On my last trip to Goreme in Cappadocia, I took a lot of time deciding which hotel to book. This was the first holiday that my husband and I would take in four years.
Everything had to be prefect and stress free. I had heard about the cave hotels in Cappadocia, however was unsure if I wanted to stay in one. After all, my knowledge of cave hotels was zilch and I stopped watching the Flintstones when I was 13 years old.
Having read Trip Advisor though, a lot of people recommended staying in a cave hotel whenever a visit to Cappadocia happens. So I took the plunge.
Booking into the Spelunca Hotel in Goreme
It was a good move to make because the Spelunca was everything I wanted it to be. The authenticity of the rooms and the hotel itself, gave emphasis to a romantic atmosphere that instantly made me relax. The hotel was also in a good location and an excellent base from which to explore the area of Cappadocia.
All mod cons were present in the rooms including heated towel rails, LCD TV with satellite channels, tea / coffee maker and the famous Jacuzzi bath. Famous because this was the first time that my husband discovered it is not a good idea to pour hotel bottles of shampoo into a Jacuzzi bath.
Breakfast was the traditional Turkish breakfast however the hotel expanded on their range so you had a wide choice of fruits, cheeses, olives, bread, and jams. You name it, everything was there. While the hotel did not do evening food, they would gladly order you some food in, if you did not want to go out.
Even though it was our holiday, I got into the habit of waking up at 6am every morning. My reason for doing so was the view of dozens of hot air balloons floating across the landscape. Every morning I made a cup of coffee and sat on the terrace watching them. The balloons would come so close and I swear that one morning, I heard someone shouting hello from the balloons.
So there must be something that I didn’t like about the hotel right? Well, their gardens could do with better upkeep and the 5 minute walk up the hill to the Spelunca hotel was enough to get me panting for breath. However apart from that, I actually felt like I wanted to sell up here in Altinkum and move into the hotel permanently.
I don’t think I will be going back to Goreme anytime soon so I won’t be returning to the Spelunca hotel. However I have found that sometimes in life, it is better not to go back to the places that you have fond memories of. The second time never measures up to the first and I want to keep the fond memories that I have of Goreme and The Spelunca Hotel.
Wow that is one luxury looking cave hotel. I seen Spain has cave house but it doesn’t compare to this beautiful Spelunca Hotel in Goreme.
It was nice Sarah. If I win the lottery, I think I will buy a room!!
This hotel is familiar although I have a feeling the name is new. It’s beautiful isn’t it?
I loved the balloons in the morning. I used to take my dog walking through the valleys very early so that I could watch them.
I do remember one embarrassing moment though when I had dashed out to my enclosed courtyard in a nightie to hang out some washing, and I could hear voices. I looked up to see several Japanese faces looking over the edge of the balloon basket just above me..and they were all waving at me.
Lol. My husband would not believe me when I told him how close the balloons got. He stayed in bed you see. I can imagine Japanese tourists getting their photo album out to show guests and there is you in your nightie!
best looking cave ive ever seen how much per night is it B+B lovely photos once again Nat i look forward to reading your blogg now i have a look 2 or 3 times per week
@phil and Di. I think it was about 100tl per night bed and breakfast but I forget because I stayed true to the cause and got hubby to foot the bill!! LOl
@Hi Aaron. Thanks for stopping by. There are also quite a few camp sites in Goreme that you could stay at but the Spelunca was lovely.
Happy New Year! I need to find someone to watch our kids for a few days so my wife and I can get to Spelunca. Alas, we will probably take the tent and camp for a week under the stars – with the kids. Thanks for another great post.
You missed out if you stopped watching the Flintstones at 13!
It’s about 6 years since we were in Cappodocia and we said, ‘Right, been there now. We don’t need to go back.’ However, 6 years on…would be nice to see it under snow. Maybe next year.
Julia
great shots, loved the ballon and night ones, funny thing is revisiting some of my favorite spots is one of my goals this year, hope i do not get dissappointed the second time around
@TFL’s Someone posted some pictures on Facebook the other day of Cappadocia, under snow. If I find them, I will send you the link.
@Greg. Thanks Greg. Taking night pictures is one of the things I struggle with. The balloon picture, I had about 100 of them anyway!!
What a cool place. I would wake up in the morning to watch the balloons too. I can imagine how relaxing that would be. And you’re right about going back to places with fond memories. Sometimes it isn’t as good the second time.
Hey Natalie, thanks for the tip. This place looks like hobbit land man, I think I’ll need to give it a visit. I hope the hot air balloons are a permanent feature coz if I go I want to see it and take one.
Hi Rob, the hot air balloons are always there. The only time, they don’t take off is sometimes in winter when the weather is bad
Natalie recently wrote about..Göksu Waterfall : A Rush of Adrenaline and Euphoria
It just occurred to me that I need to go back and link this post in my latest Turkey post because this is the hotel we stayed at in Cappadocia, based on this post. The guy who ran the place was so incredibly helpful! And the views were gorgeous!
Ali recently wrote about..How to Pick Carry-on Only Luggage