Two air balloons take of at Mui Ne beach in central Phan Thiet Town

It’s a lot of hot air, but the promise of amazing panoramic views is no idle boast, say those who have tried it.

The Chien Thang Company in Ho Chi Minh City imported the first set of the balloons and established a squadron of 10 pilots to steer them in 2004.

At the tourism festival Hoi Tu Xanh (Green Gathering) held in 2005 in Binh Thuan, the balloon tour gave photographers a chance to fulfill their panorama dreams. From a height of 100 meters, their lenses captured the harmonious mingling of sea, mountains and dunes.

Before opening the first balloon tour in Hue last August, the crew completed a trans-Vietnam tour of 30 provinces in 90 days in 2006.

In August last year, two balloons named Bay len voi Hue (Flying with Hue) opened the entertainment flying service at Hue’s Phu Van Lau Park. The 22-meter high, 17-meter diameter balloons can carry four persons each time. The balloons reach a height of 50 meters in five minutes and passengers can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city.

“It takes 10 minutes to get a balloon trip ready, pretty fast, right? It’s better to view the sparkling beauty of a city at night. VND80,000 (US$6) for each ‘flight’ is a reasonable price,” says Tien, a Hue resident.

Tickets are sold at the Mai Linh tourist office on 12 Hung Vuong Street, the Thuan Hoa Hotel at 7 Nguyen Tri Phuong Street and the Phu Van Lau Park. All locations are in the ancient capital of Hue.

Besides Hue, the Hoang Gia Beach on 11A1 Tuan Chau Island of Ha Long Bay also provides this entertainment. The price for a 15-minute flight is VND150,000 ($9.5).

Apart from entertainment, the balloons are used for product marketing and festival decorations. Chien Thang Company also provides training courses for balloon pilots.

Those interested can contact the company at 10 Tran Nhat Duat Street, District 1 or via email at: victorymind@hcm.vnn.vn and victorymind@victory-mind.com.

Reported by Kim