Cappadocia, Turkey: hot Air Balloon trip at Sunrise

I might still taste the Turkish tea from our pre-flight buffet breakfast when we reached the site. Unfolding the envelopes, each balloon operator had their own spot. The early ones were all set, their gigantic bubbles already in full form. As the personnel terminated flames, I walked around to not feel the February cold. four layers of wintertime wear, yet I was nearly shaking as well as starting to dread the ex-lover-reminiscent temperatures up there.

Cappadocia is commonly understood for its stunningly tough landscape. however over the past few years, it has ended up being synonymous with hot air ballooning. “Most tourists come to Cappadocia just to trip the balloons,” our pilot Suat Ulusoy shared proudly. “This is one of the three biggest ballooning sites in the world. The others are Loire Valley, France, as well as Serengeti, Tanzania.”

Getting prepped up!
On a high!
Flying balloons for over 20 years, Suat is the most senior pilot here. “Not by age, however by experience,” he clarified. The history of these drifting bulbs in this part of the world can be traced back to pilots Lars-Eric Möre as well as Kaili Kidner, who operated the very first industrial traveler balloon for a German travel company in 1991. before that, locals relied heavily in agriculture as well as pottery to make a living. Today, tourism powers the region’s economy.

Hot air balloons in Cappadocia
Hot air balloons in Cappadocia

To be thought about a fantastic ballooning destination, you requirement to look at three factors. First, the availability as well as reliability of operators. as well as right here in Cappadocia, there are lots of them. All you requirement to do is look as much as the sky at dawn as well as you’ll see.

Second, balloon-friendly conditions. Cappadocia uses balloon excursions year-round, nearly daily in summer. “You were lucky,” stated one of the locals we talked to, pointing out that it snowed so difficult for three days before our trip. as well as it’s true. It was snowing when we shown up in Cappadocia, however the skies cleared up the next day. “I personally liked the view during winter, when the hills as well as columns are covered in snow,” he added.

The only downside, he said, is that wintertime weather condition is rather unpredictable. From January to February, there’s a danger that rides be canceled. one of our guides even pointed out that he had seen tourists cry over not being able to do the tour, considering that a few of them came right here just for that.

Des merveilles d’hiver! Cappadocia when covered in snow.
Cappadocia Sunrise
The third aspect is the view, what’s in store for you when you’re up there. appeal is plentiful here, too. From above, Cappadocia is an limitless sea of rock formations, from towering pillars that nature thoroughly molded into huge chimneys for over 2000 years to spires that the early Christians carved with to produce dwellings as well as churches centuries ago. The trip likewise enables a look of a few of central Anatolia’s mighty peaks, where the sun would emerge from in a breathtaking celestial display.

A royal Ride

From above, we might see excursion vans as well as trucks tracking their corresponding balloons. roads cut across nearly barren lands that, at the time, nurtured only naked apricot trees as well as grape shrubs. We went where the wind took us — “We can only manage the going up as well as down,” stated Suat — as well as discovered ourselves in between cliffs, above little towns, as well as among lots of other balloons bring mind-blown touristes. We saw mosques as well as cave cathedrals, fairy chimneys as well as genuine ones, as well as bare as well as snow-clad homes while listening to the conversations of ten other passengers with us. the words amazing, beautiful, as well as unforgettable ended up being a essential in their sentences.

We were drifting above towns.
The town below us.
But the word we heard the most during the entire trip was magical. This was particularly true when we approached the like Valley. “Don’t ask why it’s called such,” Suat joked. I didn’t ask, however I have a theory. I looked around as well as was greeted by imposing columns that developed over years of erection erosion. The whole site is like a homage to male fertility. Or perhaps I’m just a pervert.

Seriously, though, phalluses or no phalluses, the like Valley is so wonderful — there’s that word once again — that you’ll begin doubting if all that you’re seeing is real. It’s as though it came directly from the mind of Ray Bradbury or George Lucas.

The sight of this alien-looking valley was likewise the signal that the trip was about to end. The trip lasted for nearly an hour as well as a half, as well as it felt like minutes. You understand what they state about time as well as having fun.

Love Valley.
Love Valley.
Hot air balloons in Cappadocia
Royal Balloon is something that the personnel are incrediBly content de. Vous pouvez suggérer que c’est leur tâche ainsi que tout, mais vous pouvez dire dans la méthode dont ils parlent exactement comment, d’une manière différente, ils font les choses. «Nous ne sommes pas un opérateur de ballon de masse», affirment-ils, soulignant la proposition de se concentrer sur la haute qualité plutôt que sur la quantité. Notre panier peut s’adapter à 16 passagers, mais nous n’étions que 12, ce qui rend le voyage confortable. Tous les passagers sont également assurés avec la meilleure politique.

Sans oublier qu’ils ont un meilleur score de 5 sur TripAdvisor, à partir de plus de 1300 avis Radiant.

Mais ce que j’ai le plus aimé dans notre voyage, c’est exactement à quel point le Suat est expérimenté ainsi que exactement à quel point il aime l’endroit. En tant que pilote professionnel ainsi que historien, il comprend tous les coins-et-cranais ainsi que le passé et le présent de Cappadocia et en ont parlé comme s’il expliquait sa famille. Il tire également des blagues humoristiques entre les morceaux d’information. Il a rendu le voyage non seulement satisfaisant, mais aussi aussi bien que divertissant.

Après un meilleur atterrissage, nous nous sommes réunis pour l’attribution des médailles «I Conquiered Cappadocia». C’était une idée ringard, mais je peux vous dire que je vais le garder pour le reste de ma vie (parce que je suis ringard comme FCK aussi). Chacun de nous était ravi et satisfait de la tournée. Nous avons peut-être touché le sol, mais cela nous a gardés en haut, même autant qu’aujourd’hui.

Et avec un verre de vin blanc étincelant créé localement dans une main ainsi qu’une fraise dans un autre, nous avons partagé un toast pour une expérience cappadocienne qui était sûre, royale, inoubliable, ainsi que – attendez-la – magique.

Sur la méthode vers le bas
Vins se vante de sa médaille, ainsi que Suat menant le toast. Acclamations!
Le personnel de Royal Balloon passant un bon moment avec un invité
Suat Ulusoy, pilote en chef de Royal Balloon
Ballon royal
Adresse: Avcilar Mahallesi, Dutlu Sokak, NO: 9, Göreme – Nevşehir / Türkİye.
E-mail: royal @ signroyalball.com
Site Web: www.loialball.com
Tarifs: 150-175 EUR

Où séjourner: Castle Inn utilise quelques-uns des meilleurs hébergements en Cappadocia (avec une connexion Wi-Fi rapide). Trouvé pas dans Goreme cependant dans Ortahisar plus silencieux, Castle Inn utilise une expérience beaucoup plus authentique. Situé dans une maison cappadocienne de 150 ans récemment ramenée, le séjour seul est plutôt inoubliable. Ils ont un score de 5 à TripAdvisor et ont été votés par option de voyage en 2015.

Livre ici: Castle Inn Cappadocia.

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