Resorts along the Bosphorus |
Overall itinerary:
Istanbul - 3 nights
Cappadocia - 4 nights
Antalya - 1 night
Kas - 3 nights
Cesme - 3 nights
Detailed itinerary for week 1:
Day 1: Land in Istanbul, stay at Ritz Carlton: Visit Taksim Square and Istiklal street in the evening
Day 2: Istanbul: Explore Old Istanbul (Sultanahmet area)
Day 3: Istanbul: Take Bosphorus tour up to Anadolu Karagi
Day 4: Drive to Cappadocia (8 hours), stay at Mosaic Cave hotel
Day 5: Cappadocia: Visit Kaymakli underground city, Ihlara valley trek and experience Turkish dinner
Day 6: Cappadocia: Visit Goreme panoramic point, Uchisar castle, Pigeon Valley and Urgup
Day 7: Cappadocia: Explore Goreme open air museum, Avanos pottery and Kizilirmak riverside walk
Day 8: Balloon ride in Cappadocia, drive to Antalya (7 hours), stay at Tara Dinc hotel
Day 9-15: Kas and Cesme along Turkish Riviera
Day 1: Land in Istanbul, stay at Ritz Carlton; Visit Taksim Square and Istiklal Street
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Bosphorus from the Ritz |
As the Ritz is near the Istiklal area, we all just walked out of the hotel for dinner. It was a 15 mins walk to Taksim Square and all evening we explored the area around, a good start to the experience that is Turkiye. There was a new mosque at Taksim Square which had been under construction the last time I had visited. It was now all lighted up and people were just sitting around it in the square, doing nothing.
We walked along the Istiklal street and it felt like suddenly we were in the middle of a festival. Even though I have been here multiple times, the street didn’t fail to enchant me, again. And it felt so amazing to be back in such a lively culture. Its liveliness even at 10 pm at night can beat any high street in Europe. Full of people walking around, having a nice time, eating, shopping and talking to each other. We did the same - walking around, checking out some local shops, buying some dry fruits and local sweets and just feeling alive.
We had dinner at a small local restaurant, in a covered area with painted ceilings and greenery all around. It was a Turkish restaurant and the food, especially the vegetarian fare was tasty. In addition, there were musicians there who were playing local music and making the guests dance. It was fun to just observe them dance away. And just like that, it got late by the time we came back to the hotel, sleeping much later than we are used to. The whole evening was just so vibrant, it felt like our Turkish holiday had begun.
Day 2: Explore Old Istanbul (Sultanahmet)
Istanbul as a city has so many layers of history and culture, its very difficult to explain it fully. It was the centre of the Christian Byzantine empire, and then became the centre of the Ottoman empire. Over the years, its location at the cross-roads of Europe and Asia meant it was always bustling, as a trading location and as a mixture of cultures. People from different parts of the world have made it their home, making is quite an interesting mix. It is home to the old and the new, the rich and the poor, Asian and the European, Christian and the Muslim and so on. And that’s what makes it a complete wonder – a city with so much to offer and show when it wants. I love Istanbul and every visit makes me fall even more in love with the city, its life, its vibrancy, its colour.
There is an old part of Istanbul – Sultanahmet - where the Ottomans lived and ruled. Then a Greek part which feels different, more trading oriented and posh. And of course the Asian part which is very chaotic. And all these parts are different, even though they are separated just by the Bosphorus. The lifeline of the city, the strait dividing and connecting Istanbul at the same time. Our first whole day in the city - from 11am to 6pm - was spent exploring the old town, Sultanahmet and its historical buildings – the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya, Arasta Bazaar, Hippodrome, mini Aya Sofya, Grand Bazaar, Eminonu bazaars and Galata bridge – and they were a pleasure to experience.
We took a taxi to Sultanahmet and the driver took us around the waterfront to get there. The road goes all around the landmass and was perfect for people enjoying walking in the cool breeze. It was also new (and the start to all the new things I would notice around Turkiye on this trip). We got off at the waterfront and then walked up to the top to start exploring. As you walk in, you already start noticing all the old and antique buildings in this part of the city.
