Bagan is Heavenly

Can there be a grander way to begin a day than by balloon? Not by our reckoning. As we lifted above Shwezigon Pagoda, powered by hot air, watching the sun come up over the mountains in the distance, we thought perhaps we were getting a sneak peak at the view from heaven.

For most of the next hour we glided one or two hundred feet above the Bagan plain, high enough to reveal the majesty and scope of this fantastic ancient city, but not so high that we couldn’t make out any number of present-day goings-on: brick-making, crop-planting, water-carrying, breakfast-cooking.

We found the view to be only part of the wonder. The brain trust at Balloons Over Bagan has designed a pre- and post-flight ritual that stimulates all of the senses. We felt the sound and fury of the fans and gas jets as they inflated the 12-passenger vessels before takeoff. Champagne and croissants took the sting out of what our pilot described as a “controlled crash”—also known as a typical balloon landing.

To say that the company had thought of everything would be like saying that the ancient rulers of Bagan thought on a big scale—neither statement is really comprehensible until you’ve been here. Miss this ride at your own peril. You’ll never forgive yourself.