This article first appeared on My Travelogue by Bhushavali
FLYING IN THE SKY AFTER FALLING FROM THE SKY!
After the fast and furious Skydiving experience,
it's time for the slow & serene experience with Hot Air
Balloon in Belgium!
Ever since I did Skydiving in Belgium at Spa, I kept thinking about the next
sky activity to do. I've been eyeing Hot Air Balloon Ride in Belgium ever since
and recently I managed to do it after almost a year of planning, depending on
public transport!!!
Also read: Indoor Skydiving at Airspace Charleroi
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ULM Baisy Thy Pilot School
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SKYDIVING vs HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE - SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES
Adrenaline: Unlike Skydiving, there is no adrenaline rush involved in
Hot Air Ballooning at all! It is an overall peaceful, quiet, serene
experience. One similarity between Skydiving & Hot Air Ballooning is that
the feeling of flying in a Hot Air Balloon is similar to that of after the
Parachute opens in Skydiving.
Dependence on the weather: While both are dependent on the weather, hot
air ballooning relies so much more on it, than skydiving. While rain and cloud
cover plays a major role in skydiving and wind plays only a minor role, in
hot-air ballooning, all of these aspects play a major role. If the sky looks
clear and it is not too windy, Skydiving will definitely happen; but even if it is slightly windy, Hot
Air Ballooning will not happen. Not just wind speed, but even the wind
direction matters. If the wind blows towards Brussels or Charleroi, Hot Air
Ballooning will not happen in Brabant, because Brussels & Charleroi Air
Space is barred for recreational flights; similarly, Hot Air Ballooning will
not happen in Spa if the wind blows towards the forests because landing &
retrieving the balloon in the middle of the forest is extremely difficult
& dangerous as well. So there is a substantial chance that your scheduled
Hot Air Balloon flight might get canceled because of wind!!!
Hot Air Balloon Flying: The take-off is extremely gentle. Since
you move along with the wind, you won't feel the wind blowing on your face,
unlike skydiving where your face tears through the air!
Hot Air Balloon Landing: In Skydiving, the parachute can be
steered to land in a particular area, but that's impossible in Hot Air
Ballooning since there's no steering at all here. So landing happens somewhere
about 20km away as the crow flies which cannot be pre-determined! It could be
in the middle of fields or grasslands or just a plain!
While landing is relatively smooth in Skydiving, in Hot Air Ballooning,
landing is a bit jerky (though the take-off & flight are very smooth)!
Since your inertia of motion comes to rest all of a sudden, when you touch the
ground, the smooth ride comes to a jolting halt. Even if it is slightly windy,
the balloon would be dragged a bit, thereby dragging the basket too or even
tipping it over, before stopping completely. This is normally expected at
every landing. If it doesn't happen, well and good; but if it does, that's
normal too!
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Early morning scenes from the sky!
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WHICH IS THE BEST LOCATION FOR HOT AIR BALLOONING IN BELGIUM?
Montgolfiere operates in 5 locations in the south of Brussels (Wallonia + Southern Flemish Brabant) - Brabant, Liege,
Namur, Meuse valley, and Durbuy. Some of these places have multiple take-off
points. While you can select which region you want to fly at, it is not
possible to choose your take-off point. That is chosen only by the pilot on
the day/ the day prior to the flight after studying the wind
direction.
The best location is most definitely Brabant. Brabant has multiple
take-off points including Abbaye de Villers-la-Ville, certain Castles near Brussels incl. Huizingen Castle, Enghien Castle, Gravenhof Castle, & more, Lion's Mound in Waterloo, etc. To be able to see any of these
awesome locations from the sky would be absolutely amazing. However, since
there are so many take-off points in Brabant the actual place where the
take-off would happen is confirmed only some hours before the flight.
Namur is the next best option because thanks to the meandering River
Meuse and the majestic Namur Citadel, the view from atop is spectacular.
July onwards, Durbuy is a good option because you get to see the
Barvaux (Durbuy) Labyrinth from the sky. It's truly an awesome view from the
sky. In either of these cases, there is only one take-off point, so as long
as the weather is good, there's no confusion about where the take-off would
be.
The natural beauty of the Ardennes region is absolutely divine and it looks
like paradise from the sky which is the very reason why I chose SkydiveSpa
in the first place for my skydiving experience. Spa has 7 take-off
points, so the actual take-off point wouldn't be known till the previous
evening.
SUNRISE OR SUNSET - WHICH TIMING IS BEST FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON RIDE IN
BELGIUM?
