4 Days Solo in Cappadocia: What Happened When My Balloon Ride Was Canceled Every Day
I’m a woman in my 40s from the U.S., and I’ve just returned from four very memorable days traveling solo in Cappadocia. I had been dreaming about this trip for years: hot-air balloons, underground cities, hiking through fairy chimneys, and an ATV ride at sunset. Not everything went according to plan, but somehow that made the trip even more memorable. I stayed at Antique Terrace Cave Suites in Göreme for about $65 a night. I normally choose social hostels, but this time I wanted to stay close to the town center and finally experience a cave hotel. I loved it. The staff were wonderful and helped me arrange almost everything, except my balloon ride, which I had booked through GetYourGuide. **Day 1** My flight from Istanbul to Nevşehir was delayed by two hours, so I didn't reach the hotel until almost midnight. Unfortunately, I'd already moved my balloon flight to that morning because the forecast looked terrible for the rest of the week. That meant a 4:30 a.m. pickup after barely sleeping. We waited at a meeting point for about 30 minutes before being told the flight was canceled because of strong winds. Not exactly the start I had imagined! After a few more hours of sleep, I had breakfast and headed to the Göreme Open-Air Museum. The weather suddenly improved, and I had a great afternoon. That evening I joined a two-hour sunset ATV tour through four different valleys. It was fantastic and only cost around $20. **Day 2** I woke up feeling a little under the weather, probably from the lack of sleep. It rained for most of the day, but I decided not to let it ruin anything. I wandered around Göreme, explored the side streets and popped into shops. I also had an interesting adventure trying to get a SIM card. One shop wanted $50 for an internet package, which I politely declined. Eventually, I just relied on hotel and restaurant Wi-Fi. Surprisingly, being without my phone felt incredibly freeing. My big mission that day was visiting both Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı underground cities. Instead of paying for an organized tour, I took local buses from Göreme to Nevşehir and then to Derinkuyu. The whole trip cost about $5. I explored Derinkuyu at my own pace, then took a taxi to Kaymaklı. The driver waited for me and drove me back to Göreme for about $20. I was happy to pay him extra. **Day 3** The weather was still awful and the balloons were canceled again. So I decided to turn the day into a spa day. I spent $70 on a Turkish bath, 60-minute massage and mud mask, then treated myself to another 30-minute foot massage for $20. Honestly, not a bad backup plan. **Day 4** My final chance to fly disappeared when the balloons were canceled yet again. Luckily, the weather cleared later, so I spent the day hiking through some of Cappadocia's famous valleys. I never saw a single balloon during my entire stay. That was definitely disappointing, especially since watching them from my hotel terrace was something I had really looked forward to. Still, Cappadocia gave me much more than one missed balloon ride. The landscapes, underground cities, hiking, ATV tour, food and Turkish hospitality made the trip completely worth it. Sometimes the trips that don't go according to plan end up being the ones you remember most.