Jaipur, one of the most famous historical cities in India, has always been the top choice for school trips in North/Central India, including mine. During one of these trips, I developed a strong liking for the city and started visiting frequently as it was only a four-hour drive from my rural home in Gurgaon. While I enjoyed visiting the popular tourist attractions, I always sought out new and unique experiences. This involved trying out different restaurants, discovering hidden spots to watch the sunset, and attending authentic Manganiars music performances. Despite exploring most of what the city had to offer, I still felt like there was one extraordinary experience that I had yet to encounter, something that surpassed everything I had already done.
After multiple visits, I finally had the opportunity to experience something amazing during my most recent trip to the city in autumn 2019. That something was floating above the Pink City in a small wooden basket – yes, I’m talking about a Hot Air Balloon ride. This activity was introduced to Jaipur a few years ago and has since become a popular attraction for those wanting to explore the city’s surroundings in a unique way. The idea of seeing the familiar landscape from a bird’s eye view always intrigued me, so I and a few colleagues from Adventure Nation decided to drive to Jaipur in September 2019 to fulfill that thrill and cross it off my bucket list. And here’s how it went!
Sep 21st – With Wake Me Up by Avicii playing on the radio, we hit the road on a pleasant Saturday morning. The four-hour ride from Gurgaon was quite uneventful as we managed to cruise through our entire journey with just a couple of loo breaks. By the time we arrived at our hotel, the pleasant morning had turned into a lousy afternoon and the mutual agreement was to have a quick lunch at a lovely little restaurant nearby and then nap for a couple of hours. Yeah, we drove four hours to take an afternoon nap in a hotel room!
After a quick shower, we were ready to go to my favorite place in the city – The Nahargarh Fort. Driving up the beautiful Aravalli terrain with the sun setting behind the dense trees, the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey,” felt particularly true. To be fair, the destination was also quite impressive. The fort, which overlooks the entire city, is a remarkable example of architecture and engineering. At dusk, the view of the city from the top of the fort was simply mesmerizing. The entire city seemed to be illuminated by the thousands of lights, creating a starry landscape. After enjoying a few drinks at the rooftop cafe, we returned to the hotel. Although dinner was a simple affair at the hotel restaurant, we took our time for a post-dinner walk along the scenic Jal Mahal walkway. It drizzled lightly during our walk, which only added to the beauty of the night. Despite our reluctance, we had to call it a night shortly after midnight because we had an early start the next day.
We had a few snoozes of the alarm and then we were awake and ready. We were picked up from the hotel at around four thirty and driven to the take-off location, which was a secluded open area behind the famous Amber Fort. Up until that point, I had only expected a large balloon to take us up and then down. However, upon arriving at the take-off site, I realized there was more to it. After getting to know each other, our pilot conducted a wind test to determine if it was safe to fly. Thankfully, the weather was perfect for flying. It would have been a disappointment if the weather had played tricks on us that morning.
While enjoying our tea and coffee, we observed the balloons being filled with air, which was quite thrilling (and loud). The large fabric quickly transformed into a tall balloon structure that would take us up into the sky. After the inflation process, our pilot gave us a detailed safety briefing. Once the briefing was over, we were led to our assigned balloons and the boarding process began. Although there were different types of baskets available, ranging from two-person capacity to groups of twenty, we were given a small-sized basket that could hold up to eight people. This worked out well for us, as I and my three friends occupied one section of the basket. Another group settled in the other section while our Australian pilot stood in the center.
It was time to take action. The initial strong release of the propane burner allowed us to gradually ascend. Despite the loud noise, it did not startle any of us as we marveled at how effortlessly the balloon continued to elevate us with each passing second. After a few minutes, we reached a height where we could catch a glimpse of the magnificent Amber Fort to our right. Although we could only see a portion of the massive structure, it appeared truly impressive from our aerial perspective. It is no surprise that even average drone footage looks stunning!
After a short time in the air, we began to drift away from the crowded city and towards the beautiful rural areas surrounding it. As we ventured further into the countryside, the scenery became more lush and attractive. Despite it being mid-September, there was a slight chill in the morning breeze, likely due to our flying altitude of two thousand feet.
The pilot, speaking with a strong Victorian accent, responded to a question about the weather by saying, “The conditions today are probably the best I’ve seen since I started flying in India.” The morning was peaceful and the visibility was exceptional. As the pilot shared stories of hot air ballooning around the world, the sun began to rise from behind the Aravallis, making the experience even more incredible. Although I am known for my love of sunsets, this sunrise filled me with a transcendent energy that I had never felt before. It was an unreal experience.
Only halfway through our journey, we had already passed over several beautiful villages. As we flew over a small village, our pilot made sure to lower the aircraft so that we could get a glimpse of rural life. The passengers on board were eager to see the villagers going about their daily activities, but those on the ground seemed more excited when they noticed a large balloon floating above their homes. Everyone in the village, young and old, came outside and waved at us. We enthusiastically waved back with both hands. Even the cows were making noise, although we couldn’t tell if they were greeting us or telling us to leave their territory. My friends from the city became quite animated when they saw a group of sheep in someone’s backyard, but I paid no attention to them.
After flying for nearly an hour, it was time to descend. I asked the pilot where we would be landing, expecting a specific answer. However, he responded with, “Let me figure it out,” which I found quite interesting. Despite numerous villagers eagerly urging us to land in their fields (by screaming from below), the pilot had to ensure that the chosen location met certain criteria. As we searched for the perfect spot to touch down, we were being followed by vehicles that would later transport us back to the hotel. Eventually, we flew at a low altitude for a few minutes and successfully landed on an open area without any trees, with a village road nearby. We took customary photos as we received our flight certificates from the pilot. I gave my certificate to a village child who wanted a picture with it, but for some reason, I never retrieved it. Perhaps it was for the best. Meanwhile, my friends had already started posting selfies on social media as we walked towards the SUV, which was parked less than a hundred meters away.
Absolutely beat because of the hectic twenty-four hours that we’d had, all four of us slept throughout the sixty-minute ride back to the hotel. It was only after some coffee went down my throat that I realised what a monumental morning it had been. ‘Lifetime Experience’ is a phrase that, I feel, gets loosely thrown around by people, but it truly felt that way for me. We ate our way throughout the breakfast buffet and checked-out a little later. As, I Want To Break Free by Queen played on the radio, we started making our way back home.
Note – Although this is the perfect adventure for a group of friends or family, you would definitely have a far more satisfying experience if the people around you aren’t always snapping pictures and video-chatting with their folks back home, while you’re trying to witness that majestic sunrise.
