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Cappadocia a balloon trip holiday hotspot
Ben Bailey29 May 2009
The Cappadocia region of Turkey is considered to be one of the best hot-air balloon spots in the world.
Large numbers of ballooning companies compete in the area for tourist business. But would-be ballooners are warned to carefully consider which companies to give their business to.
Some are poorly equipped and inexperienced. And although wind conditions are ideal first thing in the morning, the wind can become unreliable and potentially dangerous later on.
Those venturing up balloons in this region are treated to some spectacular scenery.
The balloons fly over the peribacalar, or fairy chimneys - rock columns growing as high as 130ft. Their shapes have been likened to pyramids, mushrooms and even camels.
More than 20 balloons set off in the mornings from April to November and those who have flown have spoken of the balloons dipping low into valleys so occupants can pick fruit from trees.
The ballooners fly over Mt Erciyes which formed the landscape of Cappadocia when it erupted. Prices of trips can be steep, even though, currency-wise, Turkey is a favourable destination for Britons at present.
As well as taking balloon trips, visitors to this region can visit underground cities which were used by Byzantine Christians in the 6th and 7th centuries when they were fleeing from Persian and Arabic armies.
Some of the remains date back 4,000 years and large areas can be visited by tourists. The most popular is Kaymakli, and others often seen by travellers include Ozluce and Derinkuyu.
Cappadocia lies in the southern central part of Turkey. It lost its early importance until some of the old churches were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century.
The area was well equipped to deal with the tourist boom which began in the 1980s. One of the beauty spots is the village of Goreme with its stone houses and open-air museum which is a World Heritage site.
Tourists can get to Cappadocia via its two airports - Kayseri and Nevsehir. Tourists can also take the bus from Istanbul or Ankara.
