Sitting in SFO waiting for Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul. While planning for this trip I found trip reports posted by CWSocial to be most helpful and I’d like to try to add to her experiences, note any changes in the 13 day trip over the last two years. I urge anyone planning an Istanbul or Turkey trip to read her posts.
Jamelie and I are arriving in Istanbul three days early, hope to post again on Wednesday, April 24
She writes great trip reports. Will definately be reading your updated one when posted. Istanbul is on our radar for a future trip.
I third the CWSocial trip report recommendation! Definitely splurge on the balloon ride in Cappadocia, it was a bucket list item I didn't know I should have on my bucket list. Have a wonderful tour, it was one of my favorites.
I'm so happy to find this just in time to follow along. First, because it may explain why I felt compelled at 2am to check out recent Trip Reports...which I'm not in the habit of doing!
Second, because I'm headed back to Istanbul this summer (a wedding dictated the timing) and so I'll be very interested in hearing recent observations.
And finally because it will be fun to relive a great tour and hear a new perspective, and how things are the same or different.
Thank you (everyone) for the kind words about my trip reports and I'm so happy to get to follow along!
Added the links to my Turkey file. Come 2026 I will be spending a month in Istanbul, a week in Cappadocia, & a month in Antalya.
Arrival
So, CWSocial, your 2 AM urge to check out recent trip reports occurred just a few minutes before TK290 touched down at IST, parking in the absolutely furthest gate from Passport Control, while our baggage carousel turned out to be the second furthest from passport in the other direction. Didn’t matter much since the luggage had just arrived when we did. The point of all this description is, IST airport is huge with a lot of ground to cover. I traveled over 14,000 steps today, which isn’t too bad considering almost half the day was spent sitting on a plane.
There are several ways to get into town from the airport. We narrowed it down to two: the newish Metro line that, with one train change (and some walking), takes you almost directly next to the hotel. Second was a paid in advance transport service, $40 for two. We opted for number two so a) we could see more of the city and its approach (which our driver’s “shortcuts” accommodated quite well), and b )who wants to navigate a new metro system on 30 minutes of sleep folded into jet lag. It was the right choice. We used Welcome Pickups. Efficient, straightforward, on time, no surprises….typical of those sorts of services. I wondered about how much to tip, finally settled on around 15% of the ride cost. So 200 T Lira. Driver seemed pleased, like it was about right.
For the metro route, How to get from Istanbul Airport to City Centre (2024) — Mog and Dog Travels has a superb guide, complete with photos. https://www.moganddogtravels.com/blogs/istanbul-airport-to-city-centre#:~:text=The%20M11%20line%20connects%20the,directly%20into%20the%20city%20centre.
Previous hotel for RS Best of Turkey has been Acra Hotel, conveniently located just SE of the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet). That was supposed to be ours too but in December we were notified the hotel was changed to Levni Hotel. Still can’t drink the water; they provide a 1.5 liter bottle every day. Almost as close to Ayasofia and Sultanahmet but a lot closer to Eminönü, Galata Bridge, Ferries, trams and metro stations, and the larger portion of the old section. Though relatively expensive we booked here for the three nights pre-tour (don’t have to pack up and move). It looks fairly recently remodeled, is stylish, breakfast of course, has a pool, spa and its own Hammam. There are two popular, local coffee houses just meters away. The fifth floor is not currently being used but guests can go up to enjoy the view. No balcony but our room looks onto the Bosphorus and both the European and Asian side of Istanbul. The room is well appointed, has a security safe, and a comfy bed. Speaking of which:
We hit the sidewalks in full stride when we arrived but the rest of today’s discoveries will have to wait until tomorrow…right now the 30 minutes of sleep in over 40 hours has caught up.
CL, we had first talked ourselves out of doing the balloon; it was mostly a matter of dollars and cents. Ultimately, fortunately, we decided to let go of the dollars and make sense, so now it’s definitely on the bucket list we didn’t know we had either. Too many glowing stories for us to pass up the opportunity. Thanks for confirming we’re on the right track.
First Day
Started the morning after saying hello to the cats (some of them) with walk to Tarihi Çemberlitaş Börekçisi to try a popular Turkish Böreki. A Su Böreği and a Peynir Adnan Böreği and two small çay was 300 Tl. Definitely better with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar. Active place; In the half hour we were there, dozens of people popped in and out. Walking back the old city awakened with workers leaving the metro. We went by the Tomb of Mahmut II. Meandering through a city’s cemetery is always enlightening for us and, with several Ottoman Sultans entombed here, this should be a special experience. We’ll go back later. First though, böreği isn’t exactly diet food so it fits in with my accepted goal of walking 6-10 miles per day and gaining 5-7 pounds on this trip. But that formula only works if I also go to the gym every morning. So…..
Basilica Cistern
Yesterday discovery.
This isn’t on the RS tour. Really amazing (I’ll try to limit my usage of that word) Byzantine architecture and engineering. Public water systems interest me anyway and ancient solutions are especially fascinating.
30-45 minutes is long enough to appreciate the cavernous space, dodge several drips, and get some really unique photos. With some perspectives and timing the lights are too bright and wash out but in many the camera picks up enhanced greens and oranges on the columns. Selfies can be a little tricky for exposure when some of the lights are on, not to mention that even when the place is not busy there are still plenty of people to work around.
Glad you made it and easily got your airport transfer. I'm considering Welcome Pickups for my August visit, which I recall CL also used. I like that I can book it myself. And the price.
The service I used (name unknown, booked by my hotel) has an advantage that they just check you in when you get there and assign you to the next car. If makes no difference if your plane is late.
Basilica Cistern is high on my list, as it wasn't open during my first visit. Thanks for your timing estimate.
Sounds like you're making great use of your pre tour days, Enjoy!
The Haircut
I heard Turkish haircuts are a thing to experience so before arriving in Istanbul I’d narrowed it down to a traditional men’s barber shop in Balat neighborhood or a salon in Sultanahmet near the Ayasofya. Opted for Salon Kadır and stopped by to check how/when to make an appointment. Stepped right up (literally…there are steps everywhere here, so keep looking down) and walked right in. “Eren can do you right now”. Small shop whose vibe is hip and young (I’m neither). Showed him a photo of my last cut and said “Bu gibi, but you do what you want”. He went to work and Wow, what an experience. Perhaps not the best…Nah, it was definitely the best haircut I’ve ever had. He snipped and swooped like his hands were dancing, back and forth shaping with scissor and razor cut. Honestly it was like watching someone working on an ice sculpture. Towards the end he’d find just one or two strands of hair out of place and snip-snip. He finished off by buzzing my ear and nose hairs and scissor trimming my bushy eyebrows. I told him I might have to move to Istanbul just so he can cut my hair. He grinned and said, “yeah, Turkish barbers are best”.
Cost 600 Tl, about $18. There are shops around town with signs advertising men’s haircuts for 350 Tl but I doubt they’d be as thorough..
From pictures, their women’s cuts look really good too.
CWSocial, Welcome Pickups will wait for one hour after the scheduled pick-up time and they say they monitor your plane and will adjust. I did read one reviewer who claimed they didn’t, with the excuse they were too busy. I think that could happen. I suspect these are independent operators.
The Hammam
We did the full package Hammam tonight, which included sauna, Turkish bath, and massage. We are thoroughly scrubbed and exfoliated and as limp as over cooked linguine. If you’ve done the full package Turkish Bath experience you know what it’s all about. If you haven’t done it you should.
There are lots of venue choices with a wide range of prices. We went with one of the more reasonable places, mostly due to someone we met (more on that contact in a later post)
Süleymaniye Camii
Seeing The Tomb of Mahmut and surrounding cemetery was interesting but the tombs and cemeteries at Süleymaniye Mosque are a better experience of a Moslem cemetery, with more open space and artfully designed headstones. The mosque is an impressive example of Ottoman imperial architecture with a soothing visual rhythm in the domes’ interior (I’m pretty sure I jacked that description from Wikipedia or someone’s Google review but I can’t say it any better). The grounds are much less busy and frenetic than the area around Ayasofya and The Blue Mosque, offering unparalleled vistas of the Golden Horn and an opportunity for peaceful reflection and serenity.
It’s not on the RS tour so we were sure to make time.
There is no cost to enter the grounds or the visitor section of the mosque.
Up very early to hear the morning call to prayer. Right on time at 5:00 AM the first of many voices, with many pitches and timbres, echoing throughout the city, building to a crescendo and finally fading into silence as each mosque finished.
Inspiring.
Loving your trip report in progress! Glad you had a good experience with Welcome Pickups. They worked great for me too. I hope you love the balloon ride - I am significantly afraid of heights but was able to function pretty well regardless (don't look down!). Ordinarily I wouldn't fork over that kind of money for an experience, but for me it was worth every penny. The Basilica Cistern was closed on my visit but the Cistern of Theodosius was a fine visit as well. I did a hammam at the place CWSocial used (Hurrem Sultan Hammam) but also did one in Antalya with my group. Definitely do that second one too - they take you to a very local place and it is fun to compare to the Istanbul experience. You can do the boat ride and hammam in same day.
PS I would say approximately 1/3 of my photos from that tour are of cats! I met one at the whirling dervish performance in Pamukkale - he sat in my lap during the performance and then decided to join the dervishes for the last 5 minutes or so. Hilarious! And I decided to get two kitties when I came home - the cat distribution system is a worldwide thing.
"Up very early to hear the morning call to prayer.
Right on time at 5:00 AM
the first of many voices,
with many pitches and timbres,
echoing throughout the city,
building to a crescendo
and finally fading into silence
as each mosque finished."
Poetic. Love this!!
Thanks for the tip: we visited the Süleymaniye Mosque, but not the cemetery. I've added it to my own personal Old Town Walk that also includes places that were closed (Basilica Cistern) or under renovation (Blue Mosque) at the time of my 2022 visit.
amazing (I’ll try to limit my usage of that word)
You're on the RS Best of Turkey tour....you just go right ahead and keep on using it! Although you might need to find a word at a whole new level after you visit Ephesus!
Simit
Followed more excellent advice and grabbed a warm simit to munch on while we walked across the Galata Bridge to watch the sun get busy with the day as the moon went to bed behind a minaret.
The sun was taking its time this morning so we continued on to Galata Tower and said günaydın to the pigeons, who responded with a private concert (I think they were going to do the concert anyway). Loved the quiet neighborhood that will be anything but in a few hours.
Bosphorus
The sky is finally clear enough of clouds and haze for the Bosphorus to shout with its famous cerulean blue water. Is it famous for that? I don’t know, but judging from the color today it should be.
Kadıköy
Not on the RS tour so hopped on the 9:00 ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy (25 Tl/person each way, about 75 cents) lunch and a too brief taste of the Asian side. Nearby the ferry pier in Kadıköy is a station for the B1 metro line (we could have traveled there that way; the station entrance is 20 meters away from the Levni Hotel). This is also a major bus hub so there is a lot of coming and going with commuters, shoppers, and tourists. By the way, this is also one of the few areas we found public toilets (WC). They cost 10 Tl so it’s good to carry some small bills.
