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Soar in a hot air balloon over Sossusvlei in Namibia

24/5/2017

22 Comments

 
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
By Roxanne Reid
[Updated: April 2024] It was cold there in the desert before dawn, our lips blue, noses pinched. But we didn’t mind. Wrapped in warm jackets and beanies, we were about to soar in a hot air balloon over Sossusvlei in Namibia in time to see the sun rise over the dunes. 


​After a 05:30 pickup and bone-rattling ride in an old Uri to the launch site near Kulala Desert Lodge on the Kulala Wilderness Reserve, we found our pilot Denis already in the basket and puffing flames into a fully inflated balloon. We’d seen it from far off in this flat landscape, slowly inflating from a pinprick to a massive yellow and orange balloon, the tiny basket underneath like a forgotten trinket.

It takes seven guys about 35 minutes to unpack, unfold and inflate the balloon with butane gas, so they’d already been at it while we were stomping our feet to warm them, our breath smoky in the cold morning air. The gas flame heats the air inside the balloon so it’s hotter than the air outside, and that’s what gives it lift.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Our Namib Sky Balloon Safaris balloon would be carrying ten people plus the pilot. Apart from the four of us there was a honeymoon couple – she Sicilian and he from Guinea – now living in London, a very young and shy Brit couple, and a European couple living in Mozambique where she worked for the UN.

We clambered aboard while a team of Namibians held the basket down, grinning broadly in the dawn chill. The sun wasn’t up yet but pink shards of light were fingering their way into the sky between the clouds and the dunes.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Denis gave us a safety briefing and prepared us for two types of landing. The first was the calm landing if there was no wind at ground level. If there was wind, we’d have the second kind of touchdown, which he called a ‘sports landing’.

‘For the first I’ll just ask you to bend your knees to absorb the shock of the landing,’ he said. ‘For the second you need to squat down with your backs to the front of the balloon, brace against the padded cushions and hold onto the rope loops provided. Understand?’

We nodded and murmured assent. The shy British couple looked scared, almost as if they were rethinking their madness in being here at all. I was secretly hoping for a sports landing, which sounded far more exciting, an adventure to brag about back home.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
A few bursts of flame into the balloon startled us, both with the noise and the ferocity of heat on the top of our heads, on our faces as we looked up. There’s a so-called ‘whisper mode’ if you’re floating over wildlife, but it’s still pretty loud and would startle me if I was a wildebeest or gemsbok who had never heard a hot air balloon before. It was a shock to find that hot-air ballooning wasn’t quite as silent as I’d imagined.

Then without fanfare we were up and off the ground. There was no sense of lift-off, we just suddenly found ourselves looking down on the tops of the heads of the men who a moment before had been standing next to us and holding the balloon down.

​It was like being inside a dream, flying above the land and seeing everything from above, no plane window or wing breaking your view.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Light, fairy circles and wildlife
The first joy was the light. Bright red, orange, yellow, pink and lavender romped among the clouds as the sun came up over the far mountains. It was a surprise to be surrounded by mountains in what you tend to think of as a flat desert country. On one side red dunes with a thin veneer of grass, on the other a stony black mountain rich in magnetite; faintly mauve flat-topped mountains in the distance, surrounding a golden plain below.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
The next joy was floating over fairy circles – those baffling bare circles in the sand of the Namib Desert. Nothing seems to survive inside these perfect circles, faint in dry times but standing out more clearly in contrast to the grass cover after good rains.

​Theories about their origin vary from to soil poisoning by euphorbia plants, to fungi, meteor showers, burrowing animals and – perhaps most likely – a chemical shed by termites. Of course, if you’re a bit kooky you may say they’re evidence of UFO landings, but for my money there’s no better way of thinking of them than as ‘fairy’ circles. Hundreds of them of various sizes made the land look like the surface of the moon.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
For me this experience was about flying high over a beautiful landscape in a country I love. I wasn’t expecting much of a Serengeti-style safari, so it was a bonus to glide above some gemsbok and springbok casting long skinny shadows in the early morning sunlight. So tiny we nearly missed it was a black-backed jackal trotting out to look for breakfast. Ostriches strode the dunes with a bunch of little fluff balls in their wake, showing off their breeding success. We had to take Denis’s word that there are also hyena and leopard in the area.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
He did a 360-degree turn so we all got a chance to look at the rising sun. Then we just drifted with the wind. We learnt that a pilot can’t steer a balloon; it just goes at the same speed as the wind. All the pilot can do is work his burners to control the altitude while he finds a wind channel going in the general direction he’d like to travel.

