Cappadocia, Turkey

Overview

I had seen Cappadocia everywhere, on Instagram, on YouTube and it looked so magical. Famed for the daily hot air balloon trips which fill the sky creating a spectacle like no other. The stark and other worldly terrain provides a unique and perfect backdrop to the serenity of the balloon flights. This was an experience that I had wanted to do for a long time, and so became the talking point of my trip for many months beforehand. I went in January, which I will admit was a mistake and the snow caused me some issues along the way, however I was very lucky that on the 9th day of the year I could be part of the first balloon flight on 2019 - making my trip all worthwhile.

On arrival

I caught a flight from Istanbul to Kayseri Erkilet Airport, which is the main flight centre servicing the area. From there it is about an hour’s drive to the main epicentre of Cappadocia. There are many towns to stay within the area, however most first time visitors, like myself, stay in Göreme. Being a small airport there is not much to hang around for, and there are lots of transport options to the local towns - for ease I had arranged with my hotel to sort the pick up.

Accommodation

Staying in Göreme for three nights, the plan was to give myself the best opportunity to do the balloon flight as well as see the balloon flight from the ground. What I hadn’t accounted for was the winter weather, and as mentioned before, there was only one opportunity to go up in the balloons whilst I was there. I also got snowed in to Cappadocia and had to stay an additional night.

Sultan Cave Suites, Göreme

This place is the one I had seen the most on Instagram. With a famed table and carpet set up that gave an impressive backdrop to the balloon flights, I had seen similar poses all over the photo sharing site. This meant for me that I had to stay there to have the best chance of getting some stunning pictures. As I said before, the weather was against me and so I made the choice to go in balloons, and therefore didn’t get the shot, however the hotel was still very nice and the staff were very helpful.

unmissable

Hot Air Balloon Trip, Göreme

This is the reason I, and most people, head to Cappadocia, to experience the hundreds of balloons that fly in the sky at certain points of the day. Usually they do sunrise and afternoon flights each day, and the scenes from the balloon, as well as witnessing balloons flying all over the landscape is truly stunning and an unforgettable experience. I booked my flight through my hotel and was very pleased with it, hosted by Butterfly Balloons, on landing you even got some sparkling wine plus a medal and certificate. You are in the balloon with a large group and have to move around each other to get pictures, however everyone is so mesmerised and excited that the atmosphere was really special. 

Top tip: Whilst travelling in low season has the benefits of fewer people, the chances of the balloons flying is a lot less. If I were to go again, I wouldn’t go in winter.

The Green Tour, Cappadocia

During one of the days I was waiting for my flight I took part in the green tour. There are several tours in Cappadocia, each reference by a different colour. The tours follow the same route and therefore most people end up doing the same thing. On the green tour you get to visit an underground city (the deepest part of the area), a historic monastery and the famous Pigeon Valley. If you have the time it is definitely worth doing this as you get to see other parts of the area and experience the incredible history

Top tip: As there is a sizable walk and several caves, hills to climb, this isn’t great for those with limited mobility.

Göreme Open Air Museum, Göreme

The museum goes into great detail about the lives gone by of the residents of Göreme. It has some beautiful, Instaworthy, caves and ‘buildings’. If you are keen to know more about how Cappadocia took its shape then this is a must visit. It is walkable from the main town, however most people take a car.

Top tip: Go early in the morning before the coaches of other tourists descend

top tips

• Göreme is set up for travellers. It reminded me of Vang Vieng in Laos, and Ella in Sri Lanka, in that it feels in the middle of nowhere but has a plethora of eating options and things to do - so make use of that

• Do you research about the hotel you want to stay in, there are varying degrees of budget and experience

• Allow a few days to experience the area, however if you only have one night you can still do the sunrise flight - I would say two nights would be better so you can go up in the balloon and then the next morning see them all in flight from the ground

• Avoid going in Winter, I cannot stress this enough, whilst I still had a great time and was lucky to get up in the balloon it was touch and go most of the time

summary

Whilst the weather made my time here more stressful than I would have liked, I still highly recommend a trip to Cappadocia - it is like nothing I have ever experienced. I am already planning on revisiting to do the balloon trip again.