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Looking for a sense of perspective? How better to elevate your consciousness than silently floating over the rolling Bucolic beauty of the Cape Winelands, at the whim of the breeze, while the sun climbs out of the treetops before you? There’s only one way to do it outside of a dream: secure in the spacious basket of a hot air balloon.

Gently as a cloud, we will roam the heavens in this most whimsical of vessels, while our able pilot regales us on the art of ballooning, and shares anecdotes and information about the vineyards and orchards unfolding below. You are invited to assist in the rigging and inflation of the balloon, which takes about half an hour. It’s all part of the Journey. We will ascend well above the treetops, and then our fate is in the hands of the wind. But don’t be alarmed: a retrieval vehicle will follow on the ground and meet us at our landing point.

Depending on weather conditions, the flight will last approximately an hour. For the most part, the ride is ethereally smooth and silent; the serene calm interrupted only by the odd swift burst of the burner. After a gentle touchdown, you can contemplate the experience over a “Champagne” breakfast at Paarl’s world- renowned Grand Roche Hotel. Balloon flying in South Africa is best undertaken at sunrise, before thermal activity starts. Because this sport puts you at the mercy of the weather, we cannot guarantee a safe flight in fog, strong wind, hot weather, or rain. We will thus give you a wake-up call in the wee hours to confirm that the weather gods have been kind, and rendezvous follows at about 5:30 am.

You are advised to wear practical clothes and footwear, and to bring something warm along, as well as sunglasses and a hat. Cameras are also welcome, but please be advised that there is no insurance for equipment lost overboard! Passengers of all ages are welcome, but children need to be at least 1.2m tall to be able to see over the basket. So come one, come all… it’s never too late - or too early - to discover the Zen of the Hot Air Balloon.

Cape Weather is notoriously fickle. If a balloon flight proves inadvisable, you can always opt for a heli flight over the peninsula and winelands, a romantic bi-plane flight in a Chipmunk (the successor of the Tiger Moth) or microlight flight.