[luvurride]

T.U.R.K.E.Y!! That is a bird! Not a country!
This was the remark from a local gentleman that made us realize that it is actually "T.U.R.K.I.Y.E"!

The last overseas travel that we took was pre- covid, the summer of 2019 to Dubai that is. Having gone through a lot during Covid and recovered, that impending itch to travel abroad was inevitable. My pick was Italy, as I wanted to pick up a car and enjoy the scenic views of what Italy has to offer. However, contrary to my suggestion, my wife was already fixed on Türkiye, after chancing upon some videos she found online. But I was clear. I was clear that this has to be a self-driven road trip, already slightly bitter on the turn-down of Italy. After a series of discussions, and a truce reached, I started my research on Türkiye.

Mid-research, we reached out to our friends asking if they would be interested to join. They were welcoming of the idea and this being their first ever overseas travel for leisure- they were thrilled!

Places to Cover - Istanbul, Cappadoccia, Antalya, Pamukkale, Kusadasi. This meant that we can't do the Black Sea Coast, but only the Mediterranean coast.

Travel Dates - First week of May and I wanted to do it for 2 weeks minimum and keep it a casual road trip.

Flights - Expensive! At least my head was tuned to precovid fares and to see prices of over 50k to Türkiye was unexpected for me. Regardless, I went ahead and booked Saudi Arabian Airlines directly through their website as that was the cheapest from Bangalore. This was in sometime in early February. Within 2 days, Saudi Arabian Airlines released a transit promotion to stay at Jeddah for 2 nights enroute, which kind of sweetened the deal with me hoping for an extended stopover. With multiple futile attempts to reach customer care on this, I went to their office directly to enquire. They said since my flights were booked before this promotion was released, I would have to cancel and rebook with the offer. I promptly cancelled, but when I booked again, their website wouldn't still allow me to avail the offer. The office suggested to wait for a couple of days before I try. When I tried after 2 days, to my shock, the fare went up by 10k per person! Hence looked for alternate options and booked with Air Arabia with a transit at Sharjah. With this, the dates were fixed as well - Leaving on 2nd May and returning on 16th May.

Hotels - Since the actual travel was 3 months away, I chose the hotels that offered pay-at-site option. Booking.com usually has a good range of such hotels and hence went with that. This is when broader research of going through multiple vlogs and articles helped to decide on how many days to spend at each place. So, after booking the hotels, the itinerary finally took shape like this:



Rental Car - My usual overseas pick was rentalcars.com. But this time around, the prices were quite high. As the plan was to do this as a road trip, we would land at Istanbul, hire the car, do the cross country and then drop it back in Istanbul to cover the city in our final leg. This would mean that for 6 of us, any 6/7-seater would mean literally very minimum space for luggage. Hence, I was looking for 9/10 seaters. This means we could use the last row for luggage. Upon search, landed up on a Ford Tourneo Custom for a reasonable price to be picked from the airport through Eco Plus Cars. The booking aggregator was VIP Cars. Went ahead with the full package with comprehensive insurance with zero excess and unlimited mileage. A 20% advance and insurance money are all VIP cars took, and the balance was to be paid to Eco Plus while picking up. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I am the sole driver in the group!

Insurance - Just purchased online through ICICI Lombard and was done with that.

Visa - This was the last piece in the puzzle and for me I wasn't bothered much as we 3 had our US visas, which meant we could just get the Turkish visa online ourselves. But our friend had to take help from a travel agency, send out his passports and also pay quite a premium for offline visa fee.

Currency/Card - I have used bookmyforex for my previous trips and was hoping would continue with the same. However, I saw that they do not support Turkish Lira, prompting me to search for other options. Google put me on to a newcomer in the block called Niyo Global. Their concept was that they provide a savings account with an overseas bank and issue their credit card, which will actually work as a debit card overseas. You can load INR anytime you want and spend. They have no markup charges and a nominal fee for cash withdrawal. However, we found out during the course of the trip that it wasn't the case. I ordered this just a week before my trip and received it just a day before my travel! I did have a Forex card from ICICI as a backup, and hence wasn't anxious. My friend exchanged and brought with him some 500 Euros in cash, and we decided to use my Niyo card as single means of spending for the group.

Rides/Attractions/etc - We did not book any in advance as this being a road trip, we did not want to have a plan and then miss it. So we decided to figure them out locally at every location based on our convenience.

Our luggage were 2 large suitcases, 1 medium and 2 carry-ons. A backpack and laptop bag in addition to these.

With everything set, we were ready!

