Balloon flight during Rick's Best of Turkey tour

Could you all let me know if you get motion sickness, how was the balloon ride? We are going in Oct. and the balloon ride sounds awesome, but everyone of us gets motion sickness! Thx.

First, for Deanna there is absolutely no sense of motion in a balloon. You do not know you are moving unless you look down and see your shadow. I have enjoyed several rides but there is an element of risk. You are at the mercy of the elements and if the weather changes quickly you could have problems. The biggest problem is landing.

Hot air ballooning is certainly not riskless. Many tourist activities such as snorkeling, hiking, and driving also carry risks. The question is, how great is the risk?

In judging the risk inherent to hot air ballooning, you can consider the accident record of ballooning here in the US. The NTSB keeps a log of US aviation incidents, including those involving hot air balloons. If you check online you will see there are 77 such incidents from 2004 to 2009. Most involved only injuries, but several involved fatalities. Most of the incidents involved hot air balloon hobbyists rather than professional balloon companies. The most common cause of balloon accidents was collision with power lines.

I don't know of Turkish records like the NTSB searchable database, but I do know that hot air ballooning tours are legally regulated there. Some of the companies offering these tours in Cappadocia have been doing so for years with very good safety records. I would recommend inquiring of the company about the experience and qualifications of the pilots used (the one I took was piloted by a Swedish guy who had been professionally piloting balloons for more than twenty years). I was personally very comfortable with the safety policies and the professional experience of the pilot of the balloon that I rode. But only you can judge your own risk tolerance and make the choice that is best for you.

I can say that it is one of the highlights of our many trips to Turkey and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy it, since I am seriously afraid of heights, but there really isn't any sensation of height or movement. Just amazing...

Sounds fabulous! Thanx Jer for the info and the testimonial.

I took the balloon ride in 2006 during my RS tour there and it was most definitely one of the (many) highlights. While I cannot now recall the name of the company, it was French as were the pilots. Very professional. I have taken rides in the US (Sedona, North Carolina) and the safety procedures in Turkey were the same as here.

Statistically, safer than driving on a freeway and far more fun. The views are absolutely breathtaking and they served the champagne AFTER landing.

I get motion sickness in small planes/boats: none balooning

Kim,

I'll put that on my list of "websites I never considered to exist".

I just got back yesterday from the Turkey tour and the balloon trip was a highlight. We had an extremely competent pilot. The entire ride was very gentle and the scene below was spectacular. However, I've been sky diving so this was pretty tame by comparison. To really benefit from the ride you need to be comfortable looking down, otherwise what is the point? I can't imagine Rick Steves would hook up his tour groups with dangerous or untrustworthy operations so ballooning in Turkey probably carries the same risks as ballooning in the states. If you've ever wanted to ride in a hot air balloon this is the time to do it.

We have just returned from Rick's tours of Turkey and Greece. The balloon ride in Cappodocia Turkey was really special. We want you to enjoy the experience, so we will not include the details of the actual flight. The company has a site at www.kapadokyaballoons.com if you google this then open the site on the upper right hand side of the page: Cappadocia Balloon Tour it includes a brief write up, frequent questions, some stuff from a pilot and photos. The price just like the taxi's in Athens has just gone up. We paid $460 for two. That includes the pick up and return to our overnight spot.
Some of the comments posted here about evaluating the flight are quite accurate.
It was a great ride--31 balloons were in the air in the immediate area the morning we flew. Upon landing there is a nice gathering and hats and tee shirts for sale. Rick's Turkey guide will need to know if you plan to fly before you depart from Istanbul so a reservation can be made with the balloon company.
To future tour members we wish you a super tour and wonderful balloon flight!