We were planning a visit to Jaipur, and went online searching for off-beat things to do. Voila, we found Skywaltz, which arranges hot air balloon safari. We checked out their website, and booked for a tour with them. Lucky us, we were the first tour of the season (Oct - Mar). Opted for fully refundable tickets because success of such safaris depend highly on the weather; opted for early morning flight. Yay, we were all set for our first hot air balloon safari!
On the day of our tour, we were picked up from our hotel (at 5.30am). At the safari venue, three balloons were getting ready for the flight. We were served hot beverages and cookies. The dawn was yet to break, and the balloons that were getting inflated looked beautiful. The safari was scheduled for about hour or so. We climbed in to the basket, and our captain briefed us about the flight, the precautions, and the landing drill. After practicing the landing drill for a few times, we set sail.
Oh, what a feeling! Gently the balloon glided, cutting across the wind, and leaving the land behind. We could see the Amber Palace on the hills. The landscape varied from houses, trees, tilled lands, to water-body. Birds chirped. Hares ran. Camels looked up scared. People, brushing their teeth or standing in their yards, waved at us. There were times when the balloon flew so low that it touched the trees. The balloon rose up, up, and flew away.
And then the dawn broke. The sky was splashed with hues so pretty. The Sun seemed to be in a hurry to shine; rose quickly. Imagine this sight - the balloon flying towards the rising Sun. I know that words aren't sufficient to capture such an experience. Hopefully, my photos can help imagine the beauty of the safari! After about one hour, we were ready to land. The landing was super smooth; no necessity to put our landing drill to use. We got off the basket, watching the balloons deflate. We got certificates, clicked photos of the group along with captain, and departed to our hotels.
Words of caution. Ask the safari operators about refund policy. Please listen to your captain, and adhere to the guidelines. Wear jacket and shoes (closed at the toes). Drink water. Don't get excited about clicking photos and forget where you are; you may jump off the basket! Leave children behind; probably, young adults (15+ years) are fine to accompany. If you have any sort of phobia, please let the captain know. Landings may not be smooth all the time; be prepared to have a bumpy landing or to get dragged on the ground.
One of the balloons that flew with ours sort-of landed very close to a water-body. I wondered what would happen if the balloon landed on the surface of water and people (like us) didn't know to swim. Well, there are no life-jackets in the baskets.
Having said that, please try hot air balloon safari!
Check out our visit to Amer Fort, Jaipur.
Regards,
Asha
On the day of our tour, we were picked up from our hotel (at 5.30am). At the safari venue, three balloons were getting ready for the flight. We were served hot beverages and cookies. The dawn was yet to break, and the balloons that were getting inflated looked beautiful. The safari was scheduled for about hour or so. We climbed in to the basket, and our captain briefed us about the flight, the precautions, and the landing drill. After practicing the landing drill for a few times, we set sail.
Oh, what a feeling! Gently the balloon glided, cutting across the wind, and leaving the land behind. We could see the Amber Palace on the hills. The landscape varied from houses, trees, tilled lands, to water-body. Birds chirped. Hares ran. Camels looked up scared. People, brushing their teeth or standing in their yards, waved at us. There were times when the balloon flew so low that it touched the trees. The balloon rose up, up, and flew away.
And then the dawn broke. The sky was splashed with hues so pretty. The Sun seemed to be in a hurry to shine; rose quickly. Imagine this sight - the balloon flying towards the rising Sun. I know that words aren't sufficient to capture such an experience. Hopefully, my photos can help imagine the beauty of the safari! After about one hour, we were ready to land. The landing was super smooth; no necessity to put our landing drill to use. We got off the basket, watching the balloons deflate. We got certificates, clicked photos of the group along with captain, and departed to our hotels.
Words of caution. Ask the safari operators about refund policy. Please listen to your captain, and adhere to the guidelines. Wear jacket and shoes (closed at the toes). Drink water. Don't get excited about clicking photos and forget where you are; you may jump off the basket! Leave children behind; probably, young adults (15+ years) are fine to accompany. If you have any sort of phobia, please let the captain know. Landings may not be smooth all the time; be prepared to have a bumpy landing or to get dragged on the ground.
One of the balloons that flew with ours sort-of landed very close to a water-body. I wondered what would happen if the balloon landed on the surface of water and people (like us) didn't know to swim. Well, there are no life-jackets in the baskets.
Having said that, please try hot air balloon safari!
Check out our visit to Amer Fort, Jaipur.
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| The three different hot air balloons |
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| Landscapes of Jaipur |
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| Our captain and the other two balloons |
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| The dawn break |
Regards,
Asha
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