by Emma McCrow
The ability to fly is a dream man has dreamt since the dawn of time. To see the world as if looking through the eyes of an eagle soaring through the sky has now become a reality. As one of the top 10 locations in the world to fly in a hot air balloon, you cannot go past Cappadocia, Turkey!
View across the Goreme Valley in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a historical region located in Central Anatolia within the Nevsehir Province, in Turkey. Cappadocia, aptly named ‘The Land of Beautiful Horses’ by the Persians in the 6th Century BC, is famous for its unusual natural rock formations never seen anywhere else in the world! The early Christians used these mountains as a source of refuge to hide during their times of persecution as well as the Romans who battled bloody wars through deathly traps and treacherous tunnels. Over 200 underground cities exist where once Christians lived, never to see the sun. Today it is a popular tourist destination, especially the towns of Urgup, Goreme and Guzelyurt. To learn more about Cappadocia’s natural formations visit this site.
As mentioned, Cappadocia is one of the top 10 locations to go hot air ballooning, and in my opinion it is the best! There is only once place they go hot air ballooning and that is in the Goreme Valley. When choosing which company you want to fly with, compare prices as you can get ripped off if you are not careful! Also make sure that they are a reputable company and they are safe! This is the Middle East after all and standards may be below what you would expect in a Western country! I flew with ‘Mavi Ay Ballooning’ which cost about $200 AUS and lasted for about 2-3 hours. Included in your trip is transport to and from your hotel to the air balloon, your very own personal flight certificate, light snacks and hot drinks before your flight, and champagne after your flight (For those who drink alcohol anyway – not me!). You may also purchase a set of 3 souvenir photos taken by a photographer at the end of your flight for about $9 AUS ($15 Turkish Lira).
The Experience:
Checking out the fairy chimneys from our hot air balloon
I had never been hot air ballooning before and it was a decision to go that was made at the very last minute. I had no idea what to expect and what I would see. We got up at 3am in the morning and headed out by bus to the air balloons. It was still pitch black when we arrived, but as they prepared the balloons the sun began to rise and creep over the brilliant formations of the Goreme Valley. Now it was finally time to hop in and experience the ride of a lifetime!
In each hot air balloon there are 5 separate sections. The section in the centre is for the captain of the balloon, in my case his name was Mustafa and he was a bit of a daredevil like Maverick from Top Gun! The other 4 sections are for the victims (AKA me and my 15 fellow air balloon friends) which stand between 4-5 people each. It is a little squishy and you cannot sit down so I hope you’re prepared to stand for a few hours.
The take-off is slow and gradual – in fact the entire experience is smooth. It feels as though you are standing on solid ground even though you are soaring hundreds of metres into the air! The walls of the gondola or basket are quite high so don’t worry about falling out, it is virtually impossible!
The views are spectacular and I can assure you they are unlike anything you would have seen before! Watching the sunrise over the mountains and volcanic formations is an unfathomable sight and one that I will remember for the rest of my life. The colours were vivid and bright, the whole valley just opened up into a new world as the light splayed out chasing away the darkness. Hundreds of air balloons emerged from nowhere soaring into the sky in an array of awestruck beauty.
Getting up close and personal with the rock formations
Our driver Mustafa was definitely a man who liked to live on the edge! He took us higher than all the other balloons and lower than any person would think an air balloon could go before flying off again. Mustafa took us up close and personal with several mountains, crevasses, rock houses and peaks. We were centimetres away at times, so close that I could almost reach out of the balloon and touch the tips of the fairy chimneys! He gave us a complete and unique experience, and there was not one moment of hesitation where I did not trust this complete stranger and his flying skills.
There are so many things to see but here is a list of must see things to look out for while enjoying your hot air balloon experience:
- Fairy Chimneys – They look like jagged pillars and there is a cluster of them in an open valley so it’s not hard to miss them. You can also see these from several lookouts on the ground!
- Urgup City – Probably the most spectacular city I have ever beheld. It is entirely build out of the mountain and people are literally living in rock houses which is a nice way to live as it is consistently 16 degrees Celsius all year round!
- Hasan Dag – This is one of the many volcanic mountains surrounding Cappadocia. Hasan Dag has two summits and you won’t miss seeing it because it’s over 3, 300 metres high!
- Rock Houses – Looking for these is like a ‘Where’s Wally’ adventure! They are located all over the Goreme valley and can be identified by their windows with a flower or vine of some sort growing out of it.
One last thing, getting in and out of the gondola is 
definitely a unique experience as you have to climb up and over, but don’t worry because you will have 3 Turkish men there to help you get in and out. If you’re lucky like I was, you may be quickly embraced by a Turkish man who catches you like a baby after tripping on the edge of the basket while he says ‘Merhaba’ meaning ‘Hello’! The overall experience is incredible and worth every cent you spend so make sure you add hot air ballooning in Turkey to your bucket list, I’m sure glad I did it!
Author’s Bio: Emma McCrow is an International Development, Photomedia and Journalism student from Brisbane, Queensland. As a travel junkie, Emma has been to over 19 countries travelling extensively through Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and parts of the Pacific. Emma loves exotic foods, unique travelling (go figure), extreme sports and bundles of adventure.