Cappadocia in winter
Snow on the chimneys, short days, warm tables and empty valleys: how to plan the balloon, walks, the underground city and dinners in a Cappadocian winter, what to wear and what to watch for.
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Cappadocia guide
Notes of a slow traveller
Valleys, tables, seasons and local tips.
Choosing a cave hotel
Carved room, half-carved room, stone building: three different things are sold as a cave hotel. Eight questions on light, damp, heating, stairs and terraces to ask before choosing, plus booking notes.
Read moreHow fairy chimneys formed
From volcanic ash to columns shaped by wind and water: how fairy chimneys formed, what the hard cap stone does, how people used the soft rock and how to read a chimney as you walk.
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Cappadocia for families with children
Which tours suit which age, how to prepare for a balloon morning, and what to watch for with strollers and car seats: a practical planning guide for families with babies and school-age children.
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A photography guide for balloon mornings
Three kinds of light from blue hour to golden hour, what to carry in the basket, which settings work and how to shoot from the ground: a plain checklist for a balloon morning.
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Local food: from clay-pot kebab to grape molasses
Clay-pot kebab, grape molasses, fruit leather, walnut sujuk, pumpkin dessert: a small glossary of the Cappadocian table, with seasons, ordering tips and notes on allergies.
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Walking routes through the valleys
Pigeon Valley, Kızılçukur, the Rose and Love valleys, Zelve, Ihlara and Soğanlı: how long each of six routes takes, what the ground is like and the best hour to walk it.
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Slow travel in Cappadocia
Two stops a day, long pauses, afternoons left empty: how to see Cappadocia by rhythm instead of by checklist, with the shape of a slow day, seasonal rhythm and three questions to test your plan.
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