The urge to explore the city of Istanbul dates back to the time when I was in school. Sometimes I feel, this “no-insta” era was a bliss. The only source of knowing about the world were books, magazines and newspapers. Don’t judge me from the lines, but yes, I’m a little old-school person. I remember reading a travel book in my school library, which had an euphoric description and pictures of the city, and it was all imprinted on my neurons I feel. And flowing with the trend of bucket lists, Turkey definitely had to top that.

Turkey is bursting with breathtaking architecture, lip-smacking food and flowers. It’s one city which we would love to go more than once! Nestled on two continents, Asia and Europe, Turkey reflects the influence perfectly. Because of its unique geographic positioning, it was also the home to ‘The Great Silk Road’.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Even though Turkey is a year-round good to visit, albeit the Spring (Mar.- May) and Autumn (Sept.- Nov.) are the best time to explore the country. Moderate weather and thinner crowds make it a pleasure trip and saves on your budget too; though queues are reduced to half in winters at most of the major attractions.

We went in late May to early June and the weather was perfect. Sunlight not too harsh and the winds not too cold. Crowd was medium but we heard from fellow travelers that mid-June had bad rush in Istanbul.

So, when you plan, check for any holidays around and visit those places first where you might get less crowd and ditch the cliché when you can to embrace the place more. International Tulip Festival is held in April every year and billions of Tulips bloom throughout the city of Istanbul. For those who thought Tulips = Netherlands, Tulips are the gift of Turks to the world! It is one of the most sought-after events in Istanbul, so if you’re planning to visit Turkey in April, you may want to admire this gift 😉

VISA PROCESS

For an Indian passport holder, there are two options available, E-visa and Regular Visa.

A Turkish e-visa can be applied for if you have a valid visa or residence permit from Schengen, US, UK or Ireland. Further, the e-visa process is the simplest we have seen till date. The steps are as follows:

• Visit https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
• Select ‘New application’ and enter the relevant details (a one page form with basic information required. No documents / photo required to be uploaded)
• Pay the visa fees of USD 43 online
• Receive the visa on e-mail within 10-15 minutes

However, in case e-visa is not applicable, the process is little cumbersome and time consuming as follows:

• Visit https://www.konsolosluk.gov.tr/Visa/Index
• Fill the required details
• Upload the required documents (List mentioned here http://www.vfsglobal.com/turkey/uae/Tourism.html) (Note: The link provided is for applying from UAE. Based on our research, the documents and process is similar for India. You can obtain details from the following link – http://www.vfsglobal.com/turkey/india/Tourist.html)
• After submitting the application, appointment needs to be obtained to submit the application for further processing by the Turkish consulate (http://www.vfsglobal.com/turkey/uae/schedule-an-appointment.html)
• Visit the VFS office on the scheduled date and submit the application, along with the documents and passport
• If approved, you will receive the visa within 10-15 working days

For Jackie, e-visa was obtained. However, for me we had to obtain the sticker visa.

TRANSPORT AND GETTING AROUND

We used the flight aggregator, Skyscanner – https://www.skyscanner.net/ to search for the best available flights. However, once our flight selected, we booked directly from the carrier’s website. We booked Turkish Airlines – one of the best flight experiences we have had till date. Special mention of their safety demonstration video that is loaded with sheer cuteness.

Getting around Turkey is all dependent on how much time and budget you have.

Road Trips: Roads in Turkey are good and if you’re into the adventure league. A few car rental options are available at majority of the airports, so you can pick and go. However, note that if you wish to drop off at another city, there may be high one-way fees.

While planning, after covering Istanbul we were to do our road trip as Izmir – Ephesus – Konya – Cappadocia. We dropped the plan as we were ending up with a very jam-packed itinerary. Instead, we limited the number of cities we wanted to see and rented vehicles locally to explore.

Public Transport: Istanbul offers a great network of public transport. You can buy the ‘Istanbul Kart’ at any train stop/ major bus stops, which can be used for all public transport in the city. We majorly used public transport in Istanbul. The tram ‘T1’ is the most convenient options to visit most of the attractions. We used the taxis only for travelling to and from the airport.

