Cappadocia
Some places feel like they exist outside of ordinary time. Cappadocia is one of them. I have been twice — and if someone asked me tomorrow whether I wanted to go back, my answer would be an immediate yes.
My first visit to Cappadocia was particularly special — I was newly pregnant with our first son, and it was just the two of us. My husband and I had spent a few days in Istanbul first, soaking in the city, before flying on to Kayseri. From there, we arranged a transfer directly to Göreme, which was simple and straightforward. The whole journey felt easy, which already set a calm tone for what was ahead.
Where we stayed: Anatolian Houses Cave Hotel & Spa
We stayed at the Anatolian Houses Cave Hotel & Spa in Göreme — and I would recommend it wholeheartedly. What makes this hotel so special is exactly what the name suggests: the rooms are carved directly into the ancient cave rock. Everything felt genuinely authentic, not a staged version of something traditional, but the real thing. Waking up inside those stone walls, with their cool quiet and soft curves, felt unlike any hotel room I have ever stayed in.
The location was also excellent — central enough that we could walk to most places on foot. And the Turkish breakfast was one of the highlights of our stay. If you know Turkish breakfast, you know: it is an experience in itself. Cheeses, olives, fresh bread, honey, eggs, vegetables, tea — and in that setting, it felt even more special.
Staying in a cave hotel is one of those things that sounds like a gimmick until you actually do it. Then you understand completely why people come back again and again.
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Hot air balloon mornings
Cappadocia is perhaps most famous for its hot air balloons — and for good reason. On several mornings, we woke early to watch them rise. You can actually see the balloons from the hotel, drifting up into the pale morning sky above the fairy chimneys. But we also wanted to experience them from different vantage points. One of our favourite spots was Love Valley — a dramatic landscape of tall, pale rock formations stretching toward the horizon, with dozens of colourful balloons floating silently above.
There is something about watching hot air balloons rise at dawn over an ancient landscape that quietly realigns you. It is slow. It is beautiful. And it reminds you that some things are still worth waking up early for.
Exploring the landscape — including one unexpected adventure
Cappadocia rewards slow exploration. On an earlier visit, I had already experienced a horse ride through the fairy chimneys — which I would absolutely recommend. There is something almost surreal about moving through that landscape on horseback, surrounded by pale, sculpted rock formations that look like nothing else on earth.
On one evening during this trip, we were so completely mesmerised by the beauty of our surroundings that we lost track of time and found ourselves out near sunset, further from town than we had realised. Suddenly, we were surrounded by a pack of wild dogs. Alhamdulillah, nothing serious happened — but being pregnant, I was not about to take any chances. We made our way back calmly and carefully. It became one of those travel stories you laugh about later, the kind that only happen when you are so absorbed by a place that you forget to pay attention to anything else.
It is a small reminder: Cappadocia's landscape is wild and vast, and it is worth being a little mindful when venturing out, especially at dusk.
The food
The food in Cappadocia deserves its own mention. Traditional Anatolian cooking at its best — and one dish in particular stayed with me: a slow-cooked stew prepared and sealed inside a clay pot, then brought to the table still steaming, the pot broken open right in front of you. It sounds simple, but it is one of those meals that somehow tastes like the place itself. Rich, warm, unhurried.
If you go, do not rush the food. Sit with it. Order the clay pot dish. Let it be a whole experience.
Would I go back?
Without hesitation. Cappadocia works for almost any kind of traveller — couples, families, solo visitors. It is a place for adventure if you want it, and for stillness if you need it. The landscape alone is worth the journey. But add the food, the culture, the balloon mornings, and the extraordinary experience of sleeping inside ancient stone — and it becomes something truly memorable.
A FEW PRACTICAL NOTES
Fly into Kayseri (ASR) — it is the closest airport to Göreme, and transfers are easy to arrange.
Book a cave hotel for at least part of your stay — it is central to the Cappadocia experience.
Set an alarm for balloon mornings. The early start is absolutely worth it.
Try the clay pot stew (testi kebabı) — a local speciality not to be missed.
Be mindful when walking outside of town at dusk, especially in more remote areas.
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