Sometime in August 2016, my childhood dream came true - I took a hot air balloon flight, for the first time! I had to embrace the fear of heights, but more than heights I was afraid of  landing. Apparently, the majority of accidents happen during the landing and our pilot was kind enough to share few nasty stories, so we get extra cautious. Although I appreciate the health and safety instructions, I have to admit it adds few more fears on top of the existing ones. The basket is extremely narrow, please consider this if you struggle with a claustrophobia. Four people share the narrow section of the basket, and if you feel uncomfortable to be jammed with strangers in the open air, I'd advise booking this trip in a group of four friends (overall 16 passengers can fit the basket + the pilot)  We were lucky to share our section of basket with the extremely lovely couple from Austria. The flight lasts between 40 to 60 minutes, that will depend on factors of landing in the nearby plot. Typically, the pilot is looking for a nice open green area with no animals on it. 

It was easy to find the departing point when we arrived at the Ashton court in Bristol. Although we were there on time, we had to wait for another couple of hours before the departure and once we were allocated to the pilot, we had a health and safety instructions. All passengers were asked to help with getting the balloon ready. After the landing, all passengers were helping to fold the giant balloon and then celebrate the accomplished mission with the champagne .