There was very limited public transport in Cappadocia, which can be used only if you have more time in hand to explore the place. We used it to visit some places as we had some time in hand. There was no public transport in Pamukkale. Domestic connectivity: Majority of the cities and towns are connected by either bus or train route. If you wish, you can travel between the cities like Izmir to Denizli by Train or bus. The fares are reasonable too. However, most of the cities have an airport and are well connected. We preferred the same to save time and flew with Pegasus and Turkish Airlines for our city hopping.

ACCOMMODATION

We prefer https://www.booking.com/ to book our hotels. It is reliable, with trusted reviews and has most of the needed information about a property. The reviews are a great help.

Our City wise Stay:

Istanbul

Ramada Old City, Fatih ($$) – This hotel is right in front of the Istanbul Tram Stop – Findikzade. Since, we were using the public transport in Istanbul, convenience was a priority. It was a basic hotel, but the convenience was unbeatable.

Pamukkale

Venus Hotel and Suites ($$) – The hotel was located at a short walk from the main area where all the restaurants are. The swimming pool was an added bonus. The restaurant had a lot of vegetarian options. An unexpected surprise for us was waking up to see hot air balloons from our room’s balcony.

Cappadocia

The Grand Elite Cave Suites ($$$) – The terrain is known for its caves and stone houses. We definitely wouldn’t have missed a chance to live the ‘Flintstones’ life 😛 . We got a luxury cave suite with a Jacuzzi and sauna. We believe this was a great bargain for the value that we received. We also saw the balloons from the hotel site. Cappadocia region is divided into various towns. We decided to stay in Goreme, as it is the liveliest, with numerous restaurants.

A Quick Tip: The hotels in Cappadocia get sold out very fast, so book them well in advance.

SUGGESTED ITINERARY

Day 1 – Istanbul – Basilica Cistern and Suleymaniye Mosque

Day 2 – Istanbul – Sultanahmet Square, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar

Day 3 – Istanbul – Dolmabahce Palace, Galata Tower and Istiklal Street

See detailed itinerary for Istanbul –> Three days in Istanbul

Day 4 – Pamukkale – Kaklik Cave and Laodicea

Day 5 – Pamukkale – Travertines, Cleopatra pool and Hierapolis

Day 6 – Pamukkale – Lavender fields, Burdur

See detailed itinerary for Pamukkale –> Three days in Pamukkale

Day 7 – Cappadocia – Exploring Goreme town

Day 8 – Cappadocia – Hot air balloon ride, Pasabagi, Zelve Open Air Museum, Rose Valley

Day 9 – Cappadocia – Kaymakli Underground City and Uchisar Castle

Day 10 – Departure

See detailed itinerary for Cappadocia –> Three days in Cappadocia

Istanbul

Day 1 – Basilica Cistern and Suleymaniye Mosque

We had an early morning flight from Sharjah. Even before we boarded our plane to Turkey, we were excited to see the Istanbul’s newest International Airport, which had opened its gate to the world on 5^th April 2019. Located on the European side of Istanbul, this airport has some really scenic views inside and outside.

Currently, there is no metro from the new airport to the Istanbul city. We took a taxi, which cost around 200TL and 45 minutes. There is a shuttle option too (Havaist) which drops at few prime locations in Istanbul (including Sultanahmet) – cheap but time consuming.

After relaxing and satisfying our gut calls, we step out to get exploration going. Since major attractions shut by around 7 P.M., so you’ll have to plan accordingly. We visited:

Basilica Cistern – or the Sunken Palace, it is an underground rain water reservoir system that served the ancient Turkey for ages. It is the largest amongst many cisterns beneath the city but it’s majorly known for the ‘Weeping Column’ and the ‘Medusa Column’.

Hippodrome column – Before and during the Byzantine Era, the area was used for Chariot racing. The Egyptian obelisk is the main artifact there. If time allows, you can definitely give a visit.

Suleymaniye Camii – visit during golden sun hours (after peak noon hours) for the beautiful views of and around the mosque. The place is sparingly crowded and is one our favorite mosque until now, definitely not to be missed!

