends in the mountains.
“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
Ernestine Ulmer
Serengeti Balloon Safari, Tanzania National Park
Video Courtesy: Yusuph Haphani
I woke up to be taken on a Hot Air Balloon Safari over the Serengeti National Park. Well, it wasn’t as romantic as you think for me. Unfortunately, for me it was only a virtual tour now as we all are mostly stuck at our homes.
And, thought of sharing a bit of that experience with you here. Also, did you know? Serengeti Balloon Safaris were the pioneers of the African skies!
A Serengeti balloon safari is an extraordinary opportunity to relish a bird’s eye-view of the phenomenal sweeping plains below. Tiny little dots rove across the diverse landscape and as you get closer you are spectator to the most magnificent view of dramatically striped black and white zebra, sashaying enormous grey elephants meandering to a waterhole, wiry warthogs foraging in the grassy scrub and subtle swishes of puffed golden tails reveal lions lolling under shady trees.
Pioneers of the African skies
Serengeti Balloon Safaris happens to be the first company to set a balloon aloft over the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.
It was mere coincidence that brought two like-minded adventurers together and the seed of a new idea began to grow in 1984.
Colin MacKinnon, a pioneer of commercial ballooning in the UK and an early hot air balloon pilot in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, wanted to fly balloons over the Serengeti.
Tony Pascoe had experience of running luxury camps and a safari business in East Africa and was excited by the prospect of such a venture. It was a good match and they began working out on how to turn their dream in to reality.
Ballooning was completely new to Tanzania, and it took five good years for Colin and Tony, together with their wives Sally and Marijka and their new Tanzanian partner, Jimmy Mkwawa, to get all the permissions and licences in place.
They finally placed an order for their first 8-passenger balloon from Cameron Balloons, the world’s leading balloon manufacturer, in the ‘acacia-green’ and ‘savannah-gold’ of the Serengeti.
The first balloon took to the skies above the vast plains of the Serengeti in 1991.
Those first years were tough as visitors to the Park were few; there was only one safari lodge and a handful of camps fed by infrequent flights to the park. It also took time to win over the sceptics and demonstrate the company’s commitment and environmental responsibility.
Serengeti Balloon Safaris took delivery of the first 16-passenger balloon – the largest commercial balloon in the world in 1983. Colin continued to refine the company’s operation, logistics and safety while Tony focussed on marketing the experience to tourism partners around the world.
Mohamed Masudi was sponsored by Serengeti Balloon Safaris to train in the United States, became the very first Tanzanian commercial hot-air balloon pilot in 2001.
It is mandatory for passengers to wear safety belts, becoming the only country to do so. Serengeti also improved safe flying practice by reducing the maximum wind speed for take-off from 15 to 8 knots, and the maximum altitude to 2000ft above ground level.
Serengeti Balloon Safaris carried its 200,000 th passenger, making it to the top list of the top balloon companies in the world in 2019.
A Serengeti Balloon Safari has become a ‘bucket list’ experience for many travellers on a safari in Tanzania, one that has featured in the media around the world. Members of royal families, presidents, Heads of State and celebrities have all been borne aloft under the green and gold of a Serengeti Balloon. So, what are you waiting for? If You have any queries, feel happy to talk to my friend from Tanzania, Yusuph Haphani. More videos from up above would be shared soon! 🙂
Read more of this content when you subscribe today.
Photo Credit: Yusuph Haphani, my friend from Tanzania
Note: Ally copyrights of the images stand reserved.
Please feel happy to leave a comment and rating!
Video Credit: Yusuph Haphani, Tanzania
Maasai Jumping or the dance is every tourist’s delight! The delightful dance has been captured in endless pictures, videos, and documentaries before. The Adumu, often called the “jumping dance,” is a highly recognisable ritual of the Maasai life.
What is the Maasai life, anyway? For the Maasai, the adumu is just one in a series of rituals that make up the Eunoto, the ceremony in which the junior warriors, or morani, graduate to the ranks of manhood. Yes, it is the way of jumping up, up and up to grow up!
Maasai warrior society is mainly organised by age groups. So, yes children stay at home with parents until the teenage years and when the boys are inducted into the first stages of manhood via the Emuratta, a ritualised circumcision ceremony. It is important to note that, while women don’t have their own “age group” like boys but do undergo some of their own rituals on the way to adulthood. Coming back to discussing the warrior boys who successfully go through the Emuratta (one of the requirements is that you cannot even flinch) are officially elevated to the status of junior moran. After the ceremony, the new morani move to a manyatta, an encampment where they will live together for up to ten years.
Now that they are cordoned off from the rest of their tribesman, they are not even allowed to eat or drink in the presence of a woman. It is a part of the reasoning behind the manyatta camp – to teach male Maasai independence, since mothers generally take care of household tasks as they’re growing up. So now it’s understandable that the morani jump at the chance to graduate to full adulthood, like, literally!
The Eunoto ceremonies may last for more than ten days. The ceremonies are marked with singing, a parade in front of elder warriors, ritual cow slaughter, and the first sip of alcohol, traditionally made from the fermented roots of aloe and honey. Sounds interesting? But one of the most photogenic elements of the entire ceremony undoubtedly remains the adumu.
