Author Topic: Cappadicia  (Read 5720 times)

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Offline LoubyLou

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #10 on: March 24, 2018, 23:31:59 PM »
We have been to Cappadocia several times now - travelling independently so not booking with anyone. We always stay at the Kelebek with Ali - fantastic hotel and fantastic staff. We have driven from Fethiye, we have caught the overnight bus from Fethiye and back and we have also flown London - Istanbul - Kayseri and hired a car. We have also been in the winter in the snow which was amazing. I would highly recommend the Kelebek in Goreme - they do breakfast tours where they will show you how life used to be before tourism and you will see how they farm the area and its history. 



Offline Colwyn

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #11 on: March 25, 2018, 12:31:38 PM »
Since quite a few people are planning on going to Capadoccia (Kapadokya) I thought I’d throw in a few places to visit/things to do. We spent a week or so going around there a few years back – four nights in Goreme, two in Urgup and one in Selime.

Our stay in Goreme. We found Goreme a lovely little town. Like LoubyLou we stayed at the splendid Kelebek Cave Hotel. If you are planning on staying there you should know it is it at the top of a slope so not recommended if you have difficulty with hills.  From the Kelebek you can get your first good view of the famous “faity chimneys” (peri) carved by rain and wind from the soft volcanic rock.







On our first day we took a dolmus to the village of Uchisar which can be seen from Goreme. There we climbed the rock “castle” and then walked back down Pigeon Valley to Goreme. The volcanic soil of Kapadokya isn’t very fertile so it is improved by the addition of pigeon guano (poo) from the pigeons that live in their own miniature cave hotels in the valley. People still live in some of the peri in the valley – sometimes quite high up in homes reached by steps or ladders.





On the second day we were up before dawn to take an airballoon trip. We had decided on a small group trip (some of the cheaper flights have baskets that carry 20+ people). We past over the Kelebek and then up Pigeon Valley to Uchisar and beyond before making a wonderfully soft landing on a trailer. Fantastic.







After this we went back for breakfast and then walked to Goreme Open-Air Museum which is a small valley packed with cave churches dating to 900-1200AD. Remarkably wall and ceiling paitings in the churches were still well preserved.





We finished off the day with a visit to a caransaray near Avanos to see a Whirling Dervish ceremony. No photographs are permitted at this spiritual event so you’ll just have to imagine it.

We had seen a tour advertised in Goreme and booked it up for the next day. This had three elements a visit to the underground city Derinkuyu, then on to the beautiful Ilhara Valley to walk along the river and lunch at a pontoon restaurant, and finally on to Selime where instead of rock churches there was a rock cathedral.









The next day we drove off to Urgup.



Offline Colwyn

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #12 on: March 25, 2018, 13:42:02 PM »
Between Goreme and Urgup we took a detour past two other interesting sites. First was Cavusin to visit the Church of St John the Baptist - the oldest in Capadoccia, dating back to the 5th Century. Old Cavusin was destroyed by earthquake and you have to walk across the wreckage to get to the church.


Old Cavusin




Church



From there we went to Pasabasi with its mushroom-shaped peri - and, obviously, another rock church.









Offline pompeylee

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2018, 06:03:11 AM »
Can agree completely with the above,  amazing place that I would like to visit again, The air balloon ride is definitely worth it as well for the amazing views,  we stayed at the

@tekkayacavehotel.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Location ????#cappadocia #goreme #turkey
☎️ +90 384 271 27 02

(hotel was family run & staff really made us feel welcome,  was tour guides birthday same day as mine and they got us a surprise cake between us, There was also an Indian chef & after talking to he mentioned he used to run a restaurant in Istanbul, He also asked if we would like him to cook an Indian meal for us (plus one other group of guests who were there) which I of course said yes please to, after talking to him & saying how much we miss proper Indian food we were surprised the following day at breakfast when he brought out some onion bahjees here had made for us) 

& we booked with Tiny Acropolis Travel , Of the 3 days we were there 2 of them we had the option of a tour/trip (part of the booking) with a very knowledgeable & friendly guide, both days there was a free meal stop just drinks needed to be paid for but very reasonable,  Quite a bit of walking required but well worth it & at your own pace.



Offline Colwyn

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2018, 09:36:57 AM »
Urgup is much larger than Goreme and lacking its charm but it is a good base for touring the eastern part of Cappadocia. Our big reason for staying there was to visit Esbelli Evi which is, supposedly, one of the most inns in Turkey. Its was the first of the cave hotels some 30 years ago and has inspired all the following ones. It is an assemblage of room connected by tunnels and there is even a rock laundry.









Offline Colwyn

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #15 on: March 26, 2018, 09:48:06 AM »
The next day we toured around. We went to the Keslik Monastery where we joined the "crowds" - two Turkish tourists and two French tourists plus our guide. The monastery had a huge cave refectory and came complete with rock graves. But the most impressive features were the beautifully decorated ceilings.















Offline Colwyn

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #16 on: March 26, 2018, 10:02:43 AM »
We drove on past Mount Erciyes (on top of which St George slayed the dragon!).



We eventually came to Turkey's most famous peri - the Father, Mother and Child group.



If you think these stones look familiar you'll find them on the back of the 50 Lira note - along with Uchisar.


Offline pompeylee

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2018, 14:34:23 PM »
Urgup is much larger than Goreme and lacking its charm but it is a good base for touring the eastern part of Cappadocia. Our big reason for staying there was to visit Esbelli Evi which is, supposedly, one of the most inns in Turkey. Its was the first of the cave hotels some 30 years ago and has inspired all the following ones. It is an assemblage of room connected by tunnels and there is even a rock laundry.






is that how you get stonewash denim?

Offline LEES

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2018, 08:38:57 AM »
Hi Busybee,

Who did you book with please?


Offline Colwyn

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Re: Cappadicia
« Reply #19 on: March 27, 2018, 10:17:49 AM »
For our last day in Cappadocia we went back to the Ilhara Valley. When we took the tour we had walked the three miles from Ilhara town down the river to Belisirma. Now we wanted to walk the seven miles from Belisirma to Selime at the end of the valley. We managed to book a place to stay (there was only one) and paid for a lift to Belisirma (there were no taxis). We then hiked along the beautiful valley enjoying the tranquility and solitude led by three herons flying in short bursts between fishing spots. This photograph, with the sunlight glittering on the river, is one of my favourites from Turkey.


 


At Selime we stayed in the extraordinary Catlak Pension which was like stepping into a hotel in a 1930s Hollywood film - the staff lined up to form a guard of honour when we went up the grand staircase going to our room!














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