I found a place that lives up to TikTok hype — but only if you know when to go

Type some variation of ‘balloons’ and ‘Turkey’ into TikTok and you’ll conjure thousands of clips of Cappadocia.

You know the ones I mean: hundreds of brightly coloured hot air balloons fill up the sky, floating above rugged extraterrestrial landscape.

The clips are so perfect, they could be AI generated — naturally, I was a little suspicious.

Who amongst us hasn’t been burned by a TikTok recommendation. The bakeries with queues around the block, which charge £9 for a soggy cronut; ‘simple’ recipes for dishes that end up going straight in the bin.

And so I headed to the most famous part of central Turkey with trepidation. It’s a long way to travel to be duped by content creators.

Only, as it turns out, Cappadocia really is worth the hype — as long you know when to go.

First impressions

The first thing to know about Cappadocia is that it looks like you’ve landed on Mars.

Quick geography lesson: volcanic eruptions millions of years ago covered the region in ash, which hardened into rock. Over time (a long time) these rocks eroded, creating deep valleys and distinctive rock formations known as ‘fairy chimneys’.

Humans first called the place home around 3.3 million years ago, carving churches and caves into the unusual landscape. Underground cities were also built as long ago as 7BC, and were lived in by those fearing religious persecution.

When the caves started collapse, the government ordered people to leave for their safety, with the homes completely emptying by the 1950s.

Now though, so-called cave hotels are popular among tourists visiting the region.

I stayed at Argos, on the outskirts of Uçhisar, the highest of Cappadocia’s quaint villages with views of the nearby Pigeon Valley.

Set among winding cobbled lanes, the buildings of Argos seem to emerge organically from the rocks.

Each of the 51 rooms is slightly different from the other, and the vibes are cosy but luxurious. Think beamed ceilings, Ottoman rugs, Nespresso machines and fancy toiletries from upscale US brand Grown Alchemist.

Guests can also enjoy a free tour around the hotel (daily, at 5pm), where you can explore the hotel’s underground network.

There’s a seemingly never-ending wine cellar and a cavernous chapel-like room, thought to have been where caravans travelling the Silk Road stopped to rest.

There’s also a cave spa — the largest in Turkey — with an indoor pool, sauna steam, and treatment rooms. You can indulge in traditional hammams, or pick from an array of TLC treatments.

And, with Cappadocia reaching highs of just 10C in March, the outdoor pool is heated to bath-like temperature.

I’m told by a local taxi driver that the hotel’s Turkish restaurant Nahita, is popular among tourists, not just those staying at the hotel. Staff are friendly (a theme in Turkey), without being annoying, and the food is delicious.

It’s fine-dining, but still feels authentic. Standouts include the homemade Manti (a type of pasta salad you may have also seen on TikTok) and Yaglama, best described as Turkey’s equivalent of lasagna. Prices come in at around £17 for a starter, and £35 for a main course.

This is also where Argos guests enjoy breakfast, where you can feast on an impressive buffet spread. Eggs are made to order, and you can opt for various Turkish salads, meats and breads too. I’d recommend opting for a table on the outdoor terrace.

The hotel also has an international restaurant, Seki, which has a more laid-back feel. It was here I had Celtik kebab, made with sirloin steak, and the best baklava I’ve ever eaten. It’s also slightly cheaper here. My main course was £28, and desert was £11.

Away from the hotel, Reserved Restaurant is a charming spot, serving more authentic Turkish cuisine, or you can head to Göreme, the main tourist town.

Balloon chasing in Cappadocia

To get up close and personal with Cappadocia’s iconic balloons, I enlisted the help of a local taxi driver, Hanifi, the best-connected man in the area.

Born and raised in the region, Hanifi, 51, tells me he spent his childhood in a cave house. Having lived here his entire life, from restaurants recommendations to tours, he knows a thing or two.

Our first stop was Rose Valley, a balloon take-off site which gets its name from the pink hue of the rocks at sunrise and sunset.

Hot air balloons have been filling Cappadocia’s skies since the 1980s, and have grown in popularity ever since.

