This is our first time to watch the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival, the longest-running sports event in Asia which is now in its 21st year.  I’ve heard this is the last festival, so I enjoined my family my niece, and nephews to witness this exciting activity at OMNI Aviation in Clark, Pampanga which will happen from February 9 to 12, 2017.

the balloons ready for take off

We went on Saturday, February 11, 2017, so everybody can come. Riding in our car, we left Manila by 1:30 am aiming to reach Clark by 5:00 am. Unfortunately, the road accident in NLEX, Bulacan, and the traffic inside Clark Field failed us to come on time. So we have no option but to hop out in our car and start walking together with the crowd, leaving my hubby and my son battling with the traffic situation.

the skydivers flying in the morning sky

The general admission ticket price is Php350.00. Children below 3 feet in height can enter for free. Senior citizen is entitled to a 20% discount by presenting proper ID. It’s good that we already bought our ticket ahead of time so we skipped a very long queue. I didn’t expect a huge crowd when we entered the festival ground. Since we have kids and two elders, we had a hard time squeezing our way. We failed to get close to the balloons.

Like us, most of the guests were standing to have a better view of the much-awaited sight. Others were sitting on picnic mats and some inside their tents. By 6:30 am, balloons were being inflated.

The first thing that captured everybody’s delight was the skydivers who jumped off from the plane carrying the Philippine flag. Through their parachutes, they wound up their landing perfectly.

Soon, the balloons took off slowly but gracefully into the morning sky. The aerial spectacle was good to look at as it came into various sizes, colors, and shapes. Aside from a hot air balloon, tandem paragliding is another exciting aerial activity to watch for in the sky. They were so small in the sky but got bigger as they slowly got close to the ground.

team paragliding

After several hot air balloons released on air, we decided to sit on the picnic mat. It was getting hotter and people were getting more and more. I strolled around to look for food. The only food chain there was Jollibee on wheels. But hey! The huge crowd did not allow me to get close. It was jam-packed.

ready to leave after watching the balloons took off in the sky

Later, my hubby called me to fetch them at the entrance. After almost two hours of traffic, finally, they were able to park our car which according to them, a kilometer away from the entrance. They did not bring our breakfast meal because we will not stay long. When we went to our buddies they were famished and sweating. They were telling us to go home or go somewhere else. With no more balloons flying in the sky, we now decided to pack up.

the balloons flying far far away now from the festival ground

While we were heading to the exit, we were so disappointed to see a large influx of people going in one direction. Some guests were complaining to the staff about the situation and yet they did not do anything about it. Guests were pushing with each other. The children were crying. We were trapped!

the stalls, the dust, and the guests

I’ve heard from one of the guests that this event is not the last. If this was just a tactic to attract more visitors, well it worked. If they will hold another event next year, they should choose a bigger ground with more exits and not as dusty as this one. 

some kids had fun flying kites near the exit

When at last after an hour of patience, sweating, and pushing, we reached the exit.  Well, they failed to handle the event well. Poor kids.

We all went for the experience. There were two things we learned today; to be patient and appreciative. When I asked Shen, Isha, Axe, and Magnus if they enjoy the day watching the balloons, they gladly said yes. It’s good that despite the disappointment, they found delight in it. If only we were much closer to the balloons and with a lesser crowd, it was more fun and meaningful.

It was so nice watching balloons soaring up high. The next time we visit, we know what to do and what time we will leave.

Since Sandbox at Alivera was crowded too, we decided to end our day visiting Nayong Filipino as our side trip.

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