Cappadocia in Turkey: Return to Wonderland after 23 years

Cappadocia in Turkey: Return to Wonderland after 23 years is written by Jens Skovgaard Andersen

Why travel to Cappadocia in Turkey?

Turkey is for many equal to sun, beach and all inclusive. A perfect country for package holidays and holiday relaxation for the big gold medal. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But for me, Turkey is something else, and it has been for about 23 years since I first visited.

As a young man, I hopped on an Aeroflot plane and flew to Nepal on my first big 'real' trip abroad. From Nepal, I then had to return to Europe with a bunch of other travel-loving world citizens. The trip went through India , Pakistan, Iran og Turkey and then across Europe to end in London. 16.500 kilometers in total.

Beforehand, I was very excited about the exotic and mysterious countries of Asia, while Turkey for me was a bit of a country we just had to get through on the road. Luckily, I got wiser.

Nepal, India, Pakistan and Iran were - and are - wild and alien countries that bombard the senses with visual impressions, magnificent sights, noises, sounds and smells. Experiences that have become permanently stuck in both my brain and heart. The great world history and the small everyday stories can be found everywhere on the Kathmandu route in the Himalayas to domestic latitudes in Europe.

This also applies to Turkey, which has much more to offer than is seen in the tourist brochures. A huge country that forms a bridge between several worlds in the north, south, east and west and a country I will never really finish.

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Cappadocia is the surreal heart of Turkey

When I first visited Turkey, I came across the border from Iran and into the eastern part of the major countries. At first glance, the landscapes of Turkey resembled the landscapes I had just left in Iran; lots of good space and horizon in all directions. Here we burned a few kilometers off on the long straight country road.

First target was the central region Cappadocia, which was supposed to be something very special. Some of my traveling companions had heard of it somewhere. To me, there were not really any bells ringing by the name of Cappadocia. But that was changed to that extent.

When we arrived in the town of Göreme in the evening darkness, there was not much to suggest that we were now part of an adventure. It only appeared the next day when the sun stretched its rays between the surrealistic landscape formations, which locally go by the name 'fairy chimneys' - or 'fairy chimneys' in English. The landscape of Cappadocia is pure magic. Like being in a mix of Star Wars and Alice in Wonderland.

This first hand impression of Cappadocia I have never forgotten and that was why I wanted to return there. It succeeded 23 years later in 2020.

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Return to Wonderland

It was with equal parts towering anticipation and restrained skepticism that I boarded the plane for Kayseri and began my return visit to Cappadocia. Was it as I remembered it? Had my imagination smeared just legally thick on when I thought back on my first trip to Turkey? And could you even experience something in a time when the world has taken on a mask?

I was not disappointed. Cappadocia is still amazing and surreal. The landscape is still crazy and fascinating and everything is in order.

Cappadocia is the heart of Turkey, and Göreme is the heart of Cappadocia. The town is small but full of everything you need. The whole city is packed with restaurants, shops, tour operators and not least hotels.

However, these are not whitewashed wall-to-wall hotels á la The Mediterranean coastin question. These are small cozy hotels between and around the cliffs, and you can even very easily risk having to spend the night in a rock cave. A rock cave with all the modern hotel facilities you know and so with the special Cappadocian atmosphere on top.

Many of the hotels are family run and has been inherited for generations, and the hospitality is top notch. The locals in Cappadocia know full well that they live in the middle of something very special and they are proud of it. If you ask nicely at the hotel, you may be allowed to come along to some of the places that the locals themselves have as favorites.

Read more about the family-run Cave Hotel Kelebek here

Balloons for breakfast

A very popular activity in Cappadocia is to soar into the air in a hot air balloon and see the world a little from above. When I was there as a young man, there were no balloons over the valleys, but I have to promise that there are now. And so it is a really impressive sight - also down from the land.

The balloons take off early in the morning when the wind conditions are right. Sometimes they have to cancel for a few days or three in a row when it blows too much. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a good time in Cappadocia if you want to get up and fly. Luckily, I managed to get up in the air and enjoy the sunrise, the silence and the sight of all the other colorful balloons over the surreal landscape. It's hard to describe in other words than: Wow!

If you do not need to inflate a balloon yourself, then you can enjoy the sight of the up to 150 balloons for morning coffee. They drift almost silently around the morning sky and ascend up and down the valleys between fun rock formations and the thousands of rock caves, and they come very close to the hotels' roof terraces. So remember to get out of the feathers early so you get this experience with. It also provides some wildly good photos for the selfie collection.

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Security above all in Cappadocia - and the rest of Turkey

When you fly in a balloon, safety is of course alpha and omega. It lends itself. In Cappadocia, they live off a lot of tourism and they are top notch in terms of security. This also applies to hotels.

In order for us travelers to feel safe traveling in Cappadocia at a time when there are plenty of new precautions, the tourism authorities have introduced a certificate that hotels and tourist facilities should deserve. In Cappadocia you can look for 'Certificate of Safe Tourism Cappadocia', which requires high standards. It is continuously monitored whether the hotels maintain the standard.

It is really nice to know when you travel that you are in safe hands. Not only when you are floating around in a balloon high above the ground, but also when it comes to hygiene in a time of infection. At least I felt completely comfortable with the situation and felt in good hands. Sprinkled, of course.

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Caves and holes everywhere

In Cappadocia people live in caves. It may sound a little old-fashioned, and it is. The geological conditions make the rocks easy to excavate. Therefore, the locals have used the rocks to live in, seek refuge in and decorate churches in. It was something that fascinated me the most when I was there for the first time, and it still does.

Impressive murals have survived for centuries in semi-secret cave churches, and as you walk around between the surrealistic rock formations, it's hard to keep your imagination calm. The thoughts quickly go to wonderful worlds we have probably seen in a movie once. But in Cappadocia it is reality.

Underground cities in many claustrophobia-inducing floors, rocks shaped like elephants, dromedaries and fabulous animals, entire forests of giant stone toadstools and something resembling giant pencils planted in the ground with the pointed end facing up. It's just about to go into childhood over.

Down in the valleys, the fairy chimneys protrude from the ground, turning a well-grown man like me into a mini-putt in the land of the giants, and above all, lurking - especially in the evening darkness - gloomy rock fort Uçhisar like an evil wizard's castle. The only thing missing is almost a princess in need.

The hollow and 'hollow' landscape is not just to look at; the whole life of the locals is about caves. Nowadays, you can easily live in a cave and live well at the same time. This is evidenced by the many cozy cave hotels. Here you get both soft bed and bath, fireplace, TV and wifi. It does not have to be primitive just because you live in a cave.

Wonderland is still located in Cappadocia, Turkey

For me, it was an incredible joy to feel that Cappadocia really was the wonderland I remembered it as. And that it still is today. Although many years have passed between my visits to the region, it is still the same feeling that met me when I got up in the morning and looked out at the magical surroundings.

The first time I was there, I traveled primitively and looked out of the opening in the tent. This time I looked out the door from my cave hotel room. The experience of overwhelm was the same.

Now I am not myself religiously inclined, but if the Lord has really created the world, then he has had a really good day when he embarked on Cappadocia in Turkey. I'll be back again and it's not going to be 23 years this time.

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The editorial staff was invited by Visit Turkey, who has not had any influence on the content.