Unquestionably sunrise! At sunrise, the world wakes up - there's no one in
the monuments & on the roads, and in the countryside, there are farm
animals, deers & rabbits getting out to graze. There are hardly any
people on the ground. The angle of the sun rays gives such spectacular
lighting on everything - both nature & monuments. Also, you will not be
late at the take-off point because the roads are empty and there are no
traffic jams!
The sunrise flight/morning Hot Air Balloon Ride happens about an
hour after sunrise and the sunset flight/evening Hot Air Balloon
Ride happens a few hours before sunset. The decision whether the
flight would happen or not, is done at 6:00PM the previous day for
sunrise/morning flights and at 2:30PM on the same day for sunset/evening
flights.
That said, it all boils down to convenience. If you own a car or can hire
a taxi, and if children can wake up at 4:30AM, Sunrise flight it is,
otherwise Sunset flight it is.
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MY PLANNING STAGE FOR HOT AIR BALLOON IN BELGIUM WITH MONTGOLFIERE
The biggest issue while planning the whole Hot Air Balloon experience is my
dependence on public transport. After looking into all options (I mean, I
literally tried to find the route to each and every take-off point from
Brussels on weekdays and on weekends, using not just Google Maps, but also
the official websites of SNCB, DeLijn, and LeTEC, both for sunrise timings
& sunset timings).
I've made it easier for you, scroll down to see what is possible if you
depend on public transport.
I finally chose a sunrise flight in May in the Brabant region. As I
mentioned before, since Hot Air Balloon is extremely dependent on weather,
it got canceled, not once but twice. Finally, I flew one fine morning in
July.
As I mentioned earlier, the thing about Brabant is the multiple take-off
points. I really hoped it would be one of the Castles near Brussels, Abbaye
de Villers-la-Ville, or Lion's Mound in Waterloo. If none of these then at
least The Sloping Lock of Ronquières, which is a boat lift similar to
that of La Louviere Boat Lifts.
While the other 2 take-off points - Place de
Ceroux Mousty and Baisy Thy, have no monuments or places of interest. But in
these 2 locations, you'll see the absolute beauty of the Belgian countryside
with endless fields, grazing lands with various farm animals, charming
little houses with huge backyards, and more.
MY HOT AIR BALLOON EXPERIENCE IN BELGIUM WITH MONTGOLFIERE.BE
SMS Confirmation on the previous day: Since I had a morning Hot Air
Balloon flight/sunrise Hot Air Balloon experience in the Brabant region, the decision on flight +
take-off point was informed by SMS to me the previous evening. The
take-off point was mentioned as ULM Baisy Thy at 6:30AM.
Reaching the take-off point by taxi: I booked my taxi for 5:00AM (I used Get Transfer and I had Uber as a
back-up) on the day of the flight and reached the take-off point much
earlier than expected.
Baisy Thy is absolutely in the middle of nowhere! We crossed the Lion's
Mound in Waterloo, and went on. The last bit of the travel was absolutely in
the middle of nowhere, through endless fields. Till the last minute, I
couldn't even spot the building where the take-off would happen but I came
across a very interesting road sign that warned car drivers about the
possibility of getting hit by tiny aircraft! Literally, I have never ever
seen such a road sign!!!
What is ULM Baisy Thy? ULM Baisy Thy is a pilot school as well as a
flying experience. You could, in fact, book an Aircraft/Glider/Helicopter
sightseeing experience as a follow-up after Hot Air Balloon if your take-off
point is Baisy Thy! Yes, you can book it the previous day after your
location gets confirmed. Nope. I did not do that though, so I have no
personal experience to talk to you about. Keep in mind, that the
Glider/Aircraft experiences are only for 1 person per vehicle, plus the
pilot (helicopter can carry 3 persons at a time though). Here's the
official website of ULM Baisy Thy
if you would like to try that out.
The flight take-off strip of ULM Baisy Thy is being used by Montgolfiere for
the take-off of their Hot Air Balloons.
Preparation & Inflation of Hot Air Balloon: Since we reached
quite early, we were on time to watch the sunrise over the bean fields
sitting there peacefully, in absolute quietness and peace. It was such a
memorable experience. Soon after sunrise, the team of Montgolfiere reached
ULM Baisy Thy and unloaded their balloon. All of us, the passengers, gave a
hand to spread the balloon and hold it, so inflation could begin. I had
already warned Atyudarini about the loud sound of fans used for initial
inflation, so she was cool. The basket was fixed to the ground to keep it
from flying away.
