Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 – Clark Field Pampanga
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Image courtesy Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta
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The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (PIHABF) is now in its 15th year at Clark Field, Pampanga. The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is simply biggest festival celebrating things airborne in the Philippines and brings the hottest balloons and flying machines together for four days of fun and spectacle.
Hot-air balloons lift off after 6.00am and return in the afternoon around 4.00pm’ish. In between the hot-air balloon take-off and return there are flying displays by microlight/ultralight airplanes, skydivers, paragliders, motorised paragliders and possibly, this year for the first time, glider sailplanes.
If you have never been to the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta before then here are a few tips:
- Get there early, before the sparrows have woken up and before the first cock crows – last year it took us 30-minutes to queue for the parking area at 5.30am!. . . best actually to stay overnight in Clark or Angeles City instead of leaving manila before some others have gone to bed
- Don’t forget your camera, the hot-air balloons lifting off is perfect for colour photography and will give you eye-candy for the whole year
- Take plenty of water to drink, it gets hot and dry out there on the field and there is always something going on so you will not want to leave, even to eat
- Take the whole family for there are plenty of things to do for the kids even if they get bored with flying machines
- Don’t waste time in the Clark duty free stores – Landmark and Robinsons are cheaper in Manila.
While at the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta take time out to explore the rest of Clark Field because there is a whole bunch of stuff to see and learn that you probably didn’t know about before, e.g. did you know that the first Kamikaze flights took off from grass airstrips surrounding what is now Clark Field? and there are war memorials from the 19th century, Philippine-American War and Yamashita’s gold tunnels and . . .
Discover Clark during the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, 11-14 February, 2010, and don’t forget to take your Valentine.
Four ways to get to Clark Field?
- You can fly to Clark International Airport from Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Seoul
- You can fly to Clark International Airport from most domestic airports around the Philippines either, directly or, via Manila NAIA airport
- Take the Clark South exit off from the Subic-Cark-Tarlac-Expressway (SCTEx), which is accessible directly from the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx)
- If you plan to stay overnight in Angeles City or Clark, take the Fly-The-Bus from the Swagman Hotel Manila or from Subic Bay, or take the Swagman Travel Bus Service from La Union or Baguio City.
Links:
How to get to Clark International Airport airline information
Swagman Air-Conditioned Bus Service from Manila / Subic Bay / La Union / Baguio City
Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2010 website