Hot Air Balloon Rides Over Vang Vieng, Laos

When I started planning a trip to Laos and found out that I could ride a hot air balloon over the town of Vang Vieng as the sun rose, I knew there was no way I wasn't booking a ride. I mean, how often can you say you floated away in a hot air balloon with the sun peeking over the mountains and melting away the morning fog? Ummm…. hardly ever.

I booked my ride in advance by emailing a trusted tour company in Vang Vieng with great reviews on TripAdvisor called Wonderful Tours. They partner with the well known Balloons Over Vang Vieng to book flights for just $80! Yes, for only $80 you soar higher than a bird. (I had also emailed BOVV directly, but they quoted me a price of $149 per passenger, so I went through Wonderful Tours instead). Upon arrival in Vang Vieng, I visited the office to pay my balance (very centrally located) and to tell them where I was staying for their shuttle pick up.

I was picked up promptly at 6 AM with other passengers going on the ride. It was still dark, and everyone was yawning and wiping the sleep from their eyes. The shuttle passed through the town picking up a few more people before taking us to an open field where three hot air balloons were laid out. As we watched, they filled the first balloon with air and it grew larger and larger until it towered above us all. The staff divided the group into three and once some hot air was blasted into the first balloon, the group boarded it and sailed away.

I went in the second balloon, so I got to watch the first one sail away and the balloon filling process for a second time. It was still just as cool. Finally it was our turn to climb into the basket. Once everyone was inside, the ‘driver' blasted the fire into the balloon as the staff held the sides steady. I watched excitedly as we slowly started to rise. Soon the staff released us and away we went, like Dorothy home to Kansas!

The balloon rose higher and higher giving us spectacular views of the town of Vang Vieng and the mountains that surround it. It was an absolutely breathtaking sight to watch the sun rise and color the sky from black to rosy and finally peek out and flood the valley below with light. Our balloon rose higher than even the mountains at one point, and I had to clutch the side as I peered over the edge.

All too soon, we began our descent back to earth. Our ‘driver' skillfully maneuvered us to the old abandoned air field in Vang Vieng. “Bend you knees!” he instructed us as we came in for a landing. The staff was all there to grab our basket and after bumping not he ground briefly, we came to a stop. Another group was waiting for the second ride of the morning so we switched out (one person out, one person in) and got back in the shuttle which dropped us off at our hotel. After such an early and exciting morning, I was eager to crawl back into bed briefly to dream about my flight.

Booking Info

Wonderful Tours, Laos

Email: info@wonderfultours.la

+856 20 222 447 75

3 flights a day: Sunrise, Morning, and Afternoon

Cost: $80 per passenger