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Take-off and Flying in a Hot Air Balloon: The basket is segregated
into 4 sections to keep the passengers' weight balanced through the surface.
There are ideally 4 persons in each section on a fully booked Hot Air
Balloon. You also have to mention your weight in the form that you fill
while reserving. So the overall weight in each section is calculated to
maintain the balance.
There are holes on the sides of the basket to climb into the basket and soon
the ropes that hold the basket down are released and you float away!
The take-off and the flight are incredibly smooth. Again, I had already
warned Atyudarini about the noise and heat of the burner, so she wasn't
startled by it. Thanks to the wind direction, we flew from Baisy Thy towards
Gembloux.
Feeling while flying in the Hot Air Balloon: The first
things first - the serenity and peace up there is just unbelievable. As I
mentioned earlier it was similar to the serenity after the parachute opens
in Skydiving. It was silent.. pure silence... There's no sound of leaves or
birds or insects or cars, nothing at all, not even the sound of wind because you're
moving with the wind!
Of course, 1 hour of that silence is not practical. People, the other passengers, talk, Atyudarini did talk a lot, so that sound exists. Then the occasional sound of the burner. Then again, silence... peace... serenity!
Of course, 1 hour of that silence is not practical. People, the other passengers, talk, Atyudarini did talk a lot, so that sound exists. Then the occasional sound of the burner. Then again, silence... peace... serenity!
Views from the Hot Air Balloon over Baisy Thy: Being in the
middle of the Belgian countryside, early in the morning, the views from
above were also absolutely serene. We were primarily flying over fields and
plantations and guess what, I saw multiple deers skipping by and a few
rabbits hopping by; I saw several, several, cows & sheep & horses
grazing in the grasslands. As I rightly described, so serene and absolutely
peaceful. I tried to see if I could catch a glimpse of Villers Abbey or
Waterloo Lion's Mound far away, but unfortunately no such luck.
Landing in a Hot Air Balloon: As I mentioned before unlike the
take-off and flight, the landing is not so smooth in a Hot Air Balloon. We
landed in the middle of some wheat field. It was slightly windy that day and
we were warned that our basket might topple over and fall on its side and it did! After we
landed, the wind pushed the balloon and the basked toppled over. I had
warned Atyudarini that it might happen as well, but still she got irritated,
not scared but irritated & annoyed, that the basket landed on its side.
She said 'Oh man!' much to the amusement of all other passengers!
Soon we all jumped out and the car & shuttle that were following us
reached us. It took at least 20 hands to deflate and fold the balloon and
load it up.
Time for Champagne & Celebration: The pilot called each of
the passengers to hand over the flight certificate and when it was my turn,
he just turned to me and gestured for me to come and I burst into laughter. I can
imagine his plight, when most Indians cannot pronounce my name right, for a
Belgian, it would be way too complicated!
Morning flights always wrap up with a few croissants & champagne. It was
the perfect way to wrap up our early morning. The shuttle van dropped us at
Waterloo and we caught the train back to Brussels.
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HOT AIR BALLOON IN BELGIUM VIDEO VLOG
QUESTIONS I HAD ABOUT HOT AIR BALLOONING & TIPS FOR THE FIRST FLIGHT ON
A HOT AIR BALLOON
Can Atyudarini fly with me? Yes and she did! But how old should one be
for a Hot Air Balloon flight? There is no minimum age for flying in a Hot Air
Balloon. However, the minimum height to take a Hot Air Balloon flight is
100cm. Atyudarini is taller now and she flew with me!
What is the minimum height requirement to fly a Hot Air Balloon? While the minimum height requirement is 100cm, I'd recommend waiting until
about 120cm, so it is possible to see over the railing. Over to the next point
on why!
How did Atyudarini see the views from inside the Hot Air Balloon basket? Atyudarini could easily see from the stepping holes of the basket. However,
that was only in 1 direction. To cushion the knees while landing, there is the
padding on the sides, so there are no holes there. So Atyudarini could only
see from one direction. Also, the hole isn't big enough to put her head
through it and turn around in other directions. Carrying her in my hand/hip,
is obviously, extremely unsafe, so that's out of question. So yes, she did
have a great time seeing everything from above, but her views weren't as
spectacular as ours.
