Above the Nile: A Morning Inside a Luxor Hot Air Balloon Basket

Above the Nile: A Morning Inside a Luxor Hot Air Balloon Basket

Few spots on our planet allow you to leave your routine behind, enter a basket made of willows in the dead of the night and glide straight into the pages of history.

While most tours always take place on terra firma and involve passing under turnstiles and through crowds of tourists, being led around by a guide and admiring giant landmarks, a balloon flight over Luxor offers an opportunity to enter another dimension of existence. You will find yourself in the very center of the sky, surrounded by age-old desert landscapes and slowly floating over the Nile River.

Have you ever been curious about what spending an hour floating above Egypt in a hot air balloon basket is all about? Let's jump into the basket and see for ourselves.

Phase 1: The Dark, Electric Energy of the Launch Field

Your day starts long before the Sun even wakes up. While other Luxor residents are sleeping in the pre-dawn silence, your alarm clock will wake you up at 4:30 am.

After the sleepy ride to the Nile River and a quiet ride on the boat across the Nile, you will get to the launch field on the West Bank. This is when things start getting interesting. In the pitch darkness, dozens of huge nylon envelopes are lying flat on the sandy desert ground.

This is when the ground crew starts working. Huge industrial fans start working, blowing cold air into the gigantic envelopes. Immediately, huge flames erupt from the propane burners, burning bright in the fabric of the balloons.

Looking into the darkness and seeing those huge balloons light up from the inside like huge lanterns is an incredible experience. The air gets warm from the flames and the desert coldness disappears, replaced by an exciting buzz spreading around the field.

Phase 2: Stepping Aboard and the Gentlest Lift-Off

Stepping into the basket is easy. Commercial-grade hot air balloons make use of strong, waist-high wicker baskets compartmentalized to safely distribute passengers around the burner.

You will find your place at the edge of the basket, get a brief safety talk from your pilot, and then await the signal.

Your pilot tugs the cord, the burner roars above your head in a mighty and exciting way, and heat waves begin to radiate into your hair.

Then... You go.

For those that have not been in a hot air balloon before, take-off will always be unexpected due to the lack of certain things. There are no jerks and no air resistance since the hot air balloon flies exactly according to the pace and direction of the wind.

In one moment, you stand on the hard ground of the desert, but in another moment, the earth just falls away under your feet. It does not feel like taking off in the sky, it seems more like the ancient ground falls away underneath your feet.

Phase 3: The Silence and the Sunrise

With the increase in height, the landscape changes. The dark colors of the desert evening begin to transition into a delicate shade of bruised purple, then turn into peach and pink before becoming golden and bright.

Silence surrounds us inside the basket; there is no noise of the aircraft engine, nor any sounds of modern vehicles. All one can hear are the powerful blasts from the burner which help us stay in the air, and the sighs of awe from other tourists who are with us inside the basket.

The landscape spread out below the basket reveals itself in all its glory:

On the left side, the East Bank comes alive under the golden rays, highlighting the columns of Karnak and Luxor temples.

Below us, in the middle of the whole landscape, the Nile river flows between the pale sands like a thick ribbon of emerald green color.

On the right side, the West Bank limestone cliffs surround the valleys, where kings and queens were buried thousands of years ago.

At that moment, you suddenly realize that what you see is not only a landscape but also the very essence of peace.

Phase 4: Waving to the World Down Below

With the sun having risen completely into the sky, experienced pilots usually manage to find a softer wind and land the balloon at a lower height, which allows you to see what happens in the life of the locals of the West Bank.

Flying quietly over green sugar cane fields, modest mud-brick houses and twisting dirt roads, you hear a sharp cry of joy. You look down to see excited local children who come running out of their yards, waving their hands enthusiastically and crying "Welcome to Egypt! Good morning!" as loudly as possible.

To lean out of the wicker basket and wave your hands in response—with millennia of history on one hand and warm living culture on the other—is such an overwhelming experience.

Phase 5: Touchdown and Coming Back to Earth

But even the best things have to come to an end sooner or later. After an hour of flying over paradise, your pilot discovers a suitable spot for landing on the open sands of the desert.

Landing will be an exciting experience. You will be followed by the shadow of the ground staff, who will catch the ropes and hold the basket when it touches the ground. You'll feel a slight bump, hear the shout of joy from everyone in your group, and breathe in satisfaction and happiness of the adrenaline rush.

Exiting the basket, you receive your flight certificate, make funny faces and high-five the people from around the world, and get back into your vehicle as the busy Luxor morning life wakes up.

Final Thoughts: Why the Basket Is Worth Every Second

There are many perspectives on the world that one can adopt, but hardly any of them affect the way one feels about themselves.

Rising above the Nile in a hot air balloon basket at dawn provides an experience of absolute peace in the midst of all modern day distractions. It is a chance to connect oneself with nature and history through sheer amazement.

If one ever finds themselves by the banks of the Nile, then it is best not to delay too long before getting into the basket. This is an experience that will stay with them forever.