The young morani form a circle, which one or two will enter at a time. Bodies held in a narrow pose with heels never touching the ground, the young warriors begin jumping up and up.
Why is it such a big deal to jump higher? Well, because the higher and more graceful the jumping, the more appeal the warrior has to the young women looking on. Soon after this ceremony, it also opens up the opportunity to marry. A Maasai can only marry after the Eunoto ceremony is complete. Well, there’s some serious motivation, there!
When one warrior starts to feel tired which kicks in pretty soon, usually after just a few jumps and the height attained is often impressive! And there’s no kidding as it requires serious athleticism, another young warrior takes his place. All the while, the morani forming the outer circle sing, raising the pitch of their voices to “match” the height of the jumps.
Wait, there’s more to it! After the ceremony is over, the morani shave off their long hair as a sign of their new status as full-fledged warriors. They can now return to the community, marry, and start families of their own. Awesome, right?
Really, it’s enough to put a spring in anyone’s step!
If you now can’t stop yourself from witnessing one of such incidents, you can definitely visit Tanzania! And Yusuph Haphani, my friend can surely help you explore!
If you want to experience the joy of solo traveling, there’s one thing that’s going to help you break out of your shell a little. You can feel less anxious about talking to people, it’s travel after all. So talk less but travel. The more you practice something, the better you get at it, right? So if you’re constantly meeting new people, asking others for directions, ordering in cafes on your own, etc, etc… gradually you’re going to get better at it and feel more comfortable doing it too! There was a time many years ago when I used to feel shy in walking up to a shared cab full of strangers and board it to embark on a 5-6 hours of long journeys. But, now after traveling in over-crowded small buses, sleeper coaches in Indian Railways, shared cab or jeep rides, or boarding flights, I am only getting better at all of it!
Just remember one simple yet important thing: for every shy, awkward person in the world, there’s somebody confident to balance them out. Every time I’ve nervously entered a new hostel, I’ve found one that someone. Someone socially dominating enough to introduce themselves, lead a conversation, invite you to come have dinner or join on an early morning hike or something. All you need is an open mind and a willingness to say yes. You’ll find someone, and it won’t be at all hard to make friends, you’ll see. Because some people are social enough and confident enough for two! Blessed to have made such friends and happy to have them in my life!
“TRAVELING – IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER”
IBN BATTUTA
If you don’t know what a patronus is, we can’t be friends! In Harry Potter, it’s a spell that wards off dementors (who feed on fear) by clinging to a happy memory. Without realising it, that’s exactly what I do on days when I feel scared. Remember an old good and happy memory and get lost in the memory for a bit, and soon, you will be humming one of your favourite tune instead of feeling anxious. I got a silly bird tattoo in front of a crowd of strangers at a local tattoo shop in Nepal in 2016, which was a surprising act of bravery and confidence for me. So I use it as a reminder. I give it a quick glance, remind myself I can do anything (even if it’s silly & survive it) I want to, and then go for it. Even if the “big scary thing” is walking into a hostel dorm for the first time and saying Hi to everyone (which still scares me every single time, I swear but it never seems like that from the outside).
.
I’ve always sucked at making conversations with strangers. If people talked to me, I’d be polite, I’d answer their questions, but the conversations would just fizzle out soon. It took a few solo trips to understand what I was doing wrong. Not asking questions. Being shy and reserved made me awkward, and that’s why conversations usually dissolved when someone else wasn’t around me to carry them for me. So if someone asks where you’re from, don’t just answer. Ask them right back. And when they tell you, ask a question about it too.
“TWENTY YEARS FROM NOW YOU WILL BE MORE DISAPPOINTED BY THE THINGS YOU DIDN’T DO THAN BY THE ONES YOU DID DO”
H. JACKSON BROWN JR.
What’s funny is that whenever I tell people I’m shy, they don’t really believe me. Some even start teasing or mocking me for lying about it. “But you don’t seem shy!” they all often exclaim. Which is crazy, given that the first time I met them, my heartbeat was probably thumping in my ears and I have no doubt that internally I was terrified. Here’s a really useful thing to remember, though – your shyness is internal. Even if you’re feeling really nervous, uncomfortable, or awkward – people probably won’t notice. It’s a good coping mechanism and 99% of the time, people don’t realise you’re embarrassed or nervous about anything and even you start believing it after a certain point.
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN AND LEAVE A COMMENT
Being shy also makes me passive. Unable to stand up for myself at times or say what I want sometimes, I have a tendency to go along with a group. I’ll say yes, or “I don’t mind”, or “you choose” – even when I really do have a preference. And because of that, I’ve gone on some adventures that I never otherwise would have. Saying yes to things I wanted to say no to has led me to discover some amazing things, meet great people, or find myself. I used to think being passive was a bad thing. But it’s really not always like that. It’s just a different way to travel, and one that comes with real freedom in a way. So please don’t stress about your shyness. Own it and be proud of who you are. It might take you places you’d never have made it to otherwise!
