Kent Ballooning
Kent Ballooning
5
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
About
Kent Ballooning operates premium champagne hot air balloon flights & rides in Kent. As a local, family run business we still believe that quality of service is of the utmost importance, as is value for money. With Flight Voucher to suit everyone from early risers to romantic proposals why not join us to see that the world really does look different from a balloon.
Ashford, Kent, England

Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles805 reviews
Excellent
729
Very good
39
Average
2
Poor
3
Terrible
32

Tim O
16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
I contacted Kent Ballooning a few months ago to organise a flight to propose to my partner. Louisa at Kent Ballooning was so incredibly helpful and supportive at helping decide what type of flight would be best based on our specific situation. I felt very valued and that I was given all the time I needed. In the end I opted for a sunrise VIP flight.

In between booking and the actual day the communication was really comprehensive, taking into consideration the ever changing situation with the virus.

I had booked a flight a couple of months later (my choice - sooner flights were available) and when the day came around unfortunately the weather had taken an unexpected turn for the worse so we had to postpone. Louisa was helpful beyond words as getting us booked into another date very shortly afterwards, and she was very careful not to spoil the surprise for my partner.

The flight on the actual day was absolutely amazing. Michael our pilot really took his time to explain everything we wanted to know, and we both felt very safe and enjoyed the whole experience. Face masks were worn by all 3 of us during the whole flight, but this really didn't take anything away from the experience, and helped us to feel safer as we were all in a close vicinity of one another.

After the flight we received our video really quickly, and it is going to make a great memory in the years to come. Needless to say I got a yes on the day!

If you are looking to take a flight as part of a group, or you wanted to indulge in one of their VIP flights then I honestly could not recommend Kent Ballooning more.
I did a lot of research before choosing them myself and I am very glad I did
Written September 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Tim CONGRATULATIONS again! It was so nice to be a (tiny) part of your proposal. It was great to meet you both and we wish you all the best for the future. Thanks for taking the time to review us, we really do appreciate it and we're glad that you enjoyed your flight. It was a fun flight, with great visibility and a fun landing. I'm not sure seeing everyone in their pyjamas was the best sight we had on the flight!!! The fact that you got a 'Yes' means that I get to keep my 100% record for proposals! Good luck with your wedding plans! Regards Michael
Written October 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tracey S
12 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2021
Only purchased my voucher 25th August 2021, first flight was cancelled due to weather - totally understandable with the British Summer. But 2nd booking on 18th September went ahead and could not of got a better experience.
The whole experience from purchasing the voucher to after the flight was fantastic. All staff have been friendly and helpful. Rebooking couldn't of been easier, I emailed my availability and received email within 24hrs with next booking.
On the day, text received to say flight going ahead, a quick phone call to find out meet up time and place- so lucky to get Port Lympne Wildlife Park. The whole crew were great and our pilot Michael was brilliant with his humour and knowledge. We were very lucky to have a flyby from a spitfire, aerobatic display from other small aircraft. On landing a celebratory drink - after packing away the balloon!!
A lovely peaceful experience, the weather was certainly on our side so views were stunning. Looking forward to receiving the USB with the pictures on.
Highly Recommend Kent Ballooning! And would definitely fly with them again.
Written September 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Tracey Thanks for your review. You flight will stick in my mind for a long time - to have a Spitfire, a Tiger Moth and another plane do little displays for us was amazing! You can see everyone watching in the time-lapse video! I can't begin to explain just how lucky we were to experience that... The pumpkin field was also an amazing site. Thousands of little £5 orange balls growing for halloween next month! Landing right next to our Land Rover on the farmers track before having a celebratory glass of bubbly while watching the sunset was a great end to the flight. Thanks for coming along and joining in! Regards Michael
Written September 25, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lizzy K
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
My partner gave me a voucher for my birthday, my first reaction was one of fear mixed with excitement. Ballooning was something I had thought about, but didn’t think I would be able to do it as I am nervous of heights and flying!
I had a while to get used to the idea as we first booked to go late spring 2021, but due to the weather our flight didn’t go. This happened a few times but don’t be put off if this happens to you, it’s well worth the wait! By the time we actually flew I was so excited to be going that the fear was overshadowed.
Our flight was a sunrise flight so we arrived at the launch site at 5.40am, watched the balloon being inflated and had a safety talk and demo of landing positions. Then ready for take off, the burners give off a lot of heat, so definitely wear a hat, but they keep you warm when it gets a little chilly higher up. The take off is very smooth and gentle and the whole flight you just feel like you are floating through the air, it’s a surreal and calming experience and the views are just incredible. We felt completely at ease with the professional and very knowledgeable pilot (Michael) he certainly knows everything there is to know about ballooning! Throughout the flight Michael explains what’s happening, and tells you where all the villages are you fly over, plus points out various landmarks and and points. We had a perfect stand up landing, then a team effort to pack up the balloon, followed by Champagne. The whole experience was seamless and I would not hesitate in booking this for your loved ones or to treat yourself!
Thank you Kent Ballooning, hope to fly with you again in the future!
Written August 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Lizzy Thank you for your kind words. To be honest, with the amazing skies that we had and the beautiful launch site at Broome Park, it's fairly hard for me to mess things up!!! The silent passage of the balloon does all the hard work and I'm jut there to get us down in one piece!!! Seriously, our ground crew are amazing and with the beautiful area that we fly over, the experience is still something that I enjoy even after flying here for 23 years. It's annoying that you got cancelled a few times, but as you said, it's always worth the wait. We wee able to land in a farmer's field that we knew very well, so we could have champagne where we landed - perfect. If you do fly with us again, let Louisa know that you've been before and you get a 10% discount. Kind regards Michael
Written August 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jason W
11 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020
Utter waste of money.
We bought tickets for our parents and explained they lived in Europe and were over in Kent 3-4 times a year.

