Cappadocia II – Chasing Sunsets & Balloons…

Our first three days in Cappadocia were splendid! We got to watch hundreds of balloons float in the sky on our first morning and it was truly magical! We slept and dined in caves, hiked through impressive valleys, saw old hidden churches and just enjoyed being there.

After the balloon flight on our first morning, subsequent flight days were cancelled due to bad weather. Since we were going to be in Cappadocia for another 3 days, I wasn’t too worried about it and just enjoyed exploring other items on our itinerary in the meantime.

Over the next couple of days, we got to visit Avanos, the Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley and Lake Tuz. And yes, we also got to take our living-list worthy hot air balloon flight over the Cappadocia landscape. Here’s how that went…

Day 4 | Day Out to Avanos, Sunset Point

Our hot air balloon ride scheduled for this day got cancelled again. This time was much worse though because we had already gotten picked up and were in the Voyager Balloons lounge waiting for the flags to turn green. They did not, so we returned to the hotel and opted to visit Avanos for the day.

Avanos Mark and Amarachi

I had originally put Avanos as an optional stop on our itinerary. I just didn’t think there was anything interesting about the town but boy, was I wrong! Avanos turned out to be one of our favourite stops on the entire trip.

We also found the town to be cleaner and more appealing than Goreme. Perhaps this is because it feels more modern but unlike Goreme, there was very little construction going on in the places we visited, hence there was no rubble on the ground and everything just looked more organized.

Avanos is known as the pottery making hub in the region, so we decided to visit one of the stores, get some pottery lessons and buy a few items for our home.

Chez Hakan Pottery Making Avanos Turkey

Mark found Chez Hakan online and after reading glowing reviews, we visited this pottery shop. There, we met with the owner, who was a pleasure to interact with and then, we indulged in a short (free) pottery making class, where we both made cups or something that looked like cups 🙂

Chez Hakan Avanos scaled

After the pottery making lesson was over, we looked around the shop for items we could bring back and settled on a beautiful vase, Turkish tea and wine cups. Mr Hakan packaged the items compactly and I was happy that they made it back safely to Nairobi with us.

The rest of our time in Avanos was spent walking around, sitting in the parks, people watching and just having a good and relaxing time. Afterwards, we returned to Goreme to watch the sunset at Sunset Hill.

Avanos Bridge

Day 5 | Derunkuyu Underground, Ihlara Valley & Lake Tuz

On our fifth day in Cappadocia, we received a message from the balloon company that flights were cancelled again and worse, all flights for the following day were fully booked! We were advised to book another flight on our last morning.

Naturally, I wasn’t pleased about this because I really wanted us to experience a flight in Cappadocia and saving it till the last morning was very risky considering the number of cancellations we had already faced.

Osmanli Cappadocia Terrace

Lucky for us, Voyager Balloons found us 2 spots on a Standard Plus flight the following day! And with that, we proceeded to check out the next few stops on our itinerary.

First, was the Derinkuyu Underground City, which was quite fascinating for me to visit. But the best (and worst) experience of this outing was our stop for tea and Turkish pancakes at a cafe close by.

Turkish Musician scaled

The best experience was the owner singing and playing his bağlama and the worst was his cat biting me after we had spent some time bonding! It wasn’t anything serious by the way, in fact, I found it rather amusing!

After spending some time at the cafe, we then went to Ihlara Valley for a short walk and had lunch at a restaurant situated right on the river.

Belisirma River Restaurant

Then we contemplated on whether or not to include the 1hr30 minutes drive to Lake Tuz but eventually, we agreed to do so.

The drive was very long and there were several moments I contemplated cutting the trip short and heading back to Goreme but Mark was an absolute gem and got us to the salt flats just before sunset.

Lake Tuz Turkey

We got to see the pink hues of the lake bed and watched a beautiful sunset before heading back to Goreme.

Day 6 | Hot Air Balloon Flight with Voyager Balloons

Our flight day finally came and I was very optimistic that the flights will take off on this day. We were to be picked up from our hotel around 5:00 am, however, at about 5:30 am when no one showed up for us, we realized that there had been a mix up somewhere.

Balloons Take off point, Cappadocia

Lucky for us, we had a car and drove only 10 minutes to the Voyager Balloons lounge. The flags were still yellow at the time, so we hadn’t missed anything. We paid for our flights (Mark had negotiated a discount as a result of the confusion) and we all waited for the flags to turn green. On this day, they did!

Voyager Balloon Flight Turkey

We finally got to enjoy our 75 minutes flight across fairy chimneys, with a backdrop of about a hundred other balloons. The flight was enjoyable, the weather was perfect… there were just 3 people in our compartment, which meant there was enough space for everyone to move around. It was a wonderful experience!

After the flight, we drove back to the hotel for breakfast and unwinded for the rest of the day…

Turkish Tea scaled
Mithra Cave Hotel

In the evening, Mark and I enjoyed a romantic dinner at the Inci Cave Restaurant and it turned out to be the perfect ending to our time in Cappadocia!

