What Happens After You Land? The Fun Traditions of Luxor Ballooning

What Happens After You Land? The Fun Traditions of Luxor Ballooning

While travelers discuss going for a hot air balloon trip in Luxor, the discussion is always about the expectation before dawn. There is so much emphasis on the rude 4:00 AM awakening, the cold atmosphere outside the hotel lobby, the quiet boat ride over the dark band of the Nile River, and the amazing moment where the huge burners come alive and the launch site is lit up like big paper lanterns.

Everybody is interested in talking about the experience of floating at 1,500 feet in the air as the sun rises from the Eastern sky and turns the old monuments of the West Bank into a golden masterpiece.

However, very few people talk about what follows the trip.

The fun does not come to a stop the very moment that the basket lands on the ground. On the contrary, the post-flight ritual that takes place in Luxor turns out to be one of the happiest, most communal, and surprising fun elements of your whole journey. It acts as a perfect transition from the serene atmosphere of flight into the vibrant environment of the rest of your travel day, transforming a group of total strangers – who felt shivery and half-asleep just an hour ago – into a cohesive company of smiling friends.

The following is the truthful inside glimpse into what really happens after your hot air balloon in Luxor lands.

1. The Touchdown: A Gentle Bump and a Little Chaos

Since the hot air balloons are controlled solely by the caprices of the early wind, it means that they are not equipped with wheels, with steering systems, and also lack the perfect concrete airstrip for landing. The landing process occurs naturally and is greatly influenced by the amount of wind blowing on the ground.

Depending on whether the weather in the morning is nice or windy, the landing procedure will be divided between two possible options:

The Gentle, Vertical Touchdown: In case the morning air is light and tranquil, the balloon lands on the surface of the ground in a gentle kiss. The heavy basket remains in the upright position and the ground crew grabs the lines at once and secures it. You can land just as calmly as you would leave a sightseeing bus.

The Classical "Tip-and-Slide": When there is some air moving through the palm trees in the morning, the basket touches the ground and slowly tilts sideways. Should that happen to you, don't get scared! This is quite usual and very expected procedure, which is an inherent part of the design of the aircraft. The wicker basket serves as a shock absorber. You will be safely grabbing the inner rope handles from your pre-briefed braced position. Usually, it feels just like a tumble over the haystacks and inevitably causes a loud burst of laughter among everyone inside.

2. The Ground Crew Swarm

At the instant that the basket touches down on earth, an entire squad of local ground crew guys emerges from nowhere at lightning speed and agility.

These guys are professionals of the highest order. They dash across uneven agricultural lands and take hold of the heavy anchoring ropes hanging from the balloon and literally drag and anchor down the basket so it stays in place in case there are any remnants of drafts.

Some times, if you wish to participate and have an adventure yourself, the pilot might allow you to disembark from the basket, take a rope and help drag or pack up the enormous nylon gas envelope. It is a hands-on, dusty, and genuine experience to witness how the crew works like a well-coordinated machine.

3. Stepping Out Into the Warm Egyptian Sunshine

Stepping over the wicker barrier and onto firm land represents an extraordinary climactic change.

There’s no longer that cold biting wind from before dawn that you felt up there in the clouds. Instead, you now find yourself under the warm welcoming sunshine of morning, shining down and creating a golden glow upon the busy farms of the West Bank.

You take a look around and realize you have just arrived smack dab in the middle of an active agricultural community—surrounded by towering fields of sugar cane, rows of bananas, or freshly turned soil. It is not unusual for local farmers or village children to approach you from afar, waving their arms and shouting greetings such as “Welcome to Egypt!”

4. The Flight Certificate Presentation and Celebration

Once all the passengers have made their way to solid land, the pilot will then hand out a bundle of papers for one of the most memorable parts of a Luxor hot air balloon ride.

Each participant receives an individual certificate of having completed the flight. Many times these certificates will be personally hand-signed by your pilot and even stamped by the stamp of the balloon company. This is a nice and totally free souvenir to place in your travel journal or tack up to your refrigerator when you get home, proving that you completed your flight!

On top of all that, some companies like to take a little extra time at the end to make the celebration of completing your flight more festive. They will usually gather the group of people together for a little celebration, passing around some refreshments of locally-made hibiscus tea (karkadeh) or juice as well as getting ready for a group picture next to the deflating balloon envelope!

5. Tipping the Crew: A Meaningful Custom

While you continue to celebrate and make your way to the vans that will take you back to the dock, you will see the ground crew and pilot organizing themselves close by.

Tipping, or baksheesh, is customary in Egypt, and the ground crew definitely earns their pound each and every day. These men start even earlier than you do, chase balloons while they are on the move, struggle with hundreds of pounds of heavy material and guarantee that you land safely.

Tipping is not required but is certainly very much expected, especially considering the great effort they put forth.

Having some local pound notes and perhaps a dollar in your pocket to hand over to them directly is of tremendous value to them and appreciated enormously with handshakes and broad smiles.

The Energetic Ride Back

There will be an entirely new vibe while riding back in the van to the Nile boat crossing as opposed to the sleepy journey at 4:00 AM.

The vibe in the van will be lively, with everyone actively conversing, laughing, exchanging camera rolls and videos, and expressing admiration for the wonderful experience they have just had as a group. Strangers who would not make eye contact in the lobby of a hotel an hour ago are now giving each other tips about travel and social media.

Once you get back to the hotel at around 7:30 or 8:00 AM, there will be plenty of time remaining for the day. The fresh morning air and amazing views will leave you energized enough for more visits to Luxor's ancient sites.