I’d never really understood why hot weather wasn’t good flying weather. But it’s simple: in hot weather it’s hard to maintain the temperature difference between outside the balloon and inside. Since that’s what gives you lift, you aren’t going anywhere but down when the external air gets too hot.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Coming in to land
We’d only just got used to being suspended in the sky when the pilot was on the radio talking about where to land, what the wind conditions were like and where the ground crew should position themselves to run and catch the basket before it took off again. An hour was too short, just long enough to discover how heavenly it feels to have the whole world laid at your feet yet near enough to see details like little ostrich chicks.

But with only an extra 30 minutes of fuel for emergencies, I did understand why we started towards the dune that would be our landing point. As we came in we could see the ground team gathered to catch and anchor us, a breakfast table spread with goodies sheltering on the other side of the dune.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
The landing
At first Denis thought it would be a textbook calm landing. But as we approached the ground a mischievous little wind picked up and he ordered us to brace for the sports landing. We did. It wasn’t too bad, not much more than a big bump.

Thinking it was all over, a few of the travellers started to get up, but Denis told us to stay down. We soon saw why. The huge balloon had collapsed forward and a gust of wind picked it up and dragged it, so the basket with us inside tipped over and we landed on our backs. That was a small thrill and a totally relaxing way to end our flight.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Once the balloon had been secured we scrambled out. As the men began to repack it we piled back into the Uri for the trip around Brown Dune to where the tables had been set up for breakfast.

‘Welcome to the biggest restaurant in the world,’ said Denis. An almost 360-degree view of Sossusvlei dunes and not another soul in sight. Magic.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
Breakfast was a feast of champagne – which Denis opened with the appropriate sabre rattling hoopla – cold venison, smoked salmon, cheese, homemade bread, fruit kebabs, pancakes and freshly made croissants. By now the desert air had warmed up so we no longer needed our jackets or beanies, even in the middle of winter. Winter in Namibia is like that – it moves from freezing nights to sweltering days in the blink of an eye.

The food was good but if you’d given me a choice I’d happily have gone hungry and spent an extra half hour in the air instead.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
The cost – and why it’s worth it
A balloon this big costs ‘about as much as a brand new Mercedes’ and it will give only about 700 hours of flying time. It takes about 200 litres of butane per hour to fly and each balloon carries enough for 90 minutes, allowing an extra 30 minutes spare in case of emergency.

​So it’s not a cheap pastime and the cost of a ticket to fly reflects that at around N$8200/ZAR8200 per person (early 2024 prices). Obviously it’s less of a big deal for anyone with US dollars (it converts to about US$440), pounds or euros, but a huge stretch for Namibians and South Africans.
Hot-air ballooning, Sossusvlei, Namibia
But let me tell you now that if you can beg, borrow or steal the money somehow, it will buy you the experience of a lifetime, one you’ll replay in your mind over and over for years to come.

You’ll take to the skies as the sun rises over the world’s oldest desert. You’ll float over a wind-swept sea of sand in one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. You’ll enjoy the play of early dawn light over the mountains, see fairy circles and wildlife. You’ll know dreams can come true. And you’ll never forget the majesty of Sossusvlei from a unique perspective.

You may also enjoy
Climbing the dunes of Sossusvlei, Namibia
Sunset drive from Little Kulala, Sossusvlei

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Hot air ballooning at Sossusvlei, Namibia, Southern Africa
Hot air ballooning at Sossusvlei, Namibia, Southern Africa
Copyright © Roxanne Reid - No words or photographs on this site may be used without permission from roxannereid.co.za
22 Comments
Julie Manning
24/5/2017 10:41:42 pm

What an experience. Just reading it made me feel the magic. A lovely article.

Reply
Roxanne
25/5/2017 08:55:24 am

Ah, Julie, it was a wonderful feeling. Namibian scenery is just so beautiful at first light. Thanks for the compliment.