Our first stop was the park between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya. And they both looked grand, standing on either sides of the park. There were loads of crowds all around as it was the first summer open for travel after the pandemic. There were long queues for the Blue Mosque but it seemed to be moving faster, so we went in there first. It was being renovated inside though, so there were pillars everywhere and clothes covered all the paintings on the ceilings and the walls. So we didn’t really get to see its intricate paintings from the inside this time.
Aya Sofya |
We then started walking towards the Grand Bazaar through the small streets of Sultanahmet. It was an interesting though ordinary walk all the way. We first passed through the Arasta Bazaar right next to the Blue Mosque, and were totally smitten by all the exquisite handicrafts they were selling. I stopped at the mini Aya Sofya which is supposed to be the test model for the main church which was built later. It was decorated differently, with a lot of blue paintings inside.
We then passed by the Hippodrome which had the Obelisk and a few other mosques and older buildings around it. It looked quite grand and nice to walk through. It also felt newer or definitely better maintained now than before. We then kept walking through the interiors of the city till the Grand Bazaar.
Streets of Sultanahmet |
Lamps in the Grand Bazaar |
Egyptian Spice Market |
Galata tower |
We then reached the Galata bridge and walked along the seaside. The area was full of tourists taking ferries off to somewhere. And this was where we took a taxi to get back to our hotel. The day had been fun, to walk around everywhere and enjoy the refreshing air and the blue of the water everywhere. Even though the day was still to go, the riot of colours and people had been quite a lot already. And we were ready to call it a day earlier than usual.
Day 3: Istanbul: Bosphorus tour up to Anadolu Karagi
The next day, we spent exploring the Bosphorus. We took a local ferry from the Besiktas ferry terminal which was a 15 mins walk away from our hotel. We just walked there, past a big palace, and took one of the local ferries, riding all the way till almost the Black Sea, to the village of Anadolu Karagi. It was a 1.5 hours ride till Anadolu, and we kind of spent the whole day on this tour, there and back.
First of all, the ferry ride was quite majestic. Open air, all along the settlements along the deep blue Bosphorus. Past a few old forts and some ruins. Past small picturesque villages in hidden coves and large resort towns on the coast. Past luxurious wooden villas on the water, the holiday homes of the rich and the famous. Past deep green forests. And some sandy beaches. Past three huge bridges on the Bosphorus. With the blue waters below and the cool wind above, during the hot summer day. It was a spectacular ride.
The Bosphorus was busy with loads of ships going to and fro. And we stopped at a few places on the way to drop off passengers. When we were almost at the Black Sea, the ferry turned around and dropped us at the village of Anadolu Karagi. It was a small fishing village made up of colourful houses. A lot of tourists got off there with us, and started walking up to the castle. We started walking too, through the village and up the hill. There were lot of local fruit trees on the way, and we ate a few berries while walking up.
When we reached the top, we walked to the castle, which was essentially a historical lookout point for the Black Sea. It had some small ruins from those times, but the high point for me was the view from there – of the whole Black Sea (and potentially Ukraine) across it. The water was a deep blue, and the wind chilly. It was fun to sit there for a while, just staring at the vastness and absolute gorgeousness of the nature around.
Then we spent some time getting snacks at the restaurant near the top which also had a break taking view of the Bosphorus on the other side, dotted with ships and lined with small villages on the side. The food there was mostly sea food which the village was famous for. It was quite calming to just sit there and enjoy the afternoon sun. After spending a few hours in the village, we walked back to the ferry for the ride back to Istanbul, which was as fun as the ride in.
And just like that, it was time to leave Istanbul. As always, it was fun to be back. This was my fourth visit to the city, and I was impressed with it again. It was quite busy when we went though it was hot and summer. Possibly because it was the year after the pandemic finished. Still wherever we went, some people were tourists but there were lot of locals too.
At night, the lights of the city were always impressive, especially around the Bosphorus. The mosques on top of hills would sparkle like diamonds. It was also full moon time, and when the moon would rise above the Bosphorus, the city seemed very magical. With the big moon, the lighted mosques, the colourful bridges on the Bosphorus and the ships criss-crossing it.