To my untrained eye Sögütlu Çeşme Cd. seems to divide a more touristy section around the Kadıköy market area from a section with more local shopping, artsy and residential. We opted for the residential. The neighborhood we explored felt cosmopolitan. Sipped a chai at Robin’s Mug, across the street from a former church converted to a concert hall, and watched several people walking their leashed dogs, one of which was very well coiffed…looked like she/he had just come from the dog salon (so proud). Historical buildings nearby, appealing coffeehouses and boutiques.
Lunched at Balıkçı Lokantası, fish soup then a plate of sardine and one of sea bream, both filleted and both grilled. The sardines were large medallions. The taste, in a word…Fresh. I’m still trying to decide which one I liked better.
A brief 4 hours visit. We need more of Kadıköy. But today we needed a nap.
The feribot going at 9:00 AM was uncrowded, about ten people but the trip back was a bigger boat and way full. Almost had a party atmosphere, with lots of passenger enthusiasm, a guy walking around hawking Çay? Kahve? Suyu? I half closed my eyes and was instantly mesmerized by the calming bubbling brook of multiple languages (I think I counted five).
Levni
A few Levni Hotel observations. Not complaints, just things to know.
The shower tub is high, 20” from tub bottom to rim and 24” from floor to rim. With narrow doorway, glass wall supported on only two edges, and no safety bars…getting out with wet feet onto marble floor requires some agility, confidence, and commitment.
Hotel became progressively more booked each day (glad we came in early) and by Friday night WiFi speeds had noticeably diminished.
The lower level pool and workout room (minimal) doesn’t officially open until the spa does at 11:00 and before that ALL the lights are turned off. Elevator door opens to complete darkness so one of the desk people has to go down with you to turn on the lights.
Begin the Tour
Met guide Togay and the group of 26, including us, and did Grand Bazaar (briefly), Ayasofia, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, and dinner. We ate in Sultanhamet at the restaurant Albura Kathısma, not at one of the very touristy places beneath Galata Bridge. The food and atmosphere was excellent.
Traveling through city streets with a group is a new thing for us. We tend to walk at a quick pace and often stopping for body checks, waiting to cross busy streets as a group, having to stay close together is not a natural walking rhythm. But we adjusted quickly, it is a lovely group and the shared experience far out weighs. Besides, it’s the only practical way….and thankfully Togay doesn’t use one of those flags to follow behind that a lot of the guides are using. The group dynamic is really positive and I see friendships forming.
Learned from Togay that the Instabulkart will get you into some of the public toilets, at least the one in Sultahnamet Meydanı. In fact it’s the only way for that one. I’ll be sure to have my card at all times.
It’s unusually cold with a chance of rain and today we’ll be on the Bosphorous cruise. Brrr.
That's a full day of Rick Steves 3 triangle attractions! I'm looking forward to the Blue Mosque, which we saw glimpses of through the renovation scaffolding. That alone may be worth my return.
Thanks for the restaurant tip, which I may use for lunch on the day I revisit Old Town.
What fun to follow along on your tour! That restaurant looks amazing, too bad I didn't know about it, I stayed just a couple blocks from there pre-tour. Next time!
CWSocial I went to Blue Mosque right after it reopened after the first morning prayer - hardly anyone there and the light was great. Might be too early for you but it was worth avoiding the lines/crowds. Another great place to see nice blue tile work is the Rustem Pasha Mosque kind of hidden behind the Spice Market. Hard to find the entrance but it's a lovely quiet spot and the tiles are spectacular.
Thanks for the Blue Mosque timing tip, CL! I'm staying on the other side of the Galata Bridge, so I may not pull off the 4:40am first morning prayer, but perhaps the second, which is at 6:15-ish in August.
If I were staying near the Acra, I could take an early morning walk over to the Blue Mosque and then go back to the room and catch a few more winks. A bonus for that location.
The Rustem Pasha Mosque and the Spice Market may be the perfect last stops on my departure day, when my flight out of Istanbul is after 8pm.
A Very Busy Day
Seeing Topkapi Palace was a Wow Day. Especially the Imperial Chamber, which only reopened fairly recently after significant restorations. Opulent, beautiful tile, gold leaf galore, ostentatiously exhibiting wealth and power. The Imperial Treasury is filled with valuable artifacts too numerous to describe, but including the Spoonmaker’s Diamond 86 karat and the fourth largest of its kind in the world. Guide Togay pointed out, if these were the things the Sultan left behind when the royal family left, just think of what he took with him.
With four courtyards and numerous buildings, the Palace really needs two visits to explore.
Traveling across to Beyoğlu took some doing today. The Tour of Türkiye bicycle race was happening so there were more people out than even normal for a Sunday, trams were not running, streets were crowded, and it rained almost all day (which didn’t keep people from being out and about). Walking on Istlikal was festive, with several seas of umbrellas. The fish restaurants on Flower Street were enjoyed by many, including us.
The day was long and strenuous, even though we walked less than the 9 miles a day we’ve averaged here, and after the Bosphorous boat tour, an early evening and a chance to warm up, rest up, and catch up on the trip journal seemed like a great idea.
Scam Alert
Don’t drink the water edition:
Togay told us not to buy bottled water from any of the street vendors that walk around selling them. They’ve figured out how to make the caps look sealed after filling used empties with tap water.
One thing that is simplifying my return to Istanbul is that I'll be staying in our Best of Istanbul tour hotel. I remember where the ATMs are. I remember how to get to the tram stop.
And, good reminder .... I remember where the little market is to buy truly sealed bottles of water for cheap!
ATM Fees
From pre-trip research I “learned” that Ziraat Bank and sometimes Halk Bank ATMs don’t charge fees for foreign card withdrawals. That turned out to be not true. Both of those charged me 8% and experimenting with several others they were mostly the same. Exceptions were 10% in the airport and 7% at a Türkiye İş Bankası, which lowered from 8% when I chose to have the transaction fee taken out in lira. None of the others offered that option.
Last day in Istanbul
Woke up to our last sabâ call to prayer, at least the broad, wavy multi-tonal sounds in this city.
We’ll be rushing out with an 8:30 departure from the hotel after loading our luggage into minivan to take to our bus. This area of Old Town won’t accommodate the bus. We’ll do Egyptian Spice Market and then head to Ankara on another cold and overcast morning.
Istanbul regrets, places we still want see:
Dolmabahçe Palace
Archeological Museum
Deeper exploration of Istliklal Cd and passageways. We only had a brief pass through.
Our Istanbul itinerary was changed every day to accommodate city goings on.
Not sure I understand all the logic.
Balat neighborhood
Kuzguncuk neighborhood
This is not a complete list….and I’d love to hear other’s recommendations.
Hotel Levni final thoughts
I’d stay again, probably, for staff and location. It is a bit pricey, though, so I’d explore options.
Beds are perfect for me, firm but not too.
We upgraded to a deluxe room, so got more space and maybe the view.
Breakfast was superb. Aren’t they usually?
Heating and cooling system is chancy. Some fellow travelers complained the room was too hot, others it became too cold. Our window kept popping open, no matter how much force was applied to the lever, which made the room cold. In-room thermostat does nothing, so staff has to change it centrally, which they did one night. Next night they said they couldn’t so gave us a portable heater. I think they just shut the whole system down because of guests complaining about too hot/too cold.
This is the first time RS Tours has used this hotel.
I finally figured out the elevator buttons require a thumb or finger pad, finger tips don’t work. Only took me until the last morning.
Great Simit place 100 m around the corner. First day the guy was kinda “meh, more tourists”. By today he was all smiles and friendly, even a bit chatty.
Re: itinerary changes to tour - my guide also flipped the order of things. For example, she knew when there were extra big crowds at the Topkapi palace so we went at a less crowded time (it was still crowded). There were multiple adjustments to the printed itinerary along the way, so don't be surprised. I asked the guide about it and she told me the printed itinerary is out of date for current practicalities - you will see what they promise but perhaps not in the same order. BTW on my tour eval I suggested they should update their itinerary to be more in line with what guides are doing.
As for your Istanbul regrets list, I wish I had seen most of the things you listed, though I'm not much of a shopper so Istiklal street was not a place I'd go back to. I also wanted to see the tile museum and the Chora Church but both were closed (and still are). I could easily go back and spend a week and not cover everything, and I covered a lot when I was there!
PS I tried making simit when I returned home. Utter failure! So eat as much as you can while you're there, it's hard to replicate.
You’re exactly right CL, we’ll see everything listed in the itinerary and any change to order is for practical reasons. After this morning’s early visit to the Spice Market, limited street space to board the bus, and departure from crowded Istanbul, yesterday’s changes are understandable.
I didn’t know about the tile museum but now that I do it made it to near the top of the list. Thanks.
I figured making the simit is difficult, though I’m still tempted to try…or rather Jamelie will be.
OCAK
I’d heard on very good authority that Ocak was not to be missed. We went twice, once to drink and the next night to eat. I’ll share my impressions of them separatey.
The Restaurant
Chef Omer owns and curates the menu for a Michelin rated restaurant. Constantly changing his creative approach, as of a few months ago he no longer offers an a la carte menu. Instead you can choose from three tasting menus: a three course for €70, five course for €80, and seven course for €110. All guests at the same table must choose the same menu. We went with the five course.
As should be expected, the portions are small. Good thing too because the food is rich, with each course a tapestry of flavors using spices and herbs in unique combinations. I found it best to eat in slow and small bites, savoring the changes in flavor and texture as I worked my way around the plate
The Bar
We went in the night before to have a drink and an appetizer. They don’t do bar food. Which didn’t stop us from having two of Misak’s signature cocktails, Prince of Persia for Jamelie and for me The Last Word, which is pretty much described as a rum and pineapple but is anything but. We chatted up Misak, talking spirits and cocktails. I enjoy creating new cocktails at my home bar or trying to duplicate a really good drink a professional mixologist has put together. Duplication would be impossible in this case. What an artist. I’ve never seen anyone go through so many steps or come up with so many complex flavors in one glass. I gave him the recipe for one of my favorites in the hopes he’ll try it and take it to new levels
We talked about Raki and Misak gave me a couple of tastes, my favorite being Efe 5…although Togay told me we’re gonna try Yeni Raki Gold when we go out drinking one night this week.
To have one of Misak’s signature drinks, he has to be there…because “they’re my signature drinks”. The other bartenders are limited to making the classic drinks.
OCAK…go for the drinks, stay for the food.
Thanks CWSocial
Spice Market
Misak from Ocak told me they buy all of their spices from Hayfene, stall number 51, so I was determined to do my shopping there. I figured we’d all go in, listen to the lesson and perhaps sales pitch from wherever Togay took us, and then I’d go find stall 51.
Well…the business Togay takes his groups to is Hayfene! Imagine that. When I mentioned the above to the manager and his employees and to Togay, one of the guys whipped out his phone and said “this Omer?” Yep. And Togay said, oh yeah, Omer and I were drinking whisky together last night…(thanks for inviting me).
Oh, and we did buy some spices…including Ufer Biber, which they don’t have out on display; I had to ask if they had it. I can buy good quality in San Francisco but this was far superior…fresher and noticeably hotter.
The folks at Hayfene are pros so even if not on a RS tour, this is the place to go in the Egyptian Spice Market.
Ankara
Ankara looks like kind of dull city, confirmed by Togay who was raised here. I’m sure there are some places of interest but we won’t be here long enough to find out. There is a very pleasant park near the hotel, The Ankara Occidental. This is a business hotel, but a nice one.
