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There is no direct flight from Cappadocia/Kayseri to Pamukkale/Denizli. Cappadocia to Pamukkale takes over 11 hours by bus, and it is an overnight bus with stops and non-reclining chairs. It is a strange situation considering Cappadocia and Pamukkale are both popular tourist spots in Turkey.  The best way to connect the two touristy spots is by an indirect flight via Istanbul.  The driver picked us up in a very spacious Mercedes Benz van, the seating reminded me of limousines pickup when I traveled for business ages ago.  There was a beautiful sunset, on a clear sky with cumulus clouds.  At sunset, the clouds were dotted with shiny golden borders and they looked like small islands spreaded around a calm lake.  

Pamukkale, the Cotton Castle, has a completely different vibe than Cappadocia.  Cappadocia reminds us of ruggedness and the history of persecution and hardship at an altitude of 1100 meters.  Pamukkale comes across as a relaxed rural village with green plains and mountains at the horizons. It has a calming effect.  After an hour, we arrived at the Cotton House and were ready to explore the next morning. 

Ruins

Turkey has a rich history.  Do you know that Troy, the Greek Myth of the Trojan war, is in modern-day Turkey?  There are quite a number of ruins.   We visited two of them while in Pamukkale : the Hierapolis-Pamukkale and the Aphrodisias, both UNESCO heritage sites dated in 2nd and 3rd BC. If ruins are not your cup of tea, it can be more interesting if you ponder what to expect to have a glimpse of their livelihood over thousands of years ago.  What would be the same? What would be the difference?  What has survived? What has become unrecognizable? How much damage was a result of nature or a result of war?  Why would the city be abandoned?  

The Hierapolis ruins, dated 2nd century BC and abandoned in the 14th century, had most of the items one can think of for a typical city – the tombs/cemetery area outside of the city, the city gates, the gathering places for religion, i.e. the Cathedral, the city plaza for people to gather, and for other entertainment i.e. the Theatre.  As we entered the city, there were public latrines.  In those days, people sat next to each other on a bench-like setup to take care of their business and without a good sewage system, you could imagine the pungent smell around the area.  It was rather understandable that public baths (hamam) were also nearby. The Cathedral, the city plaza were much destroyed, and hardly recognizable. As we walked up, we went to a place for people to worship where the bulls were gassed to death, and any surviving priests from the fumes were to enter into the “holy” place of Pluto, the god of death.  If the people were coming to watch an event in the theater, the capacity and the structural design of the theater were not that different from the modern day theater. However, it was apparent that the evolution has brought up more comfort than even the royal families back then.  Ha, we only need to live long enough to experience the luxury of today’s billionaires. 

With another day to spare, we arranged to  have a taxi to take us to Afrodisias ancient city dated in the Greek Hellenistic periods (~1st century).  The Aphrodisias ancient city is slightly over an hour of highway drive from Pamukkale.  We passed by a few cities and the Mount Honaz before arriving at the entrance of the ancient city. Aphrodisias has been better preserved than Hierapolis ruins and more effort to reconstruct this ancient city, once populated with over 10,000 people. The temple of Aphrodisias has beautiful pillars, carvings and decorations that have survived close to two thousand years of battles and empires. A bit beyond the stadium, there was a nearby stadium, with a bit less capacity than the theater in Hierapolis. It has been quite well preserved.  Walking on, there was the Hadronic Hamam, which has become hardly recognizable after all these centuries.  Next to the Hamam, there has been the reconstruction of the city park, with a 170m long pool and a lot of spaces mirroring the modern park.  Passing the city park, it opened up a trail that looks more like a hiking trail before reaching the theater.  The theater is well preserved, with smaller capacity and better seating areas, including a front row that has more comfortable chairs and offers the best seating.  Seemingly, this theater served as the entertainment center for the higher classes, with its own Hamam. I imagine that the nobles came here to relax and socialize in the Hamam before entering the theater for the show.  We searched for the Sebasteion which had an eye-catching building with different sculptures.  What seems very interesting is that the sculptures on the top tiers are ruling families, while the gods and goddesses sculptures occupy the middle tiers below the top tiers. Does it imply the ruling families believed that they were above the gods and goddesses?  Closer to the entrance/exit, there stands the museum with a good collection of Greek sculptures, and artifacts evacuated from the ancient city. 