Istanbul has a lot of things to do, it’s never possible to explore it fully. A few other things which were on my list but I couldn't get to were the Suleymaniya mosque and the Kadikoy area - maybe for the next time. Most things hadn’t changed from the last few times I had been there. Especially taxi drivers, lot of whom still cheat tourists. So one should always be careful when in Istanbul. One thing different from the last few times though was the number of Turkish flags everywhere. Flying on a flag post or just hung along some huge buildings - there were loads around, which I don’t remember noticing the last few times.
Day 4: Drive to Cappadocia (8 hours), stay at Mosaic Cave hotel
Today we spent most of the day driving from Istanbul to Cappadocia, and it was a nice introduction to the Turkish countryside. We left our hotel early morning to avoid the crazy Istanbul traffic we had heard about. We got onto the highway quickly and then drove through the Asian side. That drive was through a part of Istanbul full of sky high rises.
The roads all the way were outstanding. We took highways most of the time – the O7 and then the O4 - and they all looked like newly constructed roads. They were all toll roads too. We stopped on the way randomly, at a local eatery. It felt like a very simple eating place on the way. The first impression was not too encouraging, but we took the plunge and ordered some food. And we were pleasantly surprised. We ended up ordering multiple helpings of the food - it was so similar to what we eat in India – rice, pita bread, yoghurt and rajma. And it tasted just like Indian food too, especially the rajma. I think this is when my parents finally realised that Turkish food is something they would enjoy eating. At the stop, we also ran into people who had been driving all the way from Netherlands! It was quite far to be honest to drive, and impressive too.
Day 3: Istanbul: Bosphorus tour up to Anadolu Karagi
The next day, we spent exploring the Bosphorus. We took a local ferry from the Besiktas ferry terminal which was a 15 mins walk away from our hotel. We just walked there, past a big palace, and took one of the local ferries, riding all the way till almost the Black Sea, to the village of Anadolu Karagi. It was a 1.5 hours ride till Anadolu, and we kind of spent the whole day on this tour, there and back.
Along the Bosphorus |
Along the Bosphorus |
End of the Bosphorus |
View from Anadolu Karagi cafe |
Istanbul at night |
Istanbul has a lot of things to do, it’s never possible to explore it fully. A few other things which were on my list but I couldn't get to were the Suleymaniya mosque and the Kadikoy area - maybe for the next time. Most things hadn’t changed from the last few times I had been there. Especially taxi drivers, lot of whom still cheat tourists. So one should always be careful when in Istanbul. One thing different from the last few times though was the number of Turkish flags everywhere. Flying on a flag post or just hung along some huge buildings - there were loads around, which I don’t remember noticing the last few times.
Day 4: Drive to Cappadocia (8 hours), stay at Mosaic Cave hotel
Today we spent most of the day driving from Istanbul to Cappadocia, and it was a nice introduction to the Turkish countryside. We left our hotel early morning to avoid the crazy Istanbul traffic we had heard about. We got onto the highway quickly and then drove through the Asian side. That drive was through a part of Istanbul full of sky high rises.
The roads all the way were outstanding. We took highways most of the time – the O7 and then the O4 - and they all looked like newly constructed roads. They were all toll roads too. We stopped on the way randomly, at a local eatery. It felt like a very simple eating place on the way. The first impression was not too encouraging, but we took the plunge and ordered some food. And we were pleasantly surprised. We ended up ordering multiple helpings of the food - it was so similar to what we eat in India – rice, pita bread, yoghurt and rajma. And it tasted just like Indian food too, especially the rajma. I think this is when my parents finally realised that Turkish food is something they would enjoy eating. At the stop, we also ran into people who had been driving all the way from Netherlands! It was quite far to be honest to drive, and impressive too.
The first half of the drive till Ankara was very green and through small mountains, lakes and forests. We also passed by some picturesque small villages in the valleys, with orange roofed houses. We then crossed Ankara which felt like it was located in the middle of nowhere. It was a huge spread out city, full of high rises and we just circled it and continued on.
After Ankara, the landscape became dry. The mud became a reddish colour, and it was all bare land everywhere. The drive was still interesting though, with all kinds of interesting bare landscapes. We stopped at a salt lake, the Toz Golu on the way. It was an expanse of white till wherever the eye could see. We had stopped there as it was on the way, and later realised that it was actually a tourist place.