Several of us went to a pub to have a beer, where we met Togay’s mom, sister, and future brother-in-law.
A couple of brave souls ate Kokoreç, lamb intestines wrapped around spiced sweetbreads, then grilled and served as a sandwich. I skipped it, but only because I skipped dinner altogether.
Ankara ATM charged a 6% fee.
Thunderstorm, lightning close by, raining hard. May have to buy an umbrella tomorrow.
I am bubbling with happiness that you had 2 great experiences at OCAK!! I love that Jamelie had the Prince of Persia cocktail - oh that brings back terrific taste bud memories! That's very cool that you create cocktails in your home bar and had such a pleasant experience with Misak.
Interesting about the new array of tasting menus. My mouth is watering for all of it .... ok, I'm going to make a reservation at OCAK!
ETA: reservation made for OCAK!! I didn't even know it was a Michelin recommended restaurant, although I'm not surprised.
And yes to Hayfene! I still have my shopping bag from one of my visits. Last time, I bought teas and Turkish Delight in chocolate, pistachio and maybe rose, something red. This time, I'll have to pick up some actual spices.
*Istanbul regrets .... and I’d love to hear other’s recommendations."
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who starts their list for "next visit" before finishing "this visit!* I was in Istanbul for the 7 day tour, plus the start of the Turkey tour, and I still have plenty on my list for my upcoming 7 days.
I haven't done any of the Rick Steves guided walks, so I am planning a few of those: City Walls Walk and the Asian Walks.
I hope to take a forum recommendation to visit the Çamlıca Mosque.
Also from forum recommendations, I'm hoping to visit the Cihangri district, or perhaps Ortakoy, or maybe go back to spend more time in Balat.
Yikes, I'm still going to need more time!
Ezan
Turkish for the first call, instead of the Arabic Adhān
Because Ankara is further East than Istanbul the first prayer today was at 4:07 am.
I was awake anyway.
Ankara day
We enjoyed Ankara more than we expected. Among the displays at The Anatolian Civilization Museum were artifacts I’ve never seen. A highlight was the exhibition of inscribed clay tablets, with text in the Assyrian dialect. Some were encased in a clay envelope…a few were broken…so it would be obvious if the communication had been tampered with. Tagoy explained and pointed out the transformation and evolution through time of Cybeles, from the mother of Gods to the Phrygians.
Ataturk is revered by most of the Turkish population and his mausoleum is testament to the high esteem he is held. It is a stunning and grand complex, fitting for a visionary man. There were several school ceremonies being held and the area was very crowded. Yet still, when the soldiers parades and minute of silence were held, about once per hour, everyone there was still, quiet, and respectful.
Mustafapaşa
We arrived during a tremendous downpour, dashing through the wet to our hotel. Power went off soon after but generators started up, with a little help from staff.
We’re staying at Cappadocia Estates Hotel, I believe an old mansion/estate recently converted and renovated.
Breathtaking is a word I generally reserve for natural wonders or monumental structures, but that was my reaction (I gulped) when we walked into our room. Now, before we left the US I had gone on the hotel’s web site and looked at photos of every room. We’re in the şırahane ((chapel) room and honestly the photos don’t do it justice. What an absolutely amazing place and I’m so looking forward to the next three nights.
Apparently all the RS Tours will be staying here so if you’re signed up for the 13 day Türkiye tour, know you will be chilling in style.
Group dinner at nearby The Old Greek House, another renovated building, with excellent food. The group conviviality has mushroomed, with animated and enthusiastic conversation bouncing around the tables.
Togay lives a short distance away and his wife joined us.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, we’ll be ballooning.
Packing
I’ve used small mesh bags for organizing small items for years. For this trip I also purchased packing cubes. They’re great. I love them. For a sloppy and disorganized person like me they are indispensable. A simple lift of a cube or two and everything is exposed, obvious, and easy to find.
Cappadocia Estates Hotel is associated with the family of some of the lead guides for Turkey tours. My tour stayed at Upper Greek House instead, but we had an excellent dinner at Cappadocia Estates. I also ate at Lower Greek House twice - their resident cat and dog keeping us company.
I hope your balloon ride goes without a hitch, you have two more mornings to go if weather doesn't cooperate :)
We enjoyed Ankara more than we expected.
No doubt due, at least in part, to a guide who gives it all meaning.
I love the respect shown at the Ataturk complex. Your room sounds positively divine!
I made my dinner reservation at OCAK. In the space for messages, I mentioned that I'd first been there with our tour guide, Mert. I got a pleasant note saying "welcome back" rather than just "welcome." Nice touch that they actually read the message.
I am so enjoying reading this trip report rontayca! Thanks to CWSocial for bringing it to my attention at our get together last week. The RS Turkey tour is a consideration this time next year so this is very informative and interesting. Although I wonder if the rain and cold is typical at this time or just bad luck with mother nature? It sounds like you are not letting it dampen your spirits though!!
I'm looking forward to the next installment
CL, you’re right. I asked around. Lale and her husband Tankut, owners of SRM Travel and authors of the RS Istanbul Guide Book manage the hotel and I believe she owns with her family.
CWSocial, yes the guide makes the difference and Togay is exceptional…18 years experience.
Glad to know you already have Ocak arranged. I’ll be waiting to hear your second impression. Say hello to Misak.
UP
Pre-dawn drive through the adjoining towns and villages, onto dirt roads that meandered around trees and passed by several clumps of large mounds that turned out to be partially inflated balloons still lying on their side. Finally we arrive at our balloon, flat and forlorn looking, which changes quickly as air from a fan inflates the balloon enough to raise it and right the carriage. Soon we’re aboard and after much frenzied activity we begin to lift.
Impressions, highlights, sensations.
Our pilot is entertaining and plays us a percussion rhythm by manipulating the burn sequence.
A wedding ceremony is taking place on the ground, bride and groom in a vintage pink Cadillac with doors ajar. Our pilot lowers to photo bomb, to the delight of the couple.
A vista of colorful Easter eggs floating up and down across all horizons.
We graze a plot of apricot and olive trees. I guess the pilot knows what he’s doing. (Yep, he does)
Even with the chatter of happy passengers, pilot and co-pilot banter with the ground followers, and blasts from the burners…there are gaps of serene silence, the most profound quiet.
Was it worth the $315 each? You betcha!
DOWN
We didn’t have the kind of problem CWSocial described in her trip report but our pilot didn’t exactly stick the landing. We set on a slight incline in the middle of very tall and very wet grass. The ground crew came rushing at high speed to our rescue and began engaging the pilot in an animated, arm waving, finger pointing exchange which ended with us being lifted and pulled 50’ to a flatter and dryer spot.
Disembark, drink the celebratory (non-alcoholic) champagne, take the photo and we’re off, everyone all bubbly and sighing with content.
The Window
It was overcast when we left the hotel but on the drive over I told the van driver, “today looks good for ballooning”. He shrugged and said “inshallah” a response that can mean “we’ll see”, or sometimes “don’t absolutely count on it”.
Well…with area storms there was no ballooning the past three days; with forecasts there will be no ballooning the next three days. We snuck in.
Oh I'm glad to hear you snuck in between the weather. Thanks for the taking those of us at home Up and Down along with you through your memory-inflating descriptions!
The wedding photo balloon-bomb still has me chuckling!
Local Lunch
The tour includes lunch in a private home near Ortahisar Kalesi.
But first a word from our primary sponsor… Mother Nature.
Storm clouds were gathering when we deboarded the bus, so while over half the group used the public WC (the private home would not accommodate us) Togay led the rest to the home and by the time he returned 5 minutes later a lightning fueled monsoon hit. The rain became fierce, turned to hail, and continued that way for over twenty minutes. One third of our group was in a home with an 80+ year old woman who spoke no English, one third hunkered in the entry to the WC, one third across the street bunched up beneath a porch, and one very drenched guide. When the rain let up to be only a downpour we raced the 150 meters to the home, crossing the road twice over (through) a six feet wide and three inch deep river of water. This of course is the day I didn’t wear my waterproof shoes.
We made it to join the others, twenty-nine of us crowded into a 12 x 20 room, most of us on perimeter cushions, a few on stools in the center. Close quarters. Wet. Cold. It was wonderful!
A tasty lunch prepared by Fahriye in the summer room of a house built 200 years ago by one of her grandfathers (great-great, maybe add another great). Questions posed, answers given, obvious affection between Fahriye and Togay. An intimate and cozy setting that wouldn’t have been the same without the rain; instead we would have all sat outside, not seeing the open pole ceiling, the picture of her on the wall at 25 at a loom, the carpet she and her mother and her aunt wove over a three month period. We were all honored to share such a day with her.
Communication
For this trip I considered buying a local Türkiye mobile SIM card package. I did not partly because of reviews and cost but mostly because I wanted my phone to be active as soon as we landed without paying my carrier’s $10/day roaming charges. I settled on Airalo and I’m satisfied.
For $10 (after a $3 voucher discount) I purchased a 30 day 3 GB data-only eSIM, good for 39 countries (we’re going to Greece after the RS Tour). There are plenty of discussions about this on the Rick Steves Technical Tips forum.
I don’t need phone service so data only is fine. I can and have made WiFi calls through WhatsApp. It works perfectly for Google Maps, web, email, and iMessage. One full week into the trip I’ve used just under half of the 3GB, most of which was while in Istanbul for finding our way around. I can purchase additional GB if I do run out.
Turkcel in Istanbul was $30, though I think that was for unlimited data. It is, however, limited to Türkiye,
Airalo was the right choice for me.
So descriptive!
I feel like I am there too.
I don’t take organised tours, but I have been to Turkey three times and loved it.
We have friends who live in Bursa and are so welcoming.
The people make it special!
lynn3374, thanks for letting me know you’re enjoying the report. That warms me.
The rain, not the cold so much, is typical sort of for the season in Cappadocia. Tagoy said normally the region has 40 days of rain at this time (he didn’t specify when that starts), with sprinkles and light showers often in the afternoon. In the storm I described above in Local Lunch, he said we got all 40 days worth in about 30 minutes.
Jamelie and I find weather exciting so, no, it does not dampen our spirits nor anyone else’s in this tour group actually. On the contrary it enhances the trip, bringing the landscape into relief, freshening the streets. Maybe it’s Patagonia or REI that pointed out “there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad preparation”. Besides, we were born wet, everything after is an adjustment.
I look forward to reading your entries every morning as I sip the first cup of coffee. Yes we feel like we’re tagging along. Many thanks!
Hanemeli
I had chosen a few restaurants to visit on this trip and Hanemeli was highest on the list. I asked Togay if I was on the right track; he said definitely and made a reservation for us, along with two of our bestest newfound tour friends, T & J.
The restaurant is family owned, with two brothers running the dining room, mom in the kitchen down below, their young sons bringing the food up the stairs, and either wives or sisters managing the movement. Erhan and Serkan are friends of Togay for 14 years…of course. Togay knows everyone.
Their Anatolian food is fabulous. A few of the dishes we ordered are similar to either Lebanese recipes I was raised with or other Mediterranean cuisine we have adopted. I happily watched T. try one dish in particular that we frequently make at home, lentil köfte. It was like experiencing the magical flavor and texture for the first time again through the absolute joy on his face. A uniquely Cappadocian dessert was reduced grape syrup, butter, flour, and water. It has look and texture similar to Spanish membrillo, but is not as sweet.
