The other British man asked if anyone was Welsh. We’re looking for some kind of noise because it’s dark and no one can see you.” We all laughed.

“If it sounds like you, it’s probably you, so just shout out that you’re here.” He read the first name and someone raised their hand.

“If I mispronounce your name, it’s because it’s spelled wrong” one of them jested. We stayed put until two older British men came over with a list. Over 170 people would be flying that morning and getting lost in the field was not an option. We were ushered over to a large circle of chairs and notified that we were not allowed to leave for any reason. We sat together in the old bus with a wood paneled ceiling and chatted until we arrived in a giant field. Two other people from my hostel were going as well (Kerstin from Germany and Rafa from Brazil). A bus pulled up which looked a bit like a shaggin’ wagon with the logo “Balloons Over Bagan” written on the side in a deep red font. It could easily be mistaken as a scene from The Walking Dead with people mumbling and unknowingly bumping into each other. I looked around the room at the sleepy crowd all trying to wake up for sunrise. I walked downstairs, grabbed an extra large cup of half decent coffee. I unwillingly rolled out of bed, quietly grabbing my belongings, and heading to the bathroom to get ready. I started to doze off when the vibrating of my phone alarm rustled violently under my pillow. I tried to roll back over to go to sleep but she continued to make an unconscionable amount of noise until 4:30am. Why? Seriously why? Most people have the common courtesy to pack the night before, but not this girl.

I rolled over and saw a girl packing her bags… at 3am. The most annoying thing about budget travel is sharing a room with someone who doesn’t care if you’re sleeping. I looked at my phone and saw it was 3:00am. I woke to the rustling of bags and a door slamming. After running into a few people who described it as, “their favorite thing they did in Myanmar” I decided to take the plunge and book it. Luckily, I have a separate “splurge” budget for once in a lifetime opportunities. When you’re working with a $30 a day budget, clearly this doesn’t fit in. The cheapest price I found was $330 per person for a one hour ride with Balloons over Bagan. Riding in a hot air balloon made my bucket list for things I’d like to do before turning 30, so taking a ride over temples at sunrise felt like a great way to check it off my list, until I saw the price tag. The steep price of riding a hot air balloon in Bagan can be discouraging, but I promise it’s worth it. The short answer is yes, yes, and yes again.

Bagan myanmar hot air balloon