CONQUERING THE SKY: Ballooning in Cappadocia

I never thought that one day I’ll be floating in the air literally! At six thousand feet, I had the best moment of my life!

During my vacation in Turkey last March, I decided to visit Cappadocia, a region in Central Anatolia approximately one hour away from Istanbul by plane.

Goreme, Cappadocia- famous for its land formations caused by a volcanic eruption

Originally, it was never part of my itinerary because I was about to visit Pamukkale hot springs instead.  But according to one friend, I should include this on my trip and try the hot air balloon. So I got curious and started researching this place and there I saw impressive photos of hot air balloons and I was stunned by the beauty of Cappadocia. I got excited on what I saw and immediately added Cappadocia on my trip.

I am an adventurous person, I like to try extreme outdoor activities but I just couldn’t find opportunity. So when I heard about this ballooning in Cappadocia I told myself that this is one hell of an adventure that shouldn’t be miss!

I’ve seen a lot of hot air balloons before, in fact, there is this yearly International Hot air balloon Fiesta in my hometown but unfortunately, it is exclusive only for the participants. I’ve always wanted to try how it feels like floating in the air, so when I knew about this place, I told myself that this is the right time to experience it.

I really like to visit Pamukkale because I want to see the hot springs there and the place is also unique, you can’t find it anywhere in the world, however, since I like to try hot air balloon I decided to drop the Pamukkale tour and chose Cappadocia. I have to choose between the two since I have a tight budget and can’t afford to try both, so without any hesitations, I chose the hot air balloon since I like the adventure.

I booked at Butterfly Balloons, based on the forums I read, this balloon company has good reputations and has the safest flights. It was highly recommended by travelers, however, it is quite expensive, it will cost you 145 euros for 1-hour flight! But aside from the flight, there is a free breakfast, certificate, and unlimited champagne after the ride and I guess paying 145 euros is not bad at all.  And what I like about this company, the passengers are insured and they have licensed and experienced pilots. And what I like even more is that they just offered it to me for 130 euros since I am a travel agent, oh I really love my job!

Before the flight

I woke up at 4:30 am because the call time is at 5:00 am. It was freezing cold and the temperature outside is at 3 degrees centigrade so I have to put my thick jacket and cover my hands with gloves. I was picked up at my hotel and went to the Butterfly balloon office which is just next to my hotel. There I had my breakfast with my fellow passengers; we were around 30 I guess. And from there we were divided into two groups and assigned to our pilots.

The first balloon has a basket with a capacity of 12 persons only; the other one where I was assigned is larger with 20 capacities. From their office, we have to travel at least one kilometer going to the site where we have to depart. The crews were already preparing the balloons when we arrived; the excitement in me just grew when I saw the balloons. I told myself that I made the right decision in choosing this. Finally, this is the adventure of my life that I have been waiting for!

Within just 10 minutes, the balloons are now ready to fly and one by one we went inside the basket. My heart is pounding very fast and I have mixed emotions once I got inside the basket. I was nervous, excited, happy and scared because it is my first time to try this. The pilot has given us some instructions before the flight and advised us not to do some unnecessary movements as it may interrupt our flight. After listening and taking down the instructions, we are now about to fly!

The flight

The balloon went up so quickly and in less than 1 minute we are already very high! I can see other balloons from the ground preparing for their flights too. We were able to witness the sunrise and to me that was magical! There were around 20 balloons that flew that day and one by one they started floating in the air too

sunrise in Cappadocia

the fairy chimneys

me inside the balloon at 6 thousand feet

 I felt like a bird flying freely in the sky and the landscape below is really dramatic. The fairy chimneys have captivated me and from what I saw I was kinda reminded of a particular movie scene. The whole view had brought me somewhere and I thought I was on a different planet. I had the best view of Cappadocia valley from above. The small villages, the stone houses, magnificent rock formations oh it seems like I am in a whole new world! It was an indescribable feeling; sorry Princess Jasmine but let me borrow your lines:

A whole new world

A dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear

That now I'm in a whole new world with you

Unbelievable sights

Indescribable feelings

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

through an endless diamond sky

It was a very smooth flight though it was windless still we managed to fly over a long distance. Our pilot Mustafa is very funny. He tells a joke from time to time and he knows how to entertain his passengers while on board. He is a very good tour guide as well.  We felt very safe on the whole flight and the feeling above the sky is just very relaxing.

Time flew so fast and it is about time for us to land, even in a short period of time in the air, still, the experience is worthy! We are anticipating for a rough landing and actually we are already on our landing position as instructed by our pilot, still, we managed to have a very smooth landing, indeed, the pilot is really great!. There were at least 6 people from the ground trying to pull us down until we landed.

After the flight

balloon pilot Mustafa

After a successful balloon ride, we were treated to a glass of champagne as a celebration.  There were snacks provided for everybody. We were all satisfied with our adventure in the air. Then finally, we received our individual flight certificates as a token from Butterfly balloons.

champagne for everyone

It was indeed a memorable experience for me that finally, I was able to fulfill one of my dreams, and that is to fly! It was an unforgettable moment and at the same time a great adventure. The money I spent is nothing compared to the experience and satisfaction it gave me. This is the best part of my Turkey trip and I guess this is something that I will do again, perhaps in a different season.