Day 7 | Cappadocia to Istanbul

The next day, we got to watch the balloons fly one more time before our departure. First, we watched them from the terrace at the Mithra Cave Hotel, then Mark and I drove out to chase them to a nearby field. And with that, our time in Cappadocia came to an end…

Chasing balloons in Cappadocia

Finally, to end this series, here’s a few questions I got asked about our trip and my answers…

How many days do I need in Cappadocia?

I think a minimum of 3 nights should be fine. This would give you a few chances to get on the hot air balloon flight and also explore some of the hiking routes, attractions and restaurants around.

What is the best month to visit Cappadocia?

The months of April-May and September – October are considered the best months to visit Cappadocia because the weather then is much nicer and prices are slightly lower before and after the peak months of June-August.

Are there other activities to do besides the hot air balloons?

Although I consider the hot air balloons the highlight of a visit to Cappadocia, there are other activities you can indulge in. Hiking is a big one, exploring the valleys, dining at restaurants, pottery making in Avanos are just some of the things you can do in Cappadocia.

PS: if you would like to see my original itinerary without the deviations, I’ll be posting it on my buymeacoffee page – where I have a no-frills guide to exploring Turkey (Istanbul & Cappadocia).

Turkey Cappadocia

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this series as much as I have loved writing them! Have they convinced you to visit Cappadocia? Let me know in the comment section below!

If you have been to Cappadocia (or any parts of Turkey), please share your experience with me as well! I’d love to visit Turkey again in the future to explore the coast and other places we missed.

8 comments

  1. Thank you so much for this series. Seriously considering including Turkey to my trip to the UK… Do you think Turkey would be enjoyable for a solo traveler?

    1. Hi Tola, thanks for your comment. As for solo travel in Turkey, I guess it depends on what kind of traveller you are. I thoroughly enjoyed travelling in Turkey with Mark but would also definitely visit solo if the opportunity ever arises.

  2. Amazing details,even to a point that I can really say some things about Turkey even with out been to the country,thank you for this review.

    1. I’m so glad we did too! I never knew the cancellations in Cappadocia could last for so many days but happy it worked out in the end.

  3. The post definitely convinced me to look forward to visiting Turkey, enjoyed all the posts in the series. Looking forward to the Istanbul series. Thanks for sharing 🥰🥰

I love to hear from you, Leave a comment here!

Close
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️

Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
An Osaka & Himeji photo story ☁️✨️ Details on www.travelwithapen.com this coming Tuesday 💙
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
1/9
Help! Why are we losing home and away! 😭🤣 God abeg!

I will resume my complaining once we fix our visa process/make it more accessible for other African travellers!

Side bar: if you have connections in Vietnam, please DM me! 😭😂 I still want to go!
Help! Why are we losing home and away! 😭🤣 God abeg! I will resume my complaining once we fix our visa process/make it more accessible for other African travellers! Side bar: if you have connections in Vietnam, please DM me! 😭😂 I still want to go!
5 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/9
It was a rainy morning in Nairobi and we went on a walk with the pup 🐶
It was a rainy morning in Nairobi and we went on a walk with the pup 🐶
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
3/9
Oh please, add Gyeongju to your South Korean itinerary! 🇰🇷

It's a charming, beautiful and walkable city that I think is worth visiting. 

When I visited the country for the first time, I picked Jeonju over Gyeongju. Not much thought went into that decision. I just did it - no regrets.

Luckily I got to revisit and what a joy! It's magical in every way! ✨️
Oh please, add Gyeongju to your South Korean itinerary! 🇰🇷 It's a charming, beautiful and walkable city that I think is worth visiting. When I visited the country for the first time, I picked Jeonju over Gyeongju. Not much thought went into that decision. I just did it - no regrets. Luckily I got to revisit and what a joy! It's magical in every way! ✨️
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
4/9
Natural, Unfiltered Beauty! 🌸💙

The cherry blossoms were late but that itself was a blessing. I was happy to get clear, gorgeous views of Mount Fuji!

Oh, this trip - this country! Some places leave a permanent mark. This was one of them!
Natural, Unfiltered Beauty! 🌸💙 The cherry blossoms were late but that itself was a blessing. I was happy to get clear, gorgeous views of Mount Fuji! Oh, this trip - this country! Some places leave a permanent mark. This was one of them!
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/9
Oh, this charming town! 💙

Beautiful cobbled-stone streets, a gorgeous trail that leads to yet another beautiful well-preserved Edo-period post town, temples and shrines... this is Magome-Juku 

If you plan to visit, I recommend staying a night or two. Accommodation is quite limited and everything shuts down by 5pm.

