There are many iconic places that offer hot air balloon rides over natural, historic or other sites. If one were to take only one hot air balloon ride, where in the world should it be? I don’t want to poison the well by suggesting any specific ones to start out here.
And while we’re at it, where is the best place in the US to do this?
Please include with your response whether you’ve actually done the ride or just imagine that it would be the best.
Somewhere really far from power lines.
Not just where you go but when you go matters as well. Fall can be amazing with the trees painted colors. Winter can be boring…unless there’s snow on the ground; that’s a very cool flight.
Anywhere can be fun but the magic week/end that there’s a festival there & other balloons flying with you is even better.
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[li]Cappadocia, Turkey is supposed to be incredible & on my bucket list of places to fly. [/li]
[li]Albuquerque, especially during Fiesta (9 days, starting the first Sat in Oct) is incredible as it’s the largest balloon festival in the world & you are literally surrounded by hundreds of balloons.[/li]
[li]Letchworth State Park, in western NY is an incredible place to fly. You may literally contour fly over 107’ Middle Falls &/or into a 600’ gorge. It’s one of the few places you can be flying & look up at the ground! [/li]If you can work it out, Memorial Day weekend hosts the Red, White, & Balloon balloon festival.
[li]My absolute favorite, though, is a morning flight over Lancaster Co, PA. Mist in the valleys, rolling hills, Amish farms, you can hear the clip-clop of horseshoes ½-mile up.[/li][/ul]
I have flown in all three of the US locations that I listed.
My one and only balloon ride was over the Masai Maru in Kenya, with the great East African herds of Wildebeest and Zebra below us. It’s 90 minutes of my life I’ll never forget. And depending on the herds migration over the seasons, the same ride is available in the Serengeti. If you have the chance, do it.
I’ve only experienced two balloon rides so far but my favourite was the one in Göreme, Turkey. We were interested in Göreme because it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and seeing the town and its valleys and rock formations from above was really spectacular. Not only do you get to see the view from above, but they also take you down lower and up-close to the rocks and cliffs. The balloon piloting was very professional. And you get to celebrate a safe landing with morning Champagne:)
