Travel with 4.5 couples (a story for another time) to the magical region of Cappadocia. Cappadocia or Kapadokya is known to many for its nature and historical sites. Its' infamous for its fairy chimneys and vivid hot air balloons which can be spotted from miles away. Cappadocia is located in the center of Turkey and flying into Kayseri airport is the closest inbound to visit the beautiful destination.
Travelling to Turkey from the UAE was quite hassle free, as air travel to Kayseri is very frequent. As we travelled during the winter, the cost of tickets were approximately 1562 AED (425 USD) per person. We flew into Istanbul airport and spent approximately two hours there. We then took another flight directly to Kayseri. The journey was approximately 6 hours from UAE to Kayseri (including the lay over).
DAY 1
As you drive off from the Kayseri airport, the volcanic rocks look like something that was created from a movie, its peculiar shapes and formations even resemble animals . Nothing compares you for the beauty and scenic sites it has from up close.
The accommodation, Adora Cave Suites was very affordable , we stayed in the heart of Göreme which is about an hour drive away from the airport. The cost for one night was approximately 235 AED (64 USD) which included breakfast. Göreme consists of many valleys and mountainous areas. The hotel is located directly in the valley which was intentional for the first night as the next day we were embarking on the hot air balloon.
As we arrived around 2pm we ate lunch at La Vida A La carte (20AED/6USD Each) which is walking distance from the hotel then we decided to do a two hour ATV tour in the valleys of Cappadocia. We were able to visit Pigeon Valley, Two Rock Valley, Panorama Point, Red Valley, Aktepe Hill Fairy Chimneys between Valleys and Swords Valley. This particular hotel itself booked a lot of our tour services and I do recommend as you can haggle a bit on the pricing, whereas online it is very much fixed. We managed to get the hot air balloon ride to approximately 400 AED (109 USD) and ATV rides for 80 AED (23 USD) each.
DAY 2
We woke up around 3:30am and left the hotel 4am with transport provided by the tour service. We got to the site around 5am where the hot air balloons were being prepared, there was light breakfast available as well as hot drinks and a fire; as the temperature was below -2°C. The hot air balloon ride lasted for approximately one hour which leaves the rest of the day very much open.
We got back to the hotel for a full breakfast spread then we opted for a whole day tour of Cappadocia which was about 8 hours and included a buffet lunch (200 AED/55USD each). We stopped at some tourist attractions like; Kaymakli Underground City, Love Valley, Pigeon Valley, Monks Valley, Galeri Ikman Carpet Shop, an open air museum, Avanos town where we learnt about pottery using red and white clay, Uchisar Castle, Esentepe viewpoint and then finally watched the sunset over Lover's Hill.
When we returned, we checked out of Adora Cave Suites and stayed at Sultan Cave Suites which was a bit more on the pricey side as compared to the first hotel. The stay was 992 AED/270 USD (not including breakfast) for two nights however, the view and services offered were definitely worth it.
At night we visited the Top deck cave restaurant for dinner which is a family run restaurant built into a cave (a range of 10-50AED/3-14USD each based on your preference). The restaurant was homely and the food was tasty, I do however, recommend making a reservation in advance. For a few cheeky drinks and hookah after dinner, we visited Pasha Café bistro, it was lively but also cozy (20 aed/6USD each).
DAY 3
The next morning we woke up around 6am to catch the spectacular views of the hot air balloons over the hotel and honestly it was something out of a dream. We stayed outside till the very last balloon in 4°C weather, had breakfast and enjoyed the scenery from the hotel. A few of us went off to do horse riding (150 AED/40 USD) but we opted to stay at the hotel and enjoy their spa services like the hammam bath and massages (245 AED/67 USD each).
At night we visited İstasyon Café & Restaurant for some night life in Cappadocia , as it was really one of the few places opened and playing live music, we decided to spend our last night here (approximately 30 AED/8USD each).
Overall I think 3/4 days in Cappadocia really is worth it. You'll be able to see the region and visit everything on your check list. On average as a couple we spent approximately 6500 AED/1762 USD which included flights, accommodation, activities and food. If you are ever in Cappadocia and have a chance to visit any of these places please comment below, I'd love to hear about your experience.
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