Balloon festival in Pokhara to take off from tomorrow

By Phadindra Adhikari,Lekhnath, Dec. 23: A balloon festival will begin in Pokhara, the capital of tourism on Tuesday.  The International Hot Air Balloon Festival will be held at Siran Pame, near Phewa Lake, from December 24 to January 1, 2025.

A total of 17 hot air balloons from 15 countries will take to the skies over Pokhara during the festival. The event is being organised by Balloon Nepal Pvt. Ltd. in collaboration with the Pokhara Tourism Council.

Bikram Bade, Chairman of Balloon Nepal Pvt. Ltd., shared that the festival will take place in a three-kilometre stretch from Lauruk to Changkhapur in Pokhara Metropolitan City-24. While hot air balloons typically fly up to 9,000 feet during regular flights, they will be limited to a height of 5,000 feet during the festival.

People will have an opportunity to enjoy stunning views of the sunrise and sunset, as well as panoramic views of Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri mountains, and the Pokhara Valley. "We chose to host the festival here due to the breathtaking views, easy access to transportation, excellent tourism infrastructure, and favourable weather conditions," Bade said.

Pilots from Thailand, Vietnam, the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Lithuania, France, the Netherlands, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Italy, Australia and Brazil will participate in the festival.

In addition to the balloon flights, food stalls and various games will be organised, with musical performances held every day throughout the event. Notable artists such as Raju Lama, Alina Chauhan, Deepak Bajracharya, Kuma Sagar and Kabita Nepali will entertain festival participants. 

On New Year’s Day, traditional dances like the Kumari and Bajrayogini dances, popular in the capital, will also be featured.

Balloon Nepal Pvt. Ltd. has been operating hot air balloon flights commercially in Pokhara since 2018. The festival is supported by Pokhara Metropolitan City, the Nepal Tourism Board, Gandaki, and the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, Gandaki Province.

Organisers expect to conduct 500 commercial flights during the week-long festival. The fee for Nepalese passengers is Rs. 11,000 per person. SAARC and Chinese nationals will pay $120, while residents of other countries will be charged $150.