Bagan myanmar hot air balloon professional#

Here are some photos from our hot air balloon sunrise flight in Bagan: As our balloon slowly turned in the sky, we suddenly saw the sunrise peeking over the horizon, and it was majestically beautiful. According to our pilot, thereвЂ™s no way to direct your balloon in a certain direction, you can only control the elevation of the balloon with heat, and catch different air currents to naturally steer the balloon. The only sound you hear is the air blasting into the balloon above your head. The entire journey was very smooth, and extremely peaceful and serene. ResearchВ Tip: When you are booking your Bagan hot air balloon experience (or any hot air balloon ride), ask about the number of passengers in each basket.This means you get a comfortable and relatively spacious rideвЂ¦but most importantly an unblocked view of the amazing ariel views of Bagan. Our balloon with Oriental Ballooning only had 8 passengers, two in each quadrant of the balloon basket. Watching the hot air balloons inflate Photo opportunities as the hot air balloons inflate

Bagan myanmar hot air balloon professional#

Our entire experience with Oriental Ballooning was well-organized and professional with seamless transitions the crew has done this hundreds of times before. As dawn began to break, the crew inflates the giant balloon with heat, as we stood around and took photos. All pilots are professionally trained with a commercial UK balloon licence and many years of flying experience. After a quick briefing, you are assigned to a balloon with a different pilot. While we waited, tea and pastries are served. Oriental Ballooning picked us up in a shuttle from our guesthouse in the very early morning it was still dark. I have not yet found a way to reconcile these feelings but I think the best way might be to just be open to all experiences вЂ“ from local to luxurious, while being respectful to the local people and cultures as aВ conscientious tourist. I always feel that way when I am indulging in вЂњluxuryвЂќ experiences (whether it be dining, accommodations, activities, or attractions) in developing countries.

Sidenote: In a country where wages and the cost of living are so minimal, I felt a little bit guilty spending so freely on such a costly experience.

We were on vacation, we had never been in a hot air balloon, if we were going to ever go in a hot air balloon THIS was the location to do it, and (in an ironic justification) the cost of living for everything else was so low in Myanmar, letвЂ™s treat ourselves to this. Once we arrived in Bagan, however, FOMO kicked in. Trust me, we hemmed and hawed a lot about spending such an exorbitant amount of money in a developing country where wages and the cost of living is so minimal.

How much? The price was $395USD per person, meaning we spent over $1,000CAD for the two of us, for a 45 minute balloon flight. Hot air ballooning is a sell-out activity in Bagan, but also a very costly one. From our research, Balloons Over Bagan seems to be the most well-known, possibly because of itвЂ™s mention and cover art appearance in the 12th Edition cover of Lonely Planet! Due to availability, however, we went with Oriental Ballooning, booking our balloon flight at the guesthouse we stayed at. From reading reviews online and our own observations, it seems like each company offers the same route and experience without much differentiation.

When we were in Bagan, the three hot air balloon companies to choose from were: Balloons Over Bagan (red), Golden Eagle Ballooning (yellow), and Oriental Ballooning (green). But perhaps the most mystical and exotic of the hot air balloon routes are over the ancient temples of Bagan in Myanmar, where you have a 360 degree view of ancient temples many of which are over a thousand years old. There are a few destinations in the world, known globally for their spectacular hot air balloon experiences.Д¬appadocia in Turkey comes to mind, as well as Napa Valley over the wine regions, and theВ International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico.