I had always heard about Vang Vieng in Laos being the cheapest place in the world to take a hot air balloon flight. Naturally, I was eager to finally try it for myself when travelling in Laos this year! So, is it worth your time and money? I’ve evaluated whether it lives up to the hype, reviewed the price and gathered some tips to make sure you get the most out of your own hot air balloon ride.
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My Experience
Setting off & preparation
Me and my partner were picked up bright and early just before 6AM on the morning of the flight. We were the last pick up, so we headed straight out to the launch site from our hostel. We ended up actually doing the flight with a Chinese company based in Laos, and booked (literally the night before) with a local tour operator in Vang Vieng.
Our experience at the launch site was a bit disordered to be honest. When we arrived, we were basically just told to sit down in chairs on the grass and wait. There were three gigantic deflated balloons set up on the field nearby, and some upside down balloon baskets strewn about.
There were quite a few locals working to ‘pump up’ the balloon, and the balloon operators were busy testing the flight conditions and gas canisters. No one really spoke any English so we accepted we weren’t going to get any kind of explanation or safety briefing. We just sat down and watched all the preparation unfold.
Despite the lack of explanation, it was actually really interesting to see the process of them setting up the balloons. The balloons are huge and its pretty spectacular to see them inflated and waiting on the ground pre-flight.
The hot air balloon flight
There were eight of us flying on the day, excluding the hot air balloon pilot. We all clambered into the basket when the balloon was fully inflated. It was a little crammed as eight is the absolute maximum number of people that the basket can take. As we set off we were told by the pilot to ‘stay in the basket’, which I think constituted as our safety briefing.
The ascent was very gentle, the basket lifted off the ground slowly. It’s super steady and you don’t feel like you’re really moving at all. It was quite a weightless feeling just gliding up gradually, and it really is amazing to see more and more of the view as you drift upwards in the balloon. We were lucky that we got some very still weather, which I think helped with the steadiness of the balloon.
The views over Vang Vieng are absolutely gorgeous. We saw for miles over the surrounding limestone mountains and over the Nam Song river. Our pilot actually got really close to the mountains at one point, which was cool to see but kind of scary too. We drifted by with no problem and got some amazing photographs of the area.
The flight lasted 35 minutes and we got to a height of 500 feet. This is quite low for what a balloon can actually do, but we were told that this height is better for the views in this area.
Landing
We landed in a field slightly out of where we were supposed to land. The actual landing itself was smooth and gentle with no issues. It’s not really possible for the balloon pilot to know exactly where you will land but rather they will have a general idea of the radius they will land in. So, it seems ours was a pretty typical experience of landing.
We had to reposition once, which basically meant that the pilot fired up the balloon once more to float it over to the next field. After getting out of the basket, a songthaew truck retrieved us and drove us back to our hostel in central Vang Vieng.
Is hot air ballooning in Laos worth it?
In short, yes. The views are stunning (I really didn’t realise how beautiful Vang Vieng and its surrounds are), it’s cheap for the experience and it’s something you will never forget. We had some doubts when we first arrived at the launch site, however these soon disappeared when we were actually up in the air. I would say this is a must-do activity in Laos.
How much does it cost?
It cost $100 USD (£80 GBP) each. This price is correct as of May 2024. So, $200 USD (£160 GBP) in total for me and my fiancé. We bartered the price directly with different tour operators in the area and this is the cheapest we could get it. The price has inflated slightly from pre-covid times (it used to be around $90 USD each).
Is the Laos hot air balloon still the cheapest in the world?
Surprise! Laos is still the cheapest country in the world to take a hot air balloon ride (again, as of 2024). I’ve done a bit of research after hearing it could be done cheaper in Chiang Rai, Thailand. However, it’s far more expensive there. Therefore, if this is an activity you’re looking to do, the Laos hot air balloon is still your cheapest bet.
For the absolute cheapest deal, I would advise comparing the prices of tour operators directly when you’re actually in Vang Vieng.
If you want a similar experience for cheaper still, paramotoring looks really fun. You take in the same views and the price hovers around $80-90 USD (£65-£72 GBP) each depending on who you book with.
Tips & Advice
- Check if your travel insurance covers hot air ballooning before you set off. If they don’t, you can usually add specific activities to your plan for a fee if you contact your provider directly.
- The flight can easily be cancelled depending on the weather (if there’s any rain at all the flight will not go ahead). Give yourself a few days extra in Vang Vieng either side if your itinerary allows, to allow time to reschedule.
- Allow 3 hours for the whole experience. The flight time will vary massively depending on the weather. It can be between 35 minutes to 1 hour long. This doesn’t include pick up/drop off times.
- Try bring a camera with a wide angle lens, or set your phone camera to wide angle before you set off. That’s how you can get the best pictures of the view from the basket.
FAQs
Is hot air ballooning in Laos safe?
Hot air ballooning itself is an extremely safe activity when regulation is implemented properly. It can be a bit hit or miss as to whether the company you choose in Laos will properly follow safety guidelines, or international standards for the equipment they use.
Personally, I went with a local company and it was fine. However, there was no safety briefing, I didn’t sign any sort of indemnity and there was essentially no way for me to know if they kept up to any kind of regulatory standards. That being said, I did feel safe enough and the flight itself went totally smoothly.
If I were to do this activity again in Laos, I would go with Above Laos. They are a French company based in Laos. They comply with international standards of safety, use European equipment which is regularly inspected and all their pilots are certified.
Can I do it if I’m scared of heights?
It’s up to you whether you feel like this is an activity you can personally do. However, from my experience, the ascent and descent are really slow and gentle. You can’t feel any movement in the basket at all. The views are excellent and it didn’t feel the same as, for example, being up in a plane.
Which company should I book with?
I really wanted to book with Above Laos as I had heard great things about them. However, I left it too late to book and they sold out.
Instead, I booked with a tour operator directly in Vang Vieng called JT Tour. They’re based here. They were really helpful and managed to book us onto a hot air balloon the very next day. The actual hot air balloon flight was with a Chinese company called Vang Vieng Sky Hot Air Balloon (they don’t have a website).
As I’ve mentioned above, generally the experience was good and they were certainly cheaper than all other options. However, there were a couple of things they could have done better. For example, there was no safety briefing and the basket was crammed to the max with 8 people.
Like with most things, you get what you pay for. Above Laos provides a better overall experience but is slightly more expensive (around $112 USD/£90 GBP each). The other companies in the area offer less, but are also cheaper.
So, it depends what you are looking for. If you straight up just want the cheapest option, I’d recommend to book directly with a tour company when you are in Vang Vieng. If you want a more enjoyable experience overall, book online at least a week in advance.
Should I do the sunrise or sunset hot air balloon flight?
Both times offer very similar experiences and beautiful views across Vang Vieng. It’s more a question of if you want to get up early enough for the sunrise flight (depending on the time of year, pick up might be before 5AM).
We took the sunrise flight, and I’m happy we did. One advantage of taking the sunrise flight is that if it needs to be cancelled due to the weather, you do have the rest of the day to reschedule.
What should I wear for hot air ballooning?
- From my experience, it’s the same temperature in the air as on the ground. Wear any clothes you feel comfortable in, you don’t need to bring extra layers or a jacket.
- Wear trainers or something similar as you will need to climb in and out of the hot air balloon basket.
- Bring a cap as the heat from the burner above your head will be quite hot!
Can I book the hot air balloon as a day tour from Luang Prabang?
It’s not possible to do this as a day tour from Luang Prabang. Realistically you need to be based in Vang Vieng, or very close by, to book onto the balloon flight. I haven’t seen any options to take a balloon flight from any other location in Laos.
Final Thoughts
Overall, despite a slightly sketchy start to the day, my Laos hot air balloon experience was totally one of a kind and a brilliant way to see the beautiful scenery around Vang Vieng. If you’re in the area and have the budget for this type of activity, I’d say definitely go for it.
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Reading about your hot air balloon adventure in Laos made me feel like I was right there with you! Despite the initial disarray, it sounds like the views were absolutely breathtaking. Thanks for sharing your adventure! xx
Lenne | lennezulkiflly.com
Hi Lenne 🙂 thanks for reading, it was such a fun morning!