DAY 0:

I had pre booked the taxi through Uber and an Ertiga showed up. It was a CNG fitted taxi and I was surprised at the decent pulling power of it. With no further drama, we reached the airport on time at 1:30am. Our scheduled departure was at 4:30am. The check-in process was smooth, and we boarded the aircraft. The A320 was probably squeezed in with more seats and hence my plans for catching some sleep went for a toss. I had pre booked meals for all legs while making the reservation. The food was just ok.

DAY 1:

We landed at Sharjah on time (6:40am local time) and went straight to the next boarding gate. We spotted a decent looking "Olive restaurant" just after the transit security clearance, and we had our breakfast there. After killing a couple of hours there, reached the gate only to be overwhelmed by the smell of cigarette smoke! Yes, the Turkish people have taken up to smoking quite fondly and this was just a prelude to the passive smoking that we were to be subjected through the entire trip! Do note that the gate was nonsmoking - this was just a bunch of men reeking of post-smoking odor!

All of us took a nap through this flight as there was nothing much to do anyway! I miss those international flights that offer the whole experience with free food and in-flight-entertainment! We landed at the Istanbul Airport around 14:30pm local time.




Istanbul has 2 airports - The older Sabiha Gökcen airport that's on the Asian side and the swanky new Istanbul airport on the European side. It was a swift exit from immigration. Picked up our bags and met with our friend's family at the arrival area. They were flying from Pune in Indigo and had arrived much earlier than us. We were hungry by then and while the family went food hunting, I went to the Turkcell counter to purchase local SIM card. I remember paying some 50Euros for everything unlimited. This is a road trip, and we need our internet! When I got back with the SIM, I saw the family munching away some vegetarian stuff. The non-veg in me was so happy to spot a Popeye there and had my fair share of their finger licking chicken! The rental car guy had already turned up and was hurrying us to come out. Not to test his patience further, we met up with him and he took us into the parking lot. I realized that this was not a reputed agency in the likes of Avis/Hertz/Sixt, but a local operator who just aggregates through these portals. This guy could not speak any English. But he opened up his G Translate and started communicating! We returned the favor as well!

There was this Black Ford Tourneo Custom waiting. He showed us the vehicle and we promptly shot the video. Then there was this problem, the last row of seat wouldn't fold. It is only removable, not foldable. Hence, we had to load up the luggage from the side doors onto the last row of seats. He made it look easy, but we found this an arduous task every time we had to load and unload. Once all set, he asked for his money in cash. This is the problem of dealing with curbside pickups as they don't carry any machines to swipe cards. My friend had 400Euros cash he withdrew at the airport, and we gave it to him, promising that we will pay the balance amount when we return the car. The car carried the Turkish equivalent of Fastag and hence there would be no issue. He will tell us the amount when we return, and we would have to pay him that. With paperwork done, we set rolling.



As the itinerary indicates, the plan was to drive out of Istanbul and stay put for the night, before continuing the journey to Cappadocia. Instead of just booking a regular hotel, I had opted to stay at a mountain getaway, probably more active during the winter for it's adventure activities, nevertheless beautiful during summer. Enroute, we stopped for gas, and also did have a coffee break at the convenience store attached. The kids loved the idea of Starbucks vending machines and all of us were hooked through our entire road trip.





We reached the place by dusk and loved the setting. It was a family house, where the owners lived in Ground floor and the entire first floor was for us. It was a 3-bedroom spacious suite.







We freshened up and went out for dinner at a close by restaurant. Food was different and delicious, even for the vegetarians! Of the group of 6, my daughter and I are the only meat eaters!





With dinner done, I just wanted to drive around the village. The weather was nippy, and we stopped at the convenience store to buy road trip essentials - gallons of drinking water, milk, snacks, juices, etc. That was the end of a long 2 days!

[luvurride]

DAY 2:

A good night's sleep ensured our body and mind was fresh for the journey ahead - 600+km to Cappadocia.





After checking out, we headed to breakfast at the local attraction, where we could dine by the stream. Every Turkish breakfast gets served with bread and multiple condiments on the side. It is much easier this way as you can just order a set breakfast and they serve everything on the side. You just have to say if you don't need the meat.





The drive began post breakfast. It was largely uneventful with a break at the Starbucks on the wayside convenience along the highway. The highway speed limit typically being 120km/hr, I observed that the traffic drives over by up to 20km/hr and I did not see the police being tough about this. 6 hours later, we were in Cappadocia! By then, we had to have 2 fuel stops! The range was around 350-400km for a full tank - this one was a guzzler!



