Cappadocia: the whole truth about one of the world's most popular Insta-locations

You should fly to Cappadocia when you want to, for a short time, not far away and in a way that takes your breath away. You can spend three days in this wonderful place, but you will have so many impressions that it will seem as if a week has flown by.

Cappadocia: how to get there?

It is important to remember that Cappadocia is a region consisting of small towns located not far from each other. It is most convenient to fly from Kiev to Ankara or Istanbul (but better, of course, to Istanbul), and from there by local airlines to the airport in the city of Kayseri. Tickets for a domestic flight on low-cost airlines Pegasus - from 60 dollars round trip. From Kayseri to Göreme, where all the tourist life of Cappadocia is concentrated, you can get by bus or pre-arrange a transfer at your hotel.

For some reason we chose not the fastest option, but quite colorful. We took a bus from Ankara to Göreme. On the way about five hours, the cost of 12 dollars, and outside the window - a very beautiful Turkey.

If you have a chance to choose which city to fly through, fly through Istanbul. I was in Ankara for the first time and it has become for me the city to which I am unlikely to return one day without a good reason: gray and gloomy during the day, bright and well-lit at night, skyscrapers bordering on slums, people in gray clothes and inhospitable subway. They don't speak English here and you realize that's just your problem.

Where to stay in Cappadocia?

We stayed at the most popular hotel in Cappadocia, the Sultan Cave Suites. There are probably plenty of nice and pleasant hotels in Göreme, many of which are also in the cliffs, but we didn't feel like checking. The hotel is quite large and at first you even get a little confused about directions. Due to the fact that the rooms are carved in the rock, there is no air conditioning in the rooms, but there are stoves. We, for example, walked around for an hour, waiting for the room to air out - for some reason the maid carefully turned on the heating in the morning. The cost of accommodation - from 114 dollars per night, breakfast included. And, to be quite honest, if you do not have a goal to stay in this hotel, you can look for a cheaper and more comfortable alternative.

The terrace, which you've definitely seen in all the Instagrams of the world, is open to everyone at all times. You can only go there with drinks, so if you see tables with plates of food on them in the same Instagrams, you should know that these are decorations, nothing more. The view is really amazing, especially at dawn when the balloons rise into the sky.

You can book a hotel in Cappadocia with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

There is also an amazing cocker spaniel named Izmir living in the hotel. A kind and intelligent dog who poses confidently and professionally in front of the cameras, has his own Instagram and happily ate a piece of my birthday cake.

Cappadocia, hot air balloons: when do they fly?

Every morning, regardless of the time of year, between 50 and 150 balloons take to the sky. But be prepared that due to rainy or windy weather, the flight can be canceled and postponed to the next morning. Therefore, it is better to be reassured and have an extra day or two in reserve.

How much does a hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia cost?

We booked our hot air balloon flight in advance through Butterfly Balloons, a company our hotel cooperates with. The cost varies from 100 to 250 euros, depending on the time of the flight (from an hour to two) and the number of people in the basket. The price also includes transfers, insurance, breakfast and a certificate with champagne and appetizers afterwards. You leave the hotel at 4:30 and arrive back no later than 8:00.

Perhaps the hot air balloon ride is what tourists from all over the world come here for. But it's not even the flight itself, but the view from a height of 1000 meters. The surface of the region was formed by volcanic eruptions and subsequent changes due to natural phenomena. At first it seems that you are on some other planet, and then - that this sky, these rocks, houses and plants someone just photoshopped, added clarity and increased brightness. You can't believe that it can be so beautiful! Many tourists book photo shoots in Cappadocia.

Cappadocia: What to eat?

For people like me who don't eat meat, there's not much to eat in Cappadocia. Except bread and fruit. And drink ayran. I tried almost all the hummus in Göreme, but I never came across a tasty one. The salad that my friend ordered in one of the most_popular_restaurants did not impress me either: the plate contained nettles, mint, carrots, parsley, salad leaves, dill and chicken fillet. And I'm afraid there were some ingredients I forgot to mention. The local wine is a bit of a favorite, but the desserts and ice cream are good. After Istanbul, where I usually enjoy everything, the local cuisine didn't impress me too much. But it's worth a try - maybe you'll have better luck. Trust tripadvisor and foursquare - they didn't let down the people who enjoyed it.

What to see in Cappadocia?

Three or four days is enough to see all the sights of Göreme and not only, which are valleys, open-air museums and underground cities. You can take a tour (from 50 dollars per person) and visit key places in a day, but, in my opinion, it is more interesting to rent a car or ATV and explore all the same places on your own without crowds and rush.

Göreme is within walking distance of the Open Air Museum, a UNESCO-listed monastery complex with churches and chapels, and the Valleys: Meskendir with its cosmic landscape, the Red Valley with dwarf houses, and the Pink Valley, where you'll find churches carved into caves. For some reason, I was most impressed by the vineyards and flowers that grow right in the rocks.

If time permits, you can go to Nefsehir and from there drive to one of the largest and oldest underground cities, Derinkuyu, which was built in the 8th-9th centuries B.C. and supposedly consists of 12 levels, four of which are open to the public. The city has a unique ventilation and water supply system for those times, and it is still unknown whether people lived here permanently or used it as a temporary shelter. Despite the fact that the city goes tens of meters down, it is quite easy to breathe there and there is no feeling that the walls are pressing on you.

By the way, an excursion here costs an average of 50 dollars and, if it wasn't for a kind cab driver, we would never have found out that there is a much more budget-friendly way to get to the city. It turned out that public transportation is excellent in Cappadocia: the road to Nefsehir takes 20 minutes and costs 3 lira, and from Nefsehir to the underground city there is a bus that costs 6 lira and takes 45 minutes.

There are three observation decks in Göreme, but believe me, you don't need them because any rock you climb becomes a 360 view observation deck.

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