Day 2 – Sultanahmet Square, Topkapi Palace and Grand Bazaar

Like any other attraction, these places get really thick crowd by the late morning hours. So, we suggest going closer to the opening hours of at least one of these places to start with.

Hagia Sophia – This place is just magical! The light through the arched windows falling on the golden mosaics and paintings, lit up the whole into architectural serene masterpiece. First served as a church, then a mosque and now it’s one of the most impressive museums of Turkey.

Sultanahmet Camii – Also known as the Blue Mosque because of its blue tiles. Built right across the Hagia Sophia, this functional mosque has everything that renders beauty. Though mostly under restoration these days, this mosque has a reminiscing feel to the Byzantine era through its Blue Iznik tiles. Visit during prayer times is closed to tourists, and Friday prayers are 2 hours long, so plan your visit accordingly. The crowd gets quite intense after the afternoon prayers.

Legend has it that because of a misunderstanding – when the Sultan decreed there should be altın minare (gold minarets), the architect heard altı minare (six minarets) – easy to muddle!  This caused some controversy, as the only other mosque with six minarets at that time was the Prophet’s mosque in Mecca – a problem the Sultan overcame by ordering a seventh to be added in Mecca.

It is also said because of the earlier era trade of “Turquoise” gem stone by the people of this country, is from where they were eventually known as the ‘Turks’.

Topkapi Palace – This Palace is huge and every section has beauty imbibed, so plan your time accordingly since it closes by 4.45 P.M. in summers (6.45 P.M. in winters). The Palace has two primary sections, the Palace and the Harem. Pick a Palace map so that you don’t get lost and miss the relics.

The Harem, meaning ‘a forbidden place’, is where the sultan’s mother and the wives lived with the concubines. The entry was limited and allowed only to the Sultan, the Queen Mother, his wives, princes, consorts, concubines and eunuchs who guarded the harem.

The ceilings of the various rooms of the Harem are all that attracts your gaze. The designs, colors, and motifs of the iznik tiles along with the beautifully inlaid gold are incredible. Don’t miss this for the extra fee, you’ll thank us later.

Grand Bazaar – Walk down the roads of this historic market of Istanbul for reminiscing the past and present, and definitely some shopping. From authentic Turkish artifacts to copy of the all newly launched collections of luxury brands, name it and you get it here. We bought the indigenous hand-made Turkish rug and covers, plus a painting and few other pieces as keep sakes. Bargaining is real here, so get your socks on.

Day 3 – Dolmabahce Palace, Galata Tower and Istiklal Street

Dolmabahce Palace – One of the most alluring palaces in the world, it reflects the Europe and is dipped in luxury and opulence. If you take the Bosphorous tour, it will be one of the most intriguing of all the buildings you cross during the boat trip. Don’t miss the chandelier in the ceremonial hall which was gifted by Queen Victoria and is the largest Bohemian crystal chandelier.

If you are short of time, you can skip the Harem at this Palace.

While walking to the Dolmabahçe Palace, keep a look out on the other side of the road for the painted steps that join Findikli to Cihanger (Cafe Nove is on the corner) – The Rainbow Stairs. Another good spot for some colorful fun pictures

Galata Tower – This cylindrical tower made of stone, offers 360 degree viewing platform of Istanbul. The queue to catch the sight gets very long, and that’s why we ditched going up and roamed around the adjacent streets to absorb more of the Turkey vibes.

Istiklal Caddesi – This is the heart of the Present-day Istanbul, that runs from Taksim Square to nearly all the way to the landmark Galata Tower. Nearly three million people that pass it every day, can make it rather challenging to peregrinate. Yet it serves as a different little world of Istanbul within itself. From old charm cafes to fast food to gobble while you shop around some of the high street brands, and not to forget the street art and musicians that keep you going forward on this 1.4 KM stretch.

The Nostalgic Tram, the beautiful ruby-red trams are another reason to go to this street. This is one of the many examples in Istanbul’s past working seamlessly into the city’s modern culture. The trip would be incomplete if you don’t board one of these vehicles that are renowned for carrying shoppers and tourists up and down the bustling avenue as they’ve been doing for decades. Sadly, like many other places, the Tram was under maintenance and not functioning when we visited ☹.

