Dubai Balloon set to take passengers up, up and away to enjoy stunning views above The Palm
In a towering city such as Dubai, there are plenty of places vying for the title of best view. Now there’s a new contender in the mix, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Opening tomorrow at Atlantis, The Palm is The Dubai Balloon, a tethered hot air balloon attraction that floats visitors up to 300 metres above The Palm Jumeirah, offering 360-degree views.
It begins with a safety briefing from a member of the ground team, who explains that the balloon will only be reaching 150 metres due to the weather – we fly on a hazy and slightly windy morning – which is fine by me as heights are not my strong suit.
Once the safety briefing is completed, we hand over our boarding passes and head over to greet our captain, Harold, who is just as excited as we are to take to the skies.
The Dubai Balloon, powered by helium, is much larger than your average hot air balloon.
It can accommodate up to 20 people in its doughnut-shaped passenger basket, or gondola.
Passengers are able to watch the ground fade away beneath them as the balloon starts to ascend, as well as take in the views around them. We are told to hold on to the safety rail as we start to rise, in case of any bumps.
We didn’t need to worry, though, as it was a surprisingly smooth climb, interrupted only by a slight shake in my knees as the height started to feel very real.
Once we reach our 150-metre peak for the day, I am able to relax a little (and feel secretly thankful that we didn’t make it all the way to 300 metres). The balloon floats high above both Atlantis, The Palm and its shiny new neighbour Atlantis, The Royal. The luxury hotels sit on either side of the attraction. To the front, the famous outline of The Palm Jumeirah is clear to see, with the water between the fronds glistening in the morning sunlight.
Despite the morning haze, the towering Marina skyline is clearly visible, and on the horizon, you can just about make out the outline of Downtown Dubai.
While we can’t quite see the tip of Burj Khalifa, Harold assures us that passengers can get a great view when the skies are clearer.
He also shows us photos of the view at sunset and at night,
both of which are spectacular. Harold encourages passengers to walk around the gondola, which is fitted with a safety net, so everyone gets a moment to take in the views and, of course, snap pictures from all angles. Although, it doesn’t really matter where you’re standing – there are no bad photo spots.
The experience lasts for about 10 minutes, before we are told to hold on to the rails once again as we make our descent. Despite Harold joking that it was his “first landing”, we touch back down without a bump. The Dubai Balloon
The famous outline of The Palm Jumeirah is clear to see, with the water between the fronds glistening in the sunlight
costs D175 for adults and Dh75 for children (those under the age of three can ride free of charge). You can get a fast pass ticket for Dh275 for adults and Dh125 for children, which includes a beverage in the Dubai Balloon lounge, where guests will finish their experience.
It will probably turn the stomachs of those who are not great with heights, but the views are worth it.
Open daily, 9am to 7pm. More information is available at www.thedubaiballoon.com