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Bookings, Availability, Payment, Cancellations
The price of a flight is 149 USD / person. We also have kids prices and private balloon flights available. Check our website booking page to see our availability and what’s included in the price! The easiest way to book is online where you can check our up-to-date availability and pay safely.
We’re usually fully booked a few days ahead so it’s better to plan and book at least a week before your intended flight date, 2 weeks before if you’re a large party or during peak season.
Yes, you can book our “baby” balloon, suitable for private flights for 2 or 3 passengers, or a small family of 2 adults and 2 children. Check our website booking page to see the availability and what’s included in the price.
Please note that the private option won’t appear on your selected date if the balloon is already booked (there’s only one small balloon in our fleet), in that case you will have to choose another day or time for your private flight.
Private flights in our bigger balloons (from 5 to 8 passengers) are also available. Please email us hello @ abovelaos.com to enquire.
Absolutely. We use a booking platform, Trekksoft, and Payyo a gateway payment solution enabled by SIX, a PCI II compliant payment service, and rated A by Moody Credit Rating. In case of cancellation you will be refunded directly on your credit card.
Our capacity is limited by the size of the balloons and the weight they can carry, and we are usually booked a few days ahead, especially during peak season (December – February). Please plan accordingly!
Please note that the availability on our website is always up to date, and it is not possible for safety reasons to accommodate extra passengers on a sold out flight.
Cancellations do not happen very often, but if you’d like to join the waiting list please send a Whatsapp message to +856 20 56 904 471 with the number of desired seats, your names, weights and your dates in VangVieng.
And we’ll contact you if anything occurs.
At checkout it is possible to pay in your own currency, but please note that Payyo, our gateway payment system, fixes their own conversion rates and fees, which are not always advantageous. Your bank may have more interesting conversion fees, in which case it is better to choose to pay in USD.
Yes, we accept payments in cash or credit card at our Nathong Airfield office, close to VangVieng. But please note that payment has to be completed to secure your booking, it is usually more convenient to book online, especially if you don’t spend many days in VangVieng (as we are usually fully booked a few days in advance).
Cash payments can be made in USD, LAK, EUR or Bath.
- Above laos closes down during the rainy season from Mid-July to Mid-September.
- From Mid-September to End of October: 1 flight a day, mornings only.
- From November to Mid-March: 2 flights a day, one in the mornings and one in the evenings.
- From Mid-March to Mid-July: 1 flight a day, mornings only.
We rely on the seasons and the weather conditions to fly. We need enough landing spots and we don’t want to land in the rice fields while it is not harvested yet.
We also can’t fly in the evenings when the temperatures are too high, as the heat creates turbulence and unstable flying conditions.
That’s a difficult question…
Mornings can be quite calm, often we don’t go very far as there is not a lot of wind, but we can usually fly for a longer time and sometimes go over the mist and the clouds which is magic.
It is also a great way to experience the Lao countryside at a very serene time.
Evening flights might be slightly shorter, as there is more wind speed and we cannot cross the mountain range which is far too big. As a safety regulation we also have to be landed before sunset as of course we cannot fly in the dark. But because of the wind speed we usually cover more distance than in the mornings and have the beautiful evening light.
Every day and every flight is different really as we entirely depend on the wind and the weather.
Evening flights are generally not available during shoulder season (Mid-March to Mid-July and September to early November).
There are 2 reasons for that: the outside temperatures which are quite high, causing turbulence and unstable weather conditions, and the lack of suitable landing spots when the rice crops are being planted or before harvesting. While we have time to find a landing space in the morning, in the evening we are limited by the time and have to be landed before night time for obvious safety reasons.
Every balloon comes with a maximum loading capacity, and it will vary depending the outside temperature and the maximum altitude we are planning to reach. Failing to respect this maximum capacity can lead to overheating, especially in Laos weather. Before each flight, we have to do a load chart, that’s why we ask your weight when you book!
If you’re over 100 kgs or 220 pounds, only morning flights are permitted.