The sunlight was still up when we reached around 7pm. The hotel I had booked was Heaven Cave House. When we went to check-in, we were in for a shock! What I was aware was that we were all supposed to stay in one room that had 6 beds, what I wasn't aware was that it had only one toilet! This would be a problem considering we had to get up early in the morning for the hot air balloon ride! So whilst my friend was trying to figure out if they had any additional room available, wife and I stepped out to hunt for other hotels nearby. Though we found one, they were quoting insane rates owing to the season! Finally, it was decided that we will take up an additional room from the next day since they had it available only then. We were booked for 3 nights here! After freshening up, we walked to the village square for dinner.

Cappadocia is a region (like Coorg) and there are many villages in it. Nevsehir is the known one and the hot air balloon rides happen here. The place we stayed was Urgup. This was a nice quaint village with a main square around which most restaurants and shops are located. This place was much colder than Istanbul and we had to warm us up with jackets.

Even before reaching Cappadocia, I was in touch with the hotel owner for the hot air balloon rides and had asked to block it for the next day. We made the payment for it after that initial fiasco while checking in. It was the most expensive spend of the trip with each ticket costing 280Euros. This could be got for as low as 100Euros when you travel in non-peak season. The most important factor here is that the rides are controlled by the Aviation Regulation Authority of Turkiye and are weather dependent. So just because you had bought a ticket, does not mean that you get a ride. Thankfully, the next day did not disappoint us!

DAY 3:

We were told that we would be picked up at 4:30am. After some careful logistical planning, we somehow managed to be ready. We were picked up in a Mercedes Vito van, the go-to vehicle in Turkiye in the tourism department.

After a few other pickup stops, we were disembarked at an open location where we could see the balloons being brought in. They had a small picnic table setup with warm tea and biscuits. Shivering in cold, we were watching the balloons being inflated and being setup.











We were then asked to board the basket. The pilot gave some brief instructions, and we lifted off. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I will let the pictures do the talking!



















Landing was a bit clumsy as you are being told to sit down holding your knees in that short space and there was some impact felt. But we had a 70-year-old in our basket, and she was fine. It was concluded with a certificate and non-alcoholic beverage, and we were promptly dropped back at the hotel.







My friend and I walked to the village square to grab some sandwiches as a take-away for breakfast. A brief discussion with the hotel owner helped us plan the rest of our days there.





After catching up with the missed sleep, we went to the village square again for lunch. From here, we were picked up for the ATV sunset ride. Unfortunately, since I was the only capable driver, we just did some fun wheeling locally and decided to drop the sunset ride.







We then decided to drive up to Nevsehir for dinner and also explore the town in the night. The streets were busy and after doing a bit of shopping for the evil eye, we went to a restaurant that was recommended by the hotel we were staying. I ordered the kebaps and they were delicious!

[luvurride]

DAY 4:

The plan for the day was already chalked out the previous evening with the help of our hotel owner. We had asked for a private guide who will hop on our vehicle and take us to places around. This way, we had the convenience of opting to go to places that we wish to and also not pushed for time, which typically happens with the guided group tours. It also works out cheaper as we just pay the guide fee, which is fixed (150 Euros here), and not per person. For the evening, we opted for the Turkish dinner and dance.

The guide showed up at 9 am promptly. He name is Ilkay and she is a History major who gave up a flourishing career to move back to her husband's farm here and taken this up as part time. She spoke good English and we also learnt some Turkish words from her!

Since we had our breakfast at the hotel itself, we headed straight to the first attraction - Monk's valley. Named after the Christian monks who hid there for years, this is the postcard image of Cappadoccia with tall fairy chimneys and their evolution over the years. There is ample parking available. This is a ticketed attraction and also has a small cafeteria and shops near the ticket counter. This is an easy walk and offers plenty of photo ops right next to the fairy chimneys. There are other valleys which demand a hike, but we felt we were pretty much satisfied with this as this offered everything with minimal walking!

























After this, she took us to a village called Avanos, which is famous for pottery and customized carving. The shop was called Aldag Ceramic and according to our guide, this is one of the oldest families who have been practicing this art. They also have a tie up with UN and can ship worldwide for free (their words, not sure if it is a fact!). They have sections where you can see them carving on the ceramic, actual pottery making and also huge galleries for different type of products they make. We bought a customized ceramic plate, and they did manage to ship it to us in good condition. We also bought the traditional tea pots. The products were definitely genuine but can't say the same about pricing. Bargaining hard does work and they seem to be in the attitude of making as much money from tourists as possible. We spent a lot of time here as the products were really unique and fascinating pieces of art. They do not allow us to photograph their display sections.

















The next stop was Ozkonak Underground City. There are many underground cities around, but this one was closer from Avanos. This is also a ticketed attraction, but with a registered guide with us, we got a discount!