Istanbul is a city that offers its inhabitants so many ways of exploring it; every day is a brand-new adventure.

If you have more time you may also visit –

1. Turkish Baths
2. Bosphorous cruise
3. Princess Islands
4. Ortakoy Mosque (around sunset)
5. Camlica Mosque (for stunning city views)
6. The Instagram famous neighborhoods of Fener and Balat

Where to eat in Istanbul –> Vegetarian food in Istanbul

Pamukkale

Day 4 – Kaklik Cave and Laodicea

We took an early morning flight to Denizli Airport, which is an hour’s drive away from Pamukkale. We grabbed a car on rent from the airport for three days in Pamukkale, as public transport is sparse. We visited:

Kaklik Cave – also known as the Underground Pamukkale, this cave was recently opened for public viewing. Mostly ignored by tourists, so very less crowd but I believe that’s why it still has its charm. There is a wooden walkway which is slippery at places, so mind your step but do go till the end to see the marvelous blue pool.

Laodicea on the Lycus – an ancient ruin site, still under excavation but also with scanty tourist footfall. This site is included in the tentative list of world heritage sites by UNESCO. It contained one of the then seven churches of Asia mentioned in the ‘Book of Revelation’. The site is currently not known much to the tourists, as it is a recent excavation. This makes the site must visit, as it is fresh from the ground.

Day 5 – Travertines, Cleopatra pool and Hierapolis

On the second day, we visited the most iconic sites in Pamukkale. These sites i.e. Travertines, the pool and Hierapolis, have a common entrance and a combined ticket. In order to save on the re-entry costs, these sites may be visited together.

Pamukkale travertines – Pamukkale means ‘cotton castle’ in Turkish. We visited the travertines at 6:30 am in the morning from the south gate to beat the crowd. For a couple of hours i.e. before the crowds started pouring in by 8:30, we had almost the entire travertines to ourselves. The serene blue thermal pools on the white limestone formations is a beautiful sight to behold in the golden rising sun giving it the subtle glow.

Cleopatra pool – situated right above the travertines is the Cleopatra antique thermal pool. There is no separate charge to see the pool. However, if you intend to swim in the pool, an additional charge of 50 TL needs to be paid. We did swim and the experience was good. You can see and feel the ruins inside the crystal clear pool water.

Hierapolis – The ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis are well preserved. What grabbed our attention was the magnificent theatre. We decided to spend most of our time on a top seat in Hierapolis admiring the marvel. This is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

Karahayit – A small town next to Pamukkale, which is home to rust-red thermal springs (unlike the snow-white travertines). Most of the springs are located inside private resorts, but one of them is situated in the center of the town, next to the market. We also strolled in the market lanes.

We decided to spend some time boating in the picturesque Pamukkale lake as well.

Day 6 – Lavender fields, Burdur

On our final day in Pamukkale, we drove to the lavender fields in Burdur, which is around 150 kms from Pamukkale. We were a bit disappointed after we reached, as we were a week or two earlier than the full bloom. Though, we purchased a lot of lavender based products, specially lavender oil, from the local vendors at very affordable prices. Also, we had a lavender ice cream, it was delicious. Do let us know your thoughts if you try this at Burdur.

We were back in our hotel by 3 pm. After relaxing for a while, we decided to see the whirling dervish ceremony. The experience was okay, and can be skipped in case you are short on time. The ceremony also takes place in Istanbul at Hodjapasha every day at 7 P.M., can be booked from your hotel or through their website (approx. 120 TL). In case you need an authentic experience of the ceremony, Konya, the land of the famous poet Rumi, is the place to visit.

Where to eat in Pamukkale –> Vegetarian food in Pamukkale

Cappadocia

Day 7 – Cappadocia arrival

We had an 8:30 A.M. flight from Denizli to Cappadocia via Istanbul. There are no direct flights. We reached our hotel (in Goreme) in Cappadocia by 4 P.M. Hence, we just decided to relax in our cave suite’s Jacuzzi and wander around Goreme.

