Araku to host first-ever Hot Air Balloon Festival in November

Ever dreamt of admiring the natural splendour of Araku Valley up from the sky? If yes, then the time has come to make your dream come true! Soon Araku’s blue skies will be taken over by myriad colourful hot air balloons. Andhra Pradesh Tourism (AP Tourism) is organising its first ever Hot Air Balloon Festival from 14th to 16th November. This two-day event is being organised by AP Tourism in collaboration with a Delhi-based firm called E-Factor and Sky Walt. This is the same firm which is known for organising the renowned Taj Balloon Festival in Agra. Not just this, the festival will also have 17 other countries participating. This is well a perfect chance for nature and adventure enthusiasts to admire the exquisiteness of the splendid Araku Valley, a lovely hill station in Visakhapatnam. The destination has been luring visitors and travellers from all over the world with its gorgeous landscape and ancient tribes. The organisers of the festival are planning to have special arrangements for media from all over the country.

Highlights of the festival

One of the major highlights of the festival is that there will be 17 countries participating in the festival including Switzerland, Japan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Taiwan, to name a few. There will be hot air balloon experts from all these countries who will get a chance to display their skills in the sky. With this festival, organisers are hoping that hot air balloon sport, which is also considered one of the safest aviation sports, will gain prominence in India too.
Before the beginning of the festival, a mega musical event called ‘Sound on Sand’ will be held on November 10, 11 and 12 in Visakhapatnam. This event will be organised on the astounding shores of R.K. Beach and renowned music artists will be performing. The big names include artists such as Usha Uthup, Revanth and Asees Kaur and Benny Dayal, among others.

Quick facts
When: 14th to 16th November 2017
Where: Araku, Visakhapatnam
Organisers: AP Tourism