Travel to Learn History!, Grow Morally! and Eat Baklawas!!! till near-implosion

Traveling challenges you – your assumptions, your limits and of course, the boundaries of your comfort zone. I’m beyond grateful to travel Turkey!!!  Here’s what I got up to.

               The city of ISTANBUL!!!!!!!!  ********quite impressive and marvellous*******

It’s one of the most awe-inspiring cities I’ve been so far. Home to breathtaking architecture, views, delicious food, experiences, some of the warmest, most genuinely hospitable people I’ve ever met in my travels.

If I would get a chance, I will definitely plan for this amazing place again in the months of apr-may which is the most ideal time to visit.

Winters is also not a bad option if you can bare the cold weathers. I had been at the beginning of the winters i.e. the first week of December, and so it was still quite a pleasant time. But you might have challenges in visiting some places like capadoccia-Air balloon, Pamukale- Hot springs. I was somehow very lucky enough to board air balloon in that weather but winds doesn't support mostly. Over and above, I have some tips which might help you during your travel. I know chances are bleak to travel in this juncture of COVID but use them whenever we get the chance to...

Where to Exchange Currency:

Turkey’s unit of currency is the Turkish Lira (TL). You can exchange currency at popular tourist areas like Sultanahmet, the Grand Bazaar, around Taksim Square and Istiklal Cadessi, etc. Rates are at its best at the Grand Bazaar and Sultanahmet but the differences may be quite insignificant. You won’t get the best rates at the airports so if you need to exchange currency to get into the city, then you should go with smaller amounts.

Where to stay in Istanbul:

Based on what I have learnt from my trip, there are two ideal places to stay in Istanbul for first-time visitors — Kadikoy and Karakoy-- One part is in Asia and another one in Europe, so staying at both the places helps you to see the versatility of the continents being at same place.

When I landed in Istanbul, I stayed next to Galata Towers which is one of the tourist attraction and must visit the observatory deck. Its just one metro stop away from Taksim Square 

Galata Tower

I took an early morning 3 am flight from Dubai to Istanbul and landed at 9:00 am ish. There was a long queue to clear the immigration and so it took an hour and half to complete the formalities in order to come out of the airport. After collecting the luggage, I grabbed a quick sachwich in Mc D and a refreshing coffee in the airport itself and then slowly headed towards the mobile network providers to figure out a sim looking for an usual cheap deal :D It costed 100 Lira though for 7 GB data which was minimum and some free local calls included. Eventually, I exited the airport and figured out the transport to reach Taksim square. Hawa bus is the only transport to reach Taksim which costed 18 Lira per person and took exactly 1 hour. I could have opted metro to reach my hotel in Karakoy area which was quite next to the Galata tower, one of the tourist attraction. But I picked a taxi for 25 TL due to the luggage. 

It is just 1 km away from Taksim square and just a funicular and tram ride away to Sultanahmet(Kabatas F1) making it ideal for me being first-time visitor and also not too far from the popular shopping street of Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue) as well as a number of trendy bars and clubs.

I did early check-in and headed towards my first attraction, Galata tower. It's a kind of observatory deck. This is one of the highest and oldest towers of Istanbul.  A couple of elevators will take you up but there are still three more floors to climb by stairs to get on the panoramic terrace. The 360-degree view from the top of the tower is stunning! The streets around the tower are home to many fabulous boutiques and cafes.

Night view of Galata is definitely amazing with gazing lights around

I then moved to the second floor of the tower to ENJOY the simulated city tour, which gave me a quick idea of the most important things to be visited in the city.

All are fascinating and all have their own attractions. The most important thing to do when planning a trip to Istanbul is to allow enough time to explore. Too much to see and too little time is a common catch cry from those returning after a visit to this wonderful city.

I quickly grabbed shawarma and headed towards the train station to buy a metro card. As you come over the bridge, on the left you will see the Karakoy fish market. You will notice minimum 200 people fishing throughout the length of the bridge. Wander through and listen to the banter of the sellers trying to get you to buy from them. 

Restaurant owners will also try to grab your attention but keep walking till the end of the market. If you are a fish lover, you can definitely try a fish sandwich there.

