By Annick Dournes & Frederic de Poligny
Watching the sunrise slowly illuminating Luxor’s ancient monuments from high in the air left us almost speechless with admiration. This was undoubtedly the most exhilarating experience we had during our recent trip to Egypt. What a feeling, the Magic Of Thebes!
It all began at dawn. Yes, it was early morning and we got a wake-up call at 4 am… After a quick snack and a nice cuppa – many thanks to Ali, our butler aboard our dahabiya cruise ship, all dressed up and smiling who woke up, especially for us- we were taken care of by a member of the balloon company.
We took a small motorboat, then a minivan, and finally got to the take-off spot on the western bank of the Nile.
It was still dark and we joined dozens of other tourists of various nationalities waiting for the big moment. Excitement was in the air and in spite of the early hour, no one felt sleepy.
Balloon flight over ancient Thebes
Thebes Then the balloon company crew began to unfurl the huge balloon, attached them to baskets, and lighted the gas burners. It was quite fascinating to watch the big flames shining bright in the night.
As the air inside the balloons was slowly heating they began to straighten up and we were able to count at least 25 colorful balloons looking like beautiful Chinese lanterns glowing in the dark.
As the first rays of the sun began to light the east we were ready to get on board our basket. The pilot gave us the final security instructions and… off we go!
The balloon quickly gained height and we soon realise that since our feet had left the ground no one felt vertigo. Moreover, all our attention was on the spectacular scenery enlightened by the morning sun. The show was both in the air and on the ground. It was really beautiful to fly among so many colorful balloons floating at different altitudes.
But of course, the best part of it was admiring the left bank of the Nile with Hatshepsut Temple, the Deir el-Medina site – the ancient craftsmen village-, the Ramesseum (the Temple of Ramses II), Howard Carter’s house, Thebes the famed Colossi of Memnon, the majestic Theban Mountain, the vast sugar cane fields, and the Nile. As the sun rose a beautiful rose gold light made the sight even greater.
But all good things must come to an end and we started our way down. The flight lasted about 40 minutes but it all seemed too short. Thanks to the pilot we enjoyed a soft landing and every passenger got a flight certificate as a souvenir. And believe me, Egypt seen from the sky is a great souvenir.
You can book your balloon flight on the Internet and find packages including a pick up at your hotel and the flight. But if you are aboard a cruise ship on the Nile you will have to book your flight through the shipping company and they will arrange everything for you. It might be a little bit more expensive but probably safer. Prices range from £ 90 to 120 per person.
Text ©Annick Dournes
Photos ©Frederic de Poligny
