We had the unique opportunity in Siem Reap to get a bird's eye view of the entire province. The first thing that came to mind upon seeing this bright yellow balloon was that it would fit in perfectly at a seven year-old giant's birthday party. It can't really be called a hot air balloon ride, because much to my disappointment, it was sealed and tethered, and it could actually only float up and, after fifteen minutes or so, be pulled back down.
Given, there was still a slight adrenaline rush from simply being so far from the ground. This attraction may not be for everyone. Of course, those who are scared of heights should steer clear. (But I should point out that acrophobics would be missing out on a lot of great sights if they do decide to visit Siem Reap, because the Khmer people seem to be fond of building their temples to be as near to the heavens as possible.) On the opposite end of the spectrum, notorious thrill-seekers may find this a bit boring since you don't actually soar across the sky and explore different places of interest below, as I myself expected to do. Lastly, those who are quite sensitive to heat and sunlight should carefully choose the time of day they avail of the ride. At mid-day when the sun was at its most scorching and unforgiving, I was admittedly far from fainting, but it still proved to be an uncomfortable experience.
Nevertheless, it was the only time we were able to fit all of Angkor Wat into one frame, and the landscape of lush greenery was lovely. So if you don't fall into any of the aforementioned categories and if you find a more reasonably priced option than we did, I won't discourage you from giving it a shot!
Societe Sokha Hotel Balloon Ride
December 2012: Siem Reap, Cambodia
First two photos taken with a Vivitar EZ35 camera and Fuji Superia X-Tra 400 expired film
Third photo by Allen Pangan