It’s all ‘yes, not a problem , we’ll get them up’. Of course they didn’t as it was cancelled the times we booked. You don’t get a year window as they don’t operate for part of the year. So between your availability, the weather, available space and their actual operating times, chances of getting up start to get slimmer.

No help or extension; attitude was simply ‘it’s all in the terms and conditions’ and I’d strongly recommend you read them cover to cover, before parting with your cash.
You as the customer carry all the risk. Paid £300 for nothing.

Not impressed and would certainly not book again or recommend.
Written July 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Jason Thank you for your review and I am sorry that you would not recommend us and feel you haven't had a good experience. I have double checked the details of your booking and can see that you purchased Vouchers in 2018 online prior to booking a date for your flight. At no point during the purchase or flight date booking process did you mention that it was for your parents who lived in Holland. It was only after the flight was postponed due to unsuitable weather (which of course is unfortunate but unavoidable on occasions for your own safety) that you then mentioned that you would reschedule the flight for when they were back in the UK again. This was the first we knew about it. This is a shame as had we have known this prior to your booking we would have handled it slightly differently, as we do with all bookings that are made for people who are not local to Kent. A quick email enquiry to explain your situation would have allowed us to handle your booking in a different way to mitigate the risks of the weather being unsuitable when there is only a short window of availability by the passenger. Of course we always recommend people read terms and conditions before purchasing anything but in this case I am not sure that would have led to a different outcome. However, none of the important information that passengers need to know is 'hidden' in any T&C's, we put it all in a covering letter that comes with your Voucher so it's easy to read and take in. I am also not sure why you imply that the chances of a flight are 'slimmer' based upon “…your availability, the weather, available space and their actual operating times...” I can see that you actually booked 2 dates for your flight, 3 days apart - that seems like pretty good availability to me!! The only reason passengers don't get to fly with us is if they don't book a date for their flight, as we can’t do this for them without knowing when they want to fly or when they are available! Our Weather Insurance means that if 2 flights are postponed during the validity of their Voucher then we would extend the Voucher free of charge to allow more time to fly. The covering information that came with your Voucher also explains that our season runs from mid April to mid October, we wish we could fly all year round but the weather in the UK is simply not suitable. I also don’t believe it’s right to imply that the passenger carries any ‘risk’. As I have mentioned, all you have to do is book a date for your flight. The rest we will take care of. Of course flights are postponed due to the weather, neither of us can help that, but we do everything we can to make sure passengers are able to rebook as quickly as they are able to and when convenient to them. The only risk the passenger takes is when deciding not to contact us again to reschedule their flight. Unfortunately, in your case I can see that is what seems to have happened. You didn't contact us at all in our 2019 season and it wasn't until over half way through our 2020 season (almost 2 years since your flight was postponed) that you emailed to ask if the Vouchers were still valid. When I explained that unfortunately they were no longer valid you admitted you were not aware of the expiry date, despite it being written on the Voucher in bold font. I am not sure what else we could have done in this situation. I am sorry that you felt the need to write a negative review and that in this case we were not able to meet your expectations, despite our very best efforts to assist and advise you during our email exchange.
Written August 4, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jeremiahman-kent
Folkestone, UK4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
Booked as a present for Xmas from my S.O. Although it took us a while to finally get airborne due to windy conditions, Michael & Louisa were great about extending the time to eventually fly.