A bit of background from their official site:
There are about 150-200 of underground settlements of various sizes, which are one of the most interesting cultural riches of the Cappadocia Region. This number may increase even more since there are large and small rock settlements in all the towns and villages in the Cappadocia Region. Most of these rock settlements were built by carving down soft tuff downwards deeply. The reason for the construction of underground cities is for people to secure themselves. Hundreds of rooms in underground cities are connected to each other through long galleries and tunnels like labyrinths. The reason why galleries are low, narrow and long is to limit the movement of the enemy.

Özkonak Underground City: The underground city, which is 14 km away from Avanos, is built on the northern slopes of Mount Idiş where volcanic granite structure tuff layers are very dense. The galleries spread over large areas are connected to each other by tunnels. Unlike the underground cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu, there are very narrow and long holes that enable communication between the floors. When the entrances of properly carved rooms are closed, ventilation is also provided by these narrow (5 cm) and long holes.





A panoramic view of the valley:



We then went to grab a quick lunch and from there she took us to a carpet making factory. Since we were already broke from our visit to the ceramic factory in the morning, I just resigned myself to a seat in a corner! But the craftmanship was truly spectacular and we did admire the quality and designs.

The next stop was a leather factory who claimed to be making designs to most of the popular Italian brands. We enjoyed a fashion show with the models displaying some of their clothing. We were also encouraged to be models and I used the opportunity along with both the kids to walk the ramp! We just had our fun and left without buying anything.

Since time was already 5pm, we just decided to wound up the tour and headed back to the hotel. We bid adieu to Ilkay thanking her for her services. After freshening up, we were promptly picked up by a Mercedes Sprinter for our Turkish dinner and dance. We were taken to Avanos again (ceramic factory) and I believe the restaurant's name is Evranos. Such restaurants are designed with a circular performance arena in the middle flanked by wings of seating (imagine a ceiling fan!). They start serving drinks followed by a set course of dinner, whilst the performances are staged one after the other. They also encourage audiences to come and join them at times. We got to witness some plays, fire acts and various dances with belly dancing as the grand finale. Overall, a decent way to end the day I would say - would be even great if you are a dancer!











I had gotten the driver's number while he dropped us off. So called him to pick us back up. We reached back to the hotel by 10:30pm and called it a day! We were back to the situation of all 6 of us in one room as the hotel was booked full. But since we had a leisurely start for the next day, we were ok with it. And honestly, it was fun being in the same room as friends, you know, like the hostel days!

[luvurride]

DAY 5:

Post a leisurely breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and took off to Antalya. Enroute, planned for a quick stopover at Konya. Konya, a conservative cultural city, is the Sufi centre of Turkiye and home for the Mevlana and the Dervishes.









We reached the place around 2pm and found a roadside parking next to the Mevlana Museum. Since we were extremely hungry, the first stop was to satisfy the hunger pangs. We tried the Turkish pizza-ish dish called Etli Ekmek that originated in Konya they say. Our hotel owner from Cappadoccia highly recommended us to try this.






The Mevlana Museum is located in the heart of the city and there is a city square made around it with plenty of restaurants, shopping and walking lanes. I loved the setup. We went shopping too as we were sure we would need another suitcase to carry the stuff we bought/would be buying during the trip.

We then visited the Mevlana Museum, which is basically the tomb of the Sufi Mystic and poet Rumi, and spent around an hour there. This is a free attraction which also houses artefacts and showcases a lot about the Sufi culture.







It was 5pm and we decided to leave the place. A brief contemplation on whether we should stay for the Sufi performance at 7pm at the Konya Art and Cultural centre was turned down promptly since that would mean we would have to stay overnight at Konya.

What ensued after was a spectacular drive through Central Turkish mountains! And I enjoyed every bit of it! By the time we hit the coast, it was 10:30pm. We had dinner at a wayside restaurant and reached our booked hotel in Antalya by 12am. This looked like a typical Russian flocked hotel and we did not like the rooms as they were very small. The upkeep was also not that great as it appeared the guests were more interested in partying and even sleeping by the benches in the garden! Since it was too late, we decided to crash for the night and look for options the next morning.

[luvurride]

DAY 6 and 7:

The following was penned by my 14-year-old daughter as she insisted on doing this since Antalya was her favorite place in Turkey:

Originally called Attaleia, Antalya is one amongst the 51 coastal cities of Turkey. It is commonly referred to as the “gateway to the Turkish Riviera”. Personally, Antalya was my favourite city in the entirety of our Turkey trip. The scenic views from Antalya are unmissable, making it the perfect vacation spot if you love the ocean.

