Jaipur happens to among the handful of places in India where hot air ballooning is offered. Having experienced ballooning in New Zealand, I was keen to give it a try in India. The pictures of balloon flying over the Jaipur forts was too exciting to not try this. But the end result was a huge disappointment.
Sky Waltz appeared to be the only licenced operator in Jaipur so there was no choice. The cost per person was ~INR 15k, inclusive of pick and drop.
Early morning is the best time
I was picked at 5.30 in the morning and driven the launch site on Jaipur-Delhi route. The balloon was being inflated when I reached the site around 6.30am. After a hot cup of tea and arrival of fellow riders, we got into the basket. The captain, who had trained in US, briefed us on the flight, safety requirements and other Dos and Donts. Two vehicles belonging to the organizers and carrying other staff and workers were to ‘chase’ the balloon, and help at the time of landing.
Balloon being inflated, Jaipur, Rajasthan Hot Air Balloon before launch, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Just as the sun was rising, the balloon took off. Going up was fairly easy and smooth. The balloon reached a maximum altitude of a little over 2000 ft.
Balloon flew over a small area
But the disappointment was that balloon only flew in a small circular loop around the launch site. The captain explained that he cannot control the direction, it all depends on the wind flow. My understanding was that the wind blows in different directions at different altitudes and by moving up or down, one can catch the wind blowing in the desired direction. No doubt the pilot did turn the balloon 360 degrees but that was just about it. I do not know if this is due to absence of landing sites elsewhere or DGCA regulations.
The views were quite disappointing to say the least. No forts, palaces, or expansive sand dunes were visible. We did descend and got very close to a village and later to a hillock and that was great fun. But the thrill of flying in a balloon gets enhanced by the surrounding and distant scenery. At ground level, it is impossible to visualise what a fort looks like in its entirety. The scale of construction is only visible from the sky and that was the main reason for my balloon ride. We were nowhere close to any of the Jaipur landmarks.
During the last 15 minutes, the pilot was communicating with the ground staff over radio to find a suitable landing spot. Eventually, he caught a drift that led us back to the launch site. The landing was just perfect, the basket did not even roll over but stood upright.
The entire flight was professionally handled.
Hot Air Balloon ride, Jaipur, Rajasthan Hot Air Balloon ride, Jaipur, Rajasthan Hot Air Balloon ride, Jaipur, Rajasthan
Bit more of clarity would be helpful
The website allows booking flights in the evening hours even though, by their own admission, such flights have not taken off for the last 6 months. I paid for the evening flight that got converted to morning flight as I did not wish to cancel after making the payment. Also, the website carries pictures of balloon flying over the forts and towns and it would be advisable to check on the probability of such flights before booking.
Overall good for first timers
Overall, I think this kind of balloon flight will be exciting for first timers. Others may well avoid if there is no clarity on the route ahead of time. I honestly felt I have wasted INR 30k for 2 persons.
There are options to charter a full balloon and also celebrate in the sky. For more information and bookings, check out this website.