Here is why Cappadocia should be on your bucket list.
If you follow me on Tik Tok, it is likely that you have seen the video of Amy and I travelling overnight from Istanbul to Cappadocia, and arriving just in time to see the sunrise… this place is so breathtaking, that its no wonder the video reached 6.7 million views!
Cappadocia (pronounced ka-pa-do-kia) is located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkiye, and is unlike any place I have ever visited. Its distinctive landscape which contains valleys, towers, peaks and caves, was formed as a result of a volcanic erruption, and was later settled by humans, who made use of the soft stone mounds by fashioning them into houses, building underground passageways and more recently, hotels.
Cappadocia's rich and diverse history includes Roman, Middle Eastern and Asian influences, and makes it an incredible place to visit. Before visiting Cappadocia, the only idea of it that I had was hot air balloons at sunrise, and while that is an incredible sight, the place offers so much more than that.
Getting there
To get to this wonderful city, we flew from Istanbul to Kayseri (which takes about an hour and a half, and generally costs under $100 AUD). Because we landed at 1am, we pre-booked a driver to take us to our hotel in Uchisar, which took about 48 minutes.
Accomodation
Although there are many beautiful buildings that almost resemble the south of France or parts of Italy, a lot of the hotels are built inside big mounds of rock and dugout like little caves. This means that there is often little light, but the rooms stay cool throughout the day which can be a nice reprieve from the hot weather outside. Staying inside a cave hotel was an incredibly cool experience, and I would imagine would be super romantic for couples.
Koza Cave Hotel
We had the pleasure of staying at Karma Suites Cappadocia in Uchisar, and Koza Cave Hotel in Göreme. They both offered incredible views from the rooftop as well as a beautiful Turkish buffet spread for breakfast. Staying in Göreme however, meant that we were closer to the action, with the town centre located a 10 minute walk away.
Watch hot air balloons at sunrise.
I had seen many photos of hot air balloons at sunrise before visiting Cappadocia, but I was still not prepared to see hundreds of them soar into the air, as the sky transitioned from dark blue to pink, gold and bright orange hues. It is likely that you will be extremely tired during the day, because you do have to be up on the roof at 5.30 am to get the best view, but you can make up for it by having a nap. The sun is fully up by 6.15 am, and while the view is still beautiful, I personally think the magic happens before this point.
Horse ride at dusk.
When the name “Cappadocia” translates to “The land of beautiful horses”, how can you not experience a horse ride through the valleys at dusk?!
This experience was affordable, lasted for 2 hours and was great fun! I don’t think experience with horses is necessary, however you do have to have a cool demeanour because horses can feel when you start to freak out… We were led by guides at the front, the back and the sides of the group, and made our way through the scenic golden landscape on horseback.
Tips: wear a sports bra, pants and enclosed shoes.
Go on a hot air balloon
If you are not afraid of heights (or are trying to conquer the fear), this is an absolutely incredible activity to tick off your bucket list. I booked the experience through Turquaz Balloons, for $300 AUD - which included pick up from hotel, breakfast and drop off. A 4.15am start was quite a shock to the system, but it really is worth the sleep depravation!
To see the experience, watch my vlog on Tik Tok or read a more in-depth blog here.
Experience a Turkish cooking class
This Turkish cooking class was an absolute treat, and I couldn’t reccommend it more, whether you are in a big group, a couple, or travelling solo!
We were picked up from our accommodation in a horse drawn buggy and taken to King’s Valley, where local women taught us how to make traditional Turkish dishes. Once the food was ready, we had a sit down meal, including desserts and Turkish coffee.
The whole experience took around 6 hours, and is a great activity to immerse yourself in the local culture.
Where to eat
-
King’s Coffee is a great little spot for breakfast or lunch. Here you can try a variety of delicious food and drinks, including Salep - a traditional hot and milky drink.
-
Mozaik is located in the heart of Goreme and is a great spot for dinner and a stroll around the local markets.
-
Seten was one of my favourite restaraunts in Cappadocia. We came here for a couple of lunches and dinners, so I would HIGHLY reccommend to try this place.
-
Haruna offers delicious food and cocktails. They have a great rooftop for sunset drinks and a nice interior.
Cool down.
Although we visited Cappadocia towards the end of summer, the temperature still rose to about 32-35 degrees celscius during the day. Because of this, I found two beautiful spots to hang out and swim by the pool, the first one being Local Cave House Hotel (who did charge us €15 to go in) and Aza Cave Hotel, which we could enter due to staying in Koza Cave.