Fly over Bagan in a hot air balloon

“Then, it was time for take off. We slowly began to rise and it was so smooth that it felt like we were in a room moving through the sky. I’m terrified of heights and didn’t even feel a tinge of fear. The flight started off low just above the trees. [...] About 10 minutes into the ride someone on the other side of the balloon screamed “Sunrise!” [...] We turned behind us to see the sun breaking free over the mountains in the distance. I wish I could say that the view was breathtaking or that it was so beautiful it left me speechless, but that wouldn’t be true. In fact, I had a lot to say. I was pointing in every direction and smiling like a fool. [...] Cows pulled plows through the fields below us. A village was blasting music way too loud for 7am. Birds soared through the trees. It was all sort of surreal.”

“After the pilot, Robert Keron, gave us our safety instructions, we entered the basket with the help of the crew, crouched down, and seconds later, the balloon started rising. It was so exciting, but I have to admit, also a bit scary! After a while, we were allowed to stand up. The sun wasn’t out yet and in the semi-darkness, we saw that other balloons surrounded us and we were already above the trees! It was almost overwhelming. I was intrigued by the system Robert used to control the balloon, four tanks and ropes, and the strange feeling of floating, combined with the odd sound of the blast produced by the burners, ensured that my adrenaline was as high as the balloon, OMG.”

“But, on the way to the balloon field, it was so foggy that we could barely see the road – it had rained heavily the night before. However, we continued our journey, were dropped off at the field, received the safety briefing and even saw a balloon being inflated… Only to be given the confirmation minutes later by the captain: “We’re not flying today because of the bad weather.” The mist was so dense that even Bagan airport was closed. You can imagine my frustration and worry that I might miss my chance to fly in a hot air balloon in Bagan!”