A word of warning though: they fly at sunrise, so be prepared to be up early.

At first, still in the dark, and in desperate need of caffeine, I wasn’t sure how impressive this would be.

But as the first balloon took off, then another and another, I felt as if I was in some kind of alternate reality.

The sight unfolding in front of you doesn’t seem real. Up to 150 hot air balloons can fill Cappadocia’s skies (the number is controlled by the Turkish Aeronautical Association) — everywhere you turn, they silently appear. It was like standing in a snow globe, only instead of a flurry of flakes, it’s hot air balloons.

Whether you wave at a balloon passing directly above you, or admire the spectacle as they float into the distance — it’s truly magical and even better than it looks on film.

The obvious downside is that you’re never going to be the only tourist wanting to witness the magic.

I’m told by locals that in the summer months, there are queues to get into the valleys, and hordes of influencers clamouring to snap the perfect shot — but I had no such problem. Visiting in low-season meant crowds were at a minimum.

Next, Hanifi takes me to Çavuşin village — up a steep path, past the abandoned cave homes to St John the Baptist Church, which was carved out of the rocks sometime in 5 AD.

The top of this hill was another incredible vantage point — and we were the only people there.

I ask Hanifi if he ever gets bored of it. At first he laughs and sheepishly nods, but before long, he’s also gazing skyward, proving that even after 50 years, the spell these balloons cast hasn’t broken just yet.

For two hours, Hanifi charged €50, which included hotel pick-up and drop-off.

Depending on where your hotel is, you might simply be able to walk outside your front door and catch the balloons. My balcony at Argos provided a more leisurely opportunity to glimpse them again, albeit from a distance.

But you don’t need to get in a balloon to see the action. With a fear of heights, I ticked this off my bucket-list, while remaining firmly on solid ground.

See the sights

Almost every company offers three colour-coded tours: red, green and blue.

I opted for red, the most popular, a six-hour tour for €55 (£45) that takes in the most-visited tourist attractions in northern Cappadocia.

I meet my tour guide, Elif, at the hotel. She’s lived in Cappadocia for 14 years, and is undeniably passionate about the place she calls home.

She tells us that, while she’s enjoyed seeing tourism boom here, there is so much more to the place than balloons.

‘Social media has had a snowball effect for us,’ she says. ‘I wish people would visit here with more of a desire to learn about the culture, traditions and history.

‘As the balloon flights get more and more popular, people are not that interested in anything else.’

We stop first at Uçhisar Castle, the highest rock formation in Cappadocia. You could be on the set of Star Wars as you peer into cave houses and climb winding steps.

There’s also a trip to Zelve Open Air museum, a large Byzantine-era cave settlement with churches that date back to 500 AD.

Perhaps the most impressive stop though was to Paşabağı, or Monks Valley, named because Christian monks would hide in homes carved into the rocks.

Elif says that in summer, queues can snake all the way to the carpark — meanwhile, we walked straight in.

‘This is the best time to visit,’ she tells me. ‘When it’s colder there are fewer tourists, but it’s still beautiful.’

The tour also includes lunch at Dürümcü Ustanın Yeri, in Avanos, a small town famed for its pottery. Be sure to order the adana kebab — I’m still thinking about it.

The final stop on the red tour was a trip to Alaaddin Family Ceramic Art Gallery.

Avanos is on the banks of the Red River, which has supplied generations with the red clay to create their masterpieces, as far back as around 2000 BC.

The talented potters at Alaaddin use foot-driven spinning wheels — and they might even let you have a go. I didn’t exactly have my Ghost moment with Ahmed, who patiently attempted to find some semblance of creative talent within me, but it was still a lot of fun.

A magical trip

I didn’t really know what to expect when I travelled to Turkey.

As a sun-seeker, I hadn’t been thrilled by temperatures similar to those back home, but low-season ended up making the trip all the more special.

Watching the balloons take flight — they really do deserve the hype.

But there’s so much more to this region that you see on TikTok, and you can discover it all, without the crowds, at this time of year.

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