Did travelling alone help with your social anxiety? Have you learnt how to manage your shyness better through solo travel? I’d love to hear your good thoughts, include your tips, suggestions, and encouragement here for other shy backpackers and solo travellers. Please scroll down and leave me a comment!
PLEASE PIN THIS POST
Hi, I’m Portia Putatunda. I started traveling on my own at an early age of 19. I was such a socially awkward creature, who shied away from even sharing my photos, videos or even much talk about my journeys and the numerous adventures that I would often encounter on the road. ALL BY MYSELF. Thus, such a late start in blogging. Until recently, I realised I have been sitting on a huge treasure of solo travel experience of 12 years, started back in 2008 when it wasn’t even such a trend as it’s now. And yet, have always felt shy to write or talk about the several stories I have to tell. So here I am, finally starting to share my story with you.
Born in a middle class family, I was quite apprehensive of being judged about all my leaves and the peanut salary always spent in traveling and MOSTLY why I always wanted to go alone. Not everybody understands, you know? Not everybody accepts that as “normal”. Not everybody understands that you always don’t need to live in luxurious hotels and eat in 5-star places to feel good about a destination. Not everybody feels safe in sleeping in a bunk bed in a hostel and feels great about eating Maggi and sipping Chai at the roadside stall while traveling. Everybody’s travel value surely differs and mine is different too. I can travel on a shoestring budget too and I travel for deeper connection with my soul, myself, nature and people. (I’ll tell you about why I travel in a different post later)
So, when did it all begin? I had just finished my graduation and started working with a National English Daily Newspaper as a Sub-Editor and THAT was my dream job, well, kind of back then! I was a curious child and was always fascinated with nature, travel, music, art and history.
I was very keen to SEE THE WORLD with my own eyes and not just watch videos and photos of the world on the internet and believe that to be equal to traveling. But, all my emotions with exploring our country and then someday, go abroad ALONE had to be kept to myself mostly. Again, because not many would relate to my feelings (that’s how I always felt whenever I would talk about it).
I was born shy and remained quite awkward in anybody’s company for the first 12 years of my life. Gradually, I turned out to be a very talkative girl and started making a whole bunch of friends everywhere I went.
Talkative but Introvert? Yes, that’s me. Now I know how that can be very confusing to one’s friends and colleagues. One minute the chatty friend who appear to be just like her fellow extrovert friends suddenly withdraw to be alone. Is she mad or upset about something? No. I am NOT. I just want some time to be by myself to recharge, like anybody else. I guess we all are quite familiar with this as we must have felt that way sometime or the other. So, yes I started traveling but would often not find the right words to describe my trip to a friend later and would end up answering in monosyllables often making them wonder about the concept of “solo traveling”.
This is all about me being awkward and tongue-tied in most situations socially. But, was it the same when I went traveling anywhere? Well, Yes and No both to be honest. I would initially come across as the friendly girl from a neighbouring state who has come visiting while I checked in and later, quite distant or “selfish” maybe?
No, I am not selfish or disinterested in you. I just don’t want to talk much because here, I stand in front of a mighty mountain range THE HIMALAYAS and I am awe-struck at the beauty. I feel least significant in front of this picturesque landscape and beautiful meadows and valleys. My life or my story is not that interesting to talk about in front of THIS! So, what am I supposed to talk about to you constantly? I don’t have months to spend in this beautiful place to be able to soak this beauty up but only a few hours or a day at the most before I have to return to my ever-busy life at work.
And Yes, I do take time to open up with strangers and weren’t we fed by our parents to “not speak to strangers” for years? So, years of being brought up in a conventional way and only few hours to know the locals and even make friends with them…How am I supposed to strike any balance?
With 12 years of solo travel, I’ve gone from somebody so shy that ordering food even in a small cafe all by myself made my heart pound and my head swim, to being somebody that will sing karaoke on the roadside or at a campsite in front of a handful of people I’d just met that day.
Sometimes I catch sight of myself and wonder “who is this person and what has she done with the real Portia?”. Travel changes you if you give it the chance. Especially solo travel. It compels you to get out of your comfort zone, introduces you to a stream of new people, makes you try new things, and slowly buffers you into a new and – potentially – better version of yourself. And THAT IS THE POWER OF TRAVELING SOLO, My Friends! Any solo traveler would agree with me, won’t you?
But I do agree that travelling as a shy person can be quite daunting. If you’re shy, socially awkward, or anxious, the idea of solo travel is a nightmare. Trust me, I’ve been there. For the past twelve years I’ve mostly travelled solo – and this year I pushed myself to go off the beaten track and live in extreme conditions in the winter in a little village in Himachal Pradesh yes, all by myself. And honestly, since then I feel like a different person. It’s almost unbelievable how much I’ve grown! But that doesn’t mean I’m not still shy. Every time I have to make new connections, I am awkward. Every time I have to talk about my trips with new people, I feel sick with nerves. Shyness isn’t something that can be cured, but it is something you can learn to live with – and travel can help with that.
So these are a few of my tips for coping with shyness as a solo traveller…
Thanks for joining me!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Portia’s Travel Diaries 