We started our journey towards Antalya. I slept for most of the ride (as I usually do). On our way, we stopped at Konya, where we went to The Mevlana Museum. This is a mosque and had a separate section cornered off as a museum for tourists. We stumbled on multiple ottoman artifacts that had great significance to the mosque and the city. Following that, we grabbed a quick bite of Konya Pizza and were off to window-shop. Konya had multiple street shops in a large modern-market complex. At one point, we couldn’t resist splurging on all the goods in the shops. We eventually had to buy a separate suitcase in Konya, that was assigned to all our souvenirs. We returned to where we parked and were once again, on our way.

While I was busy sleeping, my dad had already driven a great distance. We were passing through a mountain range as I woke up. I shifted my eyes to the window to see mesmerizing views on either side of the highway. It’s truly one of the most unique sights I've ever seen. This is one of the experiences that I had in Turkey that I could never forget.





The sun was setting as we drove alongside the mountains. Around 9-ish, we stopped for dinner as it was the only option on the highway. There, we enjoyed a meal of Korma and Pilaf, the only two dishes that they serve. After dinner, we headed for the hotel which we only reached about 4 hours later.

The hotel was rather run-down and old. Although the reviews were good, we didn’t find it to be the best option to stay at. Unfortunately, it was already 1 am, so it was impossible to check in to a different hotel at that time. We called it a day and slept.

The following day, we ate breakfast and I was swinging on the hammock afterwards. Although the hotel wasn’t to our liking, it still had adequate communal spaces and hangout spots. I waited for the rest of the party to join and helped with loading our luggage into the car. We were on the road yet again, and this time, looking for a better place to stay.

We had found this hotel called “Mango Suites” and decided to stay there. As the name suggested, we got our own apartment-like suite, and luckily, I got my own room. We rested for quite a while before continuing due to the previous day’s long journey before we decided to go out again. We had lunch at this amazing burger joint named Burger Cars. That is till date, the best burger that I’ve ever tasted. After we savored the godly sandwiches, we decided to go to Konyaalti beach, as it was a walk-able distance from there. We began to throw stones into the ocean to see who could throw the furthest. After many failed attempts, …i lost. We tried to catch the waves, however the pebbles were to prickly for our bare feet, so we decided to walk alongside the wooden platform overlooking the ocean. The platform had cafes and communal spaces on one side and the Mediterranean sea on the other. Walking along the beach was my favorite part of Antalya. We eventually got hungry again just as we walked by a street vendor selling corn and passion fruit. That's where I had my first bite of passion fruit. We continued walking along the platform and spotted a “Robert’s coffee” to the right. All of us needed that extra energy, hence we walked to the cafe. We enjoyed our food and drinks as the sun set and our second day in Antalya came to a halt.







I woke up the next day in my own room and got ready. A van came to pick us up for a tour of the city. We hopped on and met a bunch of people who we’d be spending the day with. The first stop was the lower Duden waterfalls, where I zip-lined and drank some orange juice. The second stop was the upper Duden waterfalls, which was in a cave. I personally enjoyed the experience at the upper Duden waterfalls better.











From there, we went on a boat cruise where we looked at beautiful vistas.







Next, we were taken to a souvenir shop and that had local Turkish jewelry and souvenirs. My dad had purchased Turkish apple tea powder from there. We were then taken to a lunch place and I had the locally recommended kebaps.





Following that, we went to the market, where I got amazing outfits for cheap. My mom also got her favorite bag from there. After shopping, it was already evening. We decided to go back to the hotel to rest. For dinner, we decided that it was best to go to a place that the locals know and love. My dad asked the hotel receptionist while the rest of us were outside, ready to board our vehicle. We then headed to a semi-gourmet restaurant, where I relished a 5-cheese pasta. We went back to the hotel and got the night’s worth of sleep.



The next day, it was time to bid our goodbyes to Antalya (and to tasty burgers). We were back on the road, this time heading toward Pamukkale, with the rest of the journey awaiting us.

Note from me: We had booked for a Day Tour through the hotel help desk. This consisted of a small group guided tour to the Duden Waterfalls, Souvenir Shop visit, Lunch, Sea Cruise for 2 hours, Old Town Antalya with a pick-up and drop-off. The cost was around 40 Euros per person.

[luvurride]

DAY 8:

Since the Suites had no complimentary breakfast on offer, we checked out at 8 am and decided to have something once we were out of the city. We spotted this quaint little place and stopped over. It was the usual Turkish spread, but I loved their sausages!



After a relaxed drive through some mixed terrain, we reached Pamukkale around 1 pm.





We had a passable lunch in an Indian/Asian/Turkish restaurant (Yes, all in one!) and checked into our hotel located in a village called Karahayit. The hotel had their own supply of thermal water, most hotels in the region do. They have a huge bathtub each room's bathroom, where this is pumped into. We first decided to head to the main attraction "Heirapolis". Featured in many Indian films, this houses the hot springs of the region and the white pools formed by the calcium deposits left by the water. But this is primarily an archaeological center of importance since a Greek city was unearthed next to it and has a UNESCO World Heritage tag.

