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Flying in a hot air balloon over Cappadocia. Checked!

HellO, WOrld!

 

Today I’ll tell you about one of the greatest experience I ever had! In Cappadocia, a magic place. One that I dream about since I was a kid, when I read „Five Weeks in a Balloon„, the beautiful adventure novel by Jules Verne, wrote in the nineteenth century. A book that fascinated me with the extraordinary adventures of Dr. Samuel Ferguson, Joe and Dick Kennedy, who crossed Africa in a hot air balloon. I was Dr.Ferguson, obviously. Of course, it’s been 150 years since the book was written, the world is not quite as unknown as it was at that time, and balloon flights have turned from some dangerous adventures in recreational flying.

And if you want to try and experience it, why not do it in the most beautiful place on Earth where you can fly in a balloon? That’s right, you must go to Cappadocia for that. But it worth every penny.

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The balloons are the biggest attraction of Cappadocia. Almost every morning, dozens  hot air balloons float across the horizon just as the sun is starting to rise. The scene is really quite unreal. Of course, you must wake up very early if you want to take your place in the balloon basket and fly over the spectacular volcanic formations from Goreme, a small town from Cappadocia. But you won’t regrete it. Actually, going to Cappadocia and not doing a hot air balloon trip is like going to Paris and by passing the Eiffel tower. Cappadocia is all about hot air balloons and the experience will certainly give you memories for a lifetime. Last year, more than 500.000 tourists flight over the Open Air Museum and the Pigeons Valley from Goreme, in a hot air balloon.

How can you get there?

There are two airports in Cappadocia.  One of them is Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) located in Kayseri and nearly one hour driving to the center of Cappadocia region. I checked the price, and with Pegasus Airlines, the flight from Bucharest to Cappadocia will cost you less than 200 Euros. There are no direct flights, so you will change the planes in Istanbul, on Sabiha Gokcem Airport. The second one is Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (NAV), which is located in Gülşehir town of Nevşehir Province. Turkish Airlines operates direct (nonstop) flight from Istanbul Ataturk to Nevsehir Kapadokya twice a day. The price is a bit higher, around 250 Euros, but you will fly with the best airline company in the World.

How can you book a hot air balloon flight?

It will be better if you will book your flight online. I looked on the prices, and the best offers are given by Cappadocia Balloons, with 99 Euros for a morning trip at the sunrise. They pick you up from the hotel at 4 AM in the morning, and then take you to the Open Air Museum of Goreme, where the ballons are wainting for you. It is quite a challenge, but you will survive. You just need a strong black turkish coffee. Then you can take your place in a basket and wait for the balloon to leave the ground. Take some warm clothes with you, because it’s chill up there in the air. And don’t forget your camera, because you will want to take hundreds of photos. It’s soo beautiful! I was so happy, because my dream come true! I was Dr.Ferguson, finnaly! And I felt that is a once in a lifetime experience, like the moment when I cross the Equator for the first time, or when I did scuba diving in the Red Sea. And I have to thank Prestige Tours for that, because they offered me the chance to visit Cappadocia for the first time in my life. And what I’ve found here, was much beyond my expectations. But I will get back to you soon, with more details of my fabulous getaway in Turkey, with the #presstige gang.  Stay tuned!

LOve,

O.

Photography: Emil Costrut
Hair Style: Robert Both Studio
Outfit: H&M Spring Summer 2016 suit and shirt, available soon in H&M Stores, Massada Sunglasses, available in selected OPTIblu stores.

 

HellO, WOrld!

Astazi o sa va povestesc despre o experienta nemaipomenita. Una la care visez de cand eram copil, atunci cand am citit „Cinci saptamani in balon”, superbul roman de aventuri scris de Jules Verne in secolul al XIX-lea. Carte ce m-a tinut cu sufletul la gura alaturi de dr. Samuel Ferguson, Joe si Dick Kennedy, ce au traversat Africa in balon, avand parte de o multime de intamplari extraordinare. Eu eram Dr.Ferguson, evident. Desigur, au trecut 150 de ani de cand a fost scrisa cartea, lumea nu mai este chiar atat de necunoscuta, iar zborurile cu balonul s-au transformat din niste aventuri periculoase in zboruri de agrement.

