The biggest highlight of my time in Taitung had to be the hot air ballon ride. We woke up super early, 4am to be exact, so that we could take the morning ride. Hot Air Balloons are treated as flights and the requirements for becoming a balloon pilot are high. All kinds of permits and licences must be secured before you can operate a hot air balloon service in Taiwan, for safety reasons.

The rides are very dependent on weather, and if the weather isn’t right, you don’t get to fly. Even if the skies are nice and clear, a flight can be canceled if the winds too strong. Taitung is uniquely positioned to be a good ballooning place, because the winds in the beautiful East Rift Valley blow in a north-south direction due to the surrounding terrain. You don’t want your balloon to be blown in the west, where there are mountains, or the east, where it is the Pacific Ocean.

Rides take place in the morning and evening only, when the wind conditions and air temperatures are most stable.

We got to watch the balloons being set up, which is a lot of work, involving a big team of folks. And then, as the sun rose gently on the valley, we boarded our baskets and rose to the air too.

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