Balloons over Bagan - OK for mobility challenged?
 

Are there seats for passengers in the passenger compartment of the balloon?

I ask because I'm planning a trip to Myanmar, traveling with someone who can walk but who has trouble standing in one place for more than about 10 minutes. If she could sit during the balloon trip, it would make a big difference for her.

I can see that passengers sit during the landing, but can't tell if this is possible for the rest of the trip.

Also, how difficult is it to get into the passenger compartment? Is there some kind of door, or do people have to climb over the side?

Thanks for any information from those who've been lucky enough to have had the experience!

I do not think this is an appropriate adventure for your travelling companion. I don't remember sitting for landing but it is really not possible to sit and see anything. The flight is a lot more than 10 minutes. Climbing into the passenger compartment is required since there is no door. They will assist if you need help climbing into the basket but standing during the flight is essential to the experience.

You don't really "sit" during the landing. You hold on to ropes inside the compartment and squat down onto a sort of ledge (not really a seat)

Sitting down on that inside the compartment during flight would never work as it would impede too much into the space where others are standing. It's a tight fit inside those compartments...even with 3 people standing during flight.

I agree with Craig: probably not the best idea for your friend.

A shame as it really is one of the most magnificent experiences.

Oh wait. Did I just offer travel advice? Oops.

Agree with the others that you cannot sit during the flight as there will be other people in your compartment standing and moving around. Also you will not be able to see anything if you sit down as the enclosure or the wall of the "basket" is about 4 foot high.

This isn't the answer I'd been hoping for, but thank you for letting me know.

If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear.

She told me that even if she could sit down a few times for a minute or 2 during the flight she could go. Even if that meant sitting on the floor, and then getting back up. But if there isn't enough room for her to do even that (with other passengers), I guess that idea is out.

BTW, I had already emailed the company to ask the same question I asked here, but they have not bothered to even answer.

To give you a more descript idea, rje, of how little space there is per compartment: imagine that each balloon is sectioned off into about 8 compartments and each compartment is supposed to fit 3-4 people max standing up (although I'd argue that when we had 3 adults in our compartment is was VERY tight.)

When I say "fit" I literally mean that, with 3 people in a compartment, there is next to *no* room to turn around even when you're standing. Sitting (or crouching, as I described in my earlier post) is limited to landing simply because it's just a minute that you need to squish together with the other folks in your compartment. If one had to do that longer than just for landing it would get extremely claustrophobic and uncomfortable. That, and there's really no place to sit. Just a little notch on the inside of the basket to lean on during landing.

It's not physically possible to sit on the floor of a compartment. That'd literally take up all the standing room in the compartment for others.

Thanks filmwill, that that's a very clear explanation of the spatial limitations.

I wonder if it is possible to pay extra so that the compartment would only hold the two of us. That would be very expensive, but since she wants so much to take the balloon, maybe it would be worth it for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I guess I'll have to try and contact the balloon company again to see if that is a possibility.

I did a balloon ride in Cappadocia recently and climbing in and out of the balloon was a challenge! They cramp you in so there's no room to sit. However some deluxe tours have fewer people so that may be the only option - ie pay much more.

There is one and only one balloon operator in Bagan. There is so much demand for spaces on BoB, I think it will be very difficult to get them to give you extra space. Good luck.

Thank you Kathie and everyone else who has helped with information.

I'm thinking that maybe BoB might allow me to pay the full cost for the space that another passenger would have taken (in addition to our tickets) in order to have more space for my traveling companion in our compartment, but of course they may refuse.

The reason I think they might allow this is that the BoB website states that passengers who are heavier or larger than an upper limit they've set will have to pay for an additional ticket. So if they are already set up for that situation, maybe they will allow an extra ticket to be paid for by a passenger who needs extra space for our reason.

It would be hugely expensive, of course, but I know it would make her so happy that it is hard for me not to at least try to give her the experience.

In any event, I'll have to wait to ask them until I have firm dates, which will still be a while and I'll post the results here when I do find out.

If you only purchase 1 additional space you could have another 2 people in your compartment--thereby still making it physically impossible to sit down. Just consider that before plopping down an extra $300.

I'd also add that by "sitting down", your companion would see none of the amazing view.

Thanks for the additional thoughts, filmwill.
And I may have just found a possible solution. On the BoB website they offer this option for a higher price:

"Two balloons have room for 8 passengers in four separate compartments plus a pilot."

That means there would be only 2 passengers per compartment.

So if I can get permission from BoB for her to sit down from time to time (or bring on board some kind of VERY narrow and lightweight stool, this might still be possible.

And thank you for your concern about her not seeing the view. But she would only need to sit for 30 seconds out of every 5 or 10 minutes, so she'd still be able to see most of the trip.

It looks like you have done your research. Good luck to you. I hope you will report back to us about how it goes.

I'll be sure to write a trip report, but we're not going 'til November 2014, so I'm still in research mode!

It will be quite an accomplishment if you're able to do this. As filmwill explained above, the compartments are very tight and my memory is that nothing could be "loose" on the balloon--no purses, camera bags, jackets--really anything. If your companion has to sit down periodically it would possibly impede on the other passengers' space. Have you looked on line at the BOB video--which is quite wonderful, and may give you a better sense of what the interior of the balloon is like (I haven't looked in some time so don't remember how much of the interior is shown.) The BOB people are very very careful about safety regulations and that may control the decision. I wish you luck--it was a wonderful experience, and I suppose if money is no object, perhaps worth the price for three--although close to $900 (for two spaces for her and one for you) is pretty steep for about 35--40 minutes.

Best of luck.

What about one of those hiking sticks that open into a small seat. The have 3 legs and i see them often at golf tournaments as the old folks don't care to walk, just sit and watch. And although not seen frequently these days golf tourneys of old had many folks using cardboard periscopes to view the action over the heads of the others. Sit on the foldable stool and look through the periscope. What could be easier?

I am pretty sure that they will not allow a walking stick/stool thingy on board. In case of emergency the stick will be kind of a dangerous loose object to have in the cabin. Also, as I have previously mentioned the wall height of the basket is roughly 4 foot tall and if you're sitting on a stool you will not be able to see anything apart from part of the sky and the balloon.