Hot Air Ballooning in Maharashtra

During hot air ballooning in Maharashtra, you can enjoy a romantic date or a lavish get together with your family. It is a wonderful activity, which allows you to relax while giving you a bit of an adrenaline rush. Imagine yourself enjoying a laid back meal several hundred feet off the ground, with the wind at your face. The thrill will come when you look down and see tiny fields, buildings or people below. Nowadays, several tour operators give you the chance to take flights in colourful balloons, and have a memorable experience, which you will cherish for long. Just remember to carry a camera along with you because you would not want to miss capturing the views you will get during the ride.

About Hot Air Ballooning

A basket is suspended from ropes, attached to a large hollow structure of fabric. This structure is roughly ovular in shape, and its lower end from where the basket hangs, is left open.

• Balloon: Rectangular pieces of synthetic fabrics are sewn together to make this envelope or balloon. The entire structure is coated with chemicals so that air does not pass through it. A vent is fixed on the top of the envelope, which the pilot can open to release excess gas when he/she wants to land.

• Basket: Strands of rattan or wicker are interwoven to make baskets, which you will stand in.

• Fuel and Cylinders: Propane is stored in cylinders, which are made of materials like titanium, stainless steel and aluminium. These cylinders sometime also have scales and instruments to measure the pressure and amount of gas in them.

• Burner: The pilot releases the gas into the envelope by opening a nozzle, which the burner comes with. The burner is lit by an in-built electric spark-plug or any other source of fire.

• Navigational Instruments: Some pilots also arm their baskets with instruments, allowing them to take note of their climbing speed, elevation, direction and the temperature of the burning propane.

Your Experience: You will enjoy hot air ballooning in Maharashtra for about an hour, but the total time inclusive of the flight and inflating the envelope will be roughly 3 hours. While flying, you will cruise over a maximum altitude of approximately 1200 feet, which is high enough to thrill you.

Destinations for Hot Air Ballooning in Maharashtra

Lonavala: Hot air ballooning in Maharashtra is mostly organised in the hill station of Lonavala. It is located in the district of Pune, and is about 65.4 km from the main city. As the place lies 2050 feet above sea level in the hills of the Sahyadri Range of the Western Ghats, the weather here does not become unbearably hot. Summers see average highs of 34 degree Celsius, and winters are cool with average lows of 10 degrees.

The forts of Lohagad and Visapur are important tourist attractions here that you may visit if your stay in Lonavala is long. You may also see the ornate caves of Bhaja and Karla, which feature Buddhist stupas and intricate carvings of humans. Lonavala has good road connectivity to Pune and Mumbai, from where you can also take trains to this beautiful destination.