March is shoulder season for travelling in Turkey so until I arrived in Goreme I hadn t had much int

After a few days exploring Istanbul I knew it was time for a change of scenery so I headed alaska cruise reviews down to the local travel agent and booked alaska cruise reviews myself alaska cruise reviews a bus ticket to Cappadocia .   Cappadocia  is based in the Anatolian Region of Turkey and is famed for its ancient alaska cruise reviews ruins, unusual rock formations and beautiful scenery making it the perfect travelling destination and escape from the chaos of Istanbul.
Turkey has one of the most advanced public transport systems I have ever seen in Istanbul, trains, buses and trams run frequently and interconnect making alaska cruise reviews transit between tracks efficient and effective, and travelling through regional Turkey is so straightforward thanks to a highly competitive and very professional bus network. alaska cruise reviews  An overnight bus ticket to Goreme, the heart of Cappadocia cost me a mere 35 Lira ($36AUD), buses in Turkey are run basically like Air-Planes, each bus has an experienced driver as well as cabin crew who provide refreshments and beverages to passengers throughout the journey, in addition to the fine service, each seat also has it s own private TV (although unfortunately all shows and movies are in the Turkish alaska cruise reviews Language) as well as free Wi-Fi to satisfy those of us who like to stay connected.
Once I arrived alaska cruise reviews in Goreme (without a guide book) I walked around the streets in pursuit of some accommodation when I found the  Travellers Cave Dorm , a unique hostel that had been etched alaska cruise reviews into one of the many rock formations based in the region.  A bed in a female-only dorm cost me a mere 23 Lira ($12.50AUD) which included a heated room, large locker to store my valuables, excellent shower facilities, free breakfast and high speed Wi-Fi, the hostel was centrally located with the bus station, restaurants, cafes and some of the local tourist attractions all within walking distance.
March is shoulder season for travelling in Turkey so until I arrived in Goreme I hadn t had much interaction with other international travellers, so I was thrilled when I arrived at the  Travellers Cave Dorm  that I met British Brett and Australian Leo who would become my travelling companions for the next 2 days.  The three of us hit it off instantly thanks to a mutual passion for photography and our hunger to explore off the beaten track destinations, after a quick coffee, the three of us found a local bus and made our way to the outskirts of Goreme in pursuit of fun, adventure and sightseeing.
Our first destination to explore was the Derinkuyu Yeralti Sehri Underground City and to get there, we had to catch two public buses totalling a mere 7Lira ($3.8AUD) and an entrance fee of 15 Lira ($8AUD) to explore this underground labyrinth of tunnels and rooms etched in stone that went a massive 8 stories underground.  Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of exploring these tunnels, my pleasure came more from my company, than the actual underground city itself, Brett, Leo I are all free-spirited alaska cruise reviews travellers who are able to make fun out of every situation, however the Underground City attracts typical mass tourism and as such, there were thousands of tourists on organised tours, listening to guides and exploring the city.  If it hadn t been for Brett and Leo I would have gone on my own and been disappointed, or alternatively booked on a guided tour and would have been bored out of my brain.
After exploring the Underground City we enjoyed some Tourist Priced Chai Tea outside the attraction before catching the bus back to Avanos, where we decided to spend the rest of the afternoon exploring this town on foot.  As we walked around Avanos, we noticed a mosque and castle at the top of the town and immediately made our way up there, however as we got closer to the site, we noticed that there was significant rubble and dilapidated buildings all throughout the area.  Photographically, alaska cruise reviews we were so immensely inspired that we literally alaska cruise reviews spent the next few hours photographically exploring this amazing area.  Brett, a professional photographer at Brett Creations , was not only lugging around a DSLR and lenses, but also a full-on portable studio lighting kit and used this opportunity to take portraits of Leo and I in these destroyed buildings.
After allowing the city of Avanos to be our photogrpahic muse for a few hours, we realised that if we were going to get back to Goreme on the bus, we needed to hightail it back to the city centre as the last bus left for Goreme at 6 pm and the distance alaska cruise reviews was too far to walk, and a cab would have been extremely costly, so we made our way back to Goreme, grabbed a couple of beers from the local supermarket and made our way to sunset point to catch a glimpse of the most amazing sunsets in the country.
Watching the sunset over Goreme is a spectacular site not to be missed, as the sun slowly goes down for the day, the illumination literally sets the colours of the rock formations alive bringing out the contrast between colours alaska cruise reviews and the natural, eclectic formation of this city, built around these boulders comes to life. If you were willing to pay the 110 Euro, a balloon ride would provide the perfect opportunity to enjoy the sunset and the natural beauty of the Cappadocian Region.
My first day in Cappadocia really was one of the highlights of my time in Turkey and this was mainly due to meeting like minded people who wanted to see and explore alaska cruise reviews the region from a different perspective.  The biggest lesson that I learnt and that was re-iterated to me through my experience in the Underground City was how important it is to not get caught up in ticking tourist tick boxes and instead, focus more on travelling experiences.   Whilst to most tourists alaska cruise reviews who visit the region, they get so caught up on seeing all of the historical sites and as such, book guided day trips, but Cappdocia, like every other place in the world has so much more to offer than witnessing the conventional.
Belle is a passionate traveller, photographer and adventure enthusiast and at 30 years of age, said farewell to her comfortable life in Brisbane, Australia, to pursue round the world travel as a solo female backpacker.
To date Belle has travelled through over 36 countries, a list that will continue to grow during this round the world adventure. Through her blog, Belle hopes to shares her experiences, lessons and personal opinions of destinations, experiences and adventures!