Morning Hot Air Ballooning over Bagan
Morning Hot Air
Ballooning over Bagan
Seeing Bagan from the ground is already a visual feast yet floating nearby the plains of Bagan
with over 2000 temples and pagodas aboard a hot air balloon will even surpass your
wildest dreams. A serene and peaceful bird’s-eye view of an ancient kingdom.
WHY THIS TOUR?
Bagan’s fabled temples and pagodas are a sight to behold. Over 2000 religious monuments are scattered around the Bagan plains, offering respite and solace for Burmese Buddhists and awe-inspiring scenes for visitors who want to grasp the feeling of what once was the centre of an old Kingdom.
This ancient administrative and ruling centre of a bygone era took root in the 8th century but only rose to glory as capital of the First Kingdom of Myanmar in the early 11th century.
By day, Bagan tends to bring out ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ out of visitors but once you’ve tasted the dream of flight, an early morning hot air balloon flight over centuries of magnificence will even silence the most avid travellers from ascent to descent.
TRAIL ITINERARY
05:30 - 08:00
Hot air ballooning conditions are best in the early morning and an early ride, even before the sun has risen above the Burmese horizon. Your ballooning team welcomes you at the hotel lobby of your Bagan hotel and drives you to the starting point where professional balloonists with years of experience are prepping the balloon for lift-off. Instructions about the safety and how to maximize your aerial enjoyment for the following 45 minutes are clearly explained before embarking the basket. Each balloon can carry between 8 and 16 passengers. Once airborne, you will feel the sensation of flight at the speed of around 15 kilometres per hour floating on cool air streams across the Bagan Archaeological site.
Peaceful, and with your eyes fixated on the rising sun behind the contours of Bagan’s ancient kingdom, the experience of a lifetime now takes more realistic forms. As you are totally taken aback with snapping away as mementoes for later, your pilot will slowly make its way to a designated landing area – his skills include the ability to guide the balloon to a gentle landing on the banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River, or in an open field, where the ground crew supports a safe landing.
It will take some time to catch your breath and share your experiences with your fellow balloonists as the ground team preps the balloon for repacking and ready for another flight the following morning. Your transfer back to your Bagan resort is included, and you will be in time back at your hotel for breakfast and yet another day in magical Bagan.
