Jenny Sky Is The Limit

Last March I finally made one of my travel dreams come true. I went to Cappadocia exclusively to experience a hot air balloon flight over some of the most magical landscapes on earth. 

As usual, I was travelling solo. My hotel concierge recommended Voyager Balloons, and with so many companies to choose from I wanted one I could trust. Voyager has been operating since 2008 and I instantly felt I was in good hands. I booked their standard flight. There were about twenty people in the basket, each in our own little section.

When the balloon lifted gently into the air, I truly felt my heart lift with it! Soon I was floating up to around the sky without limit. The higher the flight went, the quieter the world became, with only the soft sound of the burner now and then. I was beyond mesmerised looking at the white clouds fused with the look of these fairy formations. I felt completely at peace as the earth drifted slowly beneath me.

The flight lasted just over an hour, and the whole experience from hotel pick up to return was about two hours.

From the air I was lucky to have witnessed the Red Valley glowing in morning light, famous for its fiery red and gold rock formations that shone at sunrise, this is thanks to its iron-rich volcanic minerals. Then came the Rose Valley with its soft pink tones, offering a contrast and hiding ancient cave chapels carved by early Christian communities. 

Next, the spectacular rock formations of Love Valley magically appeared, showing off its towering shaped fairy chimneys that blew my mind 🤯.These formations were sculpted over centuries by wind and water erosion on the region’s soft volcanic rock. Finally, I drifted over the Göreme Open-Air Museum with its ancient cave churches and frescoes dating back to the 10th century, a UNESCO World Heritage site that I learned in my previous day tour , was once a thriving center of Christian life and remains one of Cappadocia’s most treasured cultural landmarks. From this vantage point, I felt as though I was touching the best gems of Turkey.

Cappadocia’s landscape was born from volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. Over time, wind and rain sculpted the soft tuff rock into the towers, cones and mushroom shapes that we now call fairy chimneys.

Legend says these were once the homes of tiny fairies who lived in harmony with humans, lighting little lanterns at night and weaving spells into the air. As Diana Uribe, my favourite historian, once described, Cappadocia feels like “the house of magical fairy tales” and from the balloon, with the sun touching the rocks in shades of gold and pink, I could almost see the fairies themselves flitting between the towers.

Our pilot, Bekir, pointed out landmarks along the way and made sure I had the best views for photos and memories. He also created a video of the flight, so travellers can relive those moments anytime.

When we landed, there was a small celebration with sparkling drinks and the sweet satisfaction of knowing I had just experienced something that would stay with me forever.

Cappadocia from the ground is stunning, but from the sky it feels like stepping into a living fairy tale.

Forever grateful to the universe for these magical moments and the earth. 🙏

Lots of Love

🙏

from Jenny