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Inside the Dubai Balloon that lets you fly over the Palm Jumeirah

The helium-inflated balloon that soars up to 300 metres will be open to public from March 31

Constantly pushing topical and technological boundaries, Dubai has a novel go-to attraction that tourists and residents can now experience in a unique way.

A bucket list attraction for all, the Dubai Balloon is an elevated adventure that gives an enchanting bird-eye view of Atlantis The Palm on one side and Atlantis The Royal on the other side.

Passengers can enjoy the out-of-the-ordinary location with magical aerial views of the city in a fun and engaging way, celebrating special occasions like an ultimate marriage proposal, a special Birthday, distinctive company outings or a simple weekend junket.

Upon arrival, guests are handed out a boarding pass and delivered a short safety briefing, building up the enthusiasm, before embarking for the basket of the Balloon.

As passengers anticipate looking at life from a unique vantage point, the helium-inflated balloon anchored at the beach of Atlantis Aquaventure then takes off, soaring up to 300 metres high, on a good day, which is almost the height of a 100-storey building.

A group of journalists recently boarded the special flight to embrace the thrill of the new adventure providing incredible photo opportunities of record-breaking landmarks, capturing memories to last a lifetime.

Watching Dubai in a new light, the adventure allows an opportunity to view the world’s largest waterpark, Aquaventure, The World Islands, the magnificent Palm Jumeirah shoreline, the largest fountain show at The Pointe, the majestic Burj Al Arab, Ain Dubai and on clear days, even the Downtown skyline.

“The Palm Islands are one of the most iconic areas of Dubai and the whole world. To see this, the options previously were sky diving or a helicopter ride, both of which are quite expensive. So, we wanted to really democratise the Palm, introducing it to everyone. It gives everyone the opportunity to share the beautiful vision of the Palm. We can fly five flights per hour, depending on which times of the year it is. We will obviously have less flights during summer and the attraction is open throughout the year, depending on the weather. But we can do 72 flights on a full day that lasts for 10-minutes per flight,” explained Adam McEwan, group CEO, Hero Experiences Group.

The regular entry prices for the attraction are Dh175 for adults and Dh75 for children. Children below three years go free. A fast pass that works in conjunction with the Aquaventure like system is priced at Dh275. This ticket also gives one an access to the lounge upstairs where coffee and the best view in Dubai is on offer. Online bookings can be made and available to book from March 31.

It is explained the balloon even has a flight number, which is A6-PLM with its pilots being regulated by the Dubai Civil aviation. Apart from that, a designated air space has been procured from the authorities for the same.

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Shedding light on the difference between the well-known Hot Air Balloon and the new Dubai Balloon, McEwan added: “The Hot Air balloon is what we fly the first thing in the morning. The reason for that is the hot air rises. The air inside the balloon must be hotter than the air outside and therefore it rises. That only happens in the morning when the air is cooler. This balloon has helium gas, which is non-flammable. So, this is just like a party balloon. For this to go up, we actually don’t fly it, we release it. There are 500 cables that run through, interlaced amongst themselves. We control the ascent and descent here. So, it’s a controlled flight. It’s eco-friendly and has no carbon dioxide.”

Upon descending, a beautiful lounge and terrace with stunning views over the pristine Atlantis Aquaventure beach are the perfect spots for guests to end their experience and unwind over some delicious coffee and tea.

“Morning, day and evening experiences are very different with each having its own charm. Premium quality photographic memories can be purchased at the Dubai Balloon retail store along with souvenirs. Dh175 is the bare bone price of the ride. For professional photographing opportunities prices vary as per the package. Drone video is also in the pipeline,” said KS Ramakrishnan, managing director and CEO Digiphoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI).

How to get to the venue?

Guests looking to get to the venue by taxi will need to tell the driver to be dropped at The Avenues. If they are arriving by their own vehicle, parking is located at the Aquaventure car park. A complimentary shuttle bus will take them to The Avenues, at Atlantis. If they arrive via any of the Hop on Hop off bus tours, they will need to stop at Atlantis. In case they decide to take the Monorail, they will need to disembark at the Atlantis station.