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When planning a trip to Turkey, friends invariably ask me 1) Is Cappadocia worth it? and 2) Would be better, on limited time, to visit Cappadocia or Ephesus? To both questions, I can honestly say this: I never visit Turkey without scheduling at least four days to reacquaint myself with the voice of the wind as it travels leisurely through the sculptured valleys of Cappadocia; to wander through picturesque valleys and masterfully enameled 9th century chapels; to take tea (and baklava) with friends or scramble around one of the lesser discovered underground cities dotting the Cappadocia triangle.
People with limited time and trip to the Aegean coast and archaeological site of Ephesus might actually consider doing both. To accomplish this, it is essential to take the most time efficient route, either by air, or by cranking out an overnight drive between the two points. Two nights in Cappadocia will allow for a good flavor of the region, while allowing enough time for transit to other points of interest.
A visit to Cappadocia is as much about the region's historical legacy as it is about the chance to spend a couple of nights curled up under a fluffy duvet in a tremendously atmospheric cave. There are now literally dozens of hotels that offer this experience, from dorm-like rooms to cave suites, and where you stay should be dictated by how you plan to approach the area, both economically and logistically. Cappadocia is comprised of a satellite system of medium to small villages in varying degrees of tourist development. There is little public transportation, although local car and scooter rentals are quite affordable. For the most flexibility, a base in Ürgüp should do the trick. Göreme attracts a younger, bawdier backpacker crowd, so I recommend this town as a day trip rather than an overnight. Day tours tailored to your interests can also solve the dilemma of navigation. Keep in mind that Ürgüp and Göreme have the most services (hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shopping), with Üçhisar still relatively pristine but gaining fast. Mustafapasa offers little more than a main square and a small intersection (and a couple of family run wine makers), while Ayvali Village, apart from Gamirasu Hotel and Aravan Tandir Restaurant, remains almost frozen in time.
Where I Stay
Ürgüp
Esbelli Evi
www.esbellievi.com
I love this nine-room cave hotel, located up a gentle hill just outside the center of town. It was among the first cave hotels in the region; now, it's a veritable classic, still attracting a consistently interesting and engaging group of guests, from Ambassadors, to US Foreign Service reps, to media mini-moguls (to guide book authors...). All nine cave rooms are lovingly maintained, with a comfortable lived-in feel. Breakfast on the terrace features a panoramic view of Urgup and beyond, and the coffee's pretty good too.
Yunak Evleri
www.yunak.com
High-end, well-appointed rooms with five-star bathrooms make up this complex of cave houses carved into a dramatic outcropping. Because entrances to the individual rooms are separate from the main building, you may not get the interaction with the staff that can make a stay that much more memorable. But the privacy and independence are attractive in their own right. Each room is stocked with a coffee/tea service and a CD player.
Sacred House
www.sacred-house.com
Ancient stone, luxurious drapings and a medieval theme make each room more luxurious, romantic and mystical than the next.
Ayvali Village
Gamirasu
www.gamirasu.com
Village style luxury in this as-of-yet unspoiled corner of Cappadocia. Romantic, characteristic, serene and entirely memorable. The hotel management schedules regular "Turkish Nights" led by a minor local musical celebrity and his son, adding to an atmosphere that already promises an abundance of local authenticity.
Where I Eat
Aravan
Ayvali Village. www.aravan.com
Following in the cultivated nomadic fashion of improvised cooking, Aravan's menu consists of mainly recipes that require preparation in a tandir – here, essentially a dirt pit dug into the floor of the terrace of this village house. The four course meal consists of things like wedding soup, stewed white beans and lamb stew, served after the usual parade of cold salads. Because the main courses require the better part of the day to cook, prospective diners should absolutely call the morning of the day they expect to visit.
Old Greek House
Mustafapasa Center. www.oldgreekhouse.com
Trays of carefully prepared dolma (stuffed stuff, like grape leaves, peppers and tomatos) and roasted eggplants ready for pureeing line every spare inch in this kitchen off the house's vine covered trellised courtyard. The oven, an operational artifact from an earlier era is still earning its keep. The house itself is part of the treat; the second storey retains its original mouldings, pale enamel pseudo frescos and parlour rooms – now transformed into individual and private dining areas with colorful cushions strewn around low copper tables. A definite must for small groups; couples may feel a bit isolated and instead will perhaps want to just grab a peek of the house and stick to one of the courtyard tables for the main event.
Ahra
Ürgüp Center. www.ahra.8m.com
If you can't make it to Kayseri, home of the perfect plate of manti, then fret not. The sisters that own and operate Ahra hail from Kayseri, where they learned the art of cooking in their mother's demanding kitchen. The menu if home style dishes offers a welcome variety to a standard diet of kebaps, with recipes that include icli kofte (here, meatballs over couscous) and yaglama (minced meat over a pancake). Diners can choose to sit in the restored stone house or outside in the intimate and down to earth stone courtyard.
Sömine
Ürgüp Center
If you're staying in Ürgüp, you'd have to be blind, dumb and deaf to miss a meal here. And while the restaurant is located conspicuously in the town's bulls eye, the owners have done us all a favor by not taking the location and steady stream of tourists for granted. The menu is varied enough to appeal to a wide range of appetites, with two types of manti (I get manti on the brain as soon as my plane lands), an assortment of zucchini and eggplant-based salads, and excellent grills. The management has taken equal care with its selection of local wines.
Orient House
Göreme Center, on the main road across from Kapadokya Balloons. www.orientrestaurant.net
I was unexpectedly licking my fingers after sampling the lamb chops (pirzola), before moving on to my neighbor's steak, which came on a slab of marble, I think, and with a quartet of dipping sauces. I was sure to take it easy on the appetizers, because on previous occasions, I'd filled up on humus, eggplant salad and samosas. Excellent wines here too.
Don't Leave Town Without
Hiking the Red Valley. Or hiking any valley, for that matter. Few venture out to enjoy the solace and grace of Cappadocia's valleys, to enjoy the unexpected discovery of isolated chapels hollowed into the rock, or the "pigeon houses" where farmers cultivate local fertilizer.
Scrambling around the "secondary" sites, including Zelve, Pasabag and Maziköy. Both Zelve and Pasabag will undoubtedly be swarming with tour buses, but truthfully, most visitors spend their time in Göreme's open air museum. Maziköy, on the other hand, is truly off the beaten path, tucked into a sleepy village whose underground city ascends into the hillside.
Attending the sema rite (Whirling Dervish) in the evocative restored caravansaray of Sarihan, outside of Avanos. www.sarihan1249.com
Visiting the Roman mosaics at Sahinefendi. Who'd expect to find a Roman site here? It was a surprise to the farmer who found the site under his apricot groves, too. The excavation has stalled a bit, but the caretaker will no doubt be proud to show you the well-preserved mosaics in the basilica, the thermal baths, and the remnants of the aristocratic houses.
A sunrise balloon ride. I sure would have preferred a clear day for my mom's balloon ride. But even the rain couldn't dampen her enthusiasm for an experience that will etch itself into your memory forever. If the price is a bit too steep, then console yourself with a climb up to the top of the Üchisar Fortress.
www.kapadokyaballoons.com
www.goremeballoons.com
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