Attending a hot air balloon festival is an experience. What is frequently described as a weightless trip, as if the balloon floats by magic and drifts with the breeze where you can just let go of every worry and focus on the scenery. With that in mind, we focus on the picturesque spots around the Middle East that host hot air balloon festivals.
AlUla Skies Festival
On the first of March, 2022, for 10 days the AlUla skies were magically filled in vibrant hot air balloons to commemorate the AlUla Skies Festival. The festival had something for everyone, including sunrise flights, tethered flights, and a successful attempt to break the record for the biggest hot air balloon glow show. 150 hot air balloons were displayed. The atmosphere was wonderful with live music, food trucks, and many other activities; also, the first UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra (30 min away from AlUla) in Saudi Arabia. The site is famous for more than 100 carved Nabataean tombs which feature more than 2000 years of well-preserved inscriptions and symbols on the sandstone mountains.
King Salman International Hot Air Balloons Festival
This festival, which took place back in 2018, was the first of its kind in the region. It attracted significant international participation and media attention and was held throughout the UAE. The festival, which has been held annually since 2006 but hasn’t been held since its last edition, attracted more than 100 teams from 15 Arab and other nations. However, if you’re in the UAE, we have some good news: the first public hot air balloon ride just opened to the public in Ras Al Khaimah at Manar Mall. The 30-meter-high balloon can hold two persons at once and offers 360-degree views of beaches, deserts, mangroves, and mountains. The Dh75 10-minute ride is available every day from 5 pm to 7 pm at the attraction.
Morocco Balloon Festival
From November 27th to December 10th, 2022, The Morocco Balloon Festival, held in Merzouga, will be offering guests the chance to explore Morocco’s beautiful sand dunes. The Hot Air Balloon festival will take place in desert areas, valleys as well as allowing people to explore the amazing Moroccan cities. This event will convey the beauty of Moroccan pure landscapes and will offer people some touristic activities such as riding camels, quad biking, visiting attractions, trying delicious food, and learning about the local culture.
Jordan Hot Air Ballon Festival
Rolling sand dunes and sandstone mountains make up one of Wadi Rum’s most breathtaking desert panoramas. It has also become a popular place for producers and filmmakers to shoot. Many movies including “The Martian”, “Aladdin”, “Mission to Mars”, and “Transformers 2” among others have used it as their backdrop. Therefore, the first Hot Air Balloon Festival in Jordan was inaugurated back on October 1st, 2021 by The Jordan Humanitarian Fund (JHF). It was held in Jordan’s Wadi Rum, Petra, and Aqaba. The Festival featured a variety of activities, such as hot air balloon rides and evening balloon illumination in the picturesque surroundings of Wadi Rum and Petra. Other activities included an Army parachute display, an outdoor movie theatre showing films shot in Wadi Rum, musical performances, a center for children’s education and entertainment, traditional Bedouin performances, and traditional Jordanian cuisine.
Luxor Hot Air Balloons Trips
One of the most popular tourist attractions in the entire city has been the hot air balloon attraction at Luxor. It’s a unique experience to have the chance to look at the city’s splendor from a distance. However, the government announced a ban on hot air balloons flying in Luxor’s skies back in January 2018 after one collapsed due to poor weather, killing one South African tourist and wounding several others. The hot air balloon, however, came back to life in July 2018 and is still functioning to this day. Indeed Luxor is a breathtaking city full of magnificent structures and monuments that are best appreciated from a height of several meters above the ground.
Next time you are looking for a priceless experience that combines beautiful scenery with an undesirable feeling of floating mid-air, make sure to check out these festivals or even go on day tours that are usually offered in one of those cities.
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