This is a ticketed attraction that costs 200 Liras per person. After leaving our car in the parking lot, we could either walk to each location or take their buggy. We chose to take their buggy to the Calcium pools, called as Cotton Castle. Since we went prepared in our Swim costumes, we spent a lot of time having fun and taking pictures.
















From here, the Cleopatra pools were walk-able. This is basically Hot Springs water created as a pool with some ancient Greek monumental ruins in the middle of the pool! We spent some 30 minutes in the pool and then headed to the Ancient City of Heirapolis after a brief stop at the Museum. There is still some Arachaelogical work going on here. Situated further up is the Heirapolis Theatre.









Since it was almost closing time (6pm), we were the only ones left along with a family from Bangladesh with their 2 kids. The buggies had done their duties and we boarded the vans meant to ferry the staff back to the gate. Once at the gate, the Bangladesh family realized that the last bus to transport them to Pamukkale had already left. We offered to drop them and did so. Back to the hotel, we were all pretty tired and my wife was completely drained with signs of diarrhea. Leaving her to rest, the rest of us stepped out to have a dinner, just outside our hotel in the main square of Karahayit. Food was delicious! I bought some buttermilk and bread for my wife from a local store nearby, and we called it a day! We were scheduled to leave for Kusadasi the next day.

[luvurride]

DAY 9:

After waking up the next day, I decided to try out the spring water in our bathtub while the kids went to the common pool downstairs. A mistake that costed us additional day! After spending about 30 mins in the hot water tub, when I stepped out, I felt really light headed and dizzy! In a short while, I started sweating profusely and just crashed on the bed! Only to find out that the calcium carbonate in the water dehydrates you completely and it is not recommended to get into it on empty stomach, which I did! I was advised to take in lot of fluids and rest. Daughter came back from the pool and she started to feel weak with diarrhea. Our friends also tried the tub the previous night, had the same effect, but plenty of water and a good night's sleep helped them.
We decided it was best to stay put in the hotel for the day.

First, informed the hotel folks that we would like to extend to one more day and then called up the booked hotel in Kusadasi and told them that we could not travel due to the medical condition and they agreed to forego the reservation without any penalty.

I felt a little better after sleeping for a couple of hours. So stepped out to the market and got some fresh pomegranate juice and more Ayran (Turkish version of butter milk) for lunch. After some more hours of sleep, we were all feeling better. My daughter, being a history buff, suggested we go to the City of Tripolis. So we headed out and drove through the rural setting of Turkey with narrow roads and small quaint villages. Literally, there was none in the site except us! Looks like the government isn't promoting it yet like they do Heirapolis, may be because the excavations were still ongoing. Entry was free. After spending about an hour, the lone guard there asked us to leave since it was 5:30pm. We headed back to the hotel, had dinner at the same place and called it a day.

[luvurride]

DAY 10:

I woke up the next day fairly refreshed and feeling good. The tiredness from the previous day was gone. We just ate some bread and juice from the previous day and decided to leave. Since I had cancelled the hotel that I had originally booked, I searched again and found a beautiful boutique hotel and booked it before we left.

It was just a 2.5 hours drive and we made it in to Kusadasi around noon. The sights of entering Kusadasi with the view of the Aegean sea was mesmerizing as this little town is located between the mountains and the ocean. This boutique hotel I booked was inside the town. Taking the van through the narrow streets was a task, but was fine. Fortunately, was able to park the van right next to the entrance on the street. It was a beautiful property maintained very well by the owners.

After checking in, we decided to drive out to the ocean and have a dip. With proper attire and towels in tow, we headed out. We stopped for lunch at a place run by the two French gentlemen, who cooked up some delicious food!



We then headed out to the ocean, but did not find the beach so great as it was full of tourists. So we decided to drive a bit further down to a National park which also showed some accessible beaches for tourists. This was the best decision! As we entered the park, the guards did a mandatory check and told us to be out of the park by 6pm. It was only 3:30 then, so we had enough time! We drove into the park, which is on the mountains, with access to beaches enroute. On the second access, we drove down to the parking. The beach was a nice setup with proper washrooms and changing rooms. Once we changed into the swim attire, we ventured in. The best part was that the water doesn't get deep until you get much further in. So we could get in to almost 500m without having to swim. And, there were literally two couples and a family, besides us! It was super fun, but it started to get cold once the sun faded. So we got out, changed ourselves and headed back to the town.