We all ate more than we should and paid $18, including beer and wine.
I would recommend all my friends to eat Hanimaeli when in the area.
When we left we met a distinguished looking gentleman standing on the street near the doorway. He proudly told us his sons own the restaurant.
Rock In
We visited two of Cappadocia’s truly fascinating attractions today
The monasteries and churches chiseled into the rocks of Göreme Open-Air Museum fall into the just-when-you-think-you’ve-seen-everything category. The engineering required to excavate the space to reveal columns, domes, and arches within the rock is a wonder. The frescoes (they looked more like tempura to me), though deteriorated in many of the cave spaces, are well preserved in the Dark Church, with vibrant, colorful, and detailed depictions of the life of Christ.
We arrived early enough to avoid most of the crowds, which is a must. Yesterday’s rain was the gift that kept giving because it forced us to postpone our visit until this morning. The rooms are small and stairs and ramps can easily become clogged. There is a long and steep in places climb to get to the sites.
It’s easy to understand how Kaymaklı underground city would have protected its Hittite inhabitants whenever the need arose. The narrow passage ways, with their less than 5’ ceilings, made it easy to trap and attack invaders (random calf high holes through which to thrust spears). The passageways could be quickly sealed off by rolling a large rock disc weighing 5 metric tons into place. If not on a RS Tour I would hire a guide to explain the rooms and history.
Several of our group had trouble in this confined space, bordering on panic attack. You have to stoop and duck walk for several to as much as 25 meters at a time to pass through, in single file...no room to turn around. With crowds ahead and pressing from behind, it’s easy to feel like you’re trapped and can’t move. If you are claustrophobic or unable to walk bent over downhill you might consider skipping this, though that would be unfortunate. You will most likely bump your head at least once.
bummed I missed out eating at that restaurant! Though I am pretty sure some of our tour members ate there. We too had a rain deluge (in September) and for our safety and preservation of dry clothing ended up at Old Greek House instead (delicious too).
I laughed out loud at this description of the underground city:
If you are claustrophobic or unable to walk bent over downhill you
might consider skipping this, though that would be unfortunate.
I am both of those things but I did it anyway, just muttered "just keep moving" over and over as we moved through the scarier parts. One of our tour members got us all laughing when she asked that no one pass gas. A once in lifetime experience for sure.
A very nice day (çok güzel bir gün)
Our last afternoon in Mustafapaşa we took a short walk into the village to buy postcards and granddaughter trinkets. Mr Çebeli invited us into his shop (of course).
For the past 8 months I’ve diligently spent 1-2 hours a day learning Turkish. My vocabulary is pretty broad, accent not too awful, and I have a sound understanding of the rules of grammar (it’s in my brain here somewhere). Turkish verb conjugation and suffixes are tricky and by no means do I really speak it but can usually (sometimes?) get my point across. Listening and easily understanding spoken Turkish ? Fuhgetaboutit.
But Bay Çelebi just loved that I was trying and after several back and forth exchanges he said, “I want you to come into my house, sit for 5 minutes”. He led us through the warren of rooms in his building (he owns), upstairs to “the winter room”, where he made us tea. We climbed another flight of stairs to the veranda overlooking the street, sat, watched the people below, and chatted for 30 minutes. He spoke mostly in limited accented English, slowly when in Turkish, and corrected my errors as we talked about our lives, families, Mustafapaşa, Türkiye, people. He served in the Turkish army as a non-commissioned officer and, when he retired in 1984, returned to the village where he was born, purchased the building we were in, started a fabric business, and employed several families in what was then a very economically depressed village.
Any time I managed to put together a complete sentence he beamed.
When it was time to leave he told us, “anytime you are visiting Mustafapaşa, you come, sit here, have tea, enjoy”
Back on the street I said, “görüşürüz benim arkadaşım” (see you later my friend). Bay Çelebi grabbed my hand, crinkled his eyes into a smile, chuckled, nodded, and said, “benim arkadaşım”.
Çok güzel bir gün!
Uh-Oh
Less than halfway through this trip and my belt is telling me I may have already met my accepted goal of gaining 5-7 pounds, emphasis on the 7.
Travel just doesn't get any better than your encounter with your new friend, Mr Çebeli.
Congrats to you on making it possible with your language study. I couldn't even get the hang of thank you.
Teşekkürler, for sharing your story!
I previously read CW’s trip report on Turkey and loved it. Now I’m loving yours. We have booked our Greece tour for next spring ( booked after a medical event made us cancel this spring) and now I may need to rearrange it to add on Turkey.
Keep the reports coming as I’m enjoying it thoroughly.
On the Road Again
Mosque visit
An opportunity to speak with the Imam, questions about Islam asked and answered. The mosque was peaceful, the Imam gracious.
Sultanhanı Kervanserayı
In the town of Istikamet are the ruins of a main stop over for caravans traveling the silk route. It’s been partially restored in the last three years, with most of the facade looking like it once did, the courtyard and dormitories accessible and the stables open. In the stables is an exhibition of vintage carpets which, though temporary, has been in place since before last fall. They didn’t show us anything like these when we visited the carpet cooperative in Cappadocia!
Konya
A conservative (no alcohol served or sold anywhere) but modern city with a vibrant downtown. Friday night crowded, more than normal because the Turkish Air Force version of our Blue Angels was performing. Big noise overhead, from where we happened to be only saw one plane, but he did a spectacular and precise double roll.
Walked through the Women’s Market, so-called because it used to consist of only women who sold from their gardens. Today it’s an open market with mounds of succulent fresh fruits and vegetables, exciting the olfactory as well as the visual. Stalls selling cheese, grains, huge tubs of tomato or pepper paste, fresh meats from all domestic animals (including all body parts…I’ll skip the goat heads and pig brains). One butcher showcased the largest and finest oxtails I’ve ever seen. Those I would cook. Everything needed to prepare the perfect meal was available. We munched our way through with a purchase of dried garbanzos, 25 Tl for 3 grams, a double handful.
The Mevlanı Museum and Mausoleum, bedsides being a beautiful building, holds many books of Rumi’s poetry as well as the Quran. They are written in the most delicate calligraphy and adorned with complex geometric or floral drawings. (That description doesn’t begin to do them justice). The displays of tools and accoutrement of the Sufi was illuminating. It’s been a while since I‘ve read anything by the Mevlani but it may be time to do so again.
Everything about yesterday has gone with yesterday. Today, it is needed to say new things - Rumi
True that CWSocial. Language, even a little, opens many doors. Language is born of culture; exposure to the former is one key to the latter.
Konya Morning
Selçuk hotel, another very modern facility, the great Turkish breakfast. The hotels that cater to traveling Turks rather than mostly foreigners include a bowl of tahini on their breakfast bar. A serving of tahini mixed with grape syrup is too yummy to miss. It’s actually better with date molasses or syrup but haven’t seen that anywhere in Turkey yet, not even in markets.
Headed to the downstairs gym at 7:00 but found the door locked. Went to the front desk and asked if it would be open soon. The clerk said “Oh no”, not like oh my gosh I’m so sorry, more with the tone of “are you kidding?” I asked when. Sometime after noon. Hmm.
Jamelie and I took a short walk to a nearby park. Two young girls wanted to practice their English, which turned out to be limited to Good morning, Where are you from, What is your name? They were 11 year old twins visiting with their family from Ankara until Sunday. When I told them my name was Ron they both covered their mouths and snickered. I’ve gotta find out what that’s all about. They stopped giggling when I spelled it for them…guess they figured I was serious. Jamelie they were fine with, probably because it’s almost as difficult to say as Turkish names. Mom, further up the hill with many siblings, noticed them talking to strangers and yelled at them to come; they said “we were running, we have to leave”. Fifty feet away they both called out “Goodbye”, so add that to their English vocab.
We discovered the Alaaddin Keykubad Camii (mosque) on the hill, built in the 12th century of large stone blocks. It would be open at 8:00 so we decided to return.
Jamelie did (I was too slow with breakfast and packing). From her photos I missed seeing colored stones and marbles, forty ornamental columns from the Byzantine and Roman periods, wall paintings, and the pulpit made from ebony wood, considered a masterpiece of Anatolian Seljuk woodworking (I looked some of that up on Google). I think this place should be on the tour but limited time prevents. I think I should be more organized and efficient so I don’t miss out.
Konya is an extremely conservative city and was the least friendly place we’ve been. Not to say we were treated rudely, more of a vibe from many, side glances with stern and disinterested expressions bordering on frowns. It wasn’t my imagination…Togay confirmed. No matter. I’d return.
Highway to Antalya
Random police stop to check the electronic driving logs. Bus drivers can’t be behind the wheel more than 8 hours in a day, with 20 minute rests every 2 hours. And here I thought the pit stops were for us.
Easy to see why the Silk Road avoided the Taurus mountains, a formidable range peaking at 12,000 feet. The headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are formed in those mountains. We first skirted the mountains through the fertile green valleys fronting them, finally crossing over on winding roads.
While still skirting we lunched at a roadside stop. Leaving there just before us was a young Turkish family…father, mother, 6 year old son, 2-3 year old daughter…all riding on one small motorbike. Don’t see that too often in the US.
I was honestly unprepared for the majestic Roman theatre at Aspendos. A well traveled member of the group noted it was in the best condition of any he’d seen. The projection qualities are superb and even with ambient noise and the original roof missing we could still hear our friends speaking near the stage in normal tones from where we sat 30 rows up. Sitting on the rough hewn stone benches, stoas behind us, stage ahead…our imaginations went into hyperdrive waiting for the performance that was sure to begin any minute.
On the road again, just before we turned north to Antalya I realized I was then the closest I’d ever physically been to where my grandparents were born, in the Baqaa Valley in what was then Syria during the Ottoman Empire and is now Lebanon. Kind of a special moment
Arrived Antalya to lightning, thunder, and then rain as we walked through Old Town to our hotel. We’re pretty accomplished now at this getting wet thing. Forecast was for sunny and mild…I guess meteorology is unreliable the world over. Moral: pack the umbrella no matter what…or buy one when the opportunity arises.
Antalya
First impression: ho-hum, yet another crowded, overpriced, touristy beach resort.
Which changed quickly to: this is really charming, with narrow streets that get you lost fast, and high rock walls everywhere, and gardens, and niches, and cobbles, and patterns on the path. Which brought us to steps leading to “Oh My! That really is the Mediterranean Sea, right there in front of us!”
The Boat Ride
Puttering around the bay, hotels and restaurants and parks and commerce all perched on the cliffs. Surrounded by a blue that almost hurts your eyes, a blue that challenges the sky to a color duel, a blue that doesn’t stop being blue from any angle or distance except near the shore where it’s iridescent green. We swam, a goal achieved . Salty and buoyant, bathed in the color. After, relaxing on deck, gently bobbing, listening to crew chatter, tracing the spine of the Taurus Mountains spill into the sea, watching the sky give way to puffs of clouds. Tour friend T shared his guiding philosophy, “You only live once ,but if you do it right, once is enough” - Mae West, I think. Today was confirmation.
If not on a RS tour or with a large group of friends to arrange an independent captain you may have to cruise the bay on one of the party boats…big, loud, ugh. Ours was small, elegant, quiet.
