Cappadocia Hot Air Balloons
/
In the heart of the enchanting land of Cappadocia, a dream was about to take flight. It was a dream woven with equal parts anticipation and hesitation, and it all began with a price tag that seemed to dangle between the realms of extravagant and invaluable.
The idea of drifting across the skies in a hot air balloon had come to me from the pages of travel magazines and the stories of fellow adventurers. It looked magical, and I wanted to experience it too.
It was a dance of contemplation, a tug-of-war between the part of you that yearned for the extraordinary and the part that held tightly onto financial sensibility. Could this experience truly be worth the sum that it demanded? We mulled over this question for days, weighing the scales of experience against the weight of our wallet. And finally, with a leap of faith, we answered with a YES – sometimes, dreams are worth every penny. We weren’t wrong.
The night before our adventure, excitement surged through like electricity. I felt like a kid during Christmas again.
The shuttle bus arrived punctually in the early hours of dawn. Like good Spaniards, we were slightly late, but they were kind enough to wait for us. 30 minutes later we were in location ready to go. A packed breakfast was provided as we waited for the balloons to be blown up with air. You’ll have some free time until you are ready to go, and this is your best opportunity to take some lovely pictures with the balloons in the background. Alternatively, you can also pay for a photoshoot, but note this will cost you as much as the balloon experience itself.
As the sun's first rays painted the horizon with hues of rose and gold, the hot air balloon was brought to life. The fabric unfurled like a giant's whisper, and the basket stood ready to cradle our dreams. The gentle hiss of propane ignited the flame within, and soon enough, we found ourselves ascending.
The feeling was surreal, as if you had become a character in a storybook, the pages of reality blending with the pages of your imagination. The landscape below unfolded like a patchwork quilt – the unique geological formations of Cappadocia, the fairy chimneys and ancient caves. All bathed in the soft light of dawn. Truly Maginal.
Time seemed to stand still as the balloon carried us higher and higher. And as you looked around, you realized that the cost, the contemplation, all of it had melted away into insignificance. The price tag could never quantify the beauty, the awe, and the sheer magic of this moment.
The balloon drifted gracefully, and the the sun climbed higher, casting its warm glow upon the land. The trip lasts around and hour and it goes quick, despite the balloon going at a very slow pace. When our balloon started to descent, it carried us not only memories but a newfound understanding of the value of chasing dreams, no matter the cost.
Descent was the trickiest most abrupt part, but also fun. And we were rewarded with Champagne! What else.
TCB xx
HOT AIR BALLOON PRACTICALITIES - Your Questions Answered
Which operator to go for the Hot Air Balloon Experience? we recommend Turquaz Balloons, Butterfly Balloons or Discovery. We also recommend the experience with 16 people or less, as otherwise you feel very tight in your basket. The less people the better, but obviously that comes with different price tags.
Pro-tip: whatever company you end up choosing, make sure it’s reliable. There is a lot of scam in the business and the most trusted operaors are those that are Turkish and possibly from Cappadocia. If you are unsure, your hotel will be glad to help you sort out this experience for you. It might be slightly more expensive but the difference is marginal.
How many nights should I stay in Cappadocia if I want to do the balloons? If the main reason to come to Cappadocia were the ballons, make sure you stay a few nights in the area, as weather is unpredictable and the balloons get cancelled often. We had two cancelled trips before we were able to go onto one, so this is worth taking into consideration in your planning.
Beware: if your trip gets cancelled, the tour company will look to book you for the next day……if they have availability. We had a bit of a nightmare with this - we were promised to be booked on the next day and then we weren’t and it was our last day and our last chance to go on the balloons. Thankfully our hotel helped us find another operator and we manage to go on the ballooons but definitely something to take into consideration - you need to be on top of things to make this happen as it’s not as easy as it seems.
