Photo of the Week: Hot Air Balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey

Hot Air Balloons in Cappadocia, Turkey

As if the other-worldly rock formations and peculiar fairy chimneys weren’t enough, add 30 bright and colourful balloons to the mix and Cappadocia becomes a magical land worthy of fairy tales.

The hot air balloons leisurely float across the eroded volcanic valley, each taking a turn dipping deep into the gorge below. It’s quite remarkable watching the balloon pilots gracefully weave around one another. As the morning sun begins to rise, the landscape gradually changes colour and comes to life.

If you look in the distance, you can see a cave town literally growing out of the base of the towering castle, with a lone minaret pointing up to the left. Having never been on a hot air balloon before, and not being the biggest fan of heights, it was surprising how calm and peaceful the trip was.

There are few places on earth that can compete with the rugged beauty of Cappadocia, amplified by a brilliant sky that is littered with massive colourful balloons.

Did you get a chance to see our other posts on Cappadocia?

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Have you ever been on a Hot Air Balloon Tour?
Share your hot air balloon experience in the comments section below!

About the Author

Cameron and Nicole Wears are a Canadian couple and newbie parents living in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. A passion for travel and outdoor adventure has taken them to over 65 countries & territories on 6 continents in the past 7 years. Consider following us via RSS Feed, Twitter, Facebook, Google + Profile and subscribe to our Newsletter. Read our website disclaimer

wanderingtrader

Posted March 13, 2011 at 2:13 PM

Great shot guys!


Traveling Canucks

Posted March 13, 2011 at 2:44 PM

Thanks Marcello! It’s one of our favs from the balloon trip. I love the colours

Pete @ Hecktic Travels

Posted March 13, 2011 at 2:22 PM

Stunning. The rock formations look incredible, I can’t wait to experience this for myself. Awesome capture.


Traveling Canucks

Posted March 13, 2011 at 2:45 PM

Thanks Pete!
Will you be traveling to Turkey soon?
I’d highly recommend the Hot Air Ballon tour if you make it to Cappadocia

Cheryl Howard

Posted March 13, 2011 at 8:23 PM

This photo is stunning. Hot air ballooning is something I’ve always wanted to do. Looks like heaven!


Cam

Posted March 17, 2011 at 11:16 AM

Thanks Cheryl! It’s become my favourite picture from the balloon tour

ayngelina

Posted March 15, 2011 at 1:03 AM

A balloon trip is still on my list, for some reason no one really does it in South America.


Cam

Posted March 17, 2011 at 11:03 AM

I’m surprised that balloon tours are not as popular in South America? I would think North Chile and Bolivia would be fantastic from above

Priyank

Posted March 15, 2011 at 4:27 PM

Breathtaking views!! So were the balloons carrying advertisements? I wonder who sponsored the ‘pride’ balloon because I love the colours!


Cam

Posted March 17, 2011 at 5:27 PM

Most of the balloons had some form of advertisement. Some were commercial (like the Mercedes one to the left) and others were the logos of the tour company.
I agree – my favourite is the bright colourful that looks like the pride flag

Bluegreen Kirk

Posted March 17, 2011 at 11:21 AM

That looks awesome what a wonderful photo. How much does it cost for a ride on a hot air balloon?


Cam

Posted March 17, 2011 at 5:28 PM

Price varies depending on the company and time of season, but around $200-300 for the tour (not cheap, but highly worth the extra $)