Cappadocia Changed My Mind About Living In A Cave

Bear cave? Bat cave? Cavemen? Any preconceived ideas on caves will be blown out of the water. There are no animals, semi-humanoid species or superheroes in these caves, but you may find Russell Crowe or TWB.

Our flight from Istanbul to Kayseri was a short one hour, thank goodness, since Pegasus are not the best airline to fly with. They are a low cost airline good for a cheap flight, but don’t have any other expectations. Enough said.

On arrival at Kayseri airport we spotted a man holding up a sign with our name and jumped into our assigned shuttle. One hour from the airport we received that pleasant surprise of being first off the shuttle instead of last, always a bonus. Even more so was the audible gasp and “wow” that escaped our fellow bus travellers on arrival at our new home – Kayakapi Premium Caves.

First impressions of a hotel are always based on the reception staff. If you get a line of grumpy staff you are off to a bad start. When you are greeted with drinks, a comfortable seat and super-friendly staff, you know you are in for a treat. And we certainly were.

Our Cave

Our room was not far from reception, through a private gate and into a double room cave with connecting private hallway. You may have seen our Insty Videos on Instagram, this was no dark, stale cave. It included a spacious living room complete with big screen TV playing English-speaking shows. A bedroom with a huge bed, big enough for 4, but the kids weren’t staying with us. Next-door was another cave with study desk and similar giant bed. Down a small set of stairs was a beautiful bathroom complete with it’s own private hamam (Turkish sauna).

It felt immediately like home and I was instantly at ease. The inhouse restaurant had a delicious breakfast with some of Turkey’s best homemade jam. At least fellow Aussie, Russell Crowe, thought that it was worth visiting for lunch a few weeks prior. The head chef was on vacation while we were there so we didn’t get to try his culinary genius but the times we did eat there it was good food.

The view was outstanding, being on top of a mountain overlooking the whole valley. And the Muslim call to prayer echoed back and forth across the valley. Thankfully it didn’t echo in our room, these caves are like a fortress, absolute peace and serenity.

We spent a lot of our time touring the area, but I would have been happy just to have lived in that cave. I could have stayed much longer then the two nights we had.

The place felt like a hotel for movie stars. It offers premium privacy and seclusion. Restaurants and shops are not a walk away, so if you are looking for a shopping holiday perhaps look somewhere else, but if you are searching for a luxury cave with a high level of solitude, a big dose of elegance and somewhere where the staff all know your name then I highly recommend a stay at the Kayakapi Premium Caves.