In an age of speed, Uber has announced a leisurely ride — on a hot balloon — in Cappadocia, Turkey. Starting this week, Uber Balloon is available at the UNESCO World Heritage Göreme National Park, and riders can book directly on the app via Uber Reserve.
The trips depart from Göreme, Cappadocia, taking riders on a 1.5-hour picturesque flight through the park, known for ‘fairy chimneys’ and grand architecture carved into the limestone. On an early liftoff, riders will be able to see stunning views of dawn from 3,000 feet in the air.
This unique adventure ride includes door-to-door rides from the hotel lobby to 3,000 feet in the sky. Balloon trips will cost €150 per person.
Not just balloon rides but the travel app will soon launch other travel experiences like Uber Boat in Mykonos and Uber Sleigh in Lapland.
Every year, the tradition of flying high in the sky continues with hundreds of hot air balloons at festivals around the world. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly hot air balloon festival that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during early October. From a small gathering of 13 balloons in 1972, Fiesta has grown to become the largest balloon event in the world. Held each year during the first week in October, the Balloon Fiesta now features about 600 balloons and 700 pilots.
The Saga International Balloon Festival held in Saga Prefecture, Japan, from November 1 to 5, is Saga Prefecture’s largest event, drawing between 800,000 and 1 million spectators with over 100 balloon pilots from all over the world every year since 1978. The festival is visually appealing as it covers professional hot air balloon competitions and unique balloons shaped like animals and popular cartoon characters.
The Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon festival in October in Scottsdale, a desert city in Arizona, is known to host over 20 hot air balloons from around the country as part of the Halloween festivities.
In Reno, Nevada, the Great Reno Balloon Race held at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park has over 100 balloons and participation from over 1,50,000 spectators on average each year.
While Uber in India is not planning a similar kind of experience any time soon, but India organises many such rides and festivals across places such as Darjeeling, Lonavala, Taj Mahal in Agra, Goa, Hampi in Karnataka, Pushkar, Jaipur and Himachal Pradesh.
Adventure tourism sports in Aravali hills in north India to Western Ghats, Chandor in south Goa, Hampi in Karnataka, Lonavla, Maharashtra, Pushkar and Jaipur, Rajasthan offer breathtaking aerial views of sea, lakes, beautiful forts, and green pastures. In fact, the state tourism department and Varanasi Development Authority have signed an MoU to boost tourism in Varanasi by developing a ‘tent city’ and offering hot air balloon rides and water sports activities this year.
The Taj Mahal in Agra recently held a hot air balloon ride at ShilpGram, a cultural hub near Taj Mahal, for select days which was part of the Taj Carnival, a cultural festival that will continue till November 25. The 10-minute hot air balloon ride was ticketed at Rs 500 per person.