CL, we will do the boat ride and the hammam in the same day.
Antalya Archeological Museum
Displays of the Paleolithic. I sent one of my closest friends, an archaeologist, a photo with the caption “you have to come here”
Galleries of marble figures, busts, friezes, sarcophagi. The most impressive figure, not necessarily of technique but of countenance and bearing, was Zeus (not so surprising). I was so focused and wide-eyed in one gallery I think I forgot to breath.
I sent another of my closest friends, a rock sculptor among other things, a photo with the caption “you have to come here”
CL, we will do the boat ride and the hammam in the same day.
Hooray, so glad you're making the most of your Antalya free day! On our boat ride, it was raining and windy, and even thundering and lightening (!) close by. The boat captain maneuvered us into a sheltered cove, dropped the anchor, and said "you've got about 30 minutes until that [storm] gets here." The bobbing time was focused, but still enjoyable.
“You only live once ,but if you do it right, once is enough”
While that may be true, I sure am enjoying reliving it through your wonderful descriptions!
Hammam II
We owe you CL, for encouraging us to do the second hammam. That was the real deal, family owned Demırhan, neighborhood place, away from and different from the tourist hotel places. There were more Turks than foreigners. It was very busy and owner told me when it rains, more people come. He also told me his place was Anatolian style.
CWSocial, costs have gone up since your 2022 visit (if it was the same place). Today, $55 plus tip ($6-$10).
Got a longer bubble chamois and deeper massage in Istanbul but overall this experience was better and if I had to choose one, it would be Demırhan…though we may have to explore several more Istanbul hammams to be sure.
ATM report
ATM fees in Antalya range from 6% to as much as 8.75%. Türkiye İş was the lowest. Ziraat may have been too but their machines were out of money.
Antalya Tram
Leaving the Arch Museum we decided to take the tram back. Unsuccessful in our attempts to buy two single tickets I asked a passerby for help and after much explaining what we were trying to do we were presented with a Antalyakart, just like the Instabulkart, which we then loaded too much money on because we only had a 100 lira bill left. So now we have about 85 credits on karts in two Turkish cities. Guess we’ll have to come back.
Pro tip (or experience tip): we didn’t need to buy a kart at all. You can just tap on with a credit card. Duh!
While waiting for the tram I asked some young people about the route and where to get off. The young man said he didn’t speak very good English. He did, much better than my Turkish. He just needed the confidence to get started. We talked a lot. He told us to get off where he did and at that stop he handed me a 5 lira note for a commemorative “coin”. I’ll never spend it. I insisted he take a $1 US bill as a commemorative “coin” and told him he couldn’t spend it until he got to America, his dream.
Demırhan is where I went too - wasn't it great? So glad you were able to go and compare it to the fancy Istanbul locales. Also if you haven't already, be on the lookout for hammam scented olive oil soap - it definitely brings back the memories.
Antalya, I hardly knew ya
Early morning departure from The Ninova, an older and rustic hotel in Old Town. There was a bit of a schlep over cobbled streets to get to and from the bus. Noisy streets at night so sleep was scarce the two nights we stayed. An upper sitting area serving several of the rooms, including ours, looked over a lovely private garden space. Several alcoves, patios, and more sitting areas; a small bar for beer and cocktails, staffed only when we all bellied up.
Over drinks, we taught tour friend R how to play backgammon on the traveling roll-up set we brought. We attracted an audience and there was much whooping and hollering as R rolled double after double. She beat me. Pretty soundly actually, so it wasn’t just lucky dice. Our audience was fine with the outcome. Jamelie helped her a little bit.
Breakfast at The Ninova is not as extensive as we’ve gotten used to but is sufficient. The staff is as pleasant and helpful as can be imagined.
There was much more to see and do in Antalya but Day 10 of 13 insisted on scooting us along. More to see and do elsewhere too. We waved goodbye to the sea and began our climb into the mountains.
Aphrodisias
Unbelievablely uncrowded. Unbelievable the adjective, too. Extraordinary city, waiting patiently to be further uncovered. It was like walking through a textbook. I had always wanted to skim my hand across an Ionic column. I didn’t know I had always wanted to walk in the shadows of a tetrapylon, the monumental gateway, but I definitely did. Wind chased us from stadium to theater, stopping to contemplate the Temple of Aphrodite, Hadrian’s Bath. Walking the streets into the Agora would have been akin to this morning’s excursion into the vibrant farmers market in Korkuteli. Remnants of the fading din of haggling over the price of fruits and vegetables, punctuated by random shouts and exhortations.
I imagine this would have been a fine place to reside back in ancient times. It’s certainly pleasant to visit, especially since being kind of off the beaten tour bus path, it’s not currently overrun with people.
Oh, I loved the Ninova Hotel in Antalya ..... such a pleasant garden and cozy little spaces. I think that was the one with teeny tiny rooms. Or at least it was our turn for the teeny tiny room. A family of 3 decided to rent a 2nd room for their daughter because it was just too tight.
Still, I could spend a few days there with a good book!
Excellent comparison of Aphrodisias and Korkuteli. I hadn't thought of it that way, but you're so right ... Aphrodisas would once have been as lively, and now so tranquil, as if it's not market day today.
so tranquil, as if it's not market day today
Yeah, that explains it, nobody around because it was an off-market day
Pamukkale
The Lycus River Hotel is a full scale spa and resort, complete with palm trees and cooing pigeons. It’s a sprawling complex and really quite comfortable, with lots of glass in the huge lobby area overlooking the extensive pool area. Morning was quiet with little activity…we won’t be here when it starts because again we depart early. The thermal pool, with temperature reaching 40 °C, or 104 °F, was enjoyed last night by a few of our group and we were the only people there. The water looks brown because of the particular mineral content and feels silky on the skin, though slightly slimy on the bottom. To regulate the temperature, voluminous cooler water continuously pours out of four ports in the wall, creating background splashing and an overall sense of settling into old style spa, even though the resort was built only 25 years ago.
The whirling dervish show was just that, a show. It was a staged event but with their flowing white skirts, outstretched hands, and heads tilted just right a mystical state was evident, or at least imagined. The recitations from the Quran and prayers, singing really, and the haunting flute music reminiscent of Japanese shakuhachi was meditative and calming. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to see such a show I’m glad to have experienced it.
Hierapolis and the Thermal Springs
Not enough time. We couldn’t fit in the natural travertine pools, which now cover a relatively small area because of water overdraft. It ain’t like in the brochures. The remaining pools, aquamarine color against the white travertine, are still beckoning though.
We did go in the antique pool, 200 Tl each. Cleopatra had left the bath. Rumor has it she was here earlier…much earlier. Soothing to sit astraddle one of many submerged Roman columns. We didn’t buy an offered peştemal towel. We have several at home, one more thing to carry, and sun-dried was quick. However, $20 is a very good price and if you don’t own any, you should. Arriving early was an advantage; after we’d finished and changed back into our clothes at 10:00 am, the pool was so crowded I wouldn’t even have considered using it
The wealthy in antiquity would carry their own sarcophagus to this healing place in anticipation of dying here and there is an entire area devoted to sarcophagi, family tombs, and family mausoleums. Being cemetery fans, walking through this necropolis was unique and timeless.
Bye-Bye Mustafa
We lost our bus driver Mustafa this evening. We are entering high season and there is another 13 day RS Tour beginning tomorrow so he’ll make the 5 hour drive back tonight to Istanbul. He dropped us off at our hotel in Kuşadası and we all said goodbye, hugs all around. Togay said this early leaving has never happened before on any of his tours. We’ll have a local bus and driver for our last excursion tomorrow to Ephesus. Everyone is sad to see Mustafa leave. He doesn’t speak any English but nevertheless endeared himself to everyone on the trip.
Kuşadası
What a great place to end an incredible tour. This seaside city on the Aegean is lively and vibrant. The Hotel Ilayda Avantgarde is stylish and, well…avant garde, though WiFi speeds are pathetically slow.
When Togay emphatically recommends a seafood restaurant, it’s wise to listen. So dinner was at Kazım Usta (where Rick eats), upstairs with a window table, delicate appetizers of roasted eggplant salad and a delightful fava bean paste, the freshest bream with the clean taste of sea breeze, chased by a refreshingly crisp white house wine, whose grape, label, and vintage we didn’t bother asking. The sun completed its descent into the horizon just as we finished, a fitting closure to a very fine day.
Back at the Ilayda, the roof top bar, Yeni Raki in hand, affords a spectacular view of the sea, colorful post-dusk sky, and boardwalk activity eight stories below.
Tomorrow, early departure yet again to beat the crowds to Ephesus, with all anticipating our final and perhaps biggest wow moment.
Ah, dinner at Kazım Usta and sunset from the rooftop of the Ilyada....the fabulous pause before the most grand finale!
Ephesus
You would think entering the grounds of Ephesus might prepare you a little bit for what lays beyond, but it didn’t quite. Columns, waterways, the outdoor music hall gave way to a walk down Curetes Street, joining a constantly growing throng of fellow travelers. Which was okay…it was easy enough to imagine walking those same streets in a city of 350,000 during its heyday. Coming to a promontory we got our first glimpse of the Celsus Library off in the distance. Uh…my bag of superlatives was and is wholly inadequate. What a jaw dropping vista, one I couldn’t keep my eyes off of.
Had to though, for a while, to explore the beautiful restoration in process of the Terrace Houses. Mosaics and frescoes adorn portions of the living spaces, all of which can be seen from elevated, transparent-floor walkways joining well placed stairs rising to upper apartments and floors. The institute, sponsored by several Türkiye and international companies, has done a phenomenal job of excavation and preservation while still allowing visual access. There are assumed to be additional terrace houses in the slopes above and if human nature is consistent I suspect the homes of even wealthier inhabitants may someday be uncovered. Those that we saw suggest very comfortable living for the times. I think there may have been really elegant social gatherings in some of those rooms.
A group picture in front of the library, now close behind and even more impressive in scale. On such a hot day, the cool shadows inside were refreshing.
With our free time, we found slabs of rock under a tree in the Agora to lay on, and we watched the ebb and flow of countless visitors. With three cruise ships docking this morning plus dozens of overland tour buses, the population of Ephesus swelled once again.
This was/is a magnificent city, whose since receded harbor once made it an epicenter. I only have Aphrodisias to compare it to. One is bustling even now, much of its grandeur evident; the other is quiet, perhaps most of its secrets still buried.
Both of these ancient cities enthrall but, yes, today was indeed a most grand finale.
Kuşadası shopping
We tried to find the shop Zaide that CWSocial recommended in her 2022 trip by Google-mapping to Los Banditos Kuşadası; we found neither even though we were on the correct street. We did, however, find Atelier Reina, a very cool artisan craft and art shop in business for one year. They sell a good selection of wonderfully scented natural and traditional Turkish soaps. Her aunt is an accomplished painter who also makes embroidered pillowcases and the most delightful little embroidered fabric dolls, made as tree ornaments but really stand alone little people. We bought four of them. An uncle makes elegant clothes for Barbie dolls. Yeah, really. Along with so much more they buy exquisitely detailed woven bracelets from villagers and resell them. This is a unique shop in an artisan area instead of the shops selling mostly cheap trinkets found in much of the Kuşadası bazaar.
