Waking Up on the Rooftop with Hot Air Balloons
I spent my 2 nights at the Sultan Cave Suites, a luxury cave crafted hotel and had the best experience.
To catch the sight of the hot air balloons, you’ll have to wake up a little early in the morning. I woke up at 5:30a.m. and went straight to the rooftop to wait. (You also have the choice to just sleep at the rooftop and bring your blanket!)
A few minutes before 6a.m., a couple of hot air balloons slowly started rising to the sky. The hot air balloons all flew from one side to another. Thus, around 6:45a.m., I walked over to the hotel next door and finished watching the balloons from there. The hot air balloons were gone by around 7a.m.
What a great way to spend an hour! Apparently, the hot air balloons fly everyday (as long as the weather is good) so you’ll get a lot of chances to watch them from the different angles of Cappadocia.
Let me admit that I found this place through Instagram. The hotel sponsored the famous Instagram photographer @doyoutravel who posted a photo on the hotel’s rooftop and that’s what convinced me to see it for myself.
If you come to this hotel, you might be welcomed by the cutest dog, Izmir, (This dog is also Instagram famous. Haha!) who can be moody at times but he’s so lovable and sweet.
The big boss of Sultan Cave Suites, Mustafa, (who is super friendly and would offer to drive you to places as long as he is available) was amazed on the significant success he received through marketing with social media. He estimates 80% of his customers have heard of his place from Instagram. The breathtaking pictures are what makes us all include this place on our bucket list and exceed our expectations when we see them in reality.
(If you want to pinkify your photos the like these 2 photos above then check out our Pastel Pink preset.) It’s location is high enough to get a panoramic view of the town from either the balcony, restaurant or the rooftop. Hence, even without the hot air balloons, it is a great place to sit, watch and relax.
With a different company, I went to ride on a hot air balloon and paid 80 dollars. Most hotels usually have the hot air balloon ride service or you can go around the information booths by the town. (Some places do not have fixed prices though so you’ll have to negotiate well) Prices may also vary depending on the size of the balloon and number of people inside the basket.
The hot air balloon company you choose will pick you up at 4a.m. at your hotel, you’ll have breakfast close by and then around 5:30a.m., you’ll be riding the hot air balloon. I believe it was approximately 20 of us in that hot air balloon. I did find that we had limited spaces to move around. However, it was enough to get a view from each of your spot because there were breathtaking views at every angle. It was a once in a lifetime experience for me, so I had to make the most out it. The whole ride was about an hour. Totally worth it! xoxo