Asa ca acum este mult mai usor sa incerci o astfel de experienta. Iar daca tot vrei sa o faci, de ce nu ai alege sa zbori cu balonul in cel mai frumos loc de pe pamant?  E adevarat, trebuie sa mergi in Cappadocia pentru asta. Insa iti spun eu ca merita.

In fiecare dimineata, zeci de baloane se ridica la rasarit pe cerul Cappadociei, creand un spectacol care iti taie respiratia. Sa ajungi in Cappadocia si sa nu zbori cu balonul, e ca si cum ai merge la Paris si nu ai vedea Turnul Eiffel. E adevarat, trebuie sa te trezesti cu noaptea in cap, pentru o astfel de experienta, dar iti garantez eu ca o sa supravietuiesti. Ai nevoie doar de o cafea tare, neagra, turceasca. Si de niste haine mai grosute, care sa iti tina de cald, pentru ca acolo sus, la 800 de metri altitudine, pana unde se vor ridica baloanele, e cam frig. Insa merita sa tremuri un pic, doar pentru a vedea cum se ridica soarele de dupa formele ciudate de relief vulcanic, care creaza un spectacol ireal. Si atat de frumos! Anul trecut, peste 500.000 de turisti au zburat cu balonul in Cappadocia, asa ca de ce nu ai face-o si tu?

Insa cum ajungi acolo?

Exista doua aeroporturi in Cappadocia. Pe ambele poti ajunge cu zboruri cu transfer prin Istanbul. Astfel, daca zbori pe Aeroportul Kayseri Erkile, o poti face cu Pegassus, iar un bilet dus-intors, cu escala in Istanbul pe aeroportul Sabiha Gokcem, este in jur de 200 de Euro. Daca vrei sa aterizezi in Cappadocia pe Nevsehir Airport, acolo poti zbura cu Turkish Airlines, tot cu escala in Istanbul. Pretul in acest caz va fi un pic mai mare, insa zbori cu o companie de linie si nu cu un low cost, asa ca eu zic ca merita diferenta de cca 50 de Euro.

Cum pot sa imi rezerv un loc in balon?

Exista mai multe site-uri unde puteti face asta, dar dupa ce le-am cercetat si am si fost acolo cel mai OK ca pret mi se pare Cappadocia Balloons , care asigura un zbor la rasaritul soarelui, de circa o ora, cu doar 99 de Euro. Este posibil la fata locului sa puteti sa negociati acest pret, daca nu vreti sa faceti rezervarea online, insa, din cauza numarului mare de turisti, e posibil ca fara rezervare sa nu mai prindeti loc in nicio nacela. Organizatorii va vor lua de la hotel la ora 4 dimineata (aveti grija sa nu intarziati!) si va vor duce pana pe platoul unde baloanele va asteapta, pregatite sa-si ia zborul. In nacela au loc cam 20 de oameni, o sa aveti senzatia la inceput ca sunteti cam inghesuiti, insa dupa ce te ridici in aer, si cerul se umple de baloane colorate, singurul lucru la care mai esti atent este frumusetea spectacolului ce se intampla deasupra muzeului in aer liber, populat cu formatiuni fantastice din lava intarita,  din Goreme. Eu eram in extaz, pentru ca in sfarsit eram Dr.Ferguson! Si sincer, as fi stat mai mult in aer, poate nu chiar 5 saptamani, dar macar 5 ore, pentru ca zborul este atat de lin, incat la un moment dat uiti ca te afli la sute de metri deasupra pamantului. E genul ala de experienta care te face sa te extaziezi ca un copil in fata bradului de Craciun, o experienta de neuitat, asa cum a fost si cand am trecut prima data Ecuatorul, sau cand am facut scuba diving in Marea Rosie. Iar pentru asta trebuie sa le multumesc celor de la Prestige Tours, care mi-au oferit aceasta sansa de a ajunge pentru prima data in Cappadocia, locul la care visam de atata timp. Si trebuie sa recunosc ca ce am gasit acolo mi-a depasit toate asteptarile. Insa stati pe aproape, o sa revin cat mai curand cu si mai multe detalii din aventura mea senzationala in Turcia alaturi de #presstige.

 

LOve,

O.