No travel has been influential on me to reset everything I have on my mind about projects and chores waiting for me at work & home like Cappadocia. Its such an otherworldly place; there are no buildings, no sign of urbanization, no distractions; just you and the weird nature.
I’ve been to Cappadocia twice, once when I was a kid for a school trip and another time for a business meeting. But when I stumbled upon on internet all the things that I’ve missed in my first two visits, a new phrase surfaced my in my brain: I must go again. And that’s what I did.
Before arriving I did an extensive research. My checklist filters activities like “Is it a tourist trap or not?”, “Will I be sad if I miss that spot?”; and I arrived to a final list. As I checked everything on my list, I am sharing with you – so you’ll have these incredible experiences as well.
no8. Visit Narlikuyu Crater Lake. You can’t see the lake until you drive to the top. But when you do, you are wow-ed!
no7. Take a walk in Ihlara Valley. Don’t forget to bring comfortable shoes, since you have to climb nearly 400 steps! There are hidden churches in the valley, since Christians practiced their religion under pressure. Frescos in the churches were exceptionally beautiful.
no6. Shop for ethnic carpets. There are different carpet ateliers in Cappadocia, most of them work with local producers. My favorite was Bazaar 54; I fell in love with (unfortunately) the most expensive carpet they have. There is also Galeria Ikman which is an Instagram popular spot; and you have to pay 50 TL to get a shot!
no5. Take a break at Ziggy Cafe. You’ll enjoy the terrace big time.
no.4 Photograph fairy chimneys. Must see ones are “3 Beauties”, “Guvercinlik Valley”, “Dervent”, “Pasabag” and “Goreme Open Air Museum”.
no3. Watch Goreme from a Cave House. Arrive at sunset to watch the beauty of old town. We were there in midday, the view was nice but I assume it must be spectacular at sunset. Argos, Museum Hotel, Sultan Cave Suits are within favorites.
no2. Wine & Cheese at Sacred House. Its a concept boutique hotel, and concept is quite unique. Owner of the hotel said it took him 13 years to finish it, since everything was built from scratch; decorations are antique and collected from all over the world.
I felt like I was invited one of Dan Brown’s book setting. Words and photography can’t explain how shocked I was. Let me say, I heard a Chinese couple scream when they check in to their room!
no1. Watch hot air balloons at sunrise. Aaaah, I can’t get over it! I talked about this experience in my previous post, link here.
Bonus: Ride horses while hot air balloons are taking off. Now, that was epic! I was watching hot air balloons as they started to take off, and suddenly I saw people with cowboy hats riding horses between balloons. I tried to capture the moment in below photo; my heart skipped a beat! I guess you should find a tour doing this activity, just ask to your hotel for arrangement.
Good City Guides 