Any guidebook or tourism website about Turkey will have a photo of a generous smattering of colourful hot air balloons floating over the craggy landscape of Cappadocia. We couldn’t spend three weeks in Turkey and not go to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cappadocia, in Turkey’s central region, is famed for its unusual rock formations, often referred to as ‘fairy chimneys’. Formed over 60 million years ago, the structures are the result of the unique settling of layers of soft lava and ash which spouted from the Erciyes, Hasan and Güllü volcanoes.
In or around the fourth century, Christians who were fleeing persecution from the Romans found Cappadocia. They carved into the rock to build houses and churches, resulting in whole villages and communities. Today the main tourist bases in the region are Göreme and Uçhisar.
Stay
Göreme is home to most of Cappadocia’s hotels and restaurants, making it a practical place for visitors to stay. Hotel names are slightly lacking in originality and tend to contain the word ‘cave’, ‘suite’ or ‘Cappadocia’, or a combination of all three, causing no end of confusion for local tour operators and tourists alike. Most of the hotels have tried to stay true to the surrounding landscape in terms of structure and décor, which makes for an immersive experience.
We stayed at the rustic Cappadocia Caves Hotel. Located just off the main street in Göreme, the hotel offers spacious rooms which combine cave style walls with modern touches such as a jacuzzi bath. The magnificent daily breakfast buffet, complete with traditional cheeses, cured meats, homemade cakes, omelettes and chips (Turks seem to enjoy a chip with their breakfast) is an undoubted selling point. What’s more, from the rooftop pool you can soak in unobstructed views over Göreme from your lounger.
Eat
Dibek – Described as the ‘traditional home cook’ restaurant, Dibek offers a carefully-curated selection of traditional Anatolian dishes, such as manti (a type of Turkish ravioli in yogurt and tomato sauce) and testi kebab – beef or chicken stew cooked in a clay pot which is ceremoniously broken in front of the diner just before serving. The modest menu results in dishes which emanate the care and attention that has clearly gone into them, resulting in hearty, filling meals bursting with flavour. Dibek boasts a dinky roof terrace so book your table in advance if you want to enjoy your meal with a view.
Seten – you’ll have to climb up a hill to reach Seten, but it’s certainly worth it, both for the views and the food. Attached to the upmarket Sultan Cave Suites hotel, Seten errs more on the fine-dining side but without compromising on flavours, portion sizes or that down-to-earth Turkish charm. The menu changes according to the season but we enjoyed succulent lamb shanks and rich beef kebabs with a twist. Thanks to the uphill trek, views over Göreme, are spectacular, particularly at night. Seten also has a terrace bar where you can enjoy a pre-dinner drink whilst relaxing on the middle-eastern style cushions listening to the evening’s live music offering.
Fat Boys restaurant bar – a no-fuss restaurant and café offering traditional dishes such as iskender to ali nazik kebab. Service is attentive and warm, as is the fluffy, homemade bread. Very reasonable prices.
Visit
Most people come to Cappadocia to see the landscape and the best way to do so is on an organised tour. Tours are generally split into three types: red, blue and green, all of which offer a mixture of visits to the fairy chimneys, the open-air museum, local carpet and ceramic workshops and traditional villages.
For some, a trip to Cappadocia wouldn’t be complete without a hot air balloon ride above the sprawling fairy chimneys. Balloon rides come in many packages, some of which include breakfast and champagne, and are priced accordingly. If your budget doesn’t stretch, or if your fear of heights gets the better of you, simply get up early and hike up to the top of Göreme at dawn to see the balloons floating up with the sunrise.
