Small Group Bagan Hot Air Balloon Ride
Small Group Bagan Hot Air Balloon Ride
Dawn’s earliest whisper is Bagan’s hidden gem. Way before the sun rises high in the sky, the magnificent old temples are surrounded by a pink dawn haze, their shadows apparently stretching towards heaven. And it is then, when the world is still dreaming, that a few intrepid souls wait patiently for something quite simply magical: a hot air balloon ride over one of the world’s most stunning rides.
How?
Different from the crowded baskets of mass tourism, a small group Bagan hot air balloon ride is much more intimate. With fewer riders—usually no more than eight—the ride is private, nearly a personal journey through time. The experience starts with an early-morning pickup, transporting visitors through the empty streets of Bagan to the launch site. This is where the giant balloons gradually but certainly inflate as fire erupts into their substance, inflating them like slumbering giants coming to life.
Then,
As the balloon ascends above the earth, the earth beneath recedes and there is only the soft rush of the wind and the occasional thunder of the burner. Down below, the seemingly infinite spread of Bagan’s ancient temples lies out before one in a mesmerizing mosaic of stone and leaves. The higher you ascend, the greater you appreciate the sheer scope of this UNESCO World Heritage site—over 2,000 pagodas and temples cluster the plains, their golden stupas shining in the morning sun.
The appeal of a small-group flight is not so much the exclusivity as the closeness to the pilot and other travelers. Experienced balloon pilots, having accumulated decades of flying hours, entertain guests with tales of the landscape, pointing out lesser-known ruins and temples hidden on the horizon. There is no hurry, no pushing for a glimpse. Each visitor gets his or her unobstructed window to history, gently drifting above one of Southeast Asia’s most celebrated archaeological wonders.
Moreover,
At dawn, the view changes. The Irrawaddy River shines with dawn light, meandering idly along the curve of the horizon. Wraiths of smoke rise from village houses, the beginning of another day. At this height, Bagan is timeless—a city of temples beyond the grasp of the present day, forever held in gold. Cameras click softly, but even the finest photographs cannot quite convey the sense of being here, of floating effortlessly above a land that has witnessed centuries pass.
The landing is smooth, under the direction of skilled hands. Bringing passengers down onto an open field, the crew greets returnees to terra firma with a glass of champagne toast—a practice that originated in the early days of ballooning. There is a peaceful contentment in the air, a mutual knowing that something out of the ordinary has been achieved.
A small-group Bagan hot air balloon experience is not merely a tour around the sights; it’s an experience of history, an airborne ballet over an ancient realm. For the fortunate few who get to greet the dawn and drift over this hallowed land, it’s a memory that lasts way beyond the end of the journey.