Thermal Pools & the Pamukkale travertines

The gift shops and cafes awaited at the end of the Hierapolis ruins. 

Making it special is the presence of an antique pool, also named Cleopatra pool.  Rumored with its healing effect, the pool has been open for the public to swim for a fee.  We sat next to the antique pool, enjoying kebabs and salad for lunch.  The pool had clear and turquoise water, with natural rocks among them, and it was very inviting to take a dip.  Some called the antique pool as the Cleopatra pool with the rumor that the queen had swum in, over two thousand years ago!  It was so comfortable and relaxing to soak in it, we walked, swam and rested on the rocks, and appreciated some Roman-style pillars lying randomly in the pool.  Before we knew it, we were already in the water for an hour, and our hands became wrinkly.  It was an experience you don’t want to miss. 

Walking another 100 meters, it started the famous Pamukkale travertines and thermal pools. The travertines looked like a hardened ski slope. The thermal pools were formed over time when a spring with a high content of dissolved calcium bicarbonate cascaded over the edge of the cliff, which cooled and hardened leaving calcium deposits. They became mini natural pools, shelves and ridges with beautiful pale bluish color, and these pools stacked above each other. We had to walk on foot to avoid further erosion or damage to this Hierapolis-Pamukkale – UNESCO World Heritage Centre. If the thermal water were warm and inviting, the path to it was covered with gravels, slippery travertines, and was prickly to the feet.  The north entrance of the pool is at the top.  Slowly, we walked the distance of 2km, appreciating the variety of many thermal pools and got to the south exit.  Just outside of the south exit is the Pamukkale town center with a single street of restaurants, with a number of eateries all enthusiastic to invite tourists in their restaurants. 

Tourists can probably cover the highlights of Pamukkale in a day.  We really enjoyed our longer stays to slow down our pace, visited both Hierapolis and Aphrodisias ruins, enjoyed the antique pool, had the prickly “feet-on” experience in walking on the thermal pools, and visited different cafes on that single street . 

Spa

It has taken me decades of traveling, to realize that Spa was among the best things to do on the last day of any trip. The only thing that may be better than that would be a combined Turkish bath and spa experience where your party was the only customers.  

And we did just that to indulge in the timeless bond of relaxation and rejuvenation with a Turkish bath and spa experience.  

It is a memory that every mother-daughter duo would cherish and nothing can take this away. 

Cappadocia, renowned for its hot air balloon, is no way to be seen on Google Maps. Cappadocia is the name of the whole region. The region has a number of popular destinations for travelers: Goreme, Uchisar, Çardak,  Avanos, Ihlara Valleys.  It  has a unique jagged landscape.  The protruding rock formation rises up like fairy chimneys, or mushrooms, best viewed from the air. Over a thousand of years ago, it was also the region where the Christians found refuge from their persecutions.  They built underground cities, cave dwellings, carved out cathedrals among the jagged rock formation.  Their hardship, perseverance and benefit deserved my deepest respect.  Cappadocia feels like a huge UNESCO world heritage area and has a history of the intersections between the east and the west. Ironically, most travelers come to the region for its world renowned hot air balloons more so than its history.  

Cappadocia – the not-to-be-missed cave hotel and the different tours

I appreciate the comforts of a hotel more than dwelling in a cave. However, when I had the opportunity to visit Cappadocia, I couldn’t resist the chance to stay in a cave hotel.  Aydinli cave hotel in Goreme, located just an hour’s drive from Kayseri airport, was a great choice. Its convenient location makes it only a few minutes’ walk from the town center, where there is a bustling tourist hub with a variety of shops and restaurants, including options like Chinese and Korean cuisine.