For every flight we do a load chart, which consists of our global weight (passengers, pilot, equipment), the takeoff altitude and the outside temperature. The higher the temperature the lower weight capacity. Flying in a overloaded balloon can lead to loss of control and dangerous flying conditions.
If you would like to cancel your flight, or reduce the number of participants, please send us an email at hello @ abovelaos.com and we will assist you.
Cancellations 7 days before the confirmed booking will be fully refunded. Should you wish to cancel less than 7 days before your intended date of flight, please let us know as soon as possible.
Last minute cancellations (less than 24 hours before the intended date of flight) are considered as no-shows and are not eligible to any refund.
No, it will be considered as a no-show and won’t be entitled to any refund. Make sure that alarm clock is loud enough!
We have exceptional weather conditions here in Laos with very little cancellations. That being said, safe ballooning relies upon good weather conditions, human factors, and properly functioning equipment. As a basic safety rule, our pilots have the absolute right to cancel any flight they’re not absolutely comfortable with.
We only take off if we’re 100% happy with the weather, i.e. no chance of rain, thunderstorms, high winds or poor visibility. If we decide to cancel a flight it is usually at the last minute, directly on the airfield with our passengers.
In that case, we try to reschedule your flight and if not possible or convenient, then we process a full refund of your flight ticket(s). Depending on your bank, allow 5 to 7 banking days for the refund to be effective (Payments with Apple Pay or Google Pay may take a little longer).
We have exceptional weather conditions here in Laos with very little cancellations. That being said, safe ballooning relies upon good weather conditions, human factors, and properly functioning equipment. As a basic safety rule, our pilots have the absolute right to cancel any flight they’re not absolutely comfortable with.
We only take off if we’re 100% happy with the weather, i.e. no chance of rain, thunderstorms, high winds or poor visibility. If we decide to cancel a flight it is most of the time at the last minute, directly on the airfield with our passengers, as the weather predictions are not accurate enough here in VangVieng.
In that case, we try to reschedule your flight and if not possible or convenient, then we process a full refund of your flight ticket(s). Depending on your bank, allow 5 to 7 banking days for the refund to be effective (Payments with Apple Pay or Google Pay may take a little longer).
We usually don’t offer any discounts.
When done properly ballooning is a very expensive operation to run, we have chosen our selling prices carefully to offer our passengers a beautiful and safe flight while paying good wages to our staff (all permanently employed) and being able to maintain and renew our equipment regularly.
We are sure that you understand, and still hope to have the pleasure of flying with you!
We usually don’t do collaborations, nor do we offer any discounts.
When done properly ballooning is a very expensive operation to run, we have chosen our selling prices carefully to offer our passengers a beautiful and safe flight while paying good wages to our staff (all permanently employed) and being able to maintain and renew our equipment regularly.
We are sure that you understand, and still hope to have the pleasure of flying with you!
As of today, we only offer balloon flights. As opposed to the other booking options you might find online, we are not Tour Operators, just ballooning experts 😉
When things are done properly, hot air balloons are very expensive to own and operate. Balloons are considered to be aircrafts and are submitted to Civil Aviation, just like planes or helicopters. Which means if the law is respected balloons can only be produced and maintained by Civil Aviation authorized organisations.
As per regulations, the equipment must be inspected every year or every 100 hours or flight (whichever comes first).
Our pilots were the first to be certified in Laos by the DCAL, with international training and regular reassessment. Plus of course there is also the cost of permanently employed staff, vehicles, and insurance.
Laos is still a comparatively cheap place to fly in the world compared to where it is about 250-300 USD. With Above Laos you get the chance to enjoy a full ballooning experience with European standards of safety and quality for a much lower price.
We are more expensive than our competitors in Vang Vieng, but we are so far the only ballooning company in Laos aiming for this level of service in terms of both safety and quality. We believe that ballooning is an exceptional and exclusive activity, and we will never compromise on our passengers’ enjoyment and safety.
