You have just returned from travelling around Africa in a balloon. What inspired you?

Ten years ago I did my first balloon flight, and it was spectacular. In a balloon you get no sense of motion because you are always travelling with the wind, and when the burners are off there is complete silence.

Best bit about ballooning?

It’s like time stands still, and you feel like the only people on the planet. It’s almost a dreamlike state. It’s like Nirvana.

No balloon-related disasters?

Every landing is potentially a crash landing because you can only control your ups and downs; the rest is in the hands of Mother Nature. Once, we were flying towards the Ngorogoro crater and were told that we would be imprisoned if we landed, but the wind carried us over. For extra drama there was a herd of elephants directly below. Luckily we managed to find a clearing.

Crisis averted?

Amazingly, two Masai warrior brothers called Daniel and Peter spotted our balloon, knew there were elephants around and came to our rescue.

Were the Masai tribe familiar with the hot-air balloon?

They had never seen one before. We took up a Masai warrior called Peric, who had never been up in a plane, and never seen his own land from the air.

Best experience?

We did 6,000 miles and five countries in six weeks and there are so many memories. We went to see the gorillas in the mountains of the Congo and Rwanda. We were within 10 to 15ft [3 to 5m] of the silverback, who is definitely the daddy.

Any hairy moments?

Capturing crocodiles in the Okavango Delta was strange. There was a crocodile that was about 3.5m long that went under the boat, and if it had wanted to knock us over, it easily could have done. We captured a few small ones and took samples from them and then put them back. You have to tape their jaws so they don’t take a chunk of your arm off.

Are you now an adventure junkie?

I don’t think I’ll be tempted to do a bungee jump from a balloon any time soon. There’s something very sedate about a balloon.

Favourite country?

We were the first balloonists in Rwanda, which is very vibrant . They have completely banned plastic bags because they don’t like them. They have a day where everyone cleans up wherever they are. Kigali [the capital] is a beautifully clean place and now that everyone is working together it is really positive. It is a fantastic turnaround.

Top three must-take items on a ballooning adventure?

A camera, a spirit of adventure and plenty of water. It gets pretty hot up there.

When not flying around Africa in a balloon, where do you holiday?

I'm going off to Boston [Massachusetts] for my next holiday. I do a beach holiday every two or three years.

Ever been on a private jet?

No, but I flew a plane for the first time quite near to the Victoria Falls. It was a Piper Chieftain. There were six of us on board and the pilot asked if I wanted a go. It was amazing.

Trashy airport read or literary classic?

I love a good biography. Stephen Fry is keeping me company at the moment — you couldn’t ask for a nicer holiday companion.

Local cuisine or a cheeky McDonald’s?

Local cuisine. We had a crocodile curry, which was fantastic.

Top travel tip?

Forget where you have left, and what you have left behind, and focus on where you are.

Stephen Tompkinson’s African Balloon Adventure begins on ITV1, on June 7

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