We stayed at Magomechaya for 2 nights. This place has both hostels and private rooms and our stay was absolutely wonderful. I'd definitely revisit!
Oh, this charming town! 💙 Beautiful cobbled-stone streets, a gorgeous trail that leads to yet another beautiful well-preserved Edo-period post town, temples and shrines... this is Magome-Juku If you plan to visit, I recommend staying a night or two. Accommodation is quite limited and everything shuts down by 5pm. We stayed at Magomechaya for 2 nights. This place has both hostels and private rooms and our stay was absolutely wonderful. I'd definitely revisit!
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
6/9
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
The Kenyan Coast is always a good idea! 😍 Can't wait to return!
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
7/9
48 hours in Amboseli and I've never felt more rested!

👉🏽 Save this spot for your next weekend escape! 🇰🇪🐘✨️

📍Tawi Lodge, Amboseli
48 hours in Amboseli and I've never felt more rested! 👉🏽 Save this spot for your next weekend escape! 🇰🇪🐘✨️ 📍Tawi Lodge, Amboseli
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
8/9
𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡? Why not?! Without the crowds? Absolutely! 🌸🌱⁣
⁣
I've now been to Japan in 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 – the Hakone Torii is from my fall trip – and I’ve had amazing crowd-free experiences in both seasons! 🍂🌸⁣
⁣
Yes, I woke up early to visit some places, but I also found places that were calm even in the middle of the day, including in cities like Shizuoka and Nagoya, not just rural Japan. 👀⁣
⁣
✨ Here are my go-to tips to explore Japan without the crowds:⁣
---⁣
⁣
1. 🐦 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 (𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞!)⁣
Mornings and evenings are your best friend. Cooler, quieter, and often more beautiful.⁣
⁣
2. 🏨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭⁣
Instead of day-tripping, book a stay. I did this in Hakone and around Fuji. Result? No lines. No crowds. Pure magic! 🌤✨️⁣
⁣
3. 🚆 𝐆𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨, 𝐊𝐲𝐨𝐭𝐨 & 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐚⁣
They’re iconic, yes and you should certainly visit. But if you're looking for places with fewer people, you need to venture outside these cities.⁣
⁣
4. 🛕 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐩 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ⁣
I haven't been to Kinkaku-ji Temple yet. Why? It opens 'late' and is often packed. I think I'll get to it one day though 🥰⁣
⁣
5. ❄️ 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐭? 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫
An underrated time to visit, so you can expect fewer people.⁣
⁣
6. 🚴‍♀️ 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞⁣
Hike the Kumano Kodo, walk the Nakasendo Trail, or cycle the Shimanami Kaido. It’s serenity + scenery 💯⁣
---⁣
⁣
📍Save this for your trip planning⁣
📸 Share with someone dreaming of Japan⁣
👇🏾Got questions? Drop them in the comments!⁣
⁣
Happy travels 🇯🇵✨
𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡? Why not?! Without the crowds? Absolutely! 🌸🌱⁣ ⁣ I've now been to Japan in 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 – the Hakone Torii is from my fall trip – and I’ve had amazing crowd-free experiences in both seasons! 🍂🌸⁣ ⁣ Yes, I woke up early to visit some places, but I also found places that were calm even in the middle of the day, including in cities like Shizuoka and Nagoya, not just rural Japan. 👀⁣ ⁣ ✨ Here are my go-to tips to explore Japan without the crowds:⁣ ---⁣ ⁣ 1. 🐦 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 (𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞!)⁣ Mornings and evenings are your best friend. Cooler, quieter, and often more beautiful.⁣ ⁣ 2. 🏨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭⁣ Instead of day-tripping, book a stay. I did this in Hakone and around Fuji. Result? No lines. No crowds. Pure magic! 🌤✨️⁣ ⁣ 3. 🚆 𝐆𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐲𝐨, 𝐊𝐲𝐨𝐭𝐨 & 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐚⁣ They’re iconic, yes and you should certainly visit. But if you're looking for places with fewer people, you need to venture outside these cities.⁣ ⁣ 4. 🛕 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐩 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ⁣ I haven't been to Kinkaku-ji Temple yet. Why? It opens 'late' and is often packed. I think I'll get to it one day though 🥰⁣ ⁣ 5. ❄️ 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐭? 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 An underrated time to visit, so you can expect fewer people.⁣ ⁣ 6. 🚴‍♀️ 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞⁣ Hike the Kumano Kodo, walk the Nakasendo Trail, or cycle the Shimanami Kaido. It’s serenity + scenery 💯⁣ ---⁣ ⁣ 📍Save this for your trip planning⁣ 📸 Share with someone dreaming of Japan⁣ 👇🏾Got questions? Drop them in the comments!⁣ ⁣ Happy travels 🇯🇵✨
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
9/9
Latest Posts
  • Springtime in Osaka

  • 2 Weeks South Korea Travel Itinerary for First Time Visitors

  • Slow Days in Fast-Paced Tokyo

  • A Serene Weekend at Tawi Lodge, Amboseli

  • Top 10 Easiest Countries for Nigerians to Visit (Visa-Free or Easy Visa)

Translate
Become an Insider!
Archives
Close

Travel with a Pen

Seek out New Adventures, Travel Differently

Travel with a Pen © Copyright 2025
Close