Getting ready
We fly over the beautiful valley of Nathong, near the Blue Lagoons, a 15-minute drive out of VangVieng.
Pick up and drop off is included from any hotel in VangVieng or close surroundings (check with us if you’re not sure).
We will send you a WhatsApp message the day before your flight with your exact pick up time in front of your hotel and any relevant information.
It is warm up there under the burner! We recommend clothes suitable for an outdoors walk.
Depending on landing conditions, you may be walking in wet, muddy fields so closed shoes and long sleeves and trousers in natural fabrics such as cotton are best. It is also a good idea to bring a hat or cap, especially if you’re tall, to protect your head from the burner’s heat.
You can also bring a bottle of water, especially for evening flights.
Yes, you can bring a camera and selfie stick, provided that they are carried in a small bag and are not a disturbance to other passengers. They must be stored at landing and they are carried at your own risk.
Small bags such as cross body bags or slings are allowed on board, but not backpacks which can cause safety issues at landing. You can leave them at our Airfield Café or with the van drivers.
No problem, we’ll look after your luggage during your flight!
Yes, but this is subject to available space in our minivan. Check with us before! Otherwise they are welcome to join us with their own means of transport.
If convenient, we’re happy to drop you at the VangVieng train station after the flight! Just tell our driver or leave a message on WhatsApp after your confirmation message. You can also leave your luggage with us during your flight.
Please don’t book a train before 10AM if you fly in the mornings, and before 7PM if you fly in the evenings. You have to arrive at least 20 minutes early to the train station and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to get you there earlier. We don’t want you to miss your train because we landed in a remote area!
We usually drive you back at approximately 8:30 AM after the flight for morning flights, and 6:30 PM for evening flights (this depends on the time of the year).
But please remember that this is only indicative and depends greatly on the weather conditions, what time you will land, and where you will land.
It is recommended that you allow a little extra time “just in case” if you want to book a train ticket or another activity just after your flight for example.
Flying
We fly over the beautiful valley of Nathong, near the Blue Lagoons, a 15-minute drive out of VangVieng.
We never fly over the city. For morning flight, our take off area is our airfield located at the Nathong Village on the road to Blue Lagoon 1.
In the evenings we have different take off fields and we choose where to take off from at the last minute, depending on the wind speed and direction
We try to time our flight time so that you can enjoy sunrise or sunset. However, please bear in mind that when it comes to flying safety always comes first. This means that in the mornings we might have to delay take off time (for visibility reasons for example, or if there’s a chance of rain and we need to monitor the weather evolution).
In the evenings this means that we might have to land before sunset if the wind speed and direction does not take us to a safe landing area. And sometimes, we can have great flying conditions with an overcast weather, which means that you might not be able to enjoy seeing the sun.
It is important to understand that if hot air balloons take off close to sunrise or sunset time it is mainly to avoid turbulence, thermals and unstable flying conditions (but yes, we agree that watching the sunrise or sunset in Laos from a balloon is lovely!)
Hot air balloons can’t be steered so they travel on the wind and you never know where exactly you’re going to land or how far you will go. The pilot will start looking for a suitable landing site after around 30 to 45 minutes depending the wind direction. The ground crew will track the balloon on the ground and aim to arrive shortly after landing.
It depends on the wind conditions! We generally reach 3000 ft above sea level but even below that the views are already amazing. We can’t fly above 5000 ft above Vang Vieng without entering a controlled airspace.
Our average flight time is 50 minutes, but depending on the wind speed and direction the flight duration can be between 35 minutes to 1 hour.
Allow 3 hours for the full activity, from pick up to drop off.
During the day, the sun heats the ground which in turn heats the air above causing thermals or columns of rising air. These thermals cause updrafts and downdrafts which affect a pilot’s ability to safely control the altitude of a hot air balloon.
Above Laos currently operates medium-sized 6.000 cubic meters (210 000 cubic feet) suitable for a pilot and a maximum of 8 passengers dispatched in two compartments. We also operate a smaller balloon (3.400 m3) for private flights.
