Mirasia

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone has taken a hot air balloon ride recently over Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Is it worth it? Would I be missing out if I didn't do it?

Thanks for your help,
Mirasia

Casual_Cairo

Yep, it's GREAT! You will be missing out if you don't do it. If you have ever wanted to fly in a balloon, this is the place to do it. It must be the cheapest place on earth to take a ride.
I've said it many times before, but I think it's a mistake if you use anyone but Hod Hod Solimon, but that's just MHO... and many others on this forum.

MissGreen

I didn't do it... too scared (safety reasons!). And, as I didn't do it, I don't know what I am missing out. If I had the choice again, I still wouldn't do it even though as I went to the Valley of the Kings I came across many happy, smiling faces chattering excitedly about their balloon ride.

Axel2DP

Yes, I did the Luxor's balloon ride in November 2010. I liked it. It wasn't scary at all. I did feel the heat a bit whenever the engine blasted fire into the balloon though; It was slightly uncomfortable, especially if you're standing right underneath it, but it's no big deal.

Ballooning is one of the major things to do in Luxor. When you're in Luxor and has some time in the early morning (and who usually doesn't ?) then why not ?

I did wish my balloon was able to be blown further out over to the VOTK and the HasChickenSoup area; It seemed to go more straight up than out, but the views were still very nice.

P_M

If you are even halfway interested in ballooning this is your big chance. GO!! And heck yes you are missing something if you pass. The balloon ride was the highlight of my trip to Egypt. And as an added bonus, ballooning in Egypt is cheaper than just about anywhere else in the world. I'm sure you will curse my name when you get that 4am wake-up call but you'll be more than glad later and you'll talk about it for years to come.

P_M

Axel, our guide called it Hot Chicken Soup.

Axel2DP

P_M,

You're right, it probably was called Hot Chicken Soup by my guide also. I just couldn't remember it exactly. I could not pronounce it correctly at all and still can't, LOL.

Mirasia

Thanks everyone for your wonderful input. I will be going on the balloon ride! Another question: hubby is afraid of heights and thinks he doesn't want to do it. Has anyone else scared of heights done it and enjoyed it? Should he go or opt out???
Thanks again you guys are great!
Mirasia

Casual_Cairo

<<I did wish my balloon was able to be blown further out over to the VOTK and the HasChickenSoup area; It seemed to go more straight up than out, but the views were still very nice.>>

This is entirely up to God and the skill of your pilot. You probably will never go into the VOK, but you might stay closer to it than most if you have a clever and skilled pilot. On my last flight all the other balloons shot up high fast, and blew immediately across the river - NOT WHAT YOU WANT... but Amr, our most talented pilot from Hod Hod had done his testing earlier and knew the winds up high were blowing to the east like that, so he kept us down closer to the ground where he could navigate the balloon near tombs and allow us to see much more than any of the other companies saw. Granted, they went up WAY high, and at first I was unhappy we were not going up HIGH, but when he said, "see where they are headed?", I understood why he did what he did. We were the only balloon that landed on the west bank that day.
Mirasia, I would encourage your husband to go anyway. If worst comes to worst there is a seat in the balloon for him to sit on and not look over the edge, but my guess is it won't bother him as much as he thinks it will. It is so still up there (you're moving with the wind so it isn't windy at all) and the basket is significantly more secure than I ever imagined it might be. It is REALLY strong and you feel secure in it.
Have fun.

Mirasia

Thank you for your repies!
Mirasia

TravellerB

I took hot air balloon over Luxor from 3 days ago, was wonderful, it will cost you 99 $ per person start from 05:30 or 06:00 AM for around one hour

Casual_Cairo

TravellerB - which company did you use?

Jam

TravellerB what are your thoughts on Le Caire Travel now that you are in Egypt and have made contact with the tour group? Are you pleased as I am thinking of booking with them? May I ask how did you make your payments to George, what terms did you settle on? Thanks in advance. Any information will help. Happy travels to you.

Prater

If I go to Egypt in May, I have to do this. Thanks for the tips and info

Idnas71

May I ask the going rate for a balloon ride in Luxor? My tour company is asking $165 for this coming May, and I thought that seemed pricey. If you book it with someone independently, will they pick you up at your hotel or would I need to get a taxi and travel to a certain place?

Many thanks!
Sandi/idnas71

Casual_Cairo

I think they ALL will pick you up at the hotel. At that hour of the morning, no one would expect you to get yourself to the balloon, plus they need to do a bit of a safety briefing with you after they collect you on the way to the balloon.

Different companies charge different rates.
Check out the different companies as some have a MUCH better reputation for safety than others and they are the only one I'd ride with.

P_M

Idnas71, $165 is a very good price, it's about what I paid 3 years ago. And as our Casual Cairo says, picking you up at the hotel is standard. If you decide to shop around anyway be sure to look into their safety record and don't just book something because it's the cheapest. And don't rely on the balloon operator to give you the safety info. Casual Cairo is a much better resource.

Idnas71

Thanks for the kind replies... I just got back on to say I had found a lot of past threads about balloons and their prices, and I'm sorry I didn't look before asking! Bad habit of mine.

I sent an e-mail to Hod Hod to see what he can offer me for my specific date. (For some reason I see "Hot Rod" when I look at that. lol)

To be honest, I had not booked a balloon trip on my tour, it is just listed as an "option" on my itinerary (with Lady Egypt). But, as time draws nearer, it does seem like a once-in-a-lifetime type of thing to do.

Cheers!
Sandi