Hot trio of winter break: Cappadocia, Erciyes, Kozakli

By Sercan Kucuksahin and Behcet Alkan

KAYSERI/NEVSEHIR, Turkey (AA) - In just one day, tourist hot spot Cappadocia offers its guests a hot-air balloon tour during early morning hours over fairy chimneys, skiing at Mount Erciyes and relaxation at Kozakli thermal springs.

Cappadocia -- known to be tourists' favorites -- waits for its guests who want to experience skiing, thermal springs and a hot-air balloon ride during winter break.

The early hour hot-air balloon ride offers breathtaking scenery -- an authentic atmosphere of fairy chimneys, valleys consisted of natural rocks. After the balloon ride, an hour-long ride will give the tourists an opportunity to see the ski center at Erciyes Mountain.

Holiday-goers who enjoyed skiing during the day can also relax and end their day with thermal spring waters in Nevsehir's Kozakli district, again an hour away.

- Cappadocia: Spot for unique nature

Cappadocia, which lies in Central Anatolia's Nevsehir province, is the choice of tourists with its famous underground cities and houses carved into rocks, alongside its "fairy chimney" volcanic cones.

The region offers tourism activities in winter time as well.

The visitors can enjoy horse, camel riding or ATVs through the volcanic cones, while hiking among the valleys allow the tourists to have a unique of experience.

Accommodation is available for every kind of budget and wallet-friendly, as well as the tourism center offers boutique-style cave-rooms.

The hot-air balloon rides start from €150 ($171.6) per person, while horse rides and ATV tours cost 100 Turkish liras ($18.5) per person.

People can also visit open-air museums at the archeological sites Goreme, Zelve and Pasabagi.

Derinkuyu and Kaymakli underground cities are also options for visitors who want to travel back in time.

- Erciyes for winter tourism

Only an hour drive away from Cappadocia, Mount Erciyes awaits for tourists with its majestic view.

The Erciyes ski center, brought to universal standards with the €350 million (nearly $400 million) investment of the Kayseri municipality, has become one of the must-see places in the winter.

Being located near Cappadocia, having easily accessible areas, the length of its ski track, mechanical facilities, professional administration and its budget-friendly policy offers tourists not only skiing but a wonderful winter holiday at Erciyes.

The ski center's modern chairlifts and latest technology cable car system allows tourists to enjoy skiing in a 25-kilometer-square area, from a 2200 to 3400 meter altitude.

Its black, red and blue tracks offer different kinds of ski-tracks.

Tourists can also enjoy the Castle of Kayseri, a madrasa that dates back to the Seljuks. The visitors also can enjoy the Kapuzbasi Waterfall and shop for pastrami and traditional sausages known as sujuk -- the city's well known tastes.

- Cappadocia's health center: Kozakli

Also an-hour away from Mount Erciyes, the Kozakli district offers a healthy way of spending the holidays in Turkey.

Drawing tourists from across the country, the thermal springs in Kozakli are ready for its guests with 22 thermal facilities at work.

Its waters consisting of sodium, calcium and chlorine, Kozakli thermal waters are among A and C category healing waters.

Kozakli also has dozens of pools and aqua-parks with its many activities for children. Salt rooms, mud baths and Turkish baths are also among many facilities inside.