Turkey

Hi! Let me begin by introducing myself. I’m Mridul Bihani staying in India (Kolkata) and traveling has been my passion since childhood. By the way, I’m 13 years old and wanted to share some of my travel experiences though this blog portal. This is my first attempt in putting up a travel blog. So here it goes….

It took this trip with my parents in May 2018, and we chose upon Turkey as it was a new destination for all of us. The best way to start off a trip in Turkey is to visit Cappadocia. Cappadocia, also known as the hot air ballooning capital of the world is bursting with stunning rock formations resulting in beautiful valleys. If visiting Cappadocia, stay in one of the signature cave hotels. We chose to stay in Chelebi Cave Hotel, which was a quaint yet very cozy and comfortable hotel in the heart of town. This hotel also offers a fantastic spread of Turkish breakfast, which includes marinated olives, fruits, and a selection of Turkish cheeses. Walking around on streets of Cappadocia is a great welcoming into Turkish culture. Boutique shops, little cafes enlighten up the streets. You can also take an ATV tour which shows you valleys like the Love valley and the Bird valley.

At sunrise, the exceptional hot air balloon ride is a MUST. It starts off with a basic breakfast proceeding towards the base of the tour. The team involves all the visitors in helping them to inflate the balloon, which is an amazing experience in itself followed by the spectacular sight once we are air bourn. Once the experience is over, the guide sabered a glass of champagne as it is their tradition. The experience is outstanding.

Cappadocia also offers 3 other interesting day tours (red tour, blue tour and green tour). The green tour is a must costing approximately 100 euros per person, including tickets, lunch and transportation. It starts off with a visit to Selime monastery, which is a monastery in the rocks making it a strange and unique monastery. Next on the green tour is the famous UNESCO Derinkyu underground city and the authentic Turkish jewelry factory and museum. If you have more time, you can enjoy the blue and red tour as well. We did the red tour, which takes you to the famous Goreme open air museum and several other valleys, namely the which we had already seen in the ATV tour. Vegetarian meals are provided in all tours and the tour guides are extremely professional and friendly.

We enjoyed our evenings taking the traditional hammam spa in the truly ancient royal setting. Hammam includes, lying on a flat warm stone followed by scrub and a bubble massage. These are found everywhere and are reasonably priced. I would highly recommend going to one of the local hammams for an unforgettable authentic experience.

From Cappadocia, we took a flight to Izmir. This city is located in west Turkey. Staying at the izmir harbor is recommended as there are amazing cafes with a spectacular view of the Harbour. We stayed at Renaissance hotel. Swissotel is also a good option which is closer to the water front with better views. We walked along the waterfront exploring the city that day. Cafes were lined all along the waterfront; we chose MADO, which is a popular Turkish desert chain, which had amazing food.

The next day, we hired a car as a major chunk of the trip was to be completed on road, and which is why we made Izmir the base. We hopped in our car and drove towards Ephesus. On the way, we stopped to have a look at the house of mother Mary. Finally, we reached Ephesus by noon, the famous ancient roman city. It is a stunning display of the ruins of roman architecture with an amphitheater, a city hall and many houses. It is fabulous and one of the highlights Turkey has to offer. After the tour, we purchased a small souvenir at the gift shop. Then we drove off to Kusadassi for lunch. Kussadasi is a beautiful small waterfront town. Colorful buildings and narrow streets glorify it. Kusadassi has a European feel to it with small shops and amazing bistros for delicious meals and a delightful experience. After lunch, we wandered around town and got back to IZMIR by evening. (Instead of IZMIR, KUSSADASSI can also be you location of stay).

Our next destination was Bodrum. But we wanted to visit Pamukkale on route. We left Izmir early the next morning and reached Pamukkale (a UNESCO world heritage site) by noon, which is a collection of stepped sulphur pools. Do not forget to carry your costumes to enjoy the sulphur pools. Pamukkale is divided into two sections, the Cleopatra pool and the public area. To enter the Cleopatra pool, a small fee is required but it is definitely worth it. The Cleopatra pool is clean and warm, and is indeed an experience not to be missed. A food stall serves salads and slushes and some snacks as well. The public pools on the other hand are a little dirty and have mixed temperatures.

From Pamukkale we went to Bodrum, famous for its castle and beautiful harbor. In Bodrum, we choose to stay at El Vino hotel, its uniqueness being that it is animal friendly and centrally located. There are cats and dogs roaming around the whole property. The hotel offers a swimming pool and a small jacuzzi. I found the hotel to have an average breakfast with good rooms. I recommend visiting the bodrum castle, although we could not visit because it was under renovation. Walking around the streets gives the feeling of a beautiful small town. The shops are unique and the food is exotic. The best way to enjoy meals in Bodrum is to dine out in one of the harbor restaurants. They offer a wide selection of seafood and a spectacular view. You can also shop in the many of the stores on the main street of Bodrum. At night, we decided to explore the party district of Bodrum. There are plenty of places to eat and shop. Rip off stores offer duplicates of luxury clothing brands for a throw away price. I recommend buying the lemon cologne from Turkey, which was one of the best purchases I made in Turkey.

