Cappadocia, Turkey travel
Tags: Travel Writing, Turkey, Cappadocia, Tourism, Turkey Tours

Cappadocia is a dreamy, touristy place that gives you a mix of Aladdin and Jules Verne meet vibes.

We came in on a night flight from Istanbul and grabbed a cab from the airport. The ride out to Goreme is about 40 minutes by cab, 45 to an hour by shuttle or 45 to an hour by car if you are renting a car. There are other places in Cappadocia to stay but Goreme is right in the thick of the action and convenient as far as sights and services.

Coming in at night, we were not able to see the area. This turned out to be a good thing as we woke up, jumped into a shuttle and were whisked away to the desert hills to jump into a hot air balloon by 6 am. Our first real look at the Cappadocia area was from a wicker basket under flames shooting into a balloon. I highly recommend this experience and would not have had it any other way.

We opted for the Butterfly Balloon Company and were not disappointed. Butterfly has had riders that include the famous travel Guru Rick Steves! The baskets are chest high and you feel safe riding in them as the captain is giving you the tour of the area while masterfully maneuvering through the other 50–60 balloons all in the sky at the same time. The sunrise over the hills is one of the most beautiful sights you will ever see and brings a quiet, church-like respectability to everyone on board. This ride will make you rethink your life.

Coming down you must crouch and hold on but, the landing is not bad at all. The pilot landed us directly onto the trailer. Master class pilot! Jumping out, you are directed to come help flatten the balloon by stomping all over it like a wine stomping experience. You leave on cloud 9 feeling that you somehow know something that nobody else can know. You have had the experience that others can only dream about.

The hotels in the area vary from the cheap hostels with small rooms and no air conditioning to the luxury sultan themed rooms with balconies and walk in waterfall showers. We booked both to get the feel for the area

Our hostel was the Kamela Cave Hostel. For $13.00 USD we got a queen bed and a twin bed in a room not big enough for the beds, let alone us. This place is small but exceptionally clean and the staff are super friendly and helpful with advice and directions. If you are a single backpacker, or on a tight budget, this place is ideal. Free breakfast offered and its not bad.

The thing that stands out for me though is how clean, along with how safe they are being with the Corona virus precautions. They have hand sanitizing stations throughout the hostel, and one in front of the entrance, and all are wearing masks. The place has a slight bleach odor, so you know they are cleaning constantly, which gives a more boutique feel to it. is reassuring.

The next day we moved to the Grand Cappadocia Hotel. I would give this place five stars any day of the week! You are greeted at the steps, not the door as they watch for you. The staff are professional and courteous. The hotel is strict about masks, sanitize and social distancing, as well as they have cleaning staff everywhere you look! T

he hotel itself is not overly big, which lets you feel like a member of some exclusive club. Our room was a poolside suite. This room was what all suites want to grow up to be. King size bed, settee in velvet with hand crafted carved cherry wood, massive sitting area adorned with grand handmade furniture, Cappadocia artwork of the area and its people in the 40s and 50s, and a massive handmade Turkish carpet. The bathroom is big enough to land a small helicopter in and has a designer sink, a 10x10 walk in shower with a waterfall/rain shower head above you, and gold fixtures.

The free breakfast was a buffet, good and high-quality foods. We opted to dine on the rooftop and the view is crazy beautiful. You can see the whole area from there and it helps you to get your bearings on where everything is.

Our activities required a mode of transportation, so we went with a couple of 4 wheelers to get us around. I cannot recommend this more! Having a car, you are hard-pressed for parking. Having to walk is, well, at our age (54+) ,not an option. The 4 wheelers can be parked almost anywhere and are used all over the area as the best way to get around. The company we used is called Hitchhiker Tours, and we got there in the morning, and they were just opening, so we grabbed the two best rides and haggled our way to 1000 Turkish Lira for the whole day! For about $140 USD we had the coolest rides in town! We picked up at 8:30 am and did not return them until almost 9pm. That comes out to about $11.00 USD an hour! Try finding that deal in the US.

Before sunset ride up to the highest spot you see and join everyone for a romantic moment and do not forget the blanket and champagne!

The Goreme open air museum was up the hill from our hotel and our first stop. By 10am the heat was already 98 degrees Fahrenheit, so we parked in the shade, got out our “I’m a tourist” hats and took on the sun and hike. Going into the area you pass through the gate and start walking uphill. I have COPD so its probably harder for me than most people but if I can do it, you can too. The Dark Church is the highlight and I highly recommend renting the 25 TL audio guides.

Fairy Castles, 4-wheeler paths, and of course the underground cities are the tip of the desert here. (bad pun) You could spend a week or two and still not see everything.

My best advice? Go!

You do not need a big budget to experience everything here. Give yourself 4–7 days to see it all and take it all in. This is one of the best places to mix in and become a local.