To reach our room at the cave hotel, we had to climb many steps. We were never tired of the breathtaking view of the jagged landscape and other cave dwellings along the way. The area was a bit dusty for our sensitive noses.  We took it as a feature of this rugged landscape.  The cave room was a spacious and clean environment adorned with beautiful kilims, adding a touch of local culture. The cave hotel ingeniously combined the unique cave structure with modern hotel amenities, with cave walls surrounding us and shower areas without a traditional door.

At around 4:14 am, I was awakened by the sound of the azan, which felt like a fitting religious awakening.  It was soothing enough to get us back to our sleep quickly.

Each morning, as we opened our door, we were greeted by the magnificent expanse of the jagged landscape, creating a sense of leaving our caves and embracing the vast openness.

A delightful and delicious Turkish breakfast was served, a level above our room, at the top level of our cave hotel in Cappadocia. The breakfast was a Mediterranean feast for the senses.  It offers a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, sauces, butter, jams, and honey, all accompanied by freshly baked crispy buns and invigorating Turkish coffee or tea. We could also order additional omelets, Turkish pancakes and other breakfast items. Kaymak, a mix of cottage cream and honey, was the spread I look forward to every morning; and my daughter’s favorite item was Gozleme (Turkish Pancakes).  The best part was that we got to enjoy this scrumptious meal while witnessing the residual spectacle of the hot air balloons dotting the morning sky above the surreal landscape. It was an enchanting sight that added an extra touch of wonder.

If you’re seeking a truly unique experience during your travels to the region, don’t miss out on the chance to stay in a cave hotel and enjoy a Turkish buffet breakfast.  It’s an unique experience like nowhere else.

The hotel offered plenty of traveler’s choices. Among the tours, the green tour to the east and south and the red tour to the Goreme open air museum and Avanos pottery town in the north stood out. We decided on the one-day guided green tour, while keeping the flexibility to explore the red-tour locations at our own pace.

One of the ultimate experiences we were eagerly anticipating was the hot air balloon ride. It belonged to the “short list of things to do before you die.” The hotel recommended several balloon companies, and we picked the butterfly balloon company, highly praised by the renowned travel expert Rick Steves. The company’s impeccable safety record and exceptional reviews reassured us, even if it came with a hefty price. We were more than willing to go with the safe bet for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Cappadocia – Guided Green Tour 

As the green tour covered more distance, we signed up for the 1-day green tour. 

No matter how many times the guide tried to explain the landscape and the history of the volcano eruption, I still found it magical that the lava rock and the natural erosion creates a landscape of chimney-like, mushroom-like and other shapely rock structures. In this unique landscape, the early settlers crafted many pigeon holes on these strangely shaped rock structures for the wild pigeons to live.  Why? Pigeons droppings turn out to be great organic fertilizers. 

Most tours have shopping stops. The green tour was no exception. In an art and jewelry shop, my daughter got a pair of beautiful Zultanite ear-rings which changed colors with different lightings. I got a Turkish Turquoise-blue cross to be used as a necklace. It made a special gift and served as a tribute to the many Christians sought refuge in the area,  spreaded their belief while escaping Roman persecution.  There are some who believe the word Turquoise comes from “Turkish and Quad”.   

The Cathedral in the Ihara Valley is unlike any other cathedral in the world.  It is built among the caves and the rocks. Though primitive, the cave Cathedral has most of the church structure.  It is humbling to witness the faith, the hardship and the bravery of the early Christian settlers.  A short walk down the river, we were treated with Turkish vegetable soup, fresh salad, delicious beef and vegetarian casserole on hot stones, right next to the muddy and fast flowing river. Together with freshly squeezed watermelon juice and baklava with ice cream, it did its trick to re-energize for the visit to the underground city.    

The underground city is unlivable in today’s standard, yet, the Christians may live in the city for days and days to escape the persecution. We could only imagine the lives of the cave dwellers while squeezing through the narrow tunnels and listening to the tourist guy Serpil explain about the livestock, the storage, the living room, the church and the wine/food production. It may not be a stop for those with claustrophobia.  

Cappadocia – the self-guided Red Tour

The red tour itinerary has the Goreme open air museum and the town of pottery, Avanos as the main attractions.  My daughter speaks good Turkish and we felt confident to explore ourselves at our own pace.  