How much time does it take? About 3 hours for the overall
experience. The time indicated on the SMS, is the time they start unloading
and inflating the balloon. That process takes about 20-30 minutes. The actual
flight is for about 1 hour. After landing, it takes another 30 minutes to
deflate & fold the balloon and load the basket onto the trailer. Then
another 15 minutes for Champagne if you have a morning flight (not applicable
for evening flights). Then another 15 minutes to receive your certificate and
little souvenir! At this point of time, you're probably in the middle of
nowhere! If you rely on the Montgolfiere shuttle van to bring you to the
railway station/take-off point, it takes another 15-30 minutes. So more of
less, 2:30hrs to 3hrs for the whole experience.
Is it cold up in the air? What should I wear? It isn't
any extra cold that the ground. Since you're moving along with the wind, it
isn't windy, so it is just the temperature and that is the same as that of the
ground! Since there's fire involved, it is recommended to wear cotton clothes
and not nylon or polyester. Definitely wear a cap (if you're wearing a hooded
jacket, that would do). I'm not as tall as most Europeans, but I felt the
burner's heat on my head. So definitely carry a hat/scarf/hooded jacket.
What if I want to pee?! You can't! For morning flights, the bathrooms
at the take-off points aren't already open as well and in the sky, definitely,
it isn't possible. I usually carry my FUD on all my travels and recently, I've started getting Atyudarini to use a FUD as well. This time, for Atyudarini, I carried an empty water
bottle along with her FUD, just in case! Diapers would do the trick as well if
you aren't sure!
Is there a photo package? Unlike Skydiving, you're allowed to take your
own camera on the Hot Air Balloon flight. So, there's no package that includes
photography.
Is there any life jacket or any safety harness while flying? No.
What about the worst-cast scenario? The undertaking document
that everyone has to sign before the flight also includes a clause about
insurance. Every passenger is automatically insured against injury and
death!
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HOT AIR BALLOON IN BELGIUM WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORT
It is possible, but Hot Air Balloon in Belgium, depending on public transport
is a bit tricky.
Here are some points to keep in mind:
1. Since the spot you land after the flight is unknown, you'll have to
depend on the shuttle-van of Montgolfiere to take you to the take-off point or
the nearest railway station if any (you'll have to request it earlier). This
service is applicable only in Brabant and Namur, so you can choose only either
of these 2 places.
2. Sunrise flights always happen at 6:30-7:00AM it would be impossible
to reach the take-off point on time depending on public transport since trains
start running only at 4:45-5:30AM. So if you depend entirely on public
transport choose only evening flights.
3. In June & July, the evening flight is at 8:00-8:30PM which
means, by the time you land, the last train would have already left, so skip
that too, if you depend entirely on public transport.
4. In late October, the evening flight is at 4:15PM which means,
you may not reach on time at the take-off point depending entirely on public
transport, because the flight is confirmed only at 2:30PM.
There are a few options though:
1. If there is absolutely no wiggle room, and you're 100% depending on
public transport, choose the sunset flight in April, late August, September,
or early October on a weekday (not a weekend or public holiday) in the Brabant
region only. The sunset flight takes off from 5:30PM to the latest at 7:00PM.
After the experience (+2:30 to 3 hrs after arrival), they would drop you
(request this at the time of booking) at the nearest railway
station or one on the way. That might be Braine-le-Comte, Waterloo, Halle,
etc. This would mean you can reach the railway station, latest at about
10:00PM which gives you enough time to catch one of the last few trains (the very last
train is around 11PM) to reach Brussels.
Why not a weekend or public holiday? The last bit of the travel is mostly
on a bus and many of these bus routes do not run on weekends!
In late September, or October alone you could also choose a sunset flight on a
weekday (not weekend or public holiday) at Namur. The experience
would get over by 9:00PM at the latest. Keep in mind, that the last bus from
Namur airfield to the railway station is at 9:49PM and the last train from
Namur is at 10:06PM. You absolutely need to catch these!
Do keep in mind, that the weather is cloudy & windy more often than
not, as autumn sets in (late September - October) or in early Spring
(April), unlike summer (July, August). Since Hot Air Balloon is extremely
reliant on wind, there are more chances that your flight might get canceled
during these time periods. If it does, don't worry, you can easily re-book
through their website on the next available option.
Also, keep in mind - certain locations might need a couple kilometers' walk from the nearest railway station / bus stop. If you can ride a bike, this might be easier.
2. The best option, if there's some wiggle room, is to take a taxi
one-way. Choose the Brabant region (sunrise or sunset on any month, but only
on a weekday) because it is the nearest to Brussels. Since the Brabant region
has multiple take-off points, you'll get to know it, only on that day / the
day prior. One-way taxi to any of the Brabant take-off points would cost
between €35 (if it's Halle or Huizingen or Waterloo etc) to €65 (if it's
Villers-la-Ville or Baisy Thy etc). In this case, if you have a child with
you, bring along the car seat booster. You could choose Namur too, just that
the taxi cost would be more. If you can afford it, go ahead and choose Namur,
if you want!
