Backpacking Turkey: 03 Cappadocia (Kapadokya)
The most beautiful view in a hot air balloon.
Accommodation: Cappa Cave Hostel.
Looking at pictures of Cappadocia I knew I had to visit while I was in Turkey. The unique rock formations are like something from another world. People having to live underground to escape the sun... wild!
Arriving after a 13 hour, gruelling bus journey, I was actually very happy my friend L and I were in one piece. The drive was bumpy and winding with the driver still going well over the speed limit. It was the end of Ramadan so at every bus stop, people were celebrating. Needless to say it was a sleepless night.
After checking in, we wanted to explore the rock formations so we hiked along the Rose Valley which is easy to walk to from the centre of Göreme, the main town within the Cappadocia region. Incredible that whole cities were within these rocks or built underground. We walked past churches and through tunnels along the dusty trail, almost getting lost but thankfully finding someone who could lead us back onto the right path.
I recommend watching the sunset at the aptly named, Sunset Point. Get there a little earlier to find your space and it is a glorious view not over just Göreme but also the valley on the other side. It is about a 15 minute easy walk with a slight incline. Plus there are random cows along the way to say g'day to.
I also recommend the sunrise hot air balloon over the valley. It is spectacular! I had never been in a hot air balloon before so what a first encounter. The valley is scattered with the rock formations and many other hot air balloons in the sky (apparently around 75 that morning). We celebrated a safe landing with a glass of the local sparkling wine. Bubbles darling!
When you are here, you should also go on a local tour of the Cappadocia region which is useful if you aren't hiring a car. Plus with a local we were able to go into the previously closed underground city of Mazi. That was a highlight as it was full of passage ways and had around seven levels we had to climb with ladders or sometimes just a piece of rope. When we went, the site hadn't finished being excavated. We had to hold flash lights as no lights had been installed either - I felt a bit like Lara Croft.
Part of the tour was also visiting Soğanlı Valley, where we had fresh apricots picked straight from the trees by our guide, Ali. We had a pit-stop to see the Tokali (Buckle) Church which is the oldest known in the area that had been cut into the rocks. We visited other churches (there seems to be quite a lot) including the Snake Church where we clambered through a dark tunnel into a room where there was another tunnel that led to the next village incase of an attack. The women and children would file into the tunnel and lock themselves in by closing a stone doorway whilst the men stayed to fight.
Another must see is Devrent Valley (Imaginery Valley) with a number of rock formations that look rather trippy where all you need is your imagination to see what each rock forms. Nearby is also the Fairy Chimneys which are the famous mushroom looking rock formations.
This region of Turkey is definitely a must see. It is full of the most amazing and different scenery to most places in Europe.
Again, the buses are very busy so book as soon as you arrive in the area (from the main bus depot) for your bus to get to your next destination.
Our next stop was the capital, Istanbul, which meant we had to take another overnight bus as it takes a solid twelve hours to get there. Here was hoping this journey was smoother than our arrival...
This is the third in a series of posts for my time backpacking through Turkey for two weeks. It was an incredible experience and one I would recommend. The country is beautiful and the people welcoming. It was just myself and another female friend - we did not have any issues at all.
I have labelled them as to where we stayed. The other posts can be found below:
Backpacking Turkey: 1. Fethiye.
Backpacking Turkey: 2. Selcuk.
