You’ve probably already come across impressive hot-air balloon pictures on Instagram or Facebook and wondered where this place might be? Cappadocia (Turkish: Kapadokya, German: Kappadokien) – also called the land of beautiful horses is a historical region in provinces of Turkey and popular for its moon-like landscape and fairy chimneys.
Journey and accommodation
In Summer 2017 we stayed 6 days in Göreme, Cappadocia. Göreme is a small town in the heart of Cappadocia with a population of only 2,000 people. Since 1985, Göreme National Park belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage. From Istanbul (Sabiha Gökçen International Airport) there are very cheap direct flights offered by PEGASUS AIRLINES to Kayseri. We stayed in the Hotel ELITE STONE HOUSE (TripAdvisor, Booking.com), which we would definitely recommend. The hotels-stuff also organised our transfer from and back to the airport.
For 5 nights/ 6 days, we paid around 200 € in ELITE STONE HOUSE for a super quaint, luxurious, big and comfy double bedroom with bathroom. All hotel is designed in the style of Cappadocia itself. You feel like living in a beautiful and romantic cave. The price includes everyday breakfast.
The hotel is located about 5 minutes by walking from the “Main-Street” in Göreme, where you can find restaurants, travel agencies, shops and supermarkets.
Traditional Food in Cappadocia
Testi kebab – Basically this delicious dish is a stew. Cooked in a ceramic pot, the waiter will break open it right in front of your eyes at the table. It is served with rice.
Göreme – It’s a traditional Turkish flatbread made out of handmade pastry leaves (Yufka). It is filled with various toppings: Potatoes, Spinach, Kasarlı cheese, white cheese, or a mixture.
Cappadocia activities
- Open Air Museum – 20 TL (for the non-Turkish citizen); 5 TL for Turkish citizen; Göreme
- Pottery – In return, we had to buy something worth 30 TL.
After comparing the offers and prices of travel agencies, we decided to book our activities with Kapadokya Balloons. We have agreed on a packet price of 420 TL for the following tours with our travel agency in Göreme, Typically, the prices are strongly negotiable.
- Hot Air-Ballon
- Turkish night (Food, Drinks and Entertainment programs (cultural dances of each of Turkey’s provinces)
- ATV Tour
- Cappadocia Tour – Day tour through the landscape of Cappadocia (Derinkuyu Underground City; Ihlara Valley; Selime Monastery; Pigeon Valley; Onyx Demonstration)
Because our flight was in the evening, we decided to leave Göreme early and stop by at Avanos, a small town which is only 15 min drive by bus away. NostraWorld took the public transportation to Avanos. With our hotel stuff, we arranged, that the airport shuttle will pick us up there. Since the shuttle would drive through Avanos on the way from Goreme to airport Kayseri anyway, it has proved to be a great opportunity. In Avanos, we discovered the town, ate local food next to the Red River, and did pottery with locals.
With a lot of new and super exciting collected experiences, we left Cappadocia and flew back to Istanbul. Cappadocia’s landscape is astoundingly as well as impressive. There are so many different activities to do in the region. The highlight of the trip definitely has been the hot air balloon ride. All in all, Cappadocia has been a fantastic holiday.
If you are interested in more exciting travels to colder places, check out the latest post about Lapland – Beyond the arctic circle
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