hot air ballooning
 

Has anyone recently done the hot air balloon trip in Luxor? Was it worth it? What company did you use?

I would also like to know the answer to this question! I will be in Luxor in February and am wondering if I have the nerve to do this ;-)

We went on the hot air balloon trip when we were in Egypt in October...and we loved it! The comapny we went with was Sky Cruise. I will try to post some pictures from our ride so you can see them...so check back later today!

we also just did the hot air ballooning a couple of weeks ago in Luxor (we used Magic Horizons, although I don't think it really matters which one you use - they all operate in more or less the same general location).

if you haven't done it before, I'd say it's worth doing. I've done it a couple of times before in the US, and this was by far the cheapest (US$120). Although the setting is not truly spectacular, it's still very cool to see the sunrise on one side and Hatshepsut's temple against the cliff on the other - not to mention the assorted other buildings and town life on the west bank (you can't really see the east bank sights like the Karnak or Luxor temples in the sunrise trip since you'd be squinting into the sun). The 15 other balloons in the sky also are an impressive sight. You do have to get up at an ungodly hour to cross the Nile etc. but it leaves the rest of your day still open.

PamR - it's not scary at all - in fact one of the interesting things is that you don't feel any wind, since you're travelling with the breeze. There are dozens of people of all ages doing it each morning, most of whom are first-timers, so you'll have plenty of company.

I was happy to see these first hand, encouraging responses. Krishnan, can you define "ungodly," hour? Are we talking before 5? We'll be in Egypt with in May. Thanks.

mamaclark: i believe we were collected around 5:30 or so - but we were on the sunrise trip, and I believe there are later trips. The clincher for you is probably that sunrise in May would be a lot earlier than it was for us in December.

I did the dawn balloon ride from Luxor in July. Despite having not quite recovered from the worst stomach upset of my life it was a fantastic experience. It is worth getting up before dawn.

I prefer Hod Hod Solimon as the carrier. After doing some research to learn a little more about who had what for insurance, I prefer Hod Hod. They are half English owned and that half does a remarkable job keeping all the ducks in a row for insurance, updated equipment and all those little things that make us feel more comfy when we are up that high. :)
I've flown with them twice and had a grand time both times.

Debbie -

Another good posting, with answers to often posted questions.

Stay with us. We're a good group.

Hod Hod Soliman is the only company with the experience and as a balloonist experience defiantly matters.

Hello,

Unfortunately, I didn't do the ballooning in Luxor -- we got caught up in other things, and somehow the time just slipped away. I've always regretted it and it's definitely on my list to do when I go back.

Cheers,
Julian