Cappadocia

Turkey has never sounded that appealing to me, because I only perceived it through all inclusive resorts I’ve seen in travel agencies’s leaflets. And it was never my style! But then I discovered the fairy-tale region of Cappadocia, experienced genuine Turkish hospitality, and since then this country has been one of my favorite…

Cappadocia is a dry and rocky region in the inland of Turkey, which hides quite different treasures than beaches and sea side. Unmistakable landscapes, incredible rock formations like from the fairy tale of Alice in the Wonderland, rich history and houses carved into volcanic caves and all above the tradition of hot air balloons are the main drivers of this incredible place. Every morning at sunrise, if weather permits, of course, thousands of hot air balloons fly towards the sky over the rocks and valleys, continuously throughout the year. Colorful balloons only compliment already magical landscapes…

The capital of Capppadocia is Kayseri, a nodal point of all connections between Cappadocia and important tourist centers such as Istanbul and Ankara. Another big city with an airport in region is Nevsehir. However, Cappadocia is also many other small towns and villages like Ürgüp, Ihlara Valley, Selime, Uchisar, Guzelyurt, Avanos, Zelve and the most popular among tourists – Göreme. Because, from Göreme, are clearly the most beautiful views of the morning balloon flights. 

Day 1

Room in the cave

With my friend Veronika we get up early in the morning, take a flight to Istanbul and from there a domestic line to Kayseri, the main center of Cappadocia. The second flight lasts less than an hour and the line operates quite often. You can choose between Turkish Airlines or Pegasus. From the airplane window we look for hot-air balloons in the air, but can’t see any. Only later we learn that they only take off early in the morning. At the airport in Kayseri we are waiting for a small shuttle bus and a driver holding a paper with our names. I’m talking about a well-managed shuttle service between the airport and individual hotels in Cappadocia with schedule connected to all departures and arrivals. The drive costs 30 Turkish Lira and your seat needs to be booked in advance, but I bet this option will be offered to you by the hotel you booked. In Göreme you can find so many beautiful hotels and prices are really very reasonable. However, I strongly recommend you a “cave” hotel carved into a rocks. A night in traditional cave room is a specialty of Cappadocia and something you have to experience. Two of the most popular hotels in the area (also thanks to Instagram photos) are called – Sultan Cave Suites – the one with the most famous roof top and Local Cave House with a cozy swimming pool. 

Many visitors stay in one hotel for first two nights and in the other one for another two nights. The first one is desperately full for us, so we have to spend all our trip in second one. And we certainly do not regret it. A very friendly welcome we get! The hotel is managed by two young guys and there is a very pleasant family atmosphere. As a guest, you automatically become a member of a Turkish family! Our traditional-style room with an old wardrobe and a Turkish carpet on the wall reminds me a bit my grandmother’s room, but it’s extremely cozy. On the contrary, the bathroom is a luxury! In addition, the room does not need any heating or air conditioning. Natural rock walls keep a pleasant temperature here all year round in any weather! I fell in love with our accommodation straight away. It is dark outside, but we do not want to sleep yet, so we rather buy some local wine in a nearby shop. The hotel manager will bring us nuts, water, glasses and a wine opener.  We sit by the pool and inhaling the atmosphere. How much I missed this holiday feeling!

Day 2

In the Wonderland

We get up early in the morning in order to enjoy breakfast while watching thousands of colorful hot air balloons in the sky. It’s half past eight in the morning, but the sky is empty! I thought that balloons fly all day in Cappadocia but then we find out that they fly towards the sky along with the sunrise and land again after about an hour’s flight. So we missed the balloons on the first day! But Turkish breakfast (mostly dried fruits and strong Turkish tea), however, we couldn’t miss. 

And immediately after breakfast we book a balloon flight for the next day. Initially we didn’t plan any hot air ballon ride, because Veronika is a bit afraid of heights, but in the end of the day we say: where else should we try it, if not here! In addition, everyone claims that this is an unique experience. There are several companies in Göreme that offer these morning balloon flights, varying in price and experience. A higher price usually only means bigger breakfast and real champagne instead of sparkling fruity lemonade. We choose the company with the average price (100 Euros) recommended by our hotel manager. Just need to pray for a good weather tomorrow morning. Balloons can’t fly in heavy rain, storm or  uncontrollable wind.

