The Masai Mara is the ultimate African cliché, but the reality lives up to the image. This huge expanse of gently rolling grassland is specked with flat-topped acacia trees and trampled by massive herds of zebras and wildebeest. Whether exploring the vast plains in a private safari vehicle or from the skies in a helicopter, this is an African Eden that will leave a long lasting impression on the soul.

The Maasai called the plains of Serengeti National Park “the place where the land moves on forever”. This magnificent park sprawls across 9 234 square kilometres of northern Tanzania. Here hyenas cackle as elephants trample well-worn safari roads and hippos splash in watering holes. And at any given time, more than 2 000 lions are poised to pounce on unsuspecting prey, preparing to set chase through the seemingly endless waves of golden grass. The scenery rustles with the swift steps of loping giraffes, and tree branches shake with every monkey’s movement. Regarded as one of the World’s Seven Wonders, the famous Serengeti annual migration is a spectacle to be seen – the largest and longest overland migration on earth.

It’s a heady experience on land, but from the sky in a hot-air balloon, it’s almost ethereal. Take in the majesty of the natural world in complete silence, disturbing nothing. See dawn breaking and bathing the landscape in shades of red. There is a tranquillity to all this; drifting languidly over the African plain with the only noise provided by your thoughts, and the occasional blast of the burner as it takes you higher.

We’ve chosen Mara Bushtops Camp (12 deluxe tents) and Serengeti Bushtops Camp (13 deluxe tents) for the BLACK@ Guest as the stylish base camps for their East African experience. Both offer the classic luxury tented safari (and then some!). The bespoke service ethos is one we’re confident will appeal to the traveller who seeks genuine human connections; being seen and heard individually and intuitively.