Balloons over Bagan

Ancient British bus from the colonial-era picking up passengers for Balloons over Bagan	Our European (Beligian I think) balloon captain	Pre-dawn preparations for balloon launch from the field next to Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan	Each balloon holds 8 passengers
Preparing the balloon for inflation	Ground crew members inspect the inside of the balloon as it is inflated with cold air	Partially inflated balloon	The balloons are made in the UK by Cameron Balloons Ltd
Flame On!	Filling the balloon with hot air	Balloons Over Bagan - inflation	The balloon rises
Balloon inflation nearly complete	The balloon lifts the basket to the upright position	On the day of our flight, 2 balloons were used	Completing the inflation
Boarding the balloon	Dennis sharing the basket with a girl from Hong Kong	Dennis wearing his Balloons Over Bagan cap	The balloons flame is loud
Up, up and away...	Takeoff over the three buses of Balloons Over Bagan	...and perfect timing for sunrise...	Sunrise Over Bagan
The second balloon launches	Shwezigon Paya	Amazing view of the golden pagoda of Shwezigon from the balloon	Aerial view of Shwezigon Paya with the Irrawaddy River in the background
Balloons Over Bagan	Floating low over the houses of Nyaung U	Early morning smoke from a fire as we float over the Bagan-Nyang U Road	Bagan 0275.jpg
Drifting on the gentle wind to the south, away from Shwezigon	Dennis on his first hot air balloon flight	Balloon Over Bagan	Balloon passing over a smoking fire, Bagan
It's not cheap at $300 per person but it's really worth it	Floating over a monastery, Nyang U, Bagan	Sulamani Guphaya in the distance across the plains of Bagan	Sunrise as we float at treetop level
Brickyard	Bagan 0299.jpg	Bagan 0301.jpg	Treetop view of palms and paddies, Bagan
Gubyaukgyi Temple (Wetkyi-in), 13th Century, Bagan	Bagan 0306.jpg	Bagan Tower	Small brick pagodas, Bagan
Flying low over the plains of Bagan by balloon	Balloons Over Bagan - sunrise	Anawratha Road, Bagan	Balloon flying low over Anawratha Road
Bagan sunrise	Flying below tree-top level	Bagan balloon	Bagan sunrise with pagodas
Low flight in a balloon, Bagan	High concentration of monuments on the Central Plain, Bagan	Central Plains of Bagan from the air with Dhammayangyi Temple in the distance	Treetop level over the Central Plains of Bagan
Bagan 0341.jpg	Flying low over a local family preparing the morning cooking fire	...the captain said none of the balloons had ever hit a temple...	Flying low over Bagan
Bagan sunrise, treetop level flight	Bagan sunrise, treetop level flight	Flying at an altitude of maybe 50 feet over the Central Plain, Bagan	Bagan temple sporting a new tin roof
Low flight over the temples of Bagan	Central Plain with Sulamani and Dhammayangyi Temples in the distance	Balloon Over Bagan	Sunrise with Bagan Tower
Small temple on the edge of a plowed field	Low enough to read the signs - Bagan Monument #355 and 356	Central Plains of Bagan including Mahazedi Pagoda, the large one on the left	Bagan 0365.jpg
Balloons Over Bagan	Balloons Over Bagan	Bagan 0368.jpg	Temple - Bagan Monument #433
Stupa - Bagan Monument 434	Bagan 0373.jpg	Balloon sunrise, Bagan	Early morning flight over the Temples of Bagan
Bagan 0377.jpg	Balloons Over Bagan	Balloons Over Bagan	Passing close to a cluster of stupas with Sulamani Temple in the distance
Low flight over the Central Plains of Bagan	Balloons Over Bagan	Balloons Over Bagan	Bagan 0396.jpg
Sun eclipsed by a balloon, Bagan	Sulamani Temple, Bagan	"Aerial" photo of Sulamani Guphaya, one of the major temples of Bagan	Balloon with Thabeik Hmauk Temple, Bagan
Balloon with Thabeik Hmauk Temple, Bagan	Gaining a little altitude as we float past Sulamani Temple, Bagan	Balloons Over Bagan - a great way to see Bagan	Balloons Over Bagan
Sulamani Temple, Bagan	Sulamani Temple, Bagan	Roof-tops of a monastery near Sulamani Temple	Dhammayangyi Temple, the largest in Bagan, 1167 AD