Once back at the hotel, we decided to walk to the town square which had a lot of shops and restaurants. After doing a fair bit of walking and shopping, had dinner at a restaurant, which wasn't the best though.





















After withdrawing some cash which we would need to pay to the car rental since we had to drop off the van the next day at Istanbul, we headed back to the hotel! Probably caused by excessive tiredness from the day, daughter developed a fever in the night. The paracetamol we carry came in handy and she was fine the next day.

[luvurride]

DAY 11:

After a relaxed morning with a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel, we started our drive towards Istanbul. The drive was largely uneventful with our usual stops at rest areas for the excellent Starbucks coffee. The weather turned really cold when we got closer to Istanbul with rains as well.



Yes, that's the allowed speed limit!


Most public restrooms in gas stations had this system installed, where the toilet seat cover rotates automatically at the touch of a button for the next person. Hygienic!



Entering Istanbul!



We almost reached Istanbul by around 7pm and we had asked the rental company to pick the van up from the hotel. It was a herculean task to unload all the bags and since the hotel was located in downtown Istanbul, parking was also an issue. I managed to pull in to a small dead ended lane closer to the hotel and we had to unload and carry all the bags to the hotel. The guy showed up with two of his friends (all dressed to party!!). He just collected the balance payment in cash(this included the toll amount as well). This looked to me more like his private vehicle which he has been contracting (much like Zoom here). The experience was hassle free except that we had to pay in cash.

Once done with the handover, we self checked into the apartment with the code provided. Much to our dismay, again discovered that although this was a spacious 2 bed room unit, there was only one bathroom! Again an oversight from my side when I made the booking. I called up the owner and asked him if I could another another room and he offered a studio in the same building. We took it. Friend and I then stepped out and got some pizza for everyone from a local joint in the same street as we were too tired to venture out. That completed our road trip and the rest of the days were to be discovered in Istanbul by public transport.

[luvurride]

DAY 12:

We woke up pretty late and were a bit lazy to do anything. My wife offered to cook for the day since she was craving for home food! She stepped out and went to the supermarket in the next block and got the necessary groceries. We made some toast and had it with the orange juice - bread and juice from the supermarket.

We all gathered in the living room and reminisced and talked about the wonderful journey we have had so far. Followed by home made rice, Dal and potato fry for lunch, tummies satiated and off we went to explore Istanbul. I had spoken to the apartment owner and got recommendations for places to see and tips to handle local transportation. I also requested him to organize a local guide for taking us around the city for the next day.

We left around 3pm and walked down to the Findikli tram station which was hardly 200m away. The plan was to take the Bosphorous cruise from the other end and finish it near the Galata port, which was closer to our apartment. The tram had direct connection to Eminonu station. We got down and there were plenty of agents reaching out to take their cruise. We narrowed down to one and got a deal for 150Euros for the 6 of us. They charged for 5 at 30 Euros per person and the sixth one free. It was a nice speed boat and besides us, there was just another couple. The vistas of both Europe and Asia side of Istanbul can be seen through the cruise and it was breathtaking! But it got getting colder with wind chillness and we finally hopped off at the Galata port. The cruise lasted almost 90 minutes.















Galata port is the hip destination with a mall and a riviera lined with restaurants lined up at the backdrop of the port. After doing some window shopping, we settled down at Big Chefs and had a great dinner.









We withdrew cash to pay the guide for the next day and returned back to the apartment.

[luvurride]

DAY 13:

We started off the day by heading straight to the Galata Tower. The usual tram from the Findikli stop to Karakoy and then it was a short walk up.

Originally built as a watch tower from the highest vantage point, it's now converted as a museum for tourists. This is a ticketed attraction. We spent about an hour and half there. It was wonderful to see the entire Istanbul from up there!















We headed to a coffee shop right across the tower for a croissant and coffee, which was our breakfast! There was a flea market right outside, where we bought some souvenirs.



We then decided to go up to Taksim square and decided to walk instead of public transport. This was because we had already walked in that direction when the ladies had started exploring the shops around. Taksim Square is an iconic Republican monument, surrounding which lies the most happening nightlife of Istanbul lined with cafes, pubs and boutiques. Taksim square has one of the oldest tram running and is typically a tourist attraction. Ofcourse, we took it as well!



After spending some time there, we took a cab to an area called Nisantasi, recommended by the hotel owner, which is the hip area of Istanbul that houses the brands of the world and unique boutiques. We took a cab to here. All we did was window shopping! We were hungry by then and headed to a Mexican restaurant called Ranchero. Food was good.





Since we were tired already, we decided to head back to the hotel for an afternoon siesta!