The flight itself was brilliant & Michael answered everyone's questions fully & kept us all informed of the flight as we progressed across Kent. After a great (hilarious) landing, we sipped champagne & all chatted about how excellent the flight was & all that we'd seen during.
Without fail we would recommend going ballooning just for the enthralling experience it is, & if you reside in Kent then go with Kent Ballooning for a fun, exciting, enthralling but totally safe journey.
Thanks guys, you're Aces High in my book !! ... J.B
Written July 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi JB Thanks for your review. What a great flight! Taking off at Evegate, seeing the sights and sounds of Ashford waking up, then a fast landing with a tip over at the end - perfect! The landing is the bit that most people find nerve-racking, but even the fast ones are fun! The pictures that the onboard camera took show everyone laughing after we'd tipped over - great fun! Thanks for coming up with us and well done for persisting with the rebooking after a few cancellations. It's definitely worth the wait! Regards Michael
Written August 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Anna
Kent, UK111 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Family
We had an exceptional trip with Kent ballooning in October 2022. This was a surprise trip for my 50th birthday which I was looking forward to. This trip surpassed my expectations by a million percent- it was unforgettable from start to finish. The company were so professional but friendly and completely went out of their way to make it a trip to remember.
We were extremely lucky to get to go on our first booking with no cancellations and the weather was perfect. I found the pilot to be so knowledgeable and he really tailormade the trip to suit myself and my sons needs.
The craters in the ground over Canterbury caused by bombing in the war were something you’d never see from ground level (see pic) and we got low enough at one point to chat to some dog walkers which was quite surreal.
I haven’t stopped raving about this trip and company to anyone who will listen- would thoroughly recommend
Written January 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ExpertTeaBoy
ExpertTeaBoy
Hi Anna Thanks for your review. I'm glad that you and your son enjoyed the flight. It was a lot of fun flying out of Canterbury, looking down on the old city walls and the hustle and bustle of life below. Then chatting to the dog walkers was good fun as we skimmed the trees, before having a very gentle landing. Thanks to your son for helping pull the balloon down - he can have a job as crew anytime!!! Regards Michael
Written July 10, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Karen K
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Family
From beginning to end Mike and his crew went out of their way to give us the best experience possible.
We had our flight cancelled many times due to the weather conditions, but Louisa went out if her way to ensure we got on a flight in the end, booking us in just the night before on a cancellation.
She recommended a sunrise flight as the weather conditions are often more suitable. We had a perfectly still, sunny morning and the views of the sunrise and countryside were spectacular. The world was quiet apart from the cockerels crowing and sheep baaing.
Mike was very informative, pointing out places as we flew. He also gave us some interesting information about the principles of flying a hot air balloon.
We were all amazed to land exactly where he planned without even a bump, just floating gently down onto the grass.
My first champagne at 7am, but it had to be done after such an awe inspiring experience. Thank you all at Kent ballooning, can't wait to do it all again!
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Karen Thanks for your lovely review. It was a great morning and a VERY gentle landing! If you come again and it's a bit windier, I can't guarantee that it will be quite as smooth!!! I'm glad that Louisa managed to get you in at the last minute - especially after you'd been cancelled more than is normal. I'm also pleased that you thought it was worth the wait. It was great to meet you and Sophie. We wish her all the best with her wedding planner business! Kind Regards Michael PS If you come again, you get a 10% discount - don't forget to mention it to Louisa!
Written August 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sam W
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Couples
I don't know what has happened to this company over the last year, but it seems they have changed hands, and have since become akin to a scam.

