CAPPADOCIA is popularly known for their Fairy Chimneys, Beautiful Rock Formation, Hot Air Balloon Tours, Cave houses and Underground Cities just to name a few. Cappadocia is an Enchanted Kingdom because of its magical looking scenery and surroundings. Not only are the views spectacular but also the locals are inviting and friendly. They make sure you feel at home, enjoy the views especially at night and relax whilst having unlimited Turkish Tea. It feels as if you are on another planet.
HOW TO GET TO CAPPADOCIA?
There are many options ranging from driving, taking the bus or flying (a most common choice). We have decided to fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia (other options are to fly from Antalya, Izmir, Ankara and Bodrum). There are 2 Airlines available and 2 Airports (Kayseri or Nevsehir) to choose from. We flew with both Turkish Airlines (Istanbul to Kayseri) and Pegasus Air (Kayseri to Istanbul) which took 1hr and 10 minutes each way.
Turkish Airlines (Ataturk Airport/Sabiha Gökçen International Airport)
This is by far my most preferred Airlines when travelling around Turkey as the service is outstanding. They also offer low-cost flights depending on when you book it. They offer quick and filling snacks (cheese melt sandwich was my favourite) plus drink for FREE for an hour-long flight. If you are staying on the Europe side and Asian side of Istanbul this is the best Airlines to go for as Ataturk Airport is more accessible compared to Sabiha.
Pegasus Air (Sabiha Gökçen International Airport)
Turkish budget air comparable to EasyJet or RyanAir when you are from the UK. As a budget air, you will need to pay extra for food and drinks. But, if you are on a budget as this is just an hour flight, Pegasus Air is your best option. If you are staying near Kadikoy or Uskudar area the best Airlines to go for is Pegasus as Sabiha Gokcen Airport is near this area.
BEST TIME TO VISIT CAPPADOCIA?
Having visited Cappadocia mid-July the temperature reached up to 38 degrees celsius. If you are not fond of hot and dry temperatures and would like to avoid peak seasons avoid visiting Cappadocia in July. Our tour guide (Pupa Travel) suggests the best time to visit Cappadocia will be around May or September month as the weather is perfect. Also if you would like to avoid the crowd these are the best months to have Cappadocia all to yourself.
WHERE TO STAY?
There are plenty of options for accommodation in Cappadocia, ranging from hotels, hostel, pension or even apartments. The one thing to keep in mind is to choose that area that best suits your needs. Before choosing the best hotel make sure you are aware of which area you will be staying at.
GOREME
The most popular option will be Goreme located at the heart of Cappadocia. This area caters for all types of traveller from budget traveller up to big spenders. One of the most popular cave hotels is Sultan Cave Suites and Kelebek Special Cave hotel. For budget options (Standard hotel not Cave hotel) try out Henna Konak Hotel and Amber Cave Suites (loved their restaurant).
Tourist attraction: Goreme Open Air Museum (UNESCO world heritage)
URGUP
Modern feel compared to Goreme but offers some of the biggest and grandest boutique hotels. Urgup also has a bigger land area compared to Goreme making it Check out TripAdvisor’s list of recommended hotels here. If you don’t mind splurging on hotels check out these two Kayakapi hotels and Oread Cave Suites(top in Tripadvisor hotels to stay at). For budget, option check out Urgup Evi Cave Hotel and Urgup Konak Hotel
Tourist attraction: Three Fairy Chimneys
UCHISAR
Uchisar is the location of one of the most photographed and popular hotel in Cappadocia (do a quick ‘#cappadociahotel’ search in Instagram) called the Museum Hotel. This hotel offers outstanding panoramic views and authentic accommodation as mentioned on Booking.com. If you love taking Instagram photos this hotel will fill up your feed. Uchisar Castle is also located within the area which is one of Cappadocia’s landmarks. Also, check out Helike Inn Cappadocia and Karlik Evi Hotel for top-rated hotels based on Booking.com. For budget-friendly option check out Sakli Konak Cappadocia.
Tourist attraction: Uchisar Castle
ORTAHISAR
One of the reasons Ortahisar should be included in your options when selecting a hotel is because this town has a rustic feel and laid back vibe. I highly recommend visiting Ortahisar Restaurant and Wine House. Whether you love wine or love to eat you have come to the right place. This place is worth stopping for as the views and the vibe, especially of the wine cellar, is cosy and relaxing.
For hotel, options check out Hezen Cave Hotel and Elika Cave Suites. For budget, option check out Lamihan Cave hotel and Elaa Cave Hotel
Tourist attraction: Ortahisar Citadel
WHERE TO EAT IN GOREME
NOSTALJI/ AMBER CAVE SUITES RESTAURANT
We had lunch at this beautiful place on our first day at Goreme and fell in love with their meatballs and appetizer. The location of the restaurant has great panoramic views of Goreme as well as a beautiful garden and outdoor seating area. The staff and the service were spectacular as the order did not take long to arrive. We even get to see the staff prepare their bestseller meatballs. If you would like to have a feel of dining in a cave hotel this place is perfect.