We then head on to Oludeniż the next day with a stop in Dalyan. Dalyan is a province in Turkey known for its famous mud baths. Instead of taking a public boat to travel through the calm waters of Dalyan, we decided to rent a boat for 3 hours. It is a bit costly but definitely worth the experience, steering through narrow water lanes surround by tall grass on both sides, exclusively in your private boat! We took our first stop at the beach. It had a small shack where we munched on some French fries and Turkish coffee. We also spotted a group of turtles swimming near the deck of our boat. We hopped onto our boat and proceeded towards our final destination, the famous mud baths. We were first cleaned with fresh spring water by water hoses and sent for a shower. Then we proceed with the mud bath experience. The mud is filled with minerals and salts necessary for the body. We massaged ourselves for about 10 minutes in the mud bath and went to the sulphur pools to clean up. I recommend keeping some bottles of water and a few nick-nacks to munch upon in the boat ride.

On our way to Oludeniż by car, we again stopped in the town of Fethiye where we took a lunch break. I stumbled upon drinking a Starbucks coffee again while my parents had a lunch in a nearby café in a big mall in Fethiye. Oludeniz is a small beach town only 20 minutes away from Fethiye. You could also spend a night in Fethiye than in Oludeniz as it is a bit more modern and sophisticated than Oludeniz. At Oludeniz we stayed at a lodge, which was not too good. The pool was small and the rooms were very basic. The positive thing was that it was right on the beach. I recommend Beyaz Yunus hotel for a stay in Oludeniż. We found the hotel at an extremely cheap price, which surely did the trick as we barely stayed inside and spent most of our time outside. Immediately after checking in, we left for a stroll and got a nice massage. We were quite hungry by then and wandered around town for a nice dinner place. The town is so small, you can explore it entirely by foot. On our quest for a delicious dinner place, we stumbled upon a paragliding company. Since Oludeniz is known as the paragliding capital of the world, we had to take a shot. We registered for next day at 5:00 am. I was nervous and scared, since this was going to be my first experience. We ate our dinner at a nice Italian place and slept off early that night.

At 5:00 am, sharp we proceeded towards the paragliding center where we were briefed and then drove up on a mountain. It was a half an hour ascend. As we reached the top, our gears were strapped safely on us with our co-rider cum guide. We then ran off a 70-degree slope, with my heart in my mouth! We got stunning views of Oludeniz from mid-air, and we also performed a few stunts like rapid rotation. Within 15 minutes, we landed on the beach, precisely on the spot where this paragliding company had their desk. We then took our pics and video from them on a pen drive, a memory that can never be forgotten. After an enjoyable morning, we departed for Antalya by car.

On route to Antalya, we visited the ancient ruins of Perge and Aspendos. Perge is a small Roman town located just in the outskirts of Antalya, whereas Aspendos hosts a large amphitheatre. Aspendos is amazing and no less than the Colosseum in Rome. It is huge and kept in perfect condition.

We choose to stay in Kaya Palazzo Golf Resorts in Antalya for 3 days straight. The resort was huge and magnificent. A welcome drink and a refreshing towel greeted us, which was of utmost necessity after a long journey. We were also given a band and a map of the whole property, as it was humongous. The band gave us access to free drinks, unlimited food and all services the hotel had to provide. We could enjoy unlimited drinks, food, ice-creams, spas, access the beach area and a mini water park! As we checked in, I decided to explore the property first. The property was huge with over 6 swimming pools, 6 restaurants, a golf course, a water park, a spa and everything I could think of in a good resort. I immediately changed into my costume and jumped right into the main pool. The pool was huge and the water temperature was just perfect. My parents and me ordered for refreshing mocktails as well as some poolside snacks. They tasted unbelievable! We kept ordering food until we were completely full and the biggest fun was that there was no right hand side column on the menu. As I hop-skipped and jumped from one pool to the other, the swim though greatly refreshing was a bit tiring also, so I sat on the pool chairs and sunbathed for a good amount of time. At 4 o’clock, my alarm went off I rushed towards the waterpark. The waterpark consisted of 5 slides, all-unique in their own way; a nice touch to great resorts. I loved the waterpark so much that I did all the rides at least 5 times daily. As the clock struck 6pm, my family changed and sat down facing the beach listening to the soothing voices of the waves with a drink in our hand, reflecting about the beautiful experiences we had in Turkey. At night, we went for our buffet dinner. The spread was so huge that I could not see the entire thing after half an hour also. Whenever I visited a section, a new section came to my eyes. Amazing seafood, beautiful vegetarian food and mind boggling deserts. It was truly an amazing end to a long day. The hotel also offers a midnight buffet for late sleepers which I had a chance to have a look at.

