1. The Koza Cave Hotel
The roof terrace of this beautiful cave hotel is a breathtaking spot to watch colorful hot air balloons in Cappadocia during sunrise. The roof top provides not only one of the best views of hot air balloons rising over the Cappadocia Valleys, but also the quietest and least crowded areas since it is more popular among locals than tourists. (Yesss, the perks of speaking my mother’s language!)
We reserved a room here for three nights during our trip to Cappadocia. Staying in this centuries-old cave in the Capadoccia region was a once in a lifetime experience. The room also included beautiful touches and a personal hamam! (When I described my suite to my safari tour guides in Kayseri, they noted that the personal hamam was most probably an upgrade that I oversaw.) Even though the hotels in Cappadocia cost more than other areas in Turkey, this is the place to splurge for that amazing experience because it is an excellent value for your money. This experience was on top of our bucket list in Turkey, and is among our favorite memories from our whole trip.
2. Paşabağ (Valley of the Monks)
Welcome to the wonderland of fairy chimney fairys in Pasabag! Cappadocians believed that these were the chimneys for underground fairies. Wandering through these lunar-like streets felt like stepping into the unknown.
This place does get extremely busy since many tour busses stop here, and we recommend coming in the early morning. Well, we were unable to take our own advice since we were jet lagged. Luckily, we had a few seconds free of people to take pictures, where Kumar quickly slammed himself onto the ground and yelled “POOOOSE!” (I joke that Hubby is like a Safari Photographer when capturing moments).
3. Uçhisar Castle
Uçhisar Castle is the summit and the tallest fairy chimney in Cappadocia. Uçhisar Castle is not exactly a castle, but a rock dwelling surrounded by camels, local shops and tourists. With its busy nature, it feels like the city.
4. Anywhere with hot air balloons at 5 AM.
5. Devrent Imagination Valley
6. Wild Horses Photo Tour (near the country side)