Bhaktapur's Vikram Bade saw foreign tourists flying hot air balloons when he was a child. Since then, he had a deep impression on the balloon. After his college life, he started operating hot air balloons in Nepal. He reached India to understand about it.

By registering Bellun Nepal Pvt Ltd in Pokhara in 2018, Bade realized his dream of opening Nepal's first hot air balloon company. With that, the commercial journey of hot air balloons started in Nepal. He was joined by Savin Maharjan, Bishnu Bahadur Dhakal, Robert Vishwakarma and Deepak Kumar Shrestha as directors. 

During a business trip, Bade got an opportunity to participate in a balloon festival held abroad. Gradually, the idea of ​​holding a similar festival in Nepal started growing in him. His thinking has now made sense. Belun Nepal Pvt Ltd in collaboration with Pokhara Tourism Council has organized the BYD International Balloon Festival for the first time in Nepal at Phewaphant in Pame from Tuesday.

This kind of festival is held every year in different countries. I dreamed of doing a similar festival in my own workplace," he said. "It was difficult for me to organize this very complicated festival. However, I am happy to organize the festival by bringing international pilots from 15 countries in the first year.

Chief Minister of Gandaki Province, Surendra Raj Pandey, who came to inaugurate the festival, praised Bikram Bade for sending a message that something can be done in Nepal by daring to organize the festival. "When the mentality that nothing happens and nothing can be done in Nepal is growing, especially when a large number of young people are fleeing the country due to the negative thinking of the youth groups, Bikram Bade is proof that there are young people who stand up with courage to say that something can be done in Nepal." He said, 'Such nation-loving and young people who have the feeling that something should be done in the country make Nepal and it will be made.' 

He said that the balloon festival will prove to be a milestone in the tourism promotion of Pokhara and Gandaki province in the international world. "We are ready to provide support and assistance in every field to establish the entire Gandaki province as a tourist capital," he said, "accordingly, this is also a balloon festival."

Stating that commercial hot air balloon operation has given Pokhara a new attraction, he said that the goal is to make Gandaki province a destination for adventure sports. He informed that the playground should be built in Gandaki province which is the highest place in the world. Pilots from 15 countries including Nepal are participating in the festival.

15 hot air balloons brought by foreign pilots and 2 balloons from Nepal will fly in the sky of Pokhara for 9 days. Balloon pilots from 15 countries including Nepal, USA, UK, France, Spain, Lithuania, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Italy, Brazil, Australia are participating in the festival. International media journalists are also participating in the festival. 

Pomnarayan Shrestha, the outgoing president of Pokhara Tourism Council, said that this festival will help to promote tourism in Gandaki province and make Pokhara and its surroundings a destination for adventure sports. Taranath Pahari, coordinator of the festival and chairman of the council, said that this festival will prove to be a milestone in making Pokhara known as a center of adventure sports in the international world.

The festival, which will last until December 17, is organized in the 3 km area from Lauruk to Chankhpur in Pokhara-24. Hot Air Balloons will be launched at sunrise and sunset every day throughout the festival period. During the regular flight it will reach up to 9000 feet but during the festival period it will only reach up to 5000 feet. Flight time is 30 to 40 minutes. During the flight, you can see Machhapuchhre, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri Himal, Pokhara Valley, Phewa Lake, sunrise and sunset. 

During the festival period, from 6 am to 9 pm and from 4 pm to 6 pm, balloon pilots representing different countries will fly hot air balloons. 'Balloon Night Glow' will be held from 7 pm to 8 pm. A free shuttle bus has been arranged from Dihikopatan to reach the festival site. The

festival will also have musical performances, food stalls, fairs and various games every day. The festival featured artist Deepak Bajracharya and Cartoon Cruise on Tuesday. Raju Lama, Sharmila Bardeva, Elina Chauhan, Kuma Sagar, Kavita Nepali and others will perform at the festival. The organizer has informed that there will also be musical performances by local artists and bands including belly dancing. 

According to Savin Maharjan, Managing Director of Balloon Nepal Pvt. Ltd., there will be performances by various bands from December 9 to 11 and balloon flight and various cultural programs from December 12 to 16. The program will conclude with a musical performance by artist Kuma Sagar on the 17th of January, i.e. English New Year.