I have had tickets for 2.5 years now, and booked multiple flights in that time, all of which were cancelled regardless of how seemingly perfect the weather was.

In the last few months, this company has been absolutely atrocious at communication. I have sent dozens of emails that have gone unanswered, making it very difficult to re-book cancelled flights as it was impossible to get any kind of confirmation. Our last booking was for June 7th, but the automated number said that all flight details for that week had been sent via email at the beginning of the week. How is that possible if flights are determined on the day due to the weather? Anyway, no such email was received, and after hours of calling with no reply, I finally got an email back saying the flight was cancelled because they were "not able to operate". I'm starting to wonder if they even have a balloon or a licensed pilot at this point.

I am in the process of demanding a refund. You cannot charge people hundreds of pounds and keep them on the hook for years on end with the threat of never even honouring the transaction if they fall out of their validity window.

Do NOT purchase anything from this company. They may have been reputable in the past, but they certainly are not anymore.
Written June 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

W8908WWjudy
Tenterden, UK1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
After several failed attempts to fly due to inclement weather, the final experience exceeded all expectations. Michael the pilot was thoroughly professional and filled me with confidence that he had the ability and experience to handle any eventuality. The views over the Kent countryside were spectacular in the soft morning rays and made me feel proud of my homeland.
Written August 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Judy Thanks for your review. Flying right over the top of Leeds Castle was a pretty cool experience, I haven't done that for a while now. Brushing over the tops of the trees and landing at Headcorn Aerodrome was pretty cool too. I'm glad that you found us professional - as you pointed out, that quality tends to arrest any fears or nervousness that passengers have preflight. Also by doing a 'final approach' just after taking off relaxes passengers as it the landing that makes everyone nervous. By demonstrating what it's all about early on in the flight, you can relax and just soak up your surroundings, which as you also pointed out, are spectacular! Thanks for taking the time to review us Kind regards Michael
Written August 10, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Coarseangler
Ashford, Kent7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Sadly, it seems to have been too windy for ballooning ever since we booked our first flight but seven was our lucky number as we finally took to the air on our seventh attempt to celebrate my wife's 70th birthday. What a wonderful experience, made all the better by the atmospheric conditions on the morning of our flight with early morning mist lying in the fields and a beautiful sunrise. Great views from the Thames Estuary all the way around the coast to the South Downs and amazing to see our local area from a very different perspective. An incredibly soft landing rounded off a brilliant flight. The very knowledgeable, friendly and professional crew, both the pilot and the ground team, made it a very pleasant and enjoyable experience and we will definitely book again. Thank you so much.
Written August 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi - Thanks for your review. The weather can be very frustrating, but as long as you keep trying, we'll get you up. There were some people on your flight for whom it was their first attempt - the weather can be fickle!!! The flight itself was was great - going up to a kilometre high, then down to brush the tops of trees was pretty cool. The little bit of mist that was on the ground and the sun poking through the clouds made for epic views and a really atmospheric flight. The nice gentle landing at the end on a nice friendly farmers field sealed a great flight, we're glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming along! Regards Michael
Written August 24, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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Kent Ballooning - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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