I then reached the metro station and took the help of the guard to buy a card as it's in the Turkish language. One metro card is applicable for 5 people which is interesting. The card costs you 6 lira and you can keep topping up as and when you need. Top up counters are everywhere and the same card if applicable for Tram, metro, Funicular, ferry, and bus, basically all means of transport which is the best part in Istanbul. I moved to Kabatas which is just one stop away from Taksim square.

It's quite walkable to reach Dolmabahçe Palace. Entrance fee is 40 Lira per person. I managed to go through only the main area of the palace as I reached the palace at 3:30 pm and it will be closed by 5:00 pm. 

The crystal mirrors, baths, and beautiful glass decorations are all worth seeing but most go to see the famous Baccarat staircase and massive chandelier in the ceremonial halls. It's location is very adjacent to Bosphorus, and so it is even more pretty and special too!

I headed back to Kabatas station after a pleasant walk around that place. We then enquired about cruise dinner for the same night. We did an advance booking and paid approximately 160 Lira per person for three hours. Then we eventually moved back to our hotel to freshen up. It's time for us to do the currency exchange and then we started exploring our area a bit. One thing I noticed whilst walking on these streets is that this city is full of musicians and artists everywhere. We Kept walking up the hill from the Galata Tower and we reached the famous pedestrian avenue, Istiklal  Caddesi which you can take all the way to Taksim Square. If you don’t feel like walking, one of the famous historical red trams will be too happy to take you! Explore the side streets that lead from here…there’s a whole new world waiting to be found!

We then moved to Kabatas to board our cruise. An evening is definitely advised on the water during your stay in Istanbul with a Bosphorus cruise. Take in the spectacular views of the European and Asian sides of this fascinating city as you dine on Turkish specialties and enjoy music and a variety of local traditional shows. 

They gave a drop at the hotel after the tour is completed.

Day-2

Started our day to sight with one of the biggest attractions Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque). We took a tram from Galata neighborhood and got down at Sultan 

Ahmed stop. We had a plan to complete the sightseeing of both the mosque's before 11:30 am.

As a regular ritual, we had a photo shoot whilst walking towards the mosque premises. 

We had to pass by a big queue to get inside the mosque. 

When I was finally able to go inside, I got to wear a headscarf that they provided, polythene covers to wrap the shoes and stepped inside. 

The detailed tilework was absolutely mindblowing and of course its a recurring theme in all my Turkish sightseeing.

After grabbing a quick snack, chestnuts and grilled sweet corn which is available on every corner of the city,

We set our sights on the next big attraction of the day: 

the Hagia Sophia. It was a Church in bygone days which later became a mosque and now it is a museum.

It was one of the world's largest building and an engineering marvel of its time. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have changed the history of architecture.

My next stop was the Basilica Cistern, a famous underwater reservoir. The entrance to this place is quite unassuming. Without checking the map I could almost mistake it as a public toilet. I have a bad route sense and pathetic observation skills though.

Anyway, we went to purchase the tickets at the entrance. We then descended steps with other tourists trying to take a photo before getting into the cool, darkened chamber underneath the city.

Its a tribute to the incredible engineering excellence years ago. The ceiling is supported by a forest of 336 marble columns, every 9 meters (30 ft) high, arranged in 12 rows of 28 columns each spaced 5 meters (16 ft) apart.

It's truly wow!!!

The cistern has the capacity to store 100,000 tons of water. It is virtually empty today with only a few feet of water lining the bottom. Amongst these columns, the most striking columns are the Hen's eye column with tears on the surface.

I can guarantee you will get lost in the maze of streets and passages that is the Grand Bazaar. It is just 10 minutes away from the blue mosque. I happened to inquire the directions to a guy to reach Bazaar, he indeed accompanied me till the entrance :) even though its not in his neck of woods. These encounters in a country which you don't belong will always act as feel good factors. When you find people with big hearts at an unexpected time and an unexpected place I tend to fall in love with the people and culture. Of course I appreciate minute of minute things whilst I travel may it be nothing :D but doesn't matter.

