Active Cappadocia

When I was asked to join a teenage family trip to Cappadocia I was a little nervous, not having a family, teenage or otherwise. I left the wettest British August in history behind, and arrived in sunny Kayseri with some trepidation. We were staying the first few nights in Goreme, which is basically fairyland, with its weird rock formations and cave dwellings. The first night I sat at the teenage end of the table with the tour leader Turan, and by the end of the evening the teens had pretty much bonded over pottery kebabs.
Day two was a bum crunching horse ride beside the Red River. We had split into 2 groups: the advanced party who knew which way around to sit on a horse, and the beginners who didn’t. Coming down a steep slope at the end of the ride was probably the most challenging bit, but if you’re not a bit scared it’s not an adventure. This was followed by an evening hike past the stunning rock formations and cave dwellings of this amazing landscape.
Day three Everyone had a very early start, taking a hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia. I, meanwhile, had a more leisurely start and went for breakfast at a fantastic hotel. Later we all climbed aboard our mountain bikes and headed for the hills. We cycled to a ghost town, where I fell in love with a spectacular hat, and made my souvenir purchase for the trip. We visited some hot springs, where some of the boys expressed their derision for the Turkish swimming team, though Turan pointed out that it wasn’t the Olympic squad at the pool! Dinner that night was followed by some fabulous star gazing, punctuated with giggles from Bethany and Issy. I suppose a starry night can be funny as well as romantic.
Day four we visited an underground city, had lunch with a local family, and then hiked to our campsite in the Taurus mountains. The hike was followed by a game of rounders, adults versus the teenagers. There were some heated debates over the rules, and a really vile smell caused by a dead cat. We ended the game with a draw, but I think the adults may have been saved by dinner.
After dinner we had songs around the campfire, and Matt came out with some lyrics that made my hair curl. There were baked bananas and chocolate too at the end of the evening, but the tour guide would welcome marshmallows if families would take them out.
The next day we did a 10 mile hike through lovely scenery, Chris was a gentleman and helped me with some of the tougher downhills, though it made me feel about 82 to need help! We had another campfire and a brilliant game of ‘I went on an Adventure Company holiday and I packed a... Ensuite toilet...Harry Potter Fan Club Card, ...Kitkat...Quebec Street Map...etc.’ I don’t know what ‘post modern trekking trousers’ are!
It was a very sad farewell to everyone, all my trepidation about joining a family trip was unfounded. I had a great time, and it was fun being ‘Auntie Gin’ for a few days.

From $1,087pp exc flights

(average rating, based on 4 reviews)

Trip type:

Active & Family

Adventure level:

4. Demanding

Max group size:

Minimum age:

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