By evening, we thought of checking out the Istiklal street around Taksim square. The ladies decided to stay back. Taksim square was very much walkable from our apartment, but uphill. We made it up and headed to Hafiz Mustafa, one of the oldest and famous bakery founded in 1864. We tasted their heavenly baklava and polished them off with some kahva!





We then took a walk in the Istiklal street, checking out some shops and headed back. The kids wanted McDonalds, so we packed bcak to the apartment. We had a relaxed dinner at the apartment with lovely conversation to end the day.

[luvurride]

DAY 14:

This was the final full day of our trip. That is why we had engaged a local guide to show us around the history of Istanbul, the erstwhile Constantinople.

She was there promptly at 9am. We had by then finished our breakfast of bread, eggs and juice at the apartment and ready. We took the tram on to our first stop of the day - Ayasofya. The place was originally a Church, which was converted to a Mosque by the Ottomans. An interesting history about Turkiye - which we learned from our guide - Ataturk was the first revolutionary leader of Turkish independence who became the first president of Turkiye after it was liberated from king rule and became a democracy. He was a visionary leader who gave equal voting rights and the right to run for office to women in as early as 1930s! A true reformer! This perspective made us then realize how modern and accomplished women were in that nation! Also, the locals, in general, were religiously liberal. Our guide had some strong political views against the incumbent President though! The Presidential elections were held the day before!

The reason I deviated here was because Ataturk had made the Ayasofya a museum and a place open to public, but not a mosque. But the incumbent President has changed it back to mosque with limited entry to areas of the place. The place had a decent crowd vying to enter. Our guide bought a pass that allows us entry to most tourist attractions around, so we could atleast skip the line for buying tickets! Shoes off and ladies had to wear a scarf covering their head before we enter Ayasofya.

















We moved to the Topkapi palace next, which was home to the Ottoman rulers. Converted to a museum now, it has vast collection of artefacts from the Ottoman era, we spent a good couple of hours there.





























We briefly stopped at the Sultanhment Mosque, popularly called as the Blue mosque owing to the color of the dome. The guide showed us the Hamams which have been running in that area since the 1600s! Hamams are Turkish baths, where traditional massages and baths were given to the ruling families, later opened for masses as well. The ladies wanted to try them, but those extremely popular ones were sold out in advance. But, our guide offered to book through her contacts and she managed to get them in to the last slot at 6:30pm. We were hungry by then, on my request, she took us to a local restaurant for another round of kebaps! Yeah, the vegetarians in the group did not like it as much as we did! They settled for some pizzas.

We then went to the Grand bazaar, which is the local market complex, which exists from the 14/15th century. It is a huge complex with small shops selling pretty much everything, the most notable ones are the spices, artefacts, jewellery and gifts. We bid farewell to our guide from there. We walked around the market for a while and had coffee at the Hafiz Mustafa outlet there and bought stuff for back home.








It was 5pm by then, it was decided that I will stay back and accompany the ladies back once they finish their Hamam and my friend will take the kids to the apartment.

I roamed around the area, did some perfume purchase (I bought a lot! ), clicked pictures while I waited for them. They came out at close to 8pm.



We decided to buy salad and the local pide (Turkish flatbread with stuffing, their equivalent to pizza), as I saw a lady making them fresh! We also spotted a photo shop where you could get your pics done in Turkish costumes. Wife and I went for it, and it is a fantastic memory that we cherish!



We then headed back home, had the pide and salad for dinner, finished our packing for our travel back home the next day!

[luvurride]

DAY 15:

The day started with us cleaning up the apartment. We then stepped out to grab some bread and coffee for breakfast, right next to the apartment. Our flight was in the afternoon, so we had to leave at 10am, whilst our friend traveling to Mumbai had their flight only in the evening. I had spoken to the apartment owner to organize transport to the airport for both of us for a total of 150 Euros, that's for two trips.

Our van, which was a beautifully done up Mercedes Vito arrived. The chauffeur took us to the airport on time. I grabbed take away from Popeyes (for some reason, all these fast food chains taste delicious out of India) and boarded the flight to Sharjah, and then back to Bangalore in the night. This flight was horrible as the leg room was pathetic.

The first thing we did after landing at Bangalore, was to go and grab piping hot dosas!
We took an Uber and reached home well past midnight.

We took home lasting memories that we can cherish for our lifetime and we were glad that the Almighty and nature provided us this opportunity!

I know I am late by a year and half in coming out with this log, but I'm glad atleast I did it! We took off to Croatia and Hungary for the Summer of '24. I'll try to come up with that log when I can! Thanks for reading and living through this log!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[lejhoom]

Enjoyed this sumptuous travelogue. Looks like Türkiye is a better option than Europe. Culture, food, and interesting places, Türkiye can fulfill most travel itch. Loved reading this and the accompanying photos are a treat.