subject: Sustainable Local Travel in Cappadocia, Turkey [print this page] Sustainable Local Travel in Cappadocia, Turkey
The rich history and magical lunar landscape of Cappadocia, Turkey can be experienced today in a unique type of accommodation: the cave hotel. Built straight into the rock or the facades of old manmade caves, cave hotels are no dark dungeons or cold, musty homes. Instead, Cappadocia's got everything from 5-star caverns to brightly lit grottos for tourists on a budget. They're positively primeval! And they're just one part of an overall approach to travel that emphasizes what's local and sustainable.
Lodging Underground
The first cave hotel opened its doors in 1990 in the Cappadocian town of rgp. Beginning an abandoned 5th-century cave that had all but collapsed, the owner began by gathering stones and rock hewn from the interior of the cave as sustainable building materials and hired workers from the town in order to keep the restoration local. Upon opening its doors, the Esbelli Evi Cave Boutique Hotel was an immediate success.
There are now more than 400 cave hotels in Cappadocia ranging from family-run grottos to lavish 50-room underground resorts. The cave-hotel industry in Cappadocia has become a unique selling point in this region of Turkey.
Exploring Cappadocia
The otherworldly experience of staying in the 5th- and 6th-century caves of Cappadocia is matched only by the unusual natural landscape. Dotted with fairy chimneys', the moonlike surroundings have inspired artists, travelers, philosophers and historians since as far back as the days of Herodotus. For a bird's-eye view of the extraordinary geography, hot-air balloon trips are a truly special experience.
Sustaining Local Life
Even more impressive than Cappadocia's show-stopping scenery, well-preserved churches and caves and mouthwatering Mediterranean cuisine is the region's commitment is to preserving all of this. Responsible travel operators Zafer Yazici and Fuyo Ichikawa of Lirita Tours, the whl.travel local connection in Cappadocia, have worked locally for seven years to preserve a traditional way of life in ancient Cappadocia, one of the most sustainable tourist destinations in Turkey.
"There are of course sightseeing spots you cannot miss," explains Yazici, "but local tours are really run in a local way. Selected restaurants are more like family restaurants and typical Cappadocian handcrafts artisans, like carpet weavers, stone carvers or potters, are visited on these tours."
"The biggest advantage of visiting Cappadocia is that it is not a mass-tourism destination," Zafer adds. "We have to keep it this way."
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