Cappadocia Hot Air Balloon Tours | The colorful flying giants
Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime hot air balloon experience that will lift you above the surreal terrain of Cappadocia, providing breathtaking panoramic views that will leave you speechless. Cappadocia, I would assume, is one of the best places on earth to have a hot air balloon experience as it is a combination of magnificent and unique scenery!
We got ready the night before and prepared to wake up early because the pickup time was at 5 in the morning! We took some warm clothes such as gloves, a hat, and a jacket as the temperatures up high can get really low…
I was super excited to live this childish dreamy experience! While the team was picking up all their passengers and getting things ready, we were waiting in the minibus and were given some snacks. After collecting everybody they started driving through the terrain of Cappadocia to the starting point of our flight. I couldn’t see much, as it was still night, but then suddenly I realized that it wasn’t big rocks that I was looking at through the window, but the balloons, and they were everywhere! Soon the bus stopped as we had arrived. I was overexcited like a small girl! Everything was being prepared, and everything seemed magical. It was dawn and the shadows were playing beautifully with my imagination.
The balloons were still lying down on earth, as giants taking their nap, the fire from the gas was lighting up like dragons getting ready and us people all around seemed so tiny and so unimportant.
Finally, the team showed us our balloon and we got on board. The captain and the co-captain (a woman!) introduced themselves in very good English and explained some basic rules about our flight. Then everything happened so fast, so flawlessly and suddenly we were in the air. Slowly everything seemed brighter, and I was able to appreciate the true beauty of this place, like a small goddess, the mountains, the chimneys, the colors of this unique land. The crew was super nice, and they were giving us a beautiful tour with interesting historical information. The captain was a very good pilot, and it was if some of them were having a race: who would be the most daring – almost touching the peak of a hill, almost hitting the ground with the balloon basket while everything was under control, super relaxed and with great positive vibes.
Then it was time for the sunrise, and we started to take our positions to locate the best position to experience the prettiest morning of my life. All the balloons were gaining height and at that time I realized that they were countless! Each balloon had a different color, a different pattern creating a one-of-a-kind rainbow. And if that wasn’t enough, the sun revealed itself. A warmth touched my heart, and my eyes were filled with a new color palette, a richer one. I could see this spectacle of balloons flying over this amazing territory once again from a different perspective. I found myself staring in awe, no one was speaking at that time, just admiring.
After a while my body started getting tired and I realized we had been an hour standing – yes you will be on your feet – there are no chairs to sit in the balloon. The time had come to go down and we started to wonder if the descent would be as smooth as our ascent. But again, everything happened smoothly and effortlessly. The ground was getting closer and closer, and the capable pilot Ibrahim Dasdeler landed the balloon on the track directly, with the aid of the “happy to help” ground team.
Everything went perfectly. But please follow these tips to guarantee your experience is as wonderful as ours.
Book in advance, 1 month earlier. Read the reviews and check out the prices. We booked a flight with the Discovery Balloons with 230€/per person in October through the getyourguide.com. We were approximately 20 people in the balloon, and it was super comfortable as each one of us had a clear view and could take lots of pictures. You may cancel your booking even 24 hours before the flight with a full refund. The average price of a balloon ride is around 150 – 200€.
Take warm clothes with you, as a 1-hour flight in the cold morning air can be quite cool (warm and comfy clothes).
Take into consideration that the flight might be cancelled due to weather conditions although in general the wind condition is suitable for hot air balloon flights more than 250 days a year. Still, I would recommend staying in Cappadocia for 4 days and book the tour for the 1st day, so if the ride is cancelled, then you can go on the next date available.
You can hardly find a place in the world with so many balloons taking to the sky so often, and that's why Cappadocia is so magical. There are over 150 balloons flying simultaneously in Cappadocia. It's as if there is a balloon festival taking place every day!
Sonia Gerodimou
Proof-reader Valerie Kousoulis
