Day 4:Off to Cappadocia – The Land of Dreams

Today was the long-awaited day — our flight to Cappadocia!

Although we didn’t have much time to enjoy the hotel breakfast, we shared a quick coffee in the room, filled with excitement for what lay ahead.

Upon arrival, we were immediately struck by how entirely different the landscape was from Istanbul. We knew it, of course — but still, that first moment felt like stepping into another world… maybe even nowhere.

A private bus was waiting for us, and we were welcomed by a Japanese-speaking guide who would lead us through the journey with commentary on the sights along the way.(There was a small incident before departure, but I’ll leave that story for another time.)

As the bus rolled on, the scenery grew increasingly otherworldly. The rocky terrain, painted in soft earth tones and strange formations, slowly revealed the surreal beauty that makes Cappadocia so iconic.

At one point, a conical mountain appeared at the end of the road, reminiscent of Mt. Fuji — a surprising and poetic moment.

We stopped at some of the famous formations, such as the Camel Rock and what are often called the Mushroom Rocks — tall fairy chimneys shaped by nature’s sculpting hand. Fascinating and whimsical, they looked like something out of a dream or ancient tale.

At one spot, we passed a small airfield for microlight aircraft. I felt a flicker of excitement just seeing it — although we weren’t flying today, it brought back the thrill and dream of soaring through the sky, especially above a landscape like this.

We paused for lunch at a beautiful restaurant with panoramic views.

Some of us ordered Tas Kebabı, the traditional Turkish slow-cooked meat stew. It arrived in sealed clay pots, and we had the chance to witness a delightful culinary tradition: the server tapping and breaking the pot open at the table to release the fragrant steam.

And the taste?

Absolutely divine. The rich, slow-cooked flavors were warm, comforting, and deeply satisfying — a true taste of Anatolian cuisine.

After lunch, we continued to our hotel. Set against the vast and rugged backdrop of Cappadocia, it felt like a secret haven — almost like a resort hidden in a storybook setting. The rooms were spacious and inviting, built with natural stone that blended perfectly with the surrounding landscape. Everything about the place made us feel at peace, like we had entered a retreat within a retreat.

Dinner that evening was a lively buffet and BBQ under the open sky. The brochettes were so delicious we couldn’t stop ourselves from going back for more.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, we watched it set from the hotel’s large panoramic terrace. Later, we wandered through the grounds, where soft lights from the restaurant and hotel cast a warm glow across the wild terrain. The illuminated rocks and silence of the evening created a dreamlike atmosphere — the perfect ending to a magical day.