Cappadocia: A Hidden Gem and Top 10 Things to Do

Raise up your hand if you have heard of Cappadocia (it’s pronounced Kapadokiya by those in the Region)􏰀. How many hands do I have? One, two, three, twenty ? Haha!

So first of all, let me tell you about how I found Cappadocia. As I have already mentioned, I love travelling! I spend all my waking moments thinking about all the destinations I must go to before I leave Gods’ green earth. As a lover of beautiful travel destinations, I follow travel bloggers on all my socials!􏰀 Cappadocia popped on my Twitter TL in January 2019 and I knew I had to go to that place before 2019 ended. That’s how I started following the hashtags of Cappadocia on Instagram (another great social media platform to find picturesque spots in a city, I use it all the time especially when I’m traveling to a new place).

This is what you find about Cappadocia when you google it : Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is known for its distinctive “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley, Göreme and elsewhere. Other notable sites includes bronze age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes (cave dwellers) that were later used as refuge by early Christians’’

So in September 2019 the Universe conspired to help me achieve my bucket list Cappadocia dream

I was scheduled to attend a training in London in September and then I said to myself, “This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for!” I booked my flight with Turkish airlines so I could do a layover in Istanbul and go to my Cappadocia before heading to London for the training. 􏰀

My plans were scuppered when Turkish airlines left my luggage in Accra , all I had were the clothes on my back and nothing else .
My first experience wasn’t so pleasant and to make it worse, the Turkish airport staff were quite unhelpful (language barrier problems but how’s that even an excuse)? regarding my predicament so i had to rely on my family back in Accra to ensure that my luggage was on the next available flight to Istanbul. Now due to the limited time frame I had to spend in Turkey , I had to fine-comb through Trip Advisor on the best option to give myself the optimum experience.

I know everyone’s experience is different as regards Trip Advisor but one Travel company stood out as it kept popping up as a provider of optimal service so I contacted them and made the necessary enquires and arrangements. My luggage issue got me rescheduling my trip to Cappadocia but that was fine because i seized that opportunity to go see the Grand Bazaar and engage in some much needed retail therapy (😄)

Most of the reviews about the travel company were very professional and they proved themselves to be impeccably efficient with how they picked me up from my hotel to the airport. Please bear in mind that my package included in and outbound ticket and a comprehensive tour package

Istanbul to Kayseri (the Region Cappadocia is located ) is about 45min by plane and so by 8am I was in Cappadocia ready to begin the tour and ohh such an experience it was!

So here are the top 5 things to do when COVID-19 goes away and you decide to Cappadocia as your next travel destination

1. Visit the Pashabagi (Monks Valley )

2. Take a hike along the Red and Rose valley

3.visit Devrent valley (imagination valley

4. Pass through the love valley for some instagram worthy pictures

5. Go watch how pottery is made in Avanos

6. Visit the Open- Air Museum .

Unfortunately I don’t have pictures from this place because I had a burning fever and had to take a rest in the car. The travel and tour agency did everything to ensure I was well taken care of and safe while I slept in the car but please add to your do list, it’s simply amazing

7. Sunrise view of the hot air ballon

I dare say this is one of the top things to do in Cappadocia. Instagram feed of Cappadocia is strewn with beautiful pictures of hot air ballon . The option of going on the hot air ballon is less explored but taking of the pictures with the hot air ballon in the background? Ha hot cake .

I had to wake up at 4am to catch the breathtaking experience and I’m grateful to the Manager of my hotel for going out of his way to take me to the best spot for the view and pictures

8. Sleep in a cave hotel.

As I already mentioned Cappadocia is built around caves and that’s why you must experience the luxury of sleeping in one .

The room is very cool and gives a glimpse into ancient times vibes . Just make sure to do your research and go for the best price depending on the travel season

9. Visit Underground City of Kaymaki

10. Visit Avanos (the pottery center of Cappadocia )

Again I don’t have pictures for this place because I was still ill 😩😩. Yes it was that bad but I’m enjoyment mistress and I had less than 48hrs to spend in Cappadocia so by fire byforce , I was going to explore it !

I spent less than 48hrs in Cappadocia ( arrived on Wednesday morning, left Thursday evening) but it goes down as one of the most memorable trips I have ever undertaken yet .

The people were lovely

The food was amazing and enjoyed every bite I took.

The hike, the sightseeing and every activity I undertook (even when I was ill ) was amazing and that’s why I will go back to Cappadocia someday with the love of my life (LOML) if he finally decides to appear in my life to experience the awesomeness of Cappadocia.

So tell me , who is interested in going to Cappadocia when the borders open and traveling becomes normal again?
Have you been to Cappadocia ? What was your experience?

Tell me in the comment section