(30APR22) There’s often a side-staycation to another city in every Turkey visit, and the one that currently tops that list is Cappadocia (Kapadokya). Situated in central Anatolia, this region has an exquisite Stonehenge history given its valley rock views apart from its sunrise hot air balloon rides. It’s incomparable to the life in Istanbul, I should say. ;p
Let me share our 2 and a half day stay in this bedrock town. Yet, behind such Instagram-worthy attractions involved a lot of walking through slopes, hiking, and thrill.
FLIGHT
We still flew via Turkish Airlines going to Nevsehir Airport which took about 90 minutes from Istanbul.
Our in-flight food service was chicken pide sandwich with authentic hummus and it’s so delicious!!
HOTEL
We stayed at Mithra Cave Hotel located at the village of Göreme. The place boasts its stunning Ottoman-Greek styled interior and bounty of terraces overlooking the panoramic view of Cappadocia.Plus, look at our classy cave room! This actually depicts how the villagers used to live here before during ancient times. The hotel also offers a variety of themed rooms for couples such as the fairy chimney suite. Check out their website for more info!
FOOD
Nothing but KEBAB. Though, I’m liking its authentic taste as it’s normally not my type of cuisine. What I don’t like with Turkish dishes is that they are not fond of using sauces even if they already add a lot of seasoning to the food (‘cause even so, sometimes it would still taste bland or dry?).
But one food that is certainly a must-try here in Cappadocia is the pottery kebab(chicken/beef/lamb). I believe there’s something in the clay pot that makes it tastier!
ITINERARY
Most tours in the region are divided into Red and Green. The red tour is more on the arts and craft culture while the green tour goes to historical stuff and hiking through rock valley formations.
We took the Green tour as my friends favored the stamina-seeking adventure. Lol.
Göreme is one of the popular towns in Cappadocia which is known for its “fairy chimney” rock structures. Its panoramic view is breathtaking from above. Can y’all imagine that ancient Turkish tribes live beneath these rocks?! Going towards Derinkuyu Museum talks the history of this underground city. It is incredible on how they created such chains of survival that is 14 levels deep from the ground!
Many thought it's a meringue, a rocketship or a bullet but these fairy chimneys have an erotic interpretation at the beautiful area of Love Valley. Just simply look at what they shaped like 😜
Then we had a 90-minute hike around Ihlara Valley which is another ancient bedrock city formed through volcanic remains.
The trail would have been much appreciated if it didn't drizzle! Both rocky structures and nature views were something to be admired of in this area knowing that this was also part of the underground city.
And it continued as we head on to Selime Monastery. They said that this place was an inspiration for a Star Wars movie.
While, here's Pigeon Valley, the haven for Inzaghis (You know what I mean if you watched the kdrama, Vincenzo 😝)..
..and these blue-eyed ornaments that symbolizes positivity. One of the merchants gave me a free charm out of it ☺️
Then lastly, we went to Onyx Factory where they gave an overview about the gem that can only be found in Turkey, the Sultanite.
It’s legit that the stone's color changes through light. Surely, these brilliant charms can make a lady lead to ecstasy (even me. HAHA!).
Apart from the Red/Green tour, we went on an ATV road trip towards several hills in Goreme.
I have always been a reckless driver in all sorts of vehicles so I was scared to operate this at first. Yet, it was thrilling at the same time! This badass ride reminds me of the DAKAR rally 😎
Golden Hour in Cappadocia
The following day was supposed to be our hot air balloon ride but unfortunately, it got cancelled due to the bad weather ☹️ Ideally, the fly starts at 5am to catch the sunrise but sadly, it was cloudy and windy then. They could have rescheduled for another day however it was the end of Ramadan so it was fully booked.
So what happened was we just watched and took that obligatory Cappadocia terrace shot.
It was still a pretty experience to see these balloons flying across the town. They are big to see in reality :D
On that same day, we head on to Sultan Carpets , a shop famed for its wide selection of handwoven carpets and rugs. Not only that, you can also have a photo-op session and feel like a Turkish royal. (I think it costs about €10 per person)
Sultanas for a day 💖
Basically, they sell both machine-made/handmade carpets in which the latter is obviously more expensive. Both comes in beautiful rare designs yet the difference is that the handmade ones are softer and has an illusion-type of texture. Though I’d still suggest to buy one despite the price (and like I’ve said previously, they like to bargain so sometimes they lower the price when you buy as a group *wink* *wink*)
The merchants were even extra nice that they treated us for chocolate and apple tea for end of Ramadan.
I bet it’s more peaceful to buy souvenirs here than in Istanbul. From handmade clay ornaments, Turkish tea sets and lamps, everything is set to be pretty but remember the art of haggle. The whole stretch from Sultan Carpets has a good selection of Turkish souvenirs ^^
So that’s a wrap of my Turkey blog series! I hope this helps especially to those who are planning to visit this culture-rich country. Enjoy this place with safety at hand.
I might turn a little on hiatus again as I’m currently finishing an academic course. 🥲😭 But stay tuned for my next Euro travel!! What’s going to be my 5/26?
‘Til then!
