A Ballon Ride over Cappadocia

When we first started to research Turkey, every itinerary told us to go to the region of Cappadocia. and not miss the World famous Hot Air Balloon Ride over the fairy chimneys. We booked tour with Universal Balloons.

Cappadocia literally looks other-worldy. I imagine the terrain might resemble some lunar planet. It is home to the most incredible rock formations in the world, boasting valleys filled with "fairy-chimneys" and towns filled with "cave hotels".

It is the top place in the world to take a hot air balloon ride because the scenes below are incredibly breathtaking and so unique. Our third morning in Cappadocia, we woke up at 4 am to take a sunrise balloon ride. Having never done this, we both were excited to lift  hundreds of feet off the ground with a basket at our feet and a balloon at our head. We found it  the most serene and peaceful experiences of our life. We literally floated around through the valleys, and we couldn't have been more relaxed.

Watching the crew blow up the balloon with fire was so intense. We lifted off right as the sun was coming up. We cannot even describe the tranquility that took place when the sun started to burst forth into flame, and we felt as though we were riding the break of morning. We rose higher and higher, and just soaked in the stillness and holiness of the moments surrounding us.

Down below us the scenery painted a picture of the most bizarre valleys we had ever seen. Surrounding us were hundreds of other balloons taking flight. It really was a sight to see, and just drank in all beauty and majesty around us

Photos rarely do justice, but I hope this paints a picture for what a marvelous landscape this really is