Each trade is assembled in its own area: carpet sellers in one street, goldsmiths in another, some good buys on the leather street whilst the arts and crafts, ceramics, brassware, and artificial and handmade jewellery may also tempt you. You’ll need a rest at some stage to plan your next stop.

We did a little bit of shopping there and decided to take a Bosphorus cruise to view the city in daylight.

Back down on the water, near to the New Mosque, there is the Spice Market or Egyptian Bazaar. Wandered around all the shops selling spices, fragrances , dry fruits and full of Turkish delights at every nook and cranny. Right outside you can buy your cheeses, mats, and nuts too.

Old palaces and mansions line the shores of the Bosphorus, Istanbul is the only city which is on two continents. Its waterway divides European and Asian sides. We got a chance to see these as you cruise all the way to the Black Sea and Marmara sea or you can also take a shorter trip to just pass Istanbul’s bridge.

We started exploring the streets and happen to visit the nightlife in Beyoglu. We did hop on hop off for an hour to almost all bars in that area and headed back to the hotel to relax.

Day 3

We started our day a little early to catch the first ferry to reach prince islands.

The four main islands Bosphorous (Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kinaliada) are accessible by ferry from Kabatas on the European coast, and Kadikoy and Bostanci from the Asian side. 

You can find the ferry schedules on the below link:

http://www.istanbul.net.tr/istanbul-Ulasim/Sehir-Hatlari-Vapur-Seferleri/kabatasbuyuk-ada/113/3

Prince islands is a cultural mix. After 1 hour 15 min boat ride, finally we are on the biggest island, Buyukada. Buyukada is full of natural treasures, at only an hour by boat from the city, you will find yourself in a beautiful and natural environment completely different from the bustle of Istanbul metropolis.

Getting around on islands:

Motorized vehicles are forbidden on all the islands.  In order to go around you can use carriages, they are kinda taxis of the islands. There is a fixed price for each course, depending on where you want to go. 

You can also rent a bike, the price starts with 10TL per hour, and 20TL for the day, you will need to leave an ID as a deposit. Bicycle rental companies usually 

distribute maps of the island for free, do not forget to ask one.

We then took a drop at Kadikoy area which is on the Asian side.It's meaning in turkish is "
The village of the judge". This used to be a settlement area for any disputes or issues among the villagers and hence the name.
Kadikoy got a very lively atmosphere and city life, historical buildings, being an important transportation hub, market, large young and student population, cultural events & arts, shopping centres, cafes, pubs and restaurants by the seaside and inland and lively nightlife especially along its famous “Bar Street” .In Kadikoy you may experience and enjoy how the Istanbul locals live. I started leisuring out with Turkish food and shopping as I have no much agenda to go around. We had sumptuous food in the most happening area. 

Then we headed towards the hotel to reach Taksim again to catch Hawa bus for the Istanbul airport- Sabiha

Day-4

So, that photo you have seen all over the internet of hundreds of hot air balloons hovering over an alien landscape?  That's 

There are many ways to arrive in Cappadocia, but time vs. cost, that would be the best choice. 

I took a flight from Istanbul Sabiha airport to reach Kayseri airport by Turkish airlines. The hotel provided me with a shuttle service to and fro Kayseri to Goreme at an extra cost of 30 Lira per pax.

This visit was one of the best experience I had in my eight days Turkey. 

What to see in CAPPADOCIA:: EVERYTHING! But from 800 meters above the earth in a hot air balloon :D :D

Cappadocia is in Central Anatolia is best known for its unique moon-like landscape dotted with strange rock formations known as fairy chimneys. 

We stayed in a cave-like Hotel with a tunnel inside to move between rooms. This is one of the best experiences I ever had Standing on our hotel roof terraces while the morning sky lit up and balloons passed overhead was a truly magical experience.

The town of Goreme is larger but its landscape is still magical with fairy chimneys popping up between the cave hotels 

Watching the sunrise against the backdrop of a hot air balloon filled sky is a spellbound experience. It being winter, the driver came to pick us at 6:20 am. We visited their office and had a quick breakfast. Rest of the people arrived eventually who booked for that day. We all left together in their respective buses to the grounds. Usually around 150 to 200+ balloons would generally fly but due to winters and winds there happened to be less than 100.




