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Hot air ballooning in Nepal is something that
many travelers have written home about. In the
short period since its operation starts, the
sports has been very popular with tourists, for
it affords the most spectacular view of the
Kathmandu valley and the Himalayan ranges
towering in the background. On a clear day, it
is a superb way to view the Himalayas (from over
6000m up), and the view of the valley is equally
breathtaking.
The huge balloon comes to life in the morning
light, "a sleeping giant decorated with the all
seeing eyes of the Buddha", as it ripples
stretches, expands and readies itself for its
load of passengers. The departure is gentle and
one hardly feels the ascent. The advantage of
this ancient and romantic form of flight is that
there is no whirring or whining of engines, nor
any airplane wings to obscure the most
magnificent of views. Like the agency puts it,
"Even if you do not climb Mt. Everest, from the
perfect safety and comfort of a wicker basket,
you will feel that you have reached the top of
the world in effortless security," Cool!
The best months of a hot air balloon flight are
Oct-Nov and March, although the season extends
from Oct to Apr. The flights take place daily
during the season, and are dependent on the wind
for its direction (eastward or westward across
the valley). The landing could be anyplace –
mostly in the terraced paddies that stretch out
across the fringes of the valley, usually
attracting a large impromptu gathering of
villagers checking to see what has fallen out of
the sky!
The balloon takes off from Thimi, near historic
town of Bhaktapur, one of the three erstwhile
principalities of the Kathmandu Valley and in
many ways the most medieval. From there,
depending on which way of wind blows, it takes
you on a trip that gives you a bird's eye view
of Kathmandu and the valley |
