Turkey has always been a must-do on my travel list and while I was a bit apprehensive due to its geographic situation, I decided it was now or never to make it a reality.
The first stop was Istanbul, where the city is filled with gorgeous, ginormous mosques. Any mosques I visited afterwards could not live up to the grandeur of the ones in Istanbul. I spent one afternoon watching the sunset with the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia in sight while the call to prayer echoed around the city - it was magical.
Next up was Cappadocia, an area known for its unique landscape. Yes, some of the structures do look phallic (hardy har har), but the more fascinating thing about this area is that people carved caves into these structures to create living quarters. Some of these caves have been turned into cave hotels and I can tell you that it's pretty damn cool staying in one.
Hot air ballooning at sunrise is one of the most memorable activities you can do in Cappadocia. While the sun decided not to make an appearance on my balloon ride (I did catch it on other mornings), it was still breathtaking and slightly terrifying on how high we flew. I also did quite a bit of hiking in Cappadocia, which was an absolute highlight.