It’s a spectacular sight from the ground, but even more stunning when viewed from a hot air balloon. 

Rest of the pictures will speak a lot about itself.

We had champagne in the early hour of the day :D :D in the middle of the chimneys.

After your flight, raise your hand to have a celebratory Champagne toast and also I received a silver medal as a souvenir of my flight.

Aside from the balloon views, Goreme is busier and more tourist focused. I have booked the hot air balloon for 140 EUR per pax in cash else 150 EUR by card.

Along with this hot air balloon attraction, there are three most popular tours available: Red tour, Green Tour and Blue tour.

A month or so before my trip started, I contacted a Cave Hotel to find out if I wanted them to book any tour or balloon rides for me. I wrote back that I want to do the balloon ride and also book me on the Red Tour which is more local to Goreme. However, when I got to the hotel, the local guy told me that I could do much of the Red Tour by myself and that I really should go on the Green Tour. I took his advice.

I opted green tour immediately after the return from the hot air balloon after having a quick breakfast. The person from the hotel dropped in his own personal vehicle at the common point as we are late by 20 minutes. They are very friendly and helpful. Even our guide again repeated the history of the place as we missed it before.

After a quick photo shot at a spectacular view point, we headed towards the Derinkuyu underground city is an multi-level underground city. I happened to know from the guide its almost 200 ft depth and almost sheltered as many as 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores in ancient times.

The Green tour is about the Countryside, little bit of Hiking, visited a Monastery,  walked along the stretch of Göreme Valley, Ihlara Valley which is about 4 to 5 km long. Photos will walk you through for the picturesque views.

I'm normally ever ready for posing but in this specific place I got really more inspired by one old couple - may be in their early 60's. Uncle was capturing every nook and cranny of the place with his beautiful wife in the foreground. Loved watching them :) 

First sight of Pistacho trees :)

Finally, guide has given a short break after 5 kms of walking along the valley. Had a lovely soup and sautéed Fish with wheat.

                                    Pigeon Caves, Could not find a single pigeon though :D

Day-5

The red tour is about the iconic places of Cappadocia. This includes open-air museum, love valley and Uchisar Rock Castle. Since we had done the balloon ride, We already sighted ariel view of love valley, Devrent Valley and Rock Castle. Due to time constraints, we thought of exploring Goreme open air museum by ourself without opting a tour package.  But it's worth spending a day hiking around these splendid rock formations undoubtedly.

                      Started with a splendid sight of RAINBOW above those rock formations whilst having my solid breakfast for the day.It just vanished in 10 seconds so sorry for the hazy image though :|

It's a dark church corner

We spent about 2 hours 15 minutes at the museum and we were able to explore on our own and took photos. The museum is 30TL to enter. It’s possible to go into the Churches and most of them are filled with the most incredible fresco paintings and they have been very well-preserved. Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the Churches which seems to be nice as the museum does get very busy with lots of photos being taken, so walking inside is pleasant without the hold up of people taking photos.

I'm not sure if they all are following me :P

What's big deal :)

Queen Victoria :P We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat! They do not exist :)

We explored the rest of the Goreme on our own terms leisurely and had been to an authentic local Turkish bath to experience. It was rejuvenating and did a little bit of souvenir shopping in the center. 

I love myself to keep all my energy levels same and high till the end of the trip. Asusual again :) Geared up for the next city IZMIR. Airport shuttle was arranged by the hotel which dropped us at Kayseri airport an hour before the flight. We took the flight to Izmir and reached the hotel at around 11 pm.

Day-6

We got settled in Izmir city center in the middle of the night. We enquired about the first bus/train to reach Pamukkale for next day morning. Luckily, bus stop and the train station, are just 300 to 400 meters away from our hotel. We started our day too early and so I thought of just going in and around that place. There is one clock tower along the corniche area. My pictures will speak the rest about it:)

Clock that works perfectly :D

It was written that the most important feature of the tower is that its clock has not stopped since its construction date. Interesting! And it got matchless architecture undoubtedly. I happened to learn from the reception guy that it is one of the symbols of Izmir city and anybody coming here is advised to stop in front of being taken a memorial picture and Feed the birds :)

                    Sorry for the repeated pictures but could not resist to share all :) I love all!