Farewell Dinner
End of tour dinner at Antepli Et Restaurant last night. Traditional Turkish fare to remind of us what we’ll soon be missing. We had a public buddy gift exchange, giving everyone the opportunity to express their feelings and gratitude to their buddy.
For those who haven’t done a Rick Steve’s tour, on the first day everyone pairs up by choosing a “buddy”. At every stop, gathering, departure…a “buddy check” is called so each person knows if their buddy is present. It’s a very efficient way to be sure no one is lost or left behind.
The gifts were all so thoughtful and the shared camaraderie was heartfelt. There was an exuberant feeling of having done something special together. Hugs and preliminary goodbyes, especially for the few who are leaving at 6:00 this morning. The rest of us will say our final goodbyes over breakfast as we prepare to go our separate ways. I’m sure some melancholy will set in when 8:00 arrives and most head to the airport at Izmir to fly home, three fly to Athens and then on to Berlin, two remain here in Kuşadası for one more day, and we hop on the ferry for Samos Island, Greece.
Güle güle to all our new friends.
Last Call
Left the patio door open to hear our last morning call to prayer. This muezzin sang long and drawn out verses, a plaintive tone..appropriate for our last day. It’s been lovely to hear the different styles in each city.
Togay explained the muezzins are specially trained and must pass a test for knowledge, clarity, and voice. He also said in some cities with multiple mosques the muezzins often challenge each other to see who can go on the longest…kind of like a rap battle (his term).
Missed the boat on this one
Literally. Hotel staff told me we had to be at the ferry boat 30 minutes before 9:00 am departure, so we left at 7:55 for a lazy 5-10 minute walk, taking our sweet time. Went to check in and they said we were late, check-in was at 7:30; they waited for us until 8:00, now too late. Even with the boat 45 minutes from departure and sitting at a dock just 4 minutes away, they were firm. Now we’ll leave tomorrow.
It was all in the fine print, but with tickets on phone I never bothered to read it. My bad. Lesson learned again, don’t assume anything. Travel, the art of adjusting.
So another day in Kuşadası, which we really don’t mind at all, other than one less day on Samos (which was only to be two to begin with).
Been exploring since, walking the neighborhoods where tourist prices don’t reign, like çay for 15 Tl rather than 75 near the water. Found a charming old building that originated as a mental hospital during WWI, then a girl’s art school, now an art gallery. Found an archeology park with a few dozen columns, Corinthian tops, pedestals, basins, etc. Sitting with a coffee, enjoying the people,watching, cool ocean breeze, was delightful.
You might be tired of me going on about cemeteries but we chanced upon a more contemporary one, covering a full city block in a grove of conifers. Except for several very old concrete pedestal headstones interspersed, the gravesites are all marked by individual marble mausoleums, all with plants or grasses growing in the middle. Besides a typically inscribed attached headstone, almost all had the words Ruhlarına Fatiha. Ruhlarına means “to their soul” while Fatiha is the first sura (chapter) of the Quran, the key to all following suras. Again a very peaceful place.
Watched the waiting taxi drivers kill time playing backgammon. I commiserated with the guy who got gammoned (two points). I might go over later and get in a game, though they play really fast.
One advantage of missing the boat, we can finally relax today and enjoy Kazım Usta again for dinner.
Last Kuşadası night again…maybe
I met the inimitable and charismatic Mert in Mustafapaşa when Togay introduced us. For those who have read CWSocial’s 2022 trip report, as well as other poster’s comments and forums, you know who Mert is. He is SRM’s senior guide and is very popular with tour groups. SRM is the company Rock Steves contracts under to do Turkey tours.
He is leading a 13 day trip two days behind us and when they showed up this afternoon I could hear his booming voice down in the lobby…through my closed first floor door. I walked down and when he saw me, he yelled out, “hey, I know that guy!” We arranged to meet later on the rooftop where he pointed out his house in the hills north of the hotel and told us about Kuşadası (he’s lived here since age 5).
Mert agreed with our plan to eat at Kazım Usta again and said tell them Mert sent you. Not sure that mattered but we did get a different treatment than our first visit; led downstairs to pick out which Sea Bass we wanted, led down another stairs to pick out which appetizers we wanted. Dinner was dang near world famous good the first time and was even better the second.
Now stuffed to the gills (not the Sea Bass’, those are long gone), waiting for morning to see if we actually get on the ferry.
Oh, that is just so cool that you got to meet Mert! There surely is no-one like him, with his gregarious personality and "booming voice." The most entertaining history lesson ever at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum!
Feribot
Boarding the ferry to Samos Island is pretty easy if you follow the rules and arrive at check in when they say. Although it still took only 20 minutes from check-in to sitting on the boat.
After passport control and just past the duty free shop are doors to the piers. A couple was waiting inside by the doors so everyone else who came followed suit and we all bunched up. Finally a man walked by and yelled out in English, “why are you all standing here, go get on the boat!”. Baaaa.
Left the last 200 Tl we had for the hotel maid so we successfully shed all our local currency. Our competent and no nonsense woman captain is now taking us onto the Aegean Sea. Bye Bye Kuşadası
Samos Island
Sitting on the balcony in the utterly charming Samaina Hotel (think rooms at The Ninova in butterscotch yellow and white with moulded wood wainscoting). In the utterly charming port village of Pythagorion, a perfect place to further my recollections of all (many? some?) things Türkiye. A delicious overcast and breezy day, overlooking quiet streets and harbor before the coming tourist season, the Aegean melting into the horizon…too cold to swim in today, which is the only bummer. The music of the Muezzin replaced by Orthodox Church bells. The Shh, Cha, Miz glissando of Turkish giving way to the rolling tongue P’ra, Thro, Ph’re staccato of Greek. Except for our lunch waiter at The Agora, one of many bay side eateries, who came at me with five different languages. I sort of got enough of three of them for us to all have a good time.
Instead of after meal tea, we got a small glass of locally made Lemoncello, which put any I’ve tasted before in the forgotten, dusty, back section of the bar.
This was so lovely! I felt like I was with you on your trip. Your descriptions are so vivid that I could appreciate what you were experiencing even though I knew virtually nothing about some of the places you were visiting.
Turkey is somewhere I have wanted to visit for quite a long time. I will get there yet!
Carpets
You know how if you’re flying home from Maui, or the Big Island, etc and you look around the plane and everyone is wearing a Hawaiian shirt? Like it’s a thing. We may not see them but I suspect our Turkish Airlines flight back to SFO could be carrying several Turkish carpets
We had no intention of buying a carpet, even though we learned all we could about single knot vs double knot, killim vs traditional, herekes silk on silk, how to distinguish hand vs machine woven and natural vs chemical dyes. We pretended we didn’t know anything, which was still mostly true.
Anyway, we didn’t buy a carpet…we bought four (more accurately rugs, they’re all too small to be considered carpets). What!! Three in Istanbul, colorful embroidered Killim from Kurdish villages in eastern Turkey mountains and one mono-chromatic silk on silk from the Carpet Cooperative in Cappadocia that the RS Tour took us to.
Good deals? Who knows. Probably we could have bargained harder but partly we were willing to pay for the show. And in an in-town Istanbul shop (not in the Grand Bazaar) we were with the owner until after 10:00 one night and for two hours the next day. With over 20,000 carpets and rugs to choose from, it takes awhile to concentrate and narrow down the style….and stop the eyeballs from spinning wildly.
Carpet (Rugs) Post Script
After going through Samos passport control and entering customs, Jamelie was waved right through and I was picked out to put my bags through the scanner. The three Killim rugs we bought are wrapped and sealed in a carry-on bag and it just shows up as a blob in the X-rays. The customs agent said, “open bag” and looked at the wrapped blob.
Him: what is?
Me: rugs
H: what?
M: rugs, carpets. Turkish
H: how much you pay?
M: $xxxx.00
H: What? Only $xxxx.00? You sure?
M: Yes
H: You have papers with cost?
M: Yes, my wife has them but she’s outside
H: (long pause, with stare) Okay, you go
H: Wait! New?
M: Yes
H: (more stare)
M: Good deal, huh?
H: (reluctant grunt of agreement)
This was so lovely
Thank you BethFL. I hope you do get to Turkey. As others will attest, it is a must-visit country and culture.
To Tour or Not To Tour
Just as SJ posted and commented here on May 2, we don’t take organized tours, at least not extended ones. From a distance they’ve always appeared a little too structured and….organized. We could have made our own arrangements (at least we could now) but, echoing CWSocial, it would have been difficult to accomplish as much here over a relatively short time. We were constantly on the move and, although we may have wanted more time at some of the stops, this was a full and comprehensive introduction to Western Turkey.
Togay was an excellent guide. Background and explanation of what we were seeing was invaluable. Organized, attentive, and patient, his passion for Türkiye contagious, his love of guiding appreciated. I remain flabbergasted by his depth and breadth of knowledge. Geography, culture, archeology, architecture, regional and world history, current events, understanding of the world’s great religions… all of which he articulates in his own personable style, “definitely”. He knew where to stop to eat and, more importantly where not to, as well as where the WCs are clean and free. Early morning starts insured we were ahead of most of the crowds, and he was often able to shuffle us as a group through turnstiles without delay.
I imagine who you are traveling with can color your experience and ours was terrific. One member who has been on several RS tours sized up everyone during first day introductions and said, “just look at this group. This will be an amazing trip”. That proved to be so intuitive and was later reiterated by another member who’s been on eight RS tours and who said this was by far the best group he’d been with. We had an interesting mix of people ranging in age from early twenties to over eighty, couples, singles, friends, families. We were all together one big happy family.
There is a greater depth of understanding and memory building of a site or a vista or event or even a meal when more perspectives are shared together. “I didn’t think of that”, or notice, or know. Conversation and company was always available, adding to the texture and richness of each day. And anyone could always, easily find space and time to themselves.
For Jamelie and me the answer, this time, is easy: To Tour
Istanbul Random Observations
A city of seven hills means there are steps everywhere, mostly uneven and with odd heights. Not the standardized 7-7.5” we’re used to. One “flight” of ten stairs may have ten different heights and varied widths. More so than other hill cities I’ve walked in, such as Lisbon. Coupled with steep ramps, chunky gutters, loose tiles, uneven cobbles, and holes… I’m always looking down. No day dreaming allowed (darn!)
In Istanbul crossing a busy street is mostly jaywalking, often between traffic jammed cars that usually don’t inch forward while you’re crossing in front. Even in the places that are traffic light controlled you could be a video game score. Best technique I’ve found is to get close behind a local built like a line backer and follow him across….unless he takes off running, then don’t…unless you’re already in the middle of the street and he suddenly starts running, then definitely do.
Motor scooters threading through the crowds generally beep-beep but sometimes a gap opens up and they accelerate across. If on the opposite end of one of those gaps, that scooter appears out of nowhere.
We befriended a guy and one night while he drove us back to our hotel he often went the wrong direction on a one-way. He said, “no problem, I’m Turkish”. We noticed a lot of that “no problem, I’m Turkish” sort of thing, not only in Istanbul.
The narrow streets are too small for delivery trucks so everything is carted on various designs of hand truck, up and down steep and congested streets. Some of those guys are really old.
