Enjoy Balloons over Bagan for free
If you are there at the right season (approx November to February) hot air balloon rides are available at sunrise and sunset to view Bagan from the air.
Sounds magical and romantic, looks magical and romantic and being able to afford it would be magic on a backpacker budget at an average of 300USD per person for an hour, although for some this my be worth the splurge, it’s something so unique and you do get a champagne breakfast included.
I never saw any sunset balloons, it could be weather related. The balloon, including the flight path is completely determined by the wind, if the weather conditions aren’t favourable it won’t go up. I heard an interesting fact that sunrise is most preferable because of the air pressure, this means they can go higher at sunrise. I will be researching the science behind this and updating this page as soon as I figure it out.
{image ballon flying close}
It is expensive, so so expensive, but you can also enjoy them, for free, without being on one. In fact I think it’s better to see them floating over the temples from afar rather than being stuck in a basket with 10 strangers.
Seeing them majestically float slowly over the field of pagodas is really magical (yuk how cliche I know!) and adds an extra something to ‘another’ sunrise in South East Asia. If you’re lucky and the wind is in your favour (which it was for me) you might get a close up of one of the balloons floating low and be waved at by the wealthy riders. But even from the ground without the pagoda viewpoint they are quite spectacular, it is the amount of them all bobbing along together, a sight I have never seen before that was mesmerising.
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