By Cathy Rose A. Garcia, Editor-in-Chief
IMAGINE waking up at dawn, excited to finally check off one of the top experiences on your travel bucket list. But then you’re seized by the thought: “What if it’s just another tourist trap?”
Like many other people, my travel bucket list has always included “a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia.”
After all, who has not seen the countless TikTok videos of dozens of hot air balloons floating as the sun rises over Cappadocia’s otherworldly rock formations? They are so picture-perfect that not a few have commented: “It looks AI!”
So, when I had a chance to visit Turkey in October, I wanted to see for myself if the hot air balloons of Cappadocia would live up to the hype.
To get to Cappadocia, we first had to take an over 12-hour flight from Manila to Istanbul, then a one-and-a-half-hour flight from Istanbul to Kayseri. Kayseri is in east central Anatolia and widely considered as the gateway to the Cappadocia region.
Cappadocia is known for its unique rock formations that were formed through volcanic activity and erosion over thousands, if not millions of years.
Our first stop was Love Valley, perhaps due to its phallic-shaped fairy chimneys. These fairy chimneys are tall spires made of soft volcanic rock that was easily eroded by natural elements over thousands of years.
Meanwhile, Pigeon Valley takes its name from the man-made pigeon houses that were carved into the volcanic rock. Red Valley is known for its rock formations that take on crimson hues during sunset.
After seeing countless TikToks and Instagram posts, I was convinced the best way to admire Cappadocia’s landscape was from a hot air balloon.
However, apprehension crept in. Hot air balloons are safe, right? Right?
I swallowed my fears and pushed through with it.
Since it was early October, our pick-up time from the hotel was at 5:30 a.m. The guide told us that the pick-up time depends on the season and can be as early as 4 a.m. during summer.
The launch sites for hot air balloon rides are usually around the Göreme area. But there’s no guarantee that the hot air balloon ride will push through, as operators must wait for the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority to give its clearance.
Another thing you need to know is there are no toilets in the area so do your business before getting there.
After a short car ride, we arrived at the launch site by 6:30 a.m. The large balloons lay on the ground still deflated. We watched as the crew set up and inflated the balloons using a gas-fired fan. Slowly, the balloons come alive.
Temperatures hovered around 10°C, making us glad we wore thick jackets.
Before long, the guide called us over to the balloon’s basket which was bigger than we expected and could hold up to 28 people. There was some confusion since there were different tour groups in the ride, so we scrambled to make sure that we were all in the same corner of the basket.
The basket gently lifted off the ground, with burners on to heat the air inside the balloon.
Everyone held up their phones and cameras to capture the moment. The hot air balloon gently ascended into the sky. It was so smooth that we didn’t even notice we were already high up.
The sky was clear, with no wind. The sun peeked through the rugged mountain ranges, while rainbow-colored hot air balloons floated all around us.
I tried hard to just be in the moment — to enjoy the view as the sun slowly rose and a golden light bathed the white rock formations and fairy chimneys. From above, Cappadocia looked like an alien planet, something out of Dune or Star Wars. I remember looking down and pinching myself because it really felt like a dream.
Time flew by. I took dozens of photos and videos of the sunrise, the balloons, and the surreal landscape.
Soon our 60 minutes were up. The pilot made his descent, with everyone crouched in a landing position. While it was a bit bumpy, everyone was safe and sound when we landed.
Another thing that TikToks and Instagram posts don’t show you is how awkward it is to get out of the basket. We basically had to be carried over the side by the crew members. Ah, the indignity of it all!
Once on solid land, the crew brought out a bottle of sparkling juice to celebrate the successful flight. Again, social media posts make this into some sort of fancy experience, but the sparkling juice felt flat.
On the way back, I scrolled through dozens of photos on my phone. None truly captured the magic of floating over the Cappadocia’s otherworldly landscape. It was a reminder that some experiences live richer in memory than any phone or camera can hold.