There are moments when ballooning stops being just flying — and turns into something that feels like a dream you don’t want to wake up from.
Al Ula was exactly that kind of dream.
Nestled in the northwestern deserts of Saudi Arabia, Al Ula is a place that seems too cinematic to be real. Endless sandstone cliffs, golden canyons, ancient tombs carved into rock — and then, as the sun rises, dozens of balloons take to the sky. It’s not just another flight; it’s like drifting across the set of an ancient epic where history, nature, and magic all play lead roles.
We’ve always said ballooning takes you to places you never knew existed. This time, it took us straight into one of the world’s true wonders.
Touchdown in the Land of Ancient Suns
Before landing in Saudi Arabia, we honestly didn’t know what to expect. A desert? Sure. But this desert? We thought of endless dunes, maybe a few camels and some stubborn sand in our shoes.
What we found instead was an oasis of history and heart — Al Ula, a shimmering jewel carved by time and wind. Thousands of years ago, this region was a crossroads of civilizations — traders, artists, and kings passing through with stories that still whisper through the rocks.
And right in its center lies Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site — home to over 100 tombs carved by the Nabataeans, the same mysterious civilization that built Petra in Jordan. From above, those tombs look like doorways into time itself. The symmetry, the silence, the sheer magnitude of it all — it’s breathtaking. You don’t just see history there, you float right over it.
Morning Flights and Movie Scenes
The Al Ula Skies Festival was a masterpiece of its own — a celebration of flight and friendship in one of the most surreal settings on Earth.
Every dawn began the same: 5 a.m., the burners roared, the sand glowed pink, and the desert exhaled into color.
Flying a balloon over Hegra at sunrise is like pressing pause on reality. Below you — ancient tombs, carved when calendars didn’t exist. Above — an infinite stretch of sky turning from deep violet to gold. And around you — a silent ballet of balloons, drifting gracefully in perfect harmony.
We’re lucky to fly in so many beautiful places, but Al Ula? It humbles you. You realize you’re not just flying over land; you’re flying over time.
A People and a Culture of Pure Heart
One thing struck us instantly — the people.
The Saudis of Al Ula are some of the kindest, most genuine souls we’ve ever met. Their warmth isn’t practiced or polished; it’s pure. Every smile felt like it came straight from the heart.
There’s a simplicity and pride in their culture that’s precious in today’s world. The desert may seem harsh, but its people are anything but. We were invited for coffee, for stories, for laughter — and though our Arabic was limited, kindness doesn’t need translation.
And speaking of coffee — yes, even in the middle of the desert, this tiny city has a Starbucks! ☕️
We’ll admit it: we kept an open mind, but the taste of home was a welcome comfort between flights. The rest — the sand, the food, the rhythm of life — we embraced completely.
Pilots, Friends, and Desert Legends
Ballooning is a sport, yes — but more than that, it’s a family.
And nowhere did that family spirit shine brighter than in Al Ula.
Every flight felt like teamwork on a cosmic level — pilots, crew, organizers, and locals, all united by the same heartbeat of adventure. From Serhan’s legendary 5 a.m. jokes to Houston’s calm voice over the radio, from Courtney’s gentle reminders to Rafi’s multitasking magic (yes, even the donkey listened to him!) — it felt like starring in our own global ballooning movie.
The organizers, Hero Balloons, deserve a round of applause big enough to echo across the cliffs. Every detail was flawless — the logistics, the timing, the care. Carrying hundreds of kilos of gear twice a day in desert heat is no small feat, yet the ground crew handled it with the grace of magicians.
The hospitality was beyond anything we’d imagined — dinners under starry skies, stories shared over Arabic coffee, and that incredible rooftop night glow that lit the desert like a dream. We felt like the luckiest balloonists on Earth.
The Magic That Stays With You
We brought home more than memories.
Our balloon still carries a trace of Al Ula — fine desert sand caught between its fabric layers that simply refuses to fall out. We’ve flown through rain, mud, and wet Latvian fields since then, yet the desert still clings to us.
It’s as if Al Ula doesn’t want to let go.
And maybe that’s how it’s meant to be — a gentle reminder that some places never really leave you.
The Wonder That Ballooning Gives
Ballooning has this extraordinary gift — it doesn’t just take you places; it connects you to people, cultures, and landscapes you’d never otherwise know.
It strips life down to its purest essentials: wind, fire, teamwork, and awe.
Al Ula reminded us why we fly — not for records or numbers, but for moments like these.
Moments when the world feels vast and intimate all at once.
When you realize the best views on Earth don’t come with engines or noise — just silence, sunlight, and the slow rhythm of drifting above it all.
Until We Return
As we packed up our gear under the shield from +40 degree heat, in the tent in the middle of the dessert, we couldn’t help but smile with our teeth full of dust.
We came here as pilots — we left as storytellers, dreamers, and friends.
This wasn’t just another flight; it was a chapter.
A story we’ll tell again and again — about the desert that glows, the sky that sings, and the people who make it feel like home.
And yes, one day soon, we’ll return.
We still owe Al Ula a bit of its sand back.
Daina & Andis from Latvia
Pilots, dreamers, and forever grateful to the winds that carried us there. 🎈
