Riding a hot air balloon over the temples in Bagan was the highlight of our trip in Myanmar.The balloons over Bagan are expensive but worth every penny. Here are the details of this incredible adventure.
J-4: We bought 2 tickets for the famous hot air balloon ride over the Old Bagan with ´Oriental Ballooning Bagan´. We were lucky to find seats available. Despite the huge price at around 400 USD, tickets book up quickly. The 2 other companies "Balloons over Bagan" or "Golden Eagle" were also sold out. Only 3 companies flew balloons over Bagan: the Golden Eagles with three yellow balloons, "Balloons over Bagan" with 12 red balloons and Oriental Ballooning Bagan with 6 green ones.
J-1: We received a phone call from 'Oriental Ballooning Bagan' to confirm the flight. We knew cancellation happened from time to time when the weather conditions were not optimal for flying. The weather is less predictable at the beginning and end of the season. November is the best time.
J day at 4 am: We woke up, showered and brushed our teeth. We were ready and overly excited for our sunrise balloon trip over Bagan.
4:45: The ballon minivan promptly picked us with another Australian lady from the hotel. The adventure was about to begin.
5:11: We drove to New Bagan where 6 more fellow passengers joined us for our hot air balloon in Bagan.
5:13: Last stop before being transported to the launch field. The last 3 persons hopped on board the minivan.
5:35: We arrived at the launch site near the Bagan Nyaung golf. We were greeted by tea, coffee, cookies and French pastries. The pilots had just launched two helium balloons to judge the wind direction and they seemed confident. We would fly today!
5:46: The last minivan arrived in the dark pitch field all settled with tables and chairs. The breakfast continued. The 72 passengers were then split into 6 groups and assigned a ballon and obviously a pilot. Our British pilot was Piers. All pilots were European.
5:57: Piers, who had flown in Bagan since 2004, gave us a short introduction and the last chance to hit the loo.
6:01: We were invited to reach our green balloon. The basket was still on its side, and the envelope was laid down flat on the floor. Piers gave us a quick safety briefing. Basically which position to adopt for taking off and landing.
6:05: The crew kicked into action by blowing cold air with the use of a powerful fan to establish the basic shape of the balloon. Piers went inside the balloon to check the envelope. We could see from a distance the 2 others companies actively preparing their own ballons. That's the beauty of the ride over Bagan. You'll fly surrounded by 20 other balloons.
6:12: 21 Ballons were warmed up by the propane burners. In minutes the 21 hot air balloons, the maximum authorised by the Burmese government, were ready to take off.
6:18: We safely climbed into the basket split into 4 compartments for 3 people. The nacelle was big enough to accommodate 16 but Oriental ballooning limited them to 12 passengers to provide a more comfortable experience. Our balloon named KT and made in Bristol was brand new. Just one week old. It was reassuring to know that all the equipment were in fact made from England and severely controlled.
6:25: We sat in our safety position and lurched smoothly off the ground. At 2 or 3 meters from the ground, we could stand up and waved to the smiling crew as they were becoming smaller and smaller. We slowly drifted South over the temples, rural villages, brick factories, rivers and green fields. Only the occasional burst of flame from the burners overhead was breaking the peaceful and calm atmosphere of the ride. From time to time Piers would point out temples and explain us their stories. But to be honest, we just loved too much the birds-eye view of mystical Bagan and didn't pay much attention to Piers explanation... Sorry, Piers!
7:05: The three golden eagles ballons were the first to land after a 40 minutes ride. We still had another 15 minutes as our landing site was beyond the villages. Piers was manoeuvring the balloon from high in the sky and fairly low to the ground. We could see farmers working in their fields or children waving at us, probably dreaming to flight one day over Bagan.
7:20: Piers asked us to practice the ‘landing position’. We knew the flight was coming to an end.
7:25: We safely touched down with a soft bump in the landing field. The direction and duration of balloon flights dependent on the wind and on the weather conditions. Today they were optional and we flew for just over an hour. Life is all about the moments that take your breath away and this was one of them. Damn, that was so good.
7:33: The crew serves us the traditional champagne and fruits to celebrate one of the most magical moments we were lucky enough to experiment.
7:55: Back in the minivan, the head full of memories, we returned to our hotel.
8:25: We were back in our bed with surreal and spectacular images to fuel our dreams.
We spent the rest of the day biking through the Bagan and climbed temples finding secret passages. What a day!
A few words of advice
- The balloons over Bagan season runs from October to March. November is the best month to ride the hot air balloons. Bagan is still very green. The wind is not too strong and blows in the best direction to allow the longest ride over the temples.
- The hot air balloons over Bagan is an experience not to be missed so make sure you book well ahead to avoid disappointment as spaces are limited.
- All flights include transfers to/from the hotel, coffee/tea and pastries before the flight, champagne and light snacks after.
- All the three balloons companies will do the same ride over Bagan as only the wind dictate the fly. They will take off from the same field. From our experience, the Golden Eagle landed 10 to 15 minutes before the other 2.
- You will receive a fly certificate signed by the pilot.
- Depending on the wind, you might not fly over the temples and your journey could be shorted. Check with the ballooning company for more details.
- If you are like Kro, concerned about toilets, they are basic facilities on the launch site.
- Like the pilots, all the equipment was imported. Everything from the baskets to the ropes to the actual envelope. So it's really safe.
Where to stay in Bagan
Bagan has loads of accommodation options, ranging from hostels and budget guesthouses to luxurious hotels. We stayed at Myanmar Han which was perfect to relax by the pool after a long day on the e-bike. You can find other hotels here.