World's Most Incredible Hot Air Balloons Rides
By: Troy

Cappadocia, Turkey

Hot air balloon tours are one of the most popular activities in Goreme. Typically lifting off at sunrise, these rides last around 45 minutes and literally go wherever the wind may blow in the Cappadocia Valley. The balloon carriages hold around ten people with the pilot riding air currents much like a boat, floating down the valleys, often below the ridge line and quite close to the chimney rocks. It's a fantastic ride and if you've ever had the urge to splurge on a balloon ride, this would be the place to do it.

Cincinnati, USA

Cincinnati is Ohio's third largest city and the largest metro region, and lies on the north bank of the Ohio River in Southwest Ohio in the United States of America.

Cincinnati is a distinctly Midwestern city, and it has been wrapped up in every phase of American history. It was one of the United States' early boomtowns, and the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is the largest National Historic District in the country. Today, it's part of a fast-growing metro area, and home to a remarkable blend of industry and architecture. Downtown Cincinnati is surrounded by picturesque foothills that add a beautiful backdrop to the Queen City and its legendary skyline, hot air balloons rides are amazing over the city.

Albuquerque, New Mexico - USA

Home of the Fiesta, the world's largest ballooning event, largest annual international event in North America, and one of the most photographed events in the world. A cultural landmark for Albuquerque (and indeed, all of New Mexico), this festival gives you a first-hand look at the world of ballooning. For nine days in October, you may walk out onto a large field where balloonists from around the world set up, inflate, launch, and possibly land their balloons. Mass ascensions of balloons with hundreds of different colors and shapes create an often stunning and magnificent sight. It's one of the most heavily attended festivals in the entire U.S.

And if you want to do more than watch the balloons, there are several local companies which provide balloon rides year-round.

Alphen, Netherlands

Alphen aan den Rijn is a marvelous town in the western Netherlands. The city is situated on the banks of the Old Rhine between Utrecht and Leiden. The area around Alphen aan den Rijn is inhabited since 2000 years. During the Roman Empire the Old Rhine has been the head branche of the Rhine. On the nowadays center of the city the Romans build a fortress (Castellum Albanianae).

The scenery from the air is magical!

Golden Coast - Australia

Referred to as "the green behind the gold" (a reference to Australia's national colours - green and gold), the Gold Coast Hinterland is home to three national parks, numerous mountains, creeks, waterfalls valleys, and natural rock formations. The area is mostly covered in sub-tropical rainforest, but sections have been cleared for dairy farm land and wineries. The Hinterland is beautiful seen by hot air balloon - it is truly a beautiful flight.

Serengeti - Tanzania, Africa

Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km² region. Its unique ecosystem has inspired writers from Ernest Hemingway to Peter Mattheissen, filmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root as well as numerous photographers and scientists.

The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years. Early man himself made an appearance in Olduvai Gorge about two million years ago. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves.

It is the migration for which Serengeti is perhaps most famous. Over a million wildebeest and about 200,000 zebras flow south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, this is the best time, most of the hot air balloon tours offer champagne in the air.

Alentejo and the Ribatejo Region - Portugal

A beautiful,mostly agricultural region, remarkable for its wide horizons, filled with soft hills that change color along the year, from deep brown to green with white, red and purple, to golden. Sunsets and the light play are stunning. As the warmest weathered region in Portugal, its inhabitants are known for their slow-paced, easy-going lifestyle and song-like accent, that are in great harmony with the Alentejo's calm-inducing topography. So, if you are there, do like the Alentejanos, and do it slowly. No stress, please.

Hot air ballooning is particularly popular in the Alentejo you can gently drift over lovely wide open countryside as the wind takes you.

Rajasthan, India

The Hot Air Ballooning in Rajasthan is a breath taking experience of hot air ballooning over the heritage sites and seing a totally different perspective of Jaipur.Mesmerising should be the word for the entire 3 hour experience.