You will need to rub your eyes a couple times the second you walk into Bagan. ‘Wow! There are temples everywhere! It is surreal!’ That is a common reaction. And yes, we agree, it is extraordinary. Bagan is the world record holder for the city/town with the most temples and pagodas. So, you are also stepping into history. But you’ll be doing more than just stepping into Bagan. We’ll make sure that you enjoy its sites from the air! That’s right a hot air balloon flight is in place and ready for you to board!

Those ruins you see in Bagan, they cover an area of about 40 square kilometers. At one time in history, there were as many as 13,000 of these temples and pagodas! Now, ‘only’ 2,200 remain. That’s still a lot of awesome relics in such a limited area. The remaining ones are in different states of disrepair, some looking like it was maintained yesterday while others are just tumbledown relics in the middle of overgrown grass. Please note that all of these temples are sacred sites. This is the opportune time to display your courteous and respectful manner skills.

Why all these temples? Well, Bagan was a very prominent city, starting from about the mid 9th century under King Anawratha, who unified Myanmar under Theravada Buddhism until about 1287 when it was invaded by the Mongols. In between those times, the city was a center for Buddhist studies, attracting monks and students from as far as India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Cambodia. After the sacking by the Mongols, Bagan’s influence as a political center declined, but it continues to strive as a Buddhist learning center.

Alright, let’s get to the balloon ride, shall we? This tour offers you various bird’s eye view experiences on this beautiful city. You can choose to see the city either during the early morning hours, during sunrise and right before sunset. Can’t beat those times, eh? Under normal conditions flights last around 45 minutes but the entire experience lasts about two and a half hours. Upon landing enjoy a glass or two of celebratory champagne to recap the experience.

Cameron Balloons of the UK are the official suppliers of the equipment. They are custom made and designed to the highest standards of the British aerospace industry.

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