We had decided to take a day tour to a waterfall nearby, but laziness caught the better of us. We decided to spend our time in the hotel itself. We spent 2 days lazing around, and it was finally time to set off for Istanbul, the capital of Turkey.

We took Turkish airlines from Antalya to Istanbul. As we landed in Istanbul, we taxied it to Pera Palace. Pera Palace is a luxury travel hotel in Istanbul based after the famous writer Agatha Christie. The hotel is very regal with large rooms and vintage lifts. Pera Palace is also home to the world’s second oldest lift, after the Eiffel tower. We unpacked and left for the streets of Istanbul. The streets are charming and the alleys are filled with stalls selling local handicrafts. It was our first day in Istanbul and we crossed over Galata Bridge and went to the Egyptian (spice) bazaar. Originally selling medicines and spices, it still continues to function the same way. Wandering around the covered spice bazaar is a sensation to our senses. Sight, smell, taste, touch and sound. Smelling the aromas is absolute bliss. We tasted at least about fifty nuts, sweets and spices. It was one of the best markets I have ever visited in my life. Sunset was about to happen and the beautiful prayers illuminated the city signifying the end of fasting for Ramadan. That day, we choose to have a nice Indian meal and finally located a small recommended place. It gave me a taste of home!

As we woke up the next day, we were greeted by a warm cup of tea with some cookies fresh out of the oven. The breakfast was also delicious. After a hearty meal, we set off for a lengthy day of sight-seeing. Istanbul is a perfect city. It has shopping malls, historic sights, old town, new town and you may also choose to stay in Asia or Europe as Istanbul city is spread across both these continents! We first stopped at Hippodrome, which is one of the hotspots of Istanbul. From there, we went to Basilica cistern built by Justinian the first. It is a series of pathways and waterways. There is also a wish well where you may throw a coin and wish. We then went to the place Istanbul is best known for. The Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. The Hagia Sophia is a remarkable structure with an immense dome. Christian and Islamic art can be viewed at the same time in this beautiful monument. Right across the Hagia Sophia on the opposite side, the Blue Mosque can be seen. It is famous for the beautiful blue tile work ornamenting on its walls and magnificent example of Turkish architecture. The blue mosque has a dress code, you are recommended to know of it before deciding to visit. Right besides the Blue Mosque, you can see vendors selling hot chestnuts; just the perfect snack to energize yourself for the rest of the day.

We then went to Topkapi Palace, which is an Ottoman palace. It is collection of small museum in one entire palace. We were a little tired from sight-seeing by now, so we decided to take a break and shop in the magnificent Grand Bazaar, which is the largest covered bazaar in the world. It has over 3000 shops, each selling different things from carpets to clothing to lamps to food produce. Everything you imagine you can buy is available in the Grand Bazaar, but make sure you bargain, and bargain heavily! After visiting the Grand Bazaar, we headed towards our hotel, where on the way we glanced upon Galata tower. It is one of the city’s most striking landmarks, with a huge cone shaped cylinder that dominates the Galata side of the Golden Horn (the bridge that divides Istanbul).

At the hotel, we freshened up and left for Istiklal Street. Istiklal Street is one of the most vibrant areas in the city with restaurants, bars and shops in the historic part of Beyouglu. We stopped at a small place selling delicious Kumpir, which is a classic street food dish in Turkey after the famous doner kebab. Kumpir is a large baked potato, filled with all sort of toppings. It was one of the best street foods I had ever had. We then wandered around some shops and bought a few pairs of shoes, jeans and leather goods which are famous in Istanbul. We also stopped at Taksim Square which is the heart of modern Istanbul. For dinner, we went to ZUMA, my favourite restaurant which is a Japanese fine dining chain located in many famous cities all throughout the world. The food is outstanding and the ambiance is calm and soothing.

Next morning, we checked out of Pera Palace and checked into Swissotel Bosphorous which is in the Bosphorous side of Istanbul. It was a modern hotel; the room we got was amazing with huge glass windows, giving an awesome 180 degree view of boshphourous bridge and the Dolmabaçhe Palace, which was just below our hotel. The Turkish sultans used the Dolmabaçhe Palace, and it is kept in mint condition. The quick yet precise tour of this palace is a must on a visit to Istanbul. Right next to it is the harbor, where (for approximately 10 liras) you could hop on a boat and go to the Asian side of Istanbul. We completed our boat ride and walked in front of the harbor, taking in the sights and sounds of Turkey. We stopped at Ciragan Palace Kempinski and the Four Seasons hotels; both these hotels are exceptionally good, but demand that kind of price too. We decided to dine on the open deck restaurant of Four Seasons with stunning sunset views. The next morning, we had our last dip into the authentic Turkish breakfast with their usual huge spreads of local and international delicacies. We then packed, checked out and headed out for the airport, to get back to home finally!

THE TRIP OF TURKEY WAS DELIGHTFUL AND FUN AND AN EXPERIENCE I WILL NEVER FORGET IN MY ENITRE LIFE.