The amount of passengers loaded can vary depending on the outside temperature and the total load. That’s why we ask your weight when you book!
Some commercial balloons can be much bigger than that, and board up to 20 or even 30 passengers. At Above Laos we choose to fly with smaller balloons to keep the pleasure of flying, more flexibility to find landing spots, and more interaction with our customers for a better ballooning experience.
Flying in a balloon is a very serene experience while in the air, but it is an adventure activity in the great outdoors and sometimes while landing the basket can tip and/or drag along before coming to rest. This is how balloons have been landing for over 200 years and is perfectly normal. The balloon and basket are designed for your comfort and safety throughout the flight. During landing you will be in the safe landing position within the basket as instructed by your pilot.
Depending on availability, we’ll try to reschedule the flight. If you prefer or if there are no availabilities, you will be fully refunded. Online payments will be refunded directly on their credit card. Allow approx. 5 to 7 days to get your refund back on your bank account.
Maybe the wind direction was unsuitable – the karstic cliffs can be rather threatening sometimes… Sometimes the weather can be so hot that the thermals are too strong for us to fly, causing a lot of instability and potential risk.There may have been a wind direction which would have taken the balloon towards something unsuitable, like a large town or restricted airspace.
Rain may have been forecast in the area. We cannot fly in rain because it means there will be poor visibility and it also makes the balloon heavier to fly. Getting a balloon envelope wet can lead to some damage. Thunderstorms or CB (Cumuli Nimbus) clouds may have been forecast.
Our safety will always be our priority, so we will cancel any flight we are not 100% comfortable doing. Remember, your pilot in command has a big responsibility and won’t take any risk so please don’t be too disappointed if there’s a last minute cancellation (sometimes it can even be once the balloon is already inflated and ready to go). Of course, we’ll try to reschedule the flight or we will refund you, whichever you prefer.
Our pilot’s decision whether to fly is not related to what other balloonists decide. Our pilots consider all the weather factors and make their own decision, always putting your safety first. The other balloon could have had better shelter at take-off from the wind on that particular wind direction.
Health & Safety
We don’t allow children under 5 on board. In our experience little ones are scared by the burner’s flame and noise. Younger children tend also to get bored after a while, especially when they can’t see above the basket handrail (115 cm high).
Unfortunately, for safety reasons and as per Civil Aviation regulations we are unable to fly women who are pregnant.
In order to ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone who flies, passengers must be satisfied they are physically able to take part in the experience. This means that they can climb in and out over the sides of the basket (which is about 42 inches or 1.15 m high), stand unassisted for an hour and adopt the bended knee seated landing position.
Passengers must also be able to fully understand and follow all instructions given by the pilot and react quickly to them in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Under Civil Aviation Law, the balloon pilot has a duty of care for all passengers and, ultimately, it is their decision if someone is able to safely participate on the day.
All passengers should be sure they do not have any pre-existing medical conditions which could be affected by the ballooning experience or could prevent them from safely taking part and should seek professional medical advice if unsure. You must not fly if you are suffering from any significant medical condition or if you have recently undergone major surgery. We require you to tell us about any medical or physical condition that could be considered to affect your safety or the safety of others.
In our experience, people with fear of heights usually don’t get it in a balloon since they are disconnected to the ground and don’t experience this feeling of distance they get from standing atop a cliff or a tall building. The ascent is also slow and gentle and you move at wind’s speed, thus feeling no motion sickness.
If you worry about this please let your pilot know before boarding. They will do their best to make you feel good and can, if necessary, land back, drop you off and take off again in the very unlikely case where you’d feel too bad to continue with the flight.
When done properly, hot air ballooning is an extremely safe activity, and there are very strict safety guidelines when the regulation is properly implemented.
We are complying with the international standards of safety. We operate with European equipment which is regularly inspected and maintained by a Civil Aviation authorized organization. Our pilots are all certified, internationally trained and regularly controlled and reassessed.
If you would like to know more about us, our licenses, insurance etc. please check our About us page for more information.
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