Day 8 – Hot air balloon ride, Pasabagi, Zelve Open Air Museum, Rose Valley

Hot air balloon ride – This was the highlight of our trip. An experience to cherish forever. Watching the sunrise from a hot air balloon, with 150 other balloons was mesmerizing. We will let our pictures do the talking for this. We had booked our ride with Voyager Balloons.

Quick tips on booking a balloon ride:

1. Book the ride well in advance online, as the slots get full very quickly. Further, the rates for on the spot booking can be very high

2. Opt for ‘Comfort flights’, which have less than 15 passengers on a balloon and a duration of 90 minutes. This may be a bit expensive, but is worth every single penny

3. Fly on your first morning in Cappadocia. In case there are cancellations due to weather (which is often), you may be accommodated by the balloon company on the next day

Exploring the region on our bike – We hired a scooter for a day to explore the region on our own. It was very convenient to see the nearby places. We explored the moonscape valleys of Cappadocia, Pasabagi fairy chimneys, Zelve Open Air museum. At the end, we stopped to admire the mesmerizing sunset from the Rose Valley and spent some time there.

There are two main group tours offered there – the Red and the Green tour. The Red Tour takes you around the major attractions in the region and lasts for approx. 4-5 hours. The Green Tour takes you to some more added attractions of South Cappadocia like the underground cities and lasts for approx. 8-10 hours. Since we prefer flexibility we chose to visit selected places on our own.

Day 9 – Kaymakli Underground City and Uchisar Castle

On our last day in Cappadocia, we took public transport buses to visit the Kaymakli Underground City and the Uchisar Castle. The underground city is a bit far from Goreme (around 30 kms) and hence, not preferable to visit on a scooter.

Kaymakli Underground City – This is one of the many underground cities in Cappadocia. Kaymakli is one of the deepest underground cities in the region, with 8 levels, of which 4 are open to public. Navigating through the narrow passages in the city is an experience in itself.

Uchisar Castle – We went to the castle to see the sunset. The castle can get crowded during this time. In order to avoid the crowd and avoid the trek, we went to another part of the castle rather than the top. The way was from a café located before the entrance.

Day 10 – Departure

Our last day in Turkey. We decided to wake up early and see the balloons from the ground. We went to a higher secluded spot right next to our hotel for an amazing view. We departed by 2 pm flight to Sharjah, via Istanbul.

Where to eat in Cappadocia –> Vegetarian food in Cappadocia

ATTIRE

Turkey is a mix of Middle Eastern and European culture. There are not much restrictions like other Middle Eastern countries, apart from the mosques, where you are expected to cover your knees and shoulders. Women are expected to cover their heads as well.

VEGETARIAN FOOD

Turkey is a gastronomical delight. We were easily able to find vegetarian options everywhere. We were also lucky to find some good Indian restaurants in Istanbul and Cappadocia. The best part was the Ayran (a salted Turkish yogurt drink). It is available everywhere in Turkey and the most refreshing drink to rehydrate. We used to have a couple of them every day.

Visit @wandernationals_food to have a look at our delicious vegetarian food experience in Turkey.

Istanbul

Kent Café ($$) – This was located right next to our Hotel in Fatih. They had limited vegetarian options, but the pasta we had was delicious.

Cafes outside the Grand Bazaar ($$) – Right where you get down at the Beyazit Tram station to visit the Grand Bazaar, there are a lot of cafes with outdoor seating. We ordered a vegetarian Pide (Turkey’s take on Pizza) with Cacik (Turkish yogurt).

Dubb Indian Restaurant ($$) – This was the first of the Indian restaurants we visited in Istanbul. It had the basic Indian dishes. We ordered a Paneer curry with bread and a starter. It was a good change to find some Indian food. This was located near the Sultanahmet area.

India Gate ($$) – This was another Indian restaurant we visited in Istanbul. The food we had here was mouth watering. The restaurant is located near the Taksim Square and does not show up on Google Maps. We were planning to visit Delhi Darbar, which was nearby to this place, and found this accidentally to our good luck.