Avanos is a 15-minute taxi ride from Goreme.  It is a quiet and secluded village, perfect for a relaxing stroll.  The red river and the red soil provides the ingredients for beautiful potteries. There are only a few streets and we strolled at our own pace to check out the rug shops, pottery shops and ice cream booths. It was a nice place to get pottery and ceramic artwork. It would have been a nice place for rugs too, only that rugs shopping needs more time and energy to select and bargain while zipping tea. We walked across a suspension bridge over the red river which is the longest river in Turkey before settling down for our lunch at MADO next to the river. Interestingly enough, no-one at the restaurant seemed to care if we were only resting there, or dining there.  When we finally were ready for the food, the English menu had no price tag, only the Turkish menu had the price tag.

The Goreme Open Air Museum is a UNESCO world heritage site, and arguably the most famous place to check out the cave cathedrals. It has a complex of open air churches amazingly carved into volcanic rock during the 10th to 12th centuries & decorated with frescoes. Some churches are more primitive. The more impressive ones include the snake church, the sandal church and the dark church, both with mind-boggled mural paintings with bright colors and beautiful design patterns. Beside the frescoes, the overall landscape outside the churches would make the museum a worthy visit. Don’t miss the visit to the museum, but consider picking a comfortable day as it is an outdoor museum. 

Cappadocia – the Hot Air Balloon adventure made a once-in-a-life experience to cherish

Cappadocia is renowned for its rugged landscape and the mesmerizing sight of hundreds of hot air balloons gracefully soaring through the early morning light.  The Hot Air Balloon rides in Cappadocia are arguably the biggest attraction for tourism in Turkey. The 3am wake-up call was a relatively small nuance.  The butterfly balloon agent gathered a number of balloon riders from different hotels, and we walked quietly in the dark with sleepy eyes. After a short shuttle ride, we were already in the Butterfly Balloons cafeteria with a light breakfast offering fruits, breads and beverages enough to wake us up a bit more.  At check-in, we were assigned the pilot to meet at the launching area. Another short ride after breakfast brought us to the launching locations. My impressions of hot air balloons came mostly from posters, from pictures or watching them in clusters from afar.  Each of these balloons looked multiple times larger than my impressions. Many balloons, from different balloon companies, were in different stages of readiness to launch. Most balloons had a basket with a handful of compartments, that could fit a total of 10 to 20 people while allowing each one to have their own space.  While waiting for ours to get ready, we witnessed a number of launches. They were noisy, they were exciting and they made us eager to get onto ours.  Our turn came quickly. We climbed through the footholds in the baskets into our compartment in the basket and we waved to the land crews as we started to take off.  The pilot showed his skills as he calmly navigated the balloon up in altitude.  The pilot explained that he could only control the rotation and altitude of the balloon but the wind decides its directions.  What a lesson to learn for us.  The views of the unusual rock formations and its colors from above are magnificent and in our 60 minutes of airtime, we cannot stop feeling magical. The balloons floated past the Rose Valley with rocks in rose color, the Gavusin old towns, Pigeon Valley with plenty of pigeon holes carved into the rocks, and a number of cave churches carved into the volcano rocks.  The hundreds of colorful Hot Air Balloons on top of its unique landscape has given us one of the most beautiful and memorable travel experiences.  We wanted to stay up for as long as possible. 

Landing was another experience. There were no fixed predetermined landing spots. The pilot decided on the safe spot to land based on where the balloon had floated to. We landed in the middle of no-where. The land crew quickly drove their jeeps and trailers to meet us.  They set up a nice “celebration” serving champagne and snacks before passing us the “we did it” medals and certificate,  together with a €30 worth of usb souvenir containing pictures and videos of the adventure.

For weeks before the hot air balloon adventures, I was a bit uncertain if my acrophobia would flare up in the air. I comforted myself that I was not afraid on flights, I was also not nervous in small seaplanes or planes.  I was just afraid when I was on my own feet, walking next to canyons or cliffs. The hot air balloon launch needs permission from the local aviation and the activity takes place in the very early morning when there is hardly any wind in the air. The take off has been way more stable than any plane taking off.

