Person beside hot air balloons. Right: Hot air balloons in Arizona.
This Review article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
A hot air balloon ride in Arizona was at the top of my list when I visited Phoenix for the first time.
Jumping into a basket with an open flame in it, that then takes you up to 3,000 feet in the air, doesn't exactly sound like a smart idea, but it does sound fun. On my trip to the city I was determined to do the once-in-a-lifetime experience. I mean, going for a hot air balloon ride in the desert just sounded too magical to pass up.
So, I booked a sunrise hot air balloon ride to take with my best friend — who I was travelling with — and crossed my fingers that my fear of heights would somehow disappear in a week.
Hot air balloons in Arizona.Morgan Leet | Narcity
Unfortunately, when my 3 a.m. alarm went off the morning of the ride, I was still terrified and seriously doubting my decision. After paying $175 USD though, there was no way I was going to back out.
The setup
The most nerve-wracking part of the whole experience was walking around the desert at dawn, watching them blow up the hot air balloon.
Arizona desert.Morgan Leet | Narcity
Don't get me wrong, it was absolutely beautiful seeing a field of hot air balloons, each floating up into the air one at a time, all while the sun rose. It was also terrifying thinking that in just a few moments I would be carried away in this wild mode of transportation.
Hot air balloons in Arizona.Morgan Leet | Narcity
My friend and I looked at each other with seriously skeptical expressions, clearly both thinking: "Why are we doing this again?"
The hot air balloon being blown up.Morgan Leet | Narcity
Before we knew it though our guide was calling us over, and we were jumping into the basket.
The hot air balloon taking off.Morgan Leet | Narcity
The ride
The hot flame slowly lifted our balloon off the dusty ground, and away we went. The higher we got, the harder it was to look down — but that was okay because I couldn't take my eyes off the incredible view in front of me.
Other colourful balloons popped up around us, and with the desert below and the mountains as a backdrop — it was breathtaking.
The view from our hot air balloon.Morgan Leet | Narcity
The sun was quickly coming up over the mountains, turning the sky a bright blue. It was the perfect time of day to go, because of the beautiful lighting and the fact that it wasn't too hot yet.
Arizona desert. Morgan Leet | Narcity
The entire time I could feel the heat of the fire above me, and it was a reminder that the only thing holding us up was the little flame. As bizarre as it was though, once we were high up in the air I felt calm.
Hot air balloon ride. Morgan Leet | Narcity
It was unbelievably peaceful so high up in the air, and I could take in the unique landscape around me.
The stunning view of Arizona. Morgan Leet | Narcity
At some points, our guide took us low to the ground, and we got to see wild donkeys, cows, and even pigs.
Arizona. Morgan Leet | Narcity
We breezed past cacti and lakes — and then went so high that when I looked down my palms started sweating.
The landing
After about an hour in the air, it was time to land.
Honestly, I never really considered what the landing on a hot air balloon ride would be like, which made it extra terrifying. If you're like me, you probably expect it to be a gentle touchdown — and you would be very wrong.
It's not exactly easy to steer and massive balloon powered by hot air, so we started our descent pretty quickly and even took out a bush.
As we landed we had to grab a handle and brace ourselves, before hitting the ground. Our basket had a super bumping landing and even started to tip over as the ground crew tried to get the balloon deflated.
The deflated hot air balloon.Morgan Leet | Narcity
It was a heart-pounding experience, to say the least, but we all made it out safely.
Our guide even poured us some mimosas at the end to toast the magical ride — despite the fact that it was 6:30 a.m.
A mimosa. Morgan Leet | Narcity
All in all, it was an unreal experience. Because I was so scared, it made it even more rewarding in the end. I challenged myself and got to have one of the most surreal experiences of my life.