For sunrise flights, take a taxi to the take-off point. After landing,
they would drop you at the nearest railway station or back at the take-off
point by around 9:30AM-ish. You could take public transport to return. Ideally, choose a sunrise flight because it is easier to get a taxi 'from' Brussels.
For sunset flights, you should book the late-night (+3hrs after take-off
time) taxi from the take-off point to your home as soon
as you know the location. Go by train (/+bus) to reach the take-off point.
After landing, they would bring you back to the take-off point. Return by taxi
which should be waiting for you now.
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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST FOR A HOT AIR BALLOON IN BELGIUM
The cost of a Hot Air Balloon in Belgium at Montgolfiere is €160 for a
single person on a weekday (+€10 on a weekend). However, for 3 people or more
it is €15 less per person! So, if you're a family of 3 or more, on a weekday, it
costs €145 per person. The price is no different whether you're a child or an adult.
But wait, there's something more. Though there are no flights between November
and March, their gift voucher service can be still purchased and I purchased
mine when their last Christmas & New Year offer was going on with a 25% off,
and per ticket cost only a bit above €100!
Either of these can be booked through the official website of Montgolfiere.be.
SLOW & FURIOUS PACKAGE
Did you notice that the Hot Air Balloon has the photo & logo of Skydivespa? Well, they are partners! A combined ticket called the 'Slow & Furious Package' - Hot Air Balloon Experience with Montgolfiere.be and Skydiving Experience with SkydiveSpa can be booked together at the official website of SkydiveSpa for €310 (the two separately would cost €375).
Super crisp, detailed and descriptive post. All the doubts I got in mind while thinking of this adventure got cleared. Many thanks! Can’t wait to have this experience now.
ReplyDeletePankaj
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience, definitely I'll also try once!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I could do a hot air balloon ride as I'm scared of heights! But it sounds like a great company in Belgium to book with and the views are spectacular. A sunrise ride sounds great but I'm not usually awake that early lol. It's good to know that weather conditions are taken seriously!
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting experience to do with your child and flying over this scenic landscape and I see that you captured some amazing wildlife along the way. I was wondering how the landing experience is like and I assumed it to be just like you describe, but at least the champagne toast in the end makes it awesome along with that feelling of tranquility from above, looks like a fantastic experience for both of you.
ReplyDeleteWe have seen a lot of hot air balloon rides but have not yet managed to plan a ride. As a former skydiver I loved being in the air whenever I could . Although I never wanted to skydive from a hot air balloon. Interesting to read that the hot air balloon landing was a bit jerky. But then you can’t really flare it to slow it down. We too would choose to do the hot air balloon in Belgium in the morning. What a lovely experience. Especially finishing up with champagne!
ReplyDeleteThe Ropeways and Helicopter rides are a great way to see beautiful hill destinations from top and that is all that we have experienced. But a Hot Air Balloon would be so much more adventurous. The sights here just fantastic. Frankly hadn't heard of Montgolfiere before and now would love to go. The video is amazing which gave a great insight into what to expect. There is so much more to experience in Belgium for us.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing experience, do not you love the feeling being on the air for the first time. I bet you do. I could tell from the article. I learn some good tips and knowledge about hot air balloons and sky diving . The article is totally informative. If I have the choice to choose between the two. I would pick skydiving for sure. You could say, I am an adrenaline junky.
ReplyDeleteTaking a ride in a hot air balloon has long been on my bucket list! While I knew it would provide beautiful aerial views, I did not even consider that you would see wildlife below. That's incredible! Now that I know the details and tips for taking a hot air balloon ride based on your experience, I'm more likely to actually do it. Looks as amazing as I envisioned!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing such a descriptive experience on Hot Air balloon ride in Spa, Belgium. And it's understandable that the adrenaline rush in hot air balloon is not similar to skydiving as there are so many limitations applied in a hot air balloon ride.I would love to go for a hot air balloon ride. I would definitely prefer hot air balloon ride to skydiving.
ReplyDeleteOh wow what an incredible experience and the views from up there!! I'm not sure I would be brave enough to do it, although I know my kids would love it! Deffo core memories being made with an experience like this.
ReplyDeleteLaura Side Street