Reply
Heather link
25/5/2017 08:49:23 am

I've done balloon rides over the Magaliesburg and in the desert outside Dubai -- both incredible experiences. But this looks like it tops both of those, and then some! Would love to do it someday.

Reply
Roxanne
25/5/2017 08:57:40 am

Lovely, Heather. When we were considering whether this was worth the money we spoke to someone who had done three hot air balloon rides -Sossusvlei, Magalies and Masai Mara - and she said this one was the best of all.

Reply
Liz
25/5/2017 10:57:57 pm

That has being one of my dreams. You allowed me to experience the ride with your beautiful description. Thanks.

Reply
Roxanne
26/5/2017 09:09:15 am

Thanks, Liz, what a lovely thing to say! I've done it and I still dream about it :-)

Reply
Sara link
27/5/2017 10:13:27 am

I am so jealous right now. I was planning a trip to Namibia for this December but had to cancel due to change of job/country we will be living in. But I want to go so bad! Looks like an amazing place to soar in a hot air balloon!

Reply
Roxanne
27/5/2017 10:19:06 am

Namibia is pretty amazing all round, Sara. You must plan a trip there sometime. The scenery is stark but so beautiful.

Reply
Susan Portnoy link
27/5/2017 02:10:29 pm

I adore ballooning and having seen this I wish when I was in Namibia I'd gone to Sosusvlei! Beautiful images, Roxanne. Thanks for taking me on such a lovely ride. :)

Reply
Roxanne
27/5/2017 02:47:12 pm

Ah thanks, Susan, it was wonderful. Hoping to go ballooning in the Masai Mara next :-)

Reply
Julia Dent link
27/5/2017 02:10:39 pm

Those views are incredible!! I love the photos of the sunrise!

Reply
Roxanne
27/5/2017 02:48:29 pm

The views were even better in real life, Julia. An all-round fabulous experience in a really beautiful part of the world.

Reply
Karin
27/5/2017 02:17:36 pm

What an amazing experience, I´d love to fly over dunes and see the wildlife! I have never tried a ride in a hot air balloon. Would certainly love to do it in the future!

Reply
Roxanne
27/5/2017 02:50:15 pm

It's a very special experience, Karin. I suppose that's true anywhere where you can go ballooning, but the desert scenery makes this particular spot truly amazing.

Reply
Alina link
27/5/2017 03:10:16 pm

Your pictures are simply amazing! All those views, really experience of a lifetime! I wanted to ask what do they do if it rains, but then remembered it is the desert :) $450 per person is kind of pricey, though... even heli/private Cessna tours are usually cheaper!

Reply
Roxanne
27/5/2017 03:35:36 pm

Thanks fro the compliment, Alina. Yes it is pricey and although we did it a few years back when it was a bit less, we still debated long and hard before we coughed up that kind of money. But we weren't disappointed.

Reply
The 5 to 9 Traveller link
27/5/2017 05:46:19 pm

Namibia has always been on my list ever since I learnt about it in my German classes as the one country that speaks German. And to go in a hot air ballon over this land would be wonderful. Been in one in Egypt its truly magical like you say but it was no where near that expensive. Its such a surreal experience!

Reply
Roxanne
27/5/2017 07:34:43 pm

A hot air balloon in Egypt sounds pretty special too. As "surreal" over the desert there as in Namibia, I suspect.

Reply
Nate link
27/5/2017 09:28:30 pm

This sounds and looks like an unique experience! Your photos are amazing!

Reply
Roxanne
28/5/2017 10:18:42 am

Thanks, Nate. It's easy to take amazing photos in Namibia as the landscape and the light are so striking.

Reply
Sandra Meech link
9/8/2018 12:58:22 pm

a great read!!. we are booked on our first balloon ride ever at Sossusvlei in 3 weeks time during our trip to Namibia. September should be nice and the scenery spectacular any time of year. Thanks

Reply
Roxanne
16/8/2018 03:57:51 pm

Thanks, Sandra, glad you enjoyed reading. I;m envious of your coming balloon ride - wish I could go again but it's so expensive - but I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time. It really is worth it.

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    I'm an independent travel writer and book editor with a passion for Africa - anything from African travel, people, safari and wildlife to adventure, heritage, road-tripping and slow travel.
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