Time to move to next location and so I headed to Pammukale tours and travel services. There is a shuttle to reach Autogar which is the main station to depart to any nearby cities, basically for the intercity commute. It took around 4 hours to reach Pammukale. (Izmir to Denizli and then took a minibus to reach Pamukkale)landscape located in Denizli in southwestern Turkey. Pamukkale means “Cotton Castle” is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary natural wonders of the world, and is anything but cotton-like.

Pamukkale is a very small town with an area of 10 km and can be easily explored on foot. I got little confused about the water front when looked from down and so I opted taxi to reach the top but ideally if your fitness supports 3 to 4 kms hike then you should go by foot. I think exciting way to experience the place is by a Hot Air Balloon ride or paragliding. You can get marvellous aerial view of the white terraces of Pamukkale and also the architectural ruins of the ancient Roman city nearby. 

Hierapolis-Pamukkale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and with a good reason! What makes Pamukkale so special is that this spa has been around since the Roman era. In fact, what appear to be sheets of ice are actually travertines formed as a result of underground volcanic activity!

The cotton-white travertines of Pamukkale are practically surreal, as hot pools form on each shelf cascading down like a waterfall. 

The city was known as a healing center, where doctors would heal patients in the thermal waters. 

In order to protect the unique calcite surface, visitors are prohibited from wearing footwear, so be sure to carry a plastic bag to put your shoes in. Roll up your jeans or better still, wear your bathing suit and walk along the travertines. It being Dec, we could not wear bathing suits though.

The beauty of the landscape is truly breathtaking. You can easily spend more than an hour here. Be careful while walking, since the ridges are bit slippery.

You must explore the surrounding places around these thermal waters- The ancient city of Aphrodisias. I started exploring the ruins- the large amphitheater, the Byzantine Church and Temple of Apollo. 

Then, make your way to the sacred Antique Pool, which is abundant in hot calcium water for a relaxing swim. A separate fee is to be paid to swim here, and towels are not provided. So, don’t forget to carry your own.You must take a dip in Antique Pool, also known as Cleopatra's Pool. It's being freaking chilled I could not take a dip though. So, plan your trip and make sure you’ve got at least a full day at one of the most memorable spots.

Hope these scenic pictures would definitely convince you to make a trip to this place. Worth to pay a visit!!

We headed back to Izmir by train from Denizli. 

Day-7

I thought I had enough of Roman ruins in Jordan when I explored Jerash. I was skeptical about visiting Ephesus at first but since I was in Turkey and I needed to explore for sure, I decided to put Ephesus on my itinerary after reaching Izmir. 

It was hard for me to fathom the historical value of some of the statues without a guide explaining it to me but all I could do was appreciate the art and the craftsmanship of the people who once ruled this city. Comparing this to Jerash in Jordan, the statues and the carvings were better maintained here than in Jerash. 

Amazing! Isn't it?

Eventually, I headed back to Izmir in the same reverse chronological order. (took a minibus to reach Denizli--Denizli to Izmir) And then I took flight from Izmir to Istanbul Sahiba airport as I need to catch our international flight to head back to home country.

Ahhh I'm little messed up with the sequence of destinations though, but it's always OKAY in travels :D. It would have been planned much better to avoid wastage of time in the commute for sure.

This is a suggestion for upcoming visitors.I would have flown directly from Kayseri to Pamukkale instead of IZMIR and then do a day trip to Pamukkale/Ephesus. 

One more to suggest on Istanbul's' traffic- MUST!!! There are no other means of transport to reach Sahiba airport from Taksim square other than Hawa bus or taxi. They both being road transport where you can not avoid traffic, it's advisable to always keep buffer time if you are planning to reach the airport in peak hours. I had a bad experience and ended up paying 82 EUR to enjoy the privilege of a Final Caller :D