If a truck needs to be unloaded on one of the slightly wider streets, there’s still no room to pass so traffic is backed up for blocks for as long as it takes….sometimes as much as 30 minutes.
More randoms
English is spoken in almost all tourist areas, often quite fluently. But just as often the English is limited. Outside of tourist neighborhoods or villages, not much at at all.
In every city or town, there’s kind of a cellular motion to the movement of people vs cars, like they kind of repel one another. Crowds just naturally parting, stepping aside as a vehicle inches by, a car or truck finding slightly larger spaces to aim towards, everyone in constant motion.
At one of our lunch stops Jamelie noticed some gents playing dominoes with a really neat set of small brass tiles. The owner of the market/restaurant told her she bought them on Amazon. One of the men invited her to play, mostly to show her how (she already knew that particular game) but he did place the tiles a little differently.
J learned several ways to tie her head scarves. Women were thrilled to teach her, pose for pictures. She purchased from one woman who promptly put on J’s cap and then they both mugged for the camera.
There’s a reason Turks play backgammon only on wooden boards…that way there’s lots of noise when they slam their piece on the center bar after getting hit.
I wanted to learn to play Okey while I was here but whenever I saw it played…well, they are fast and serious. One man nodded to me as if I could join a game but, besides not knowing how to play yet I would have ended up inhaling about two packs of second hand smoke. I’ll order a game online when I get home.
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Back to the… or, A beginning
Almost home. Staying in the Bay Area a day or two to sort out the jetlag jumble. After arising in Athens at 4:00 AM, a 3 hour layover in Istanbul before Turkish Airlines flight to SFO for over 24 total hours of bed to bed. We pretty much needed every bit of the layover at IST airport, getting boarding passes, three passport checks, and two separate carry-on security checks complete with wands and pat downs and checks for explosives residue.…all separated by the same marathon walks we had three weeks ago. At the gate security check, women in one line and men in another.
Ate the simit this morning we bought at IST airport yesterday. Should have bought two, even though airport cost was about three times Istanbul street cost.
What a great trip! A memory medley of places exotic, yet accessible.
Memory is not so much a camera as a filter. The particulates it holds onto are nothing compared to what leaks through. - John Green, The Anthropocene
Missing already some particulates that stuck:
Vivid colors and wafting aroma of spices and teas. Cobbles and textures, carved relief that adorn and define walls and doors, tile and mosaics, timeless patterns from long past craftsmen. Standing in the shadows of architectural splendor, constructed when the history books were thinner. Daily doses of the soft rhythms of günaydın (good morning), hoş geldin (welcome), and especially tamam (okay). Gracious and friendly people who occupy a geographic and cultural crossroads. Tea…everywhere and at any time. The nightly walking by restaurants with the ever present greeter trying to coax us in and then bantering with him in Turkish, “we just ate”, “come tomorrow”, “yes, tomorrow we’ll eat here” “lnshallah” (yeah, right)
It's been so delightful to have a memory refresh through your brightly colored descriptions, updating the images in my mind and reminding me of what I have to look forward to again this summer.
"A memory medley of places exotic"
The tiles and textures and patterns still thrill me - in a way they never could before - each time I see fragments in a museum outside Turkey, as yesterday at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
I can't wait to revisit the exotic medley that is Istanbul!
CWSocial
“ I can't wait to revisit the exotic medley that is Istanbul.”
And I can’t wait to hear about your revisit.
London, eh? My oh my, you do get around.
Simit Craving Solved
Last night I found a restaurant in the East Bay that serves Turkish food, Simurgh Bakery and Cafe, so we treated son and family. Food was the real thing but the best part is the owner bakes Simit daily.
Health Issues
Even though everyone on the RS Tour only drank bottled water and was careful about what they ate, there were a few stomach issues ranging from mild to pretty bad.
Three people got dysentery and one of them was minutes away from remaining in Antalya while the group went on. Another member apparently ate some bad food and what at first seemed like dysentery was probably food poisoning. Most likely occurred at Pamukkale, where we were warned to eat nothing raw. He was the only person that ate some eggs at the morning buffet that in retrospect looked suspect. He soldiered on to see Ephesus, the site he most looked forward to, but other than that we didn’t seem him for the last 36 hours of the trip. He had a miserable trip back to the US, lost 9 pounds, and was slowly recovering last we talked.
Togay suggested to the person with stomach upset in Antalya a curative: about 2 tsp of fresh ground Turkish coffee with juice from half a lemon; mix and eat. It apparently worked well enough for her to continue without staying behind.
Dysentery is a pretty specific term. Were they all diagnosed?
Carol,
"Dysentery is a pretty specific term. Were they all diagnosed?"
No, they weren't diagnosed and I lazily used the term incorrectly.. The three people suffered from upset stomach, diarrhea, and some minor vomiting. Only T exhibited the more severe symptoms that could be associated with dysentery and that may have actually been his problem rather than food poisoning.
Thank you for pointing out my error.
I read your report with interest. This was our first RS tour 12 or 13 years ago. It stands out as one of our favorites. Like yours, our group was one of the best and we formed life long friendships during that tour. We were blessed with beautiful weather (May or early June?). The hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia was an amazing experience and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I had learned about this hot air balloon ride several years before and had resolved to do it at some point. It may have been from a RS show where I learned about it. It was so unique to hover and dip over that surreal landscape. Unfortunately, there had been a fatal hot air balloon collision a few days prior to our balloon ride. The owner of the hot air balloon company (Butterfly Balloons) that we were to fly with the next day came and spoke to our group about the incident. He told us how the incident happened and why that would not happen to us. He offered a full refund to those who had booked and decided it wasn’t worth the risk. As I recall, no one backed out. My sister-in-law back home was frantically emailing us and imploring us not to go. But we had travelled all this way for a once in a lifetime experience and weren’t going to back out.
I would also highly recommend the restaurant Albura Kathisma in Istanbul. We ate there twice and have often said we would go back to Istanbul just to eat there again. It was not the usual tourist fare.
I would also recommend going to the archeological museum in Istanbul. It is one of our favorites in the world. Better than any archeological museums than we have ever been to and we have been to many.
For an authentic whirling dervish “performance”, I would recommend going to the one at Hodjapasha. It is a real religious ceremony and not a performance for tourists. It is in a small venue in the Sultanahmet with less than 200 seats so reservations are necessary. It is usually sold out.
I may have missed it in your report but did you visit a caravanserai en route to Mustafapasa?
Before we visited Konya, we were told by our guide that it was a “dry” city and if we wanted wine, etc. we would need to bring our own. We had stopped at a wine shop in Cappadocia and most of us bought wine there to bring to Konya. We got together as a group in a tour member’s hotel room and enjoyed our tipples discreetly.
I am sure the lack of water in the pools at Pammukale was disappointing. It is a beautiful sight to see those turquoise pools. I am glad you got to Cleopatra’s pool. Wasn’t that fun! Apparently we were the on,y ones in our group who had heard of it and planned to take a dip there. Some other group members followed our lead and came with us. It is well worth the time and effort.
Only a few of our group had tummy issues and they were just mild. Fortunately my husband and I did not get sick which is surprising as my husband aka the delicate flower will pick up any bug that’s out there. One thing we did besides not drinking the water was to also brush our teeth with the bottled water and not from the tap. We do this in any country where the water is iffy. But I know at some point we ate fresh salad and still survived.
I agree that at some locations the locals were friendlier than others. At the home visit in Cappadocia, the host taught us how to properly tie the head scarves that we had purchased earlier in Mustafapasa. When we were walking back through town with our properly tied head scarves, a local man vehemently chided us for wearing the scarves. Apparently he felt we were being disrespectful and mocking the practice. We weren’t.
Did you visit the carpet factory? We found that fascinating although we did not purchase anything. Some of our group did buy rugs there but there was no pressure.
Again thanks for the report. It was fun reliving that trip through your eyes
Mary
Thank you so much for your extensive comments. They illustrate how much of the Tour is the same and in some of the ways it has changed, as well as additional tips and information. This was one of my motivations for chronicling the trip, to give others some insight.
We heard from our guide there had been a few incidents in the past of balloon ride fatalities. For you to embark so soon after one occurred took some courage; the balloon company operator’s explanation and reassurances were surely appreciated. Anyone who has been in the air in Cappadocia is glad you were able to experience it.
You are one of several who has pointed out how absolutely terrific is the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. We obviously missed out and it is high on our list for our next Istanbul visit.
Thanks for the information about Hodjapasha.
We did visit a caravanseri but it was in the town of Istekamet, between Mustafapaşa and Konya, Sultanhanı Kervanserayı
Our guide suggested to us too that we should purchase any alcohol we might want to drink in Konya before we arrived. We would have to drink in secret. He also implored us not to leave any empty bottles or cans in our hotel room. That would be embarrassing and could even cause problems for the Tour.
Unfortunate you were verbally accosted for wearing scarves while in Cappadocia. I think in the 12 years since you were there that part of Turkey may have become more secular and/or the population is more accustomed to seeing foreign visitors wear scarves. Probably like your group, women in our group actually felt they were showing respect by covering their head.
We did visit a carpet cooperative. The presentation was slick and well rehearsed, but in a good way. Informative, thorough, and also low pressure….unless you showed any interest and went one on one with a salesperson to look at more examples of your chosen style. Even after we purchased a rug our guys kept trying to sell us another one we liked. I understood from the presentation that this cooperative trains and hires, or commissions, weavers to work on select styles and designs. The owner of the shop we visited in Istanbul goes into villages and purchases directly from the weavers whatever they have created, or buys vintage rugs from families. Two different approaches and the styles of rugs and carpets offered were very different.
Thanks again for your recollections and information.
Just wanted to add that I, too, really appreciate your Trip Report. It is clear to me that you are a professor and/or a professional writer. Just a really, really great read.
You made everything come alive for me and I am confident that you have helped many others decide that Turkey should be at the top of our tour list.
Thank you for an excellent report!
SunnyBlueFlax
That’s very kind of you but in truth I am neither of those. I do like to write, though, and I’m glad to know you enjoyed the read. Thanks.
Home Again
Returned now from colorful foreign cities and villages to our rural reality, where springtime appears to be reluctantly surrendering to summer. Being home feels a little like slowly waking from a dream, though that may be partly due to residual jet lag. Either way, I’d be fine going back to the dream. And I’d rather be sitting in an Istanbul neighborhood cafe not thinking at all about what’s going on at home than sitting at home wondering if every feribot will actually fit under the Galata Bridge…didn’t look like much clearance to me. I may have to settle for pretense, aided by about a 40 ml glass of the Tekirdağ Rakısı I bought at IST Duty Free, served with one ice cube.
Thanks to all who tagged along on this journey and thanks especially to those who commented. This trip report was meant to be many things - informative, anecdotal, reflective- but mostly it’s been a personal chronicle of a unique experience, written as a public letter to myself and by extension to anyone reading. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my particular perspectives and impressions.
The traveling part is over but I will have a few more thoughts and musings to post over the next several days as we sort the pics, unwrap the trinkets, and recall a detail or two.
Wait, weight…don’t tell me
Stepped on the scale this morning and pleasantly surprised I actually lost two pounds. My advice then: while in Turkey, eat with wild abandon…just as long as you walk a lot.
Celebrated by breakfasting on our Berkeley bought simit, tahini with date syrup, and a cappuccino. Slow withdrawal.
