I am using viamichelin to calculate driving times around Turkey, but can't get it to work when I enter Pammukale. What larger city near there could I use? Are Hieropolis and Aphrodisias near there as well? And does anyone know contact information for the place in the Rick Steves DVD that has the mineral baths with the ruins (columns, etc.) in them? My art students would love video of that.
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Hi Sally,
*Izmir is about 111 miles from Pamukkale and one of the major cities in Turkey.
*You are correct, Hieropolis and Aphrodisias are near Pammukale.
*Not sure about the mineral baths in the video.
*We used Lonely Planet and www.turkeytravelplanner.com as guides to plan our trip.
You'll enjoy your trip to Turkey!
Posted by
Seattle, USA
990 posts
Denizli is about 10 kilometers from Pamukkale, so you can gauge distances from that. Hieropolis is at the same site as Pamukkale, where you will also find the thermal pool with the ruins. Afrodisias is quite close by--probably 30 minutes by car.
Posted by
OP
Madrid TWP, ME, USA
7 posts
Thank you both for the information; I think we are going to be able to make a loop from Istanbul to Ankara, through Cappadocia, then back to Pammukale and then Selcuk. Turkey looks fascinating! If either of you have hotel recommendations for anywhere along that route, I'd love to have them.
Thanks again!
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Hi Sally,
I used some recommendations from JER on this site and found them to be excellent:
For Selcuk we enjoyed our stay at Hotel Bella; in Urgup (Cappodocia) we loved Esbelli Evi; and in Istanbul we spent 7 nights at Hotel Sultan Hill This hotel was in Rick Steves' Istanbul book.
We did not stay in Ankara but instead flew Turkish Airlines from Nevishir in Cappodocia to Istanbul.
Posted by
Seattle, USA
990 posts
Probably the biggest challenge in finding a hotel is Ankara--there are lots of large, chain hotels but the pickings are slim for small, family run boutique hotels. That said, I recommend Angora House in the heart of the old city, just a few minutes from the Museum of Anatolian History. Small, extremely charming, and the owner is erudite and always up for a discussion of philosophy, politics, or history. The rooms are exquisitely furnished and the breakfast is, even by Turkish standards, excellent.