But what about the rest of the day? There is a lot to explore in Cappadocia. In each hotel, you will be offered two of the most popular tours in the area – one is called Red and oriented to the northern part of Cappadocia, while the other is called Green and its goal is the southern part. Each of them is cheap trip – costs only about 100 Turkish Lira. We don’t want to be stingy, but we prefer to get to know the region on our own, outside big organized groups. Cappadocia is a very small region, all sites are located next to each other not further than ten minutes of drive. Veronika is a professional driver, so we just rent a small scooter for 20 Liras a day, take a map from our hotel reception and head for Red tour on our own!

Our first stop is Monk Valley near Pasabag, where it looks like in story of Alice in Wonderland. Nature shaped rocks into incredible formation resembling dwarf houses or huge fossil mushrooms. That is why the valley is commonly called also the Mushroom Valley.

On the way to Ürgüp we discover other incredible rock formations. The best known is perhaps the one which resembles a lying camel! How creative our mother nature can be, right?

Around lunch time we stop at the Panorama restaurant with a beautiful view of the Pigeon Valley. It got its name from the small holes in the rocks that create the pigeons’ homes. On the top of the rock stands a tree with colorful ribbons and tourists come here to make their wishes. However, the restaurant owner confessed to us that it’s just a marketing trick he invented and he doubts that the magic of tree really works. But we are very surprised by his hospitality and friendliness. For lunch we have typical Turkish pancakes stuffed with cheese and potatoes, which resemble our Slovak traditional pancakes stuffed with sheep cheese. On the house we get a cup of Turkish tea just because the owner of the restaurant have not meet any Slovak girls yet. Wherever we come, we encounter unprecedented openness. When we ride our scooter, like the only two girls around, Turkish are cheering us. But not in annoying way, not at all. In the shop we get bracelets for free because we bought typical warm Turkish ponchos and then a small bunch of flowers is waiting for us on our scooter seat.

The Red Tour officially also includes a pottery workshop. Cappadocia is famous for its ceramics. We are not part of any organized tour, but at the hotel they advised us to just mention where we stay and the pottery shop should accept us. So we park in front of the shop in the village of Avanas and mix into a tour group which is just entering. No one kick us out of there, although we have not paid for the tour, on the contrary the masters are only pleased by our interest. We admire the clever work of hands on a pottery wheel. Some of the group have chance to try it themselves. Since I had the same opportunity as a child, I know very well how difficult it is to shape some dish on a pottery wheel. Maybe it looks simple when a real master is playing with a clay, but the reality is different. Only under his experienced hands grow beautiful things with incredible ease. Individual ceramic decorations resemble our Slovak traditions. After all, there’s no wonder. Turkish have occupied our territory for a long time and we have surely taken a lot of habits from them…

In the evening, just before sunset, we stop at an unusual open-air museum – The Göreme Open Air Museum. The site, which is visited by about thousands of tourists a day nowadays used to be ordinary Byzantine monastery. About twenty monks were hiding in these caves and built an underground system of several monasteries and churches during their time. There are beautiful 14th century cave frescoes with religious motifs. In the 17th century the place became an important pilgrimage site. Today, the monument belongs on list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the evening, before going to bed we book one typical Turkish treatment in the local Spa – our real Turkish Hammam. When we ask in our hotel how to get there, hotel manager just reply: “I’ll drop you there.” I need to stop being shocked by Turkish hospitality. Everyone here is incredibly nice and helpful. Hammam is such an entertaining spa treatment in a purely ladies team. First they give you a face mask, then they send you to sauna, then wash it and take a bath and the golden part of the program is a soap foam massage. This is a typical Turkish technique and it is very pleasant. You lie down wearing only your underpants on the heated tiles in the steam room along with the other women nicely in a circle while the Turkish girls are washing, massaging and splashing you with water. Turkish music is on and all the therapists are dancing and singing. When they’re done with you, they just spank your butt saying, “Head up! You are beautiful, girls!” I really recommend this unique experience. After Hammam we have booked a classic massage and after that we just go back to the hotel to wrap ourselves in blankets. Today we need to go sleep quite early, because if the weather is good tomorrow, we need to wake up extremely early… Tomorrow is a hot air balloon day!