PRICE: Budget – Mid-range
CUISINE: Turkish Cuisine, Vegetarian-friendly and Halal
Best for Panoramic View of Goreme
SEDEF
Visited Sedef at lunchtime during our private tour. This restaurant compared to Nostalji, is located near the centre of Goreme. They have a spacious seating area ideal for large groups (both indoor and outdoor) and car park making it ideal for anyone renting a car or van. The indoor restaurant has air conditioning ideal during hot weathers. The staff are friendly and approachable. Some of the dishes we have tried are salad, beef casserole and potted bean and lamb. Highly recommend it.
PRICE: Mid-range
CUISINE: Turkish Cuisine, Vegetarian and Vegan options available
Best for large groups and accessibility (no stairs)
ORGANIC CAVE KITCHEN
Visited Organic Cave kitchen late night at around late 9:00 pm and was able to meet one of the friendliest staff (Restaurant category) during our stay. We stayed up until 11:30 pm thanks to their warm hospitality and interesting stories. Organic cave kitchen offers a variety of dishes and one of their best sellers is the potted kebab served with salad and rice. You do not need to worry about opening the potted kebab as they will do it for yours. Also, tried pumpkin flower and cheese crepes which were perfect.
Don’t forget to also try their rice pudding. This was perfect, especially on a warm evening.
The photos are dark as this was taken late night but do check out Tripadvisor for a better view of the restaurant.
PRICE: Budget – Mid-range
CUISINE: Turkish, Middle Eastern, Vegetarian and Vegan options
Best for a cosy dining experience
WHAT TO EXPECT?
FAIRY CHIMNEYS
Expect to see a lot of fairy chimney when visiting Cappadocia. These are rock formations shaped by the different weather conditions making it look like a chimney or mushroom. They do look like chimneys but more like mushrooms, I should say. Most of them have a cone-shaped top making them look like hats, just realized it does look like a place where the Smurfs would live.
Out of curiosity, I tried asking the locals why they called it Fairy Chimneys and they did mention about a myth that apparently during the olden time’s fairies lived inside the tiny holes of the chimneys.
CAVE HOUSES
Cappadocia (Goreme, Urgup, Avanos, Ortahisar, Uchisar, Cavusin and Mustafapasa just to name a few) houses various types of cave houses. These cave houses may all look similar on the outside but when you visit the inside most of them have different layout and interior making each cave house unique and outstanding.
We visited during the hottest month of the year, July, where the temperature reached up to 40 degrees Celcius. Even the locals did agree that the weather is too hot that they would rather stay indoors. This is because all of the cave houses are cool and airy. It felt like the caves have their own air conditioning without using any power or electricity. Interesting isn’t it? Make sure to compare the difference in temperature outside the cave and inside when you visit the Cave houses at Cappadocia.
HOT AIR BALLOON
I may not have taken a lot of amazing photos of the Hot Air Balloon tour but this was because as we ascend I decided to let go of my camera and appreciate the beauty of nature. Not only is it because Cappadocia has a beautiful and interesting landscape but because the feeling of floating in the air makes me feel relaxed. Have you tried Hot Air Balloon before? Share your experience in the comment section below.
ROCK FORMATION
Not only are the Fairy Chimneys and Cave houses the attraction of Cappadocia, but also the beautiful rock formations formed on valleys. Some even have different colours and texture. The most visited valleys just to name a few are Rose Valley, Love Valley, Swords Valley, Divergent Valley and Monks Valley. Some of these valleys can be visited when joining a sunset tour ATV/Horseback riding. Make sure to liaise with your tour guide and let them know which one you would prefer to visit.
UNDERGROUND CITIES
Another attraction that made Cappadocia outstanding and spectacular is that they house various underground cities within a small area. Within Turkey, the Derinkuyu is one of the deepest underground cities discovered to date whilst Kaymakli is one of the widest.
To be honest I was more terrified going down the Underground city compared to taking the Hot Air Balloon ride. I thought the underground cities would be suffocating and dark but the one we have visited Ozkonak Underground was quiet, well lit and not as deep compared to the popular Derinkuyu Underground.
Thanks to our designated tour guide Suat (Pupa Travel) we were able to understand how people live inside the caves and how they protect themselves from enemies.
Overall we had one of the most memorable trips and it was all thanks to my new Family from Urgup, Cappadocia PUPA TRAVEL. Also, check out their Instagram account and let them know AMALOG sent you.
Enjoy your stay at Cappadocia and let PUPA travel do all their magic to make the most of your stay at Cappadocia the Enchanted Kingdom of Turkey.
Also, don’t forget to check out my Youtube channel. I have created a short video about our private tour at Cappadocia with Pupa Travel now up in Youtube.
Have you visited Cappadocia? How was the experience? What was the highlight of your trip? If not, make sure to drop PUPA Travel a message and they’ll sort out everything for you.
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