Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?
Imagine driving in the darkness of the night, not knowing where you are or which direction you are going towards... and slowly having your way lit by little lanterns in a shape of a giant balloon... How dreamy is that?! The glow of the fire on the golden kissed field surrounding us, is one of my most memorable sunrises.
Poetry aside, there is 25 balloon companies in Cappadocia with over 250 registered balloons. So how can you choose the best ne for your one of a kind experience?
The major rule of thumb that we read and were told everywhere is, don't go with the cheapest option! There is a reason the are cheap and they may be unsafe. Personally, we chose to go with our hotel recommended company, Turquaz balloons. Also, it was attractive for us that the balloon was planned to set flight from a more isolated spot and closer to the valley.
The most interesting part was the direction of the flight. Nobody gets to choose what to fly over, but the goddess of the wind.
We flew over the most stunning red valley and got a godly glimpse of the sunrise which will forever have a soothing place in my heart. Another point to consider here is the weather. Please be aware of the fact that if there is a drop of rain forecasted for the morning, ALL balloon companies cancel their flights. So if riding one of these beauties is on top of your bucket list, please consider staying in Cappadocia for 2+ nights to ensure the weather is agreeable. We had a month in Turkey so we stayed in Cappadocia for 4 nights! So lucky. And to reiterate my point, we visited in August (most summery month of the year) and we had a day of rain with flight cancellations. This was specially taxing for some couples that had a day booked in Cappadocia to just experience the balloon :( Take on the road notes:
- Take a jacket as it is chilly before the sun comes up
- Take a wide angle camera to maximize the background
- Be weather conscious when planning to visit
- Don't go with the cheapest option!