Day 3

Flight in Balloon

Today we have to get up at four in the morning! In front of us is our very first and unique balloon flight! They come to pick us up while is still dark outside, they take us to the office, where we register and grab some simple breakfast and we can go. Later on we’re stepping from foot to foot and watching the crew preparing our balloon for take-off. Outside is still dark and without the sun it’s really chilly. Good that we bought those warm ponchos the day before! Due to minor problems at the beginning, we finally take off and start our ride towards the sky among the last crew. I was already afraid that we would not even take off, and in my mind I was extending my stay in Cappadocia. I can§t leave this place without balloon experience! Fortunately, we took off and missed nothing. Our handsome young captain has a sense of humor and skillfully pull ropes, giving our balloon direction. It’s about twenty of us in the balloon basket. However, we all have enough space to see the country below us. The sun slowly rises coloring the sky with beautiful pastel colors, and so far we are rising higher and higher until we are the highest flying balloon on the horizon.

Later we start descending, approaching the photogenic Love Valley, which was given its name for very distinctive rock shapes. Veronika named it Penis party! 🙂 A lot of colorful balloons are flying above the witty valley. Interestingly, I am not scared of height, not even Veronika, who was so doubting to go for the flight in the beginning. We both feel stable and secure in the balloon. And it’s much better to watch the land from balloon than just watching balloons from the land! After about an hour of flight, our adventure comes to end. After a successful landing both of us get the certificate and a glass of non-alcoholic bubble drink. I will remember this experience forever!

Later, when we return to the hotel, we still have a full day ahead of us. First we just relax by the pool, then we rent a scooter again. We wanted to explore also a Green route and go to see a 5,000-year-old underground city that once was hiding 20,000,000 people during wars. But in the end, however, we let history be and move only to the nearby town of Avanas on a farm where we pay for horse-riding. It’s been years I was sitting on horse back last time and I purely enjoy it! 

In the evening we dress for a luxurious dinner at the Sultan Cave hotel – the Seten restaurant. This is that hotel with famous Instagrammable rooftop terrace with the most beautiful view of the morning balloons on the sky, but unfortunately it was fully booked when we tried to book the night there. So at least let’s have a dinner here. The restaurant is one of the best in the area and I really enjoy our dinner. Two courses and a bottle of wine will cost us up to 20 Euros! And gastronomic orgasm, which you usually can get only in much more expensive restaurants is included! I literally love Turkish cuisine! With the manager of the restaurant we make a deal so we can visit their famous rooftop (famous for photos on Instagram) next morning. In the morning at the time of the balloons flight, this terrace is only accessible to hotel guests, but the manager promises to grant us an exception… We still want Instagram photos! 🙂

Day 4

Breakfast on the rooftop

Is this holiday or strict jail regime? Again, we have to get up really early while is still dark outside. We pack our suitcases for a flight back home and take a short walk to the Sultan Cave Suites, where we plan to enjoy one of the city’s most beautiful views and take a few pictures to add to that plenty on Instagram. The view is truly extraordinary, and when the first balloons are climbing to the sky, we jump high from enthusiasm. In addition, the rooftop is so nicely decorated – embroiled pillows, Turkish carpets and tea set, plus a gold-plated plate full of fruit. The great impression of the place is only ruined by the competition among some visiting girls. Everyone wants the best photo, while some don’t take into consideration the others waiting for their shot. I feel sad about how a charming place becomes a photo-shooting studio. Some girls (mostly Asian) are dressed up in princess dresses, one even brought a crown! It seems that nowadays the perfect photo is more important than the experience itself! But I can’t let them spoil my mood, the view is so beautiful…

When the sun rises and the balloons begin descending, we have to go back to the hotel. Soon our shuttle bus is here to take us to the airport in Kayseri. A beautiful fairy-tale holiday is coming to the end, but I am determined to come back again. Friendly and incredibly hospitable local people, relaxed family atmosphere, romantic corners and interesting nature make this place an unforgettable holiday…

TIP:

• Bring cash with you. There are very few places where you can pay by card. Agencies and hotels accept Euros, but everywhere else you will need Turkish Lira.
• Although balloons take off all year round, in the winter months their flight is at risk due to bad weather while in summer it’s too dry and hot. The best time to visit are therefore the months at the end of spring and early autumn – May, June and September, October.