Silhouette of Sulamani Temple with the early morning sun	The other balloon passing by Sulamani Temple, Bagan	Bagan 0439.jpg	Dhammayangyi Temple dominating the Central Plains of Bagan
Bagan 0443.jpg	A military helicopter patrolling over Bagan - apparently General Than Shwe was in town	Balloon floating past Sulamani Temple, Bagan	Dhammayangyi Temple from the air, Bagan
I'm sort of surprised that so many of Bagan's temples are surrounded by active farmland	Balloon floating past Sulamani Temple, Bagan	Dennis Over Bagan	Early morning balloon flight, Bagan
Sulamani Temple	Passing due east of Dhammayangyi Temple	Bagan 0463.jpg	Shadow of our balloon cast on Dhammayangyi Temple
The balloon climbing for more altitude	Pyathada Paya in the distance on the left	Balloon pilot, Bagan	Bagan 0473.jpg
Flying over a stupa, Bagan	Basket directly over a stupa, Bagan	Dhammayangyi Temple from the southeast with Thatbyinnyu Phaya in the distance on the left	Balloons Over Bagan
Dhammayangyi Temple with gold-topped Ananda Phaya on the right	The second balloon behind a temple	Balloon climbing to pass over the top of a temple	Aerial view of Dhammayangyi Temple with Ananda Phaya and Old Bagan in the background
Balloons Over Bagan	The major temples south of Old Bagan including the white stupa of Shwesandaw Phaya	Southern Plains of Bagan from an alititude of around 500 ft	Balloons Over Pagan - south plain
Looking south from the balloon	Looking back at the southern façade of Dhammayangyi Temple	Dhammayangyi Temple recedes into the distance	The other balloon didn't come as high as we did
Balloons Over Bagan - view north with the golden stupa of Shwezigon marking our starting point	Balloon Over Bagan with Sulamani Temple	View southwest towards New Bagan	Bagan 0506.jpg
Plain south of Old Bagan	Shwesandaw Phaya (sunset temple) and Thatbyinnyu Phaya (tallest temple), upper left	Aerial view looking northwest to Old Bagan	Aerial view looking northwest to Old Bagan
Dirt tracks passing through agricultural fields, Bagan	Balloon Over Bagan	View northwest to Old Bagan	Balloon Over Bagan
Bagan 0519.jpg	Balloon Over Bagan	Dhammayangyi Temple to the north	Balloon Shadow, Bagan
Looking west towards Myinkaba	Southern plains, Bagan	Bagan 0527.jpg	Bagan 0531.jpg
Gold stupa of Dhammayazika Pagoda, 1196 AD, Bagan - West Pwasaw	Aerial view looking north across the Plains of Bagan	Scrubby area of the Southern Plains, Bagan	Bagan 0542.jpg
Aerial view of the Plains of Bagan by Balloon	Balloons Over Bagan - Highly Recommended	View northwest towards Myinkaba, Bagan	Balloons Over Bagan - looking north
Gold stupa of Dhammayazika Pagoda, 1196 AD, Bagan - West Pwasaw	Southern Plains at New Bagan	Temples on the edge of New Bagan	Bagan 0559.jpg
Dennis and the girl from Hong Kong, Balloons Over Bagan	Gold stupa of Dhammayazika Pagoda, 1196 AD, Bagan - West Pwasaw	Descent for landing to the east of New Bagan	The road from Pwasaw to New Bagan
Early morning mist with the palm studded plains to the east of New Bagan	Crossing the road that leads northeast from New Bagan	Approach to Landing	Balloon on approach to landing, Bagan
Balloons Over Bagan	Balloon registration XY-AHF	Balloon on approach to landing near New Bagan	XY-AHF landing in a field near New Bagan
Preparing to deflate the balloon	Opening the vent in the top of the balloon	Open vent to deflate the balloon, Bagan	Balloon deflation
Balloon deflation	Cameron Balloons - Bristol, England - Z 315	Happy Face	Deflating the balloon, Bagan
After the flight with Balloons Over Bagan	Preparing to deflate the second balloon	The balloon envelope begins to collapse	Balloon post-flight duties
Folding the balloon after the flight	Balloons Over Bagan ground crew	What's a balloon ride without champagne	Packing up the balloon
The pilot presents Dennis with his Balloon Flight Certificate, 2/2/2010	Framed photo from the balloons remote camera	Balloons Over Bagan booking office at Thiripyitsaya Sanctuary Hotel	Inside the Balloons Over Bagan bus back at the hotel