Based on the title alone, I guess you all know that this post was written by Ed. Heheh. Here are seven reasons why he thinks paragliding in Pamukkale is a must-do. He hopes this can somehow convince me to try it out if we get another opportunity in the future. Hmmm, we'll see! :) - Lady
After the 10-hour bus trip from Cappadocia to Pamukkale and a 3-hour rest at Melrose Viewpoint Hotel, I kicked off the second leg of our Turkey trip with an extreme adventure. Paragliding! I really felt it was a great way to start our three days stay in Pamukkale town. It would have been better if Lady did it as well though. Hahah!
I was excited to paraglide over the travertine terraces, but not as excited as I was when I was going for skydiving above Palm Jumeirah. I mean, paragliding is on my list, however I aim to do it first in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Dream on! Hahah!
I was excited to paraglide over the travertine terraces, but not as excited as I was when I was going for skydiving above Palm Jumeirah. I mean, paragliding is on my list, however I aim to do it first in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Dream on! Hahah!
But then again, who could resist the urge of having a bird's-eye view of the magnificent white travertines of Pamukkale? I had the opportunity, I couldn't just stand there and let it pass.
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| Paragliding in Pamukkale |
Here are the reasons why I signed up for paragliding in Pamukkale (and why you also should):
1. It's reasonably priced.
For just 140 TL (That's only 182 AED!), you can already have a tandem paragliding experience. Additional 120 TL will be charged if you decide to take the pictures and videos that the Paragliding Pilot took using an action camera during the flight. For safety reasons, I was not permitted to bring my camera and GoPro.
I spent a total of 260 TL for my first paragliding experience. That's way cheaper than all the other extreme adventures I had!
I spent a total of 260 TL for my first paragliding experience. That's way cheaper than all the other extreme adventures I had!
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| Signing up for my first paragliding experience! |
2. No need to book a week or a month in advance.
After seeing some Pamukkale Paragliding videos on YouTube, doing it became an option, but I was still undecided. I only knew I had to do it when I saw professional videos in a local travel agency when we arrived. However, I didn't sign up yet. We scouted for better offers around the town, visited two more travel agencies in the morning and one paragliding company after breakfast.
I settled with Pamukkale White Sky Paragliding. The staff said they can take me to the paragliding site immediately if I want to. But I felt I need more time to rest, so I had it scheduled at 1 PM.
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| Geared up! |
3. No waiting. No queuing.
At 1 PM, we went back to White Sky Paragliding office and the staff led us to the van along with two professional paragliders and one student. On our way to the paragliding area, my tandem paraglider gave me a one-page waiver to sign. Upon arrival at the base point, he helped me gear up and then we paraglided!
No time for second thoughts. No time to go to the wash room either! Hahah!
No time for second thoughts. No time to go to the wash room either! Hahah!
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| scenic paragliding site in Pamukkale |
4. It is safe.
My tandem professional paraglider, Typhoon (Yes, that's his name. Alarming, isn't it?), told me that no major accident has ever happened so far. He said Paragliding Pilots should have two years of training before they can do the tandem paraglide. I was reassured.
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| Meet Typhoon! He's the man! |
5. It's merely 400m above the ground.
I have jumped off an airplane 13000 feet above the ground, so a 400m jump would be nothing but amazing. I didn't feel nervous the way I did when I skydived. For a thrill-seeker, it was a fun experience. But for someone who hasn't done daredevil activities before, I think it's a good introduction to extreme adventures. It's thrilling, but not that scary!
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| flying above Pamukkale |
6. Pamukkale is amazing from up above!
I wouldn't really do it for the sake of the thrill I could get from paragliding, but with the thought of having a bird's-eye view of the Cotton Castle and Hierapolis, I had to! The UNESCO World Heritage site looks stunning way up there!
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| picturesque view of Pamukkale town |
7. It brings a unique adrenaline rush!
The glide above the Cotton Castle was smooth. I just sat there and admired the peaceful view below me. But a few minutes before we landed, Typhoon started swinging our parachute from left to right and that's when I felt the adrenaline rush. It is not too extreme, yet there's a "Woooah" feeling that brought out excitement and energy.
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| Woooah! I am the King of the World! Hahah! |
It was a good experience. I would definitely go paragliding again. I hope next time it will be where I initially planned of doing it! :) Thanks for reading! - Ed
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