For anyone visiting this region, I highly recommend soaking in the captivating hot air balloon scene—it’s an experience you’ll cherish forever.

Cappadocia – the Camel Ride to experience the Silk Road with modern comfort 

Turkey is in a central position connecting Asia and Europe; and many many civilizations over thousands of years. I always feel this is a special place.  Back in the days, camels were the means of transportation. How would one feel to be riding on a camel, traversing the trade route of the Silk Road? Cappadocia is on the silk road route.  My daughter made plans with Camel Safari for a 90-minute camel ride.  

Riding on camels felt different from horse riding in a number of ways.  Camels are gentle animals.  It strolls most of the time.  Its flat feet provide more stable support.  The thicker padding in between the humps makes it more comfortable.  It gives a more smooth ride than horse riding. The camel we rode was of Arabian origin, also known as dromedaries.  We climbed on a stand to get to the camel’s back only to find that there was a handle to hold onto, but not footholds to rest our feet.These Arabian camels are tall animals, and I felt so high up from the ground. I convinced myself that the camel hardly galloped, which was actually not true, nor threw someone off their back. Gradually the steady and stable demeanor of the camel has won us over.  Our two camels were hooked up.  The tourist guide carried the rein at the beginning until we got into a good safe rhythm. 

The camels took us through the red valley.  We became relaxed enough to immerse in the stunning views of fairy chimneys in different shades of red, pink and earthy color around us.  We could see the Uchisar castle on the horizon. The weather was comfortable, and the sky was in a beautiful blue with some cumulus clouds, keeping the heat in check. Mid-way in the tour, our tour guide took pictures and videos against the backdrop of the fairy chimney “canyon”,  and even added silk road music in the background. With  more confidence, I was able to have one hand on the handle and took videos on our way back. The €10  drone videos the tour agency made to record our journey with the meditating music made one of the best souvenirs. 

If you visit Cappadocia, check out the Camel Safari.  It has given us the magical moments to immerse in the stunning landscape and  imagine the silk road trade route. We felt like seasoned camel riders ready for a long journey on the Silk Road, and ready to facilitate more global trading.   

Top Cappadocia Food and Souvenirs

The breakfast treats go to the Kaymak and the Gozleme.  The server at the hotel breakfast made us spread by mixing Kaymak, the cottage cream, and honey.  It is the best spread I have had on crispy buns and pancakes.  The hot-off-the-stove Turkish Gozleme is the type of pancake to have every morning. 

Both the casserole and the clay pot with meat choice of lamb or beef would please the foodie’s palate.  If you are not a meat person, they are equally delicious with mushrooms and cheese.

There is also a kind of Turkish dumplings, named Manti.  Manti is different from the dumplings in other places. It is a bit like ravioli with unique flavor and sauce. 

Goreme is the most tourist friendly city center in the region, and they have international cuisines.  The Peking restaurant, serving Chinese cuisines, and the Korean restaurant both did not disappoint.

The ice cream, dondurma, is delicious and has a different texture than the typical ice cream in other places. The tricks of the Turkish ice cream man created one of the most memorable ice cream experiences.

The Goreme town center offered a good supply of souvenirs.  The more expensive ones include the Jewelry-grade Zultanite that changes colors according to the light.  Zultanite earrings are both pretty and noble. I like the distinct blue of the Turquoise stone.  There are also the more casual souvenirs including the Aladdin lamp, the mosaic lamp, the magnet, the ceramic, and the pottery.   Turkey is also famous for rugs and the flat kilim.  They are pretty to look at and can have a wide price range.  Hand-made kilim has a unique pattern and often the imperfection makes it more real.  I am willing to pay a hefty price if the profits would get back to the hands of the craftsmen or craftswomen, but sadly that is unlikely how the trade works.  

Shopping for a rug or kilim could be a tourist stop at a credible rug store, with hours to drink tea, appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship, check out different patterns, and time to bargain.  That will make an itinerary for the next trip.

Onward to the west : Pamukkale, Turkey