Balloon Ride Video
During the ballon ride in Cappadocia a 360° video was recorded. After we landed the pilot offered a copy for €30, with a very quick glance at the video on his tablet and a hard to understand explanation. We debated, figured why not, could be fun to relive and we could always send copies to some of our tour mates. We were given a jump drive. I just looked at it this evening.
The file type is .insv, which can’t be opened without a licensed program. However, by renaming it to .mp4 the video can be opened into a media player in either Windows or Mac.
The camera lens is kind of a fish-eye with an angle that barely captures the passengers, though it does show the pilot, the burners, the inside of the balloon, and a fair but curved picture of the ground and nearby balloons. There were two videos, one about 5 minutes from one side of the carriage and another 7 minutes long from the opposite side. There is no audio.
Watching it provides some sense of the ride, but only if you were there. There are better playback programs than the default media player but not that much better. It could be much better if you’re a subscriber to the Insta360 video program.
I don’t think it’s worth €30.
The Data Package
At the end of our 17 days in Turkey I had about 50 MB left of the 3GB Airalo data package I purchased. I bought the European regional eSIM because we went to Greece after and I was able to use the same eSIM after buying an additional 1GB.
The 30 day regional card cost $10 after using a $3 discount coupon. A 30 day 3GB card for Turkey only would have cost $5 after the discount. The travel eSIM was easy to install and worked perfectly for maps, Internet, iMessage, and WhatsApp anywhere we were except while crossing the Taurus mountains.
Thank you so much for your helpful trip report!
The most recent RS guide was published in 2021 and much has changed in Istanbul the last few years. I have a few random questions.
I see that you paid for your transportation from the airport in advance. How did you tip? Did you get lira at the airport or from home prior to your trip?
Did you get the Cistern tickets at the door or in advance?
You mention a little market to buy water. Do you have an approximate address? You mentioned needing an Instanbulkart to get into restrooms. How much per trip so I can be sure to have the correct amount on the card?
Any additional restaurant recommendations for Istanbul?
Hi jules m
I got lira at the airport. ATM fees are high there so I got just enough to tip the transport driver and the hotel porter. There are ATMs at several locations on the arrivals floor at IST. Thanks for the question, a reminder to post a tipping topic.
We bought our Cistern tix at the door, about a ten minute wait. It wasn’t as busy as it could be; walked by a few days later (a Sunday) and the line was at least twice as long. So I would pre-purchase tickets online.
No particular market, there are several everywhere and you can also buy at most of the places that sell food or juice. Just don’t buy from someone on the street carrying bottles. 250 ml should cost about 15 Tl.
The only place we found where the Instabulkart was needed for restrooom (WC) was in the plaza near the Blue Mosque. I think cost was 15 Tl. There may have been other places but we left two days later. Most public WC required cash, anywhere from 5-20 Tl. FYI, the only really costly transportation cost is if you take Metro from airport into city, around 140Tl/person I think. I put 200 Tl on my kart and have 85 still on it and that was with two people using it, though we mostly walked.
There were two other restaurants we really wanted to try (strictly from online research) but didn’t, both in new town:
Novas Hagiasophia. We skipped dinner the night we planned to go
Hayata Sarıl Lokantası, they were closed the day we went by there.
Most any of the seafood restaurants on so called Flower Passageway off Istiklal Cd, I think the actual street name is Sahne Sk. We had lunch at one, As Pera. Google reviews are not good but we had a tasty lunch. We were the only non-Turks.
Tipping
For restaurants, after reading various articles, advice from locals, and judging reactions we settled on 10% for most restaurant service but at least 20 Tl even if just a pastry. Higher end restaurants maybe as high as 15%.
For Hammams, 200 lira seemed about right.
When paying with a credit card, terminals don’t have a way to add a tip so we always carried enough lira in assorted bill values to leave the tip in cash.
Thoughts on Pictures
You simply can’t take too many photos.
It’s so easy to get wrapped up wearing the day, forget about the camera and fail to record the moment.
How could I have not photographed the displays of Lokum (Turkish Delight), Antalya painted manhole covers, the cat reaching for the doorknob, the stacked oranges and pomegranates at the juice bars.
The most memorable photos are of people doing their daily against colorful walls and backgrounds…coiling rope on the pier, children playing on piles of fabric remnants, taxi drivers leaning against their yellow cabs, truck drivers hurriedly unloading their cargo, grains and nuts and fruits and vegetable vendors standing in the midst of their bounty.
Jamelie takes much better photos than I do.
RS Tour Physical Demands?
Rick Steves website identifies the Best of Turkey tour as one of their “most active tours” and says “most days are strenuously paced”. We didn’t find that to be particularly true and were significantly more active before and after the tour itself. Even during the tour much of the day’s physical activity was during our free time. There were only two days that felt at all demanding: in Istanbul when the trams were down and we walked from old town to new town in the rain, and the initial inclined walk up to the cave churches at Göreme Open-Air Museum and the steps up to many of the caves. There was a lot of walking at Ephesus too but mostly flat. Even when we did walk over distances the pace was reasonable with several stops for guide explanations or regrouping. Even people who perhaps weren’t in the best of shape managed to keep up.
The point is, most people shouldn’t hesitate to take this tour for fear of it being too “strenuously paced”.
Türkiye revisit?
Yes, absolutely, though it does have to fit into that so many places, so little time thing.
There are Istanbul neighborhoods and attractions still to see and it’s tempting to revisit both Kuşadası and Antalya.
However, I’m mostly thinking about the Black Sea region and Eastern Turkey. Guide Togay really encouraged us to go but suggested hiring a guide and spending 21 days. A friend who imports many products from Türkiye for a shop he owns here in Portland travels to the eastern region twice a year and told me yesterday we must visit Mardın. From the few online articles I’ve found, Eastern Türkiye appears to be filled with astonishing places to discover and I could go for some more of that.
Is anyone reading this who has traveled through these parts of the country?
Probably the best approach is travel through the east and then end the trip in Istanbul to load up on lots of Turkish Delight to carry home….we’re almost out already. It’s a real granddaughter pleaser.
Re: Tour physical demands - The only day that I found challenging was the day we got up at zero dark thirty for the hot air balloon ride; then going on a scenic walk through a Cappadocia valley which meant scrambling up and down some small inclines with loose soil, climbing up and over huge fallen logs and jumping across a small stream; and then visiting the underground city of Kaymakli. I quit at Kaymakli when I found myself tripping going up the stairs. I sat that one out. The hike through the valley was a bonding experience for our group as we all had to help each other at certain points. As tough as that hike was it was very memorable and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
end the trip in Istanbul to load up on lots of Turkish Delight to carry home
Ooh, excellent reminder... leave room in August suitcase for plenty of Turkish Delight! Fortunately, I already know I won't be traveling carryon only for that trip.
Tour Audio Device
Whether on a Rick Steves Tour, with another tour group, or even a one day museum or city tour, most guides use a Whisper audio system to communicate. It consists of a wireless transmitter for the guide and a receiver with a wired earpiece. The ones we used and most of those I saw used by others did not have built in blue tooth capabilities. However, a blue tooth adapter that plugs into the receiver port works well. Air Fly is a well known model though mine is made by Avantree. I was able to use my wireless ear buds, keeping the receiver in a pocket or my pack out of the way rather than hanging it around my neck and dealing with wire getting tangled. The sound quality was better too.
Rest Stop Shopping
Almost every rest stop or lunch place had a gift section and shopping at these was among the best, often with unique items that weren’t seen anywhere else. If you see something you really like, don’t assume you’ll find it again later. We purchased several of our gifts from the rest stops.
Also at rest stops, best sweet tooth fix: chocolate covered dates and the damak âlâ (good palate) candy bar, a wafer covered with chocolate and chopped pistachio, made by Nestle (yeah, I know)
If I didn’t comment before: great trip report. It along with CWSocial’s earlier report have inspired me. We had planned on going to England after our Greece tou, but me moved the Greece tour by a couple days and today I took the plunge and signed up for Turkey. Now I only have to figure out the flying and wait (and wait…waiting is so hard).
Oh Patty, that is so exciting! I can't wait to hear more about your plans!
That’s excellent, Patty.
We liked Aegean Airlines, Athens to Istanbul. Friendly gate agents and cabin attendants. 1-1/2 hr direct flight, €185 each (this summer; not sure what we paid in May as it was with Star Alliance miles)
Even though one flight was three hours delayed because of crew problems they offered us vouchers for free tickets, to be used within one year and I think only on the same route….still, I wouldn’t mind finding an excuse to travel from Samos Island to Athens again.
Forgot to Post
I thought I was finished with this report but reading through my notes and what I had written at the time, I found a couple of things I do want to record and remember here.
In Istanbul
Unstructured walks, accidental discoveries
With our last free morning before our tour began a walk to Fatıh Mosque seemed in order so we headed off in that general direction.
They do traffic gridlock with style here. How is it even possible, on a very narrow street, to set up two cars side by side going one direction to meet two cars side by side going the opposite direction, with at least six cars trailing behind each of those lead cars? Better question, how did the pedestrians and shop owners who became impromptu traffic police get it straightened out?
Meandering through narrow streets and a labyrinth of shops unexpectedly spilled us onto the Beyazıt Meydanı campus of Istanbul University, a magnificent institute founded in 1453. Wandering among its Ottoman period architecture, with Roman and Byzantine ruins sprinkled around the grounds, made for a thought provoking morning.
Still heading towards Fatıh Mosque we passed by the imperial Ottoman inspired Şehzade Mosque and tomb, built by the architect Sinan, for Süleymaniye’s son. There are numerous information obelisks on the grounds explaining the background of the complex. Particularly interesting was that Sinan was originally designing it for Süleymaniye himself so erected a jade pillar there on a spot calculated to be the exact center of the city at that time. About 12” diameter and 72” high, it’s still in place.
We were the only people inside the mosque, a unique and rare opportunity and one that changed shortly after.
We never did make it to Fatıh Mosque.
Forgot to Post 2
In Cappadocia
Must See Rocks
We visited popular Paşabag Museum (Monks Valley) with its unique otherworldly rock formations of mushroom shapes and fairy chimneys. More evidence of our remarkable planet. Fairy Chimneys, so called according to one legend, because when mist rises above the formations it looks like smoke and that could only be if fairies lived in them.
It was very, very crowded, with people from all around the planet. More evidence of our remarkable shared humanity. Wonder, smiles, happy family warmth…those look the same in all cultures.
Wonder, smiles, happy family warmth…those look the same in all cultures.
Love, love this.
I'm nearing the end of my 8N in Istanbul and am glancing through your report as I confirm my options for my last 2 days.
Rereading this entry made me chuckle:
Best technique I’ve found is to get close behind a local built like a line backer and follow him
I've adopted a slightly modified version, which is to find 2 ladies in head scarves, the older the better; when they boldly step out into the street, halting whatever traffic is coming their way, I join them to make a wall of three lady linebackers :-)
Ummmm, update while I've been typing this: any plan for today is on hold as the sky has suddenly broken open into a downpour. Good thing I brought my raincoat!!
ETA: nah, the raincoat doesn't stand a chance against this deluge!! Enough rain to seem to refill the Bosphorus is pouring from the sky!!