Falafel Tayba ($) – The best falafel we have had. Do not go by the looks of the restaurant, the taste is delicious. We had falafels, falafel wrap and Lahmacun. The restaurant was located near our hotel in Fatih.

Murat Muhallebicisi ($$) – A beautiful restaurant serving some amazing desserts in Karakoy. We had some relaxing moments and Mosaic cake for a mid meal hunger bangs.

Special mention of Ciya ($$) – This restaurant which was also featured in a Netflix series, ‘Chef’s Table’, has brought in authentic Antolian cuisine. The traditional recipes prepared the traditional way.

Pamukkale

Our Hotel restaurant (Hotel Venus Suites) ($$) – The number of vegetarian options available here were amazing. Almost half the menu was vegetarian. We ate here frequently in our three days stay and might have tried almost all their vegetarian dishes. None disappointed us.

Travertine Pide ($) – An exclusive mention of this little family run restaurant, with only one vegetarian option, but highly recommended. The best vegetarian Pide we had in Turkey. It was so delicious that we were in no mood to stop eating. The apple tea to go along with it was a plus. Again, do not go by the look of it, they have the most delicious pide.

Whitehouse Restaurant and Café ($$) – This was one of those ‘Instagram-mable’ places to eat. A very nice ambiance with good vibes. The food was decent with generous quantity.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia Pide House ($$) – This was located at a nice setting right in the middle of the enchanting vibes of Goreme. We had the vegetarian pottery kebab and a vegetarian Pide (we couldn’t get over pide). Also, a very welcoming gesture by the owner to treat us with the famous Turkish apple tea.

Kale Terasse Restaurant ($$) – This was also located within the Goreme. The Sutlac (or the Turkish rice pudding) we had here, was our favorite dessert of the trip. Apart from this, we had a thin crust pizza, which was delicious too.

Fat Boys ($$) – Also located in Goreme, this had a nice rustic feel to it. We had a vegetarian lentil burger here, which was delicious and the portions were generous.

Namaste India ($$) – The sole Indian restaurant in Cappadocia. If you need Indian food to comfort your taste buds, this is the place to visit. The taste is decent. Above this, do try some street food like Simit, a bagel kind of snack, corn on the cob, chestnuts and definitely, Turkish Coffee, Freshly squeezed juices, Baklava and many more.

CURRENCY AND COSTS

Turkish Lira is the official currency in Turkey (1 AED ~ 1.55 Lira, 1 USD ~ 5.7 Lira, 1 INR ~ 0.08 Lira as on October 2019). We recommend carrying USD / EUR from home country and exchange for Lira, while in Turkey, for much better rates, rather than exchanging INR / AED to Lira. USD / EUR may also be accepted widely.

The costs depend on the type of accommodation and flights. A tentative budget for two persons is given below:

• Accommodation – bed and breakfast for 9 nights – 5,000 Lira
• Round trip flights – depending on your location. Turkish airlines has a good flight connectivity throughout the globe
• Internal flights (Istanbul to Pamukkale and Pamukkale to Cappadocia) – 1800 Lira
• Food per meal average – 80 Lira
• Entry tickets to attractions (per head) – Basilica Cistern (20 Lira), Topkapi Palace, with Harem (115 Lira), Dolmabahce Palace, including Harem (90 Lira), Laodicea, Travertines and Heirapolis combined ticket (65 Lira), Dervish Ceremony in Pamukkale (120 Lira), Zelve Open air museum (15 Lira) and Kaymakli Underground City (35 Lira). All other destinations do not require an entrance fee – you can check the updated prices on the respective websites
• Hot Air balloon – 1150 Lira
• Local transport, including airport transfers – Istanbul public transport and airport transfer (750 Lira), Pamukkale car rental and fuel (750 Lira), Cappadocia public transport, airport transfer and scooter rental (500 Lira)

Turkey was such an amazing experience that we long to visit again and again. It has so much to offer which cannot be visited in a lifetime. We plan to visit the Turkish Mediterranean coastline next, which we hear is serene. The people of Turkey are very welcoming. You feel a sense of belonging everywhere.

Have you been to Turkey before? Think something’s missing? Do let us know your experience and/or suggestions in the comments below.

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