Towards the end to Cappadocia, we missed a highway turn and ended up taking smaller roads which delayed us a bit. We did drive through a few small beautiful towns on the way which was nice. But we ended up taking 10 hours (with a 2 hours break) to reach Cappadocia instead of the planned 8.
Goreme National park is a huge area in Anatolia famous for its interesting dry and wind-eroded landscapes and the many rock and cave dwellings of the people who used to live here. The place is popular for hiking, sightseeing as well as the underground caves and painted churches there to explore. And of course for the popular balloon rides which cover the park when the weather is good. There are three main villages within the park – Goreme, Uchisar and Urgup. Some people stay within, in these villages while others stay in the villages nearby.
We were staying at Goreme, one of the villages within the National park. We reached the village around 7pm on the Saturday evening and were a bit overwhelmed by the tourist crowds. We found it tough to drive into the village to get to our hotel. And the whole experience did not have a good first impression on us. But once we reached our hotel and settled in, the place finally grew on us.
Goreme is one of the three cave villages which are located within the park. It is built along a small valley and goes all the way up the mountain. The narrow roads have been maintained well, making it easy to drive within the village. Even though the village was so old, it was very well planned and quite clean. It has a lot of restaurants and tourist guides there. So its always full of tourists, making it very lively at all times.
It has a lot of cave houses which are very popular with tourists. I think all the houses had been turned into hotels, and some of them were quite fancy. The common joke is that the locals have all moved in to brick houses, while the tourists come and live in their old cave houses😁. The village also has a lot of fairy chimney dwellings, giving it a charming and magical look. The views of the village were gorgeous and it felt great to just sit there and have your meals once the lights would turn on in the village.
There were also loads of Indians in Cappadocia, as it’s a popular tourist spot in the country. And so the first day, we went and ate an Indian meal at India Gate. It was quite an average restaurant, but it still felt amazing to eat Indian food in a foreign land. And the village looked gorgeous from there – it was scintillating at night, with all the yellow caves and houses shining in the night light.
Day 5: Cappadocia: Visit Kaymakli underground city, Ihlara valley trek and have Turkish dinner
Today was a full day spent exploring the area around and one of my favourite days on this trip. We started with a breakfast at our hotel, with a view of the cave houses around and it was a soothing start to the day. We first drove to Kaymakli, which is an underground city of 8 floors! It could house up to 30 thousand people at a time, and had been fully hand carved over many years. People used to live in this underground city while hiding from invaders. It had been abandoned and lost to the world for many years and was only recently re-discovered.
When we walked in, I had a moment of claustrophobia where the thought of going 8 floors deep into the earth felt nauseating. But I convinced myself to go in. And my mind was blown away by how well it had been crafted. There were hallways and small rooms everywhere, corridors through which you could walk through the floors and the rooms. It was like a whole world in itself. There were loads of tourists that day, and we avoided big crowds. But surprisingly once inside, it did not feel as claustrophobic as I had imagined. There was fresh air coming in, through multiple vents that had been very intelligently made. And there was a lot of natural and some artificial light too. Its quite a wonder how this underground city was built so well, with so much space, light and fresh air.
There were churches, kitchens, wine storage areas, grain storeyards, stables and what not, everything that you could need. In fact there were a few floors just for keeping and rearing animals. Even now, only 3-4 of the floors have been fully excavated, and the rest are still in various stages of uncovering. We explored a few of the floors underneath and came out quite amazed to see what humans are capable of.
After Ankara, the landscape became dry. The mud became a reddish colour, and it was all bare land everywhere. The drive was still interesting though, with all kinds of interesting bare landscapes. We stopped at a salt lake, the Toz Golu on the way. It was an expanse of white till wherever the eye could see. We had stopped there as it was on the way, and later realised that it was actually a tourist place.
Towards the end to Cappadocia, we missed a highway turn and ended up taking smaller roads which delayed us a bit. We did drive through a few small beautiful towns on the way which was nice. But we ended up taking 10 hours (with a 2 hours break) to reach Cappadocia instead of the planned 8.
Goreme National park is a huge area in Anatolia famous for its interesting dry and wind-eroded landscapes and the many rock and cave dwellings of the people who used to live here. The place is popular for hiking, sightseeing as well as the underground caves and painted churches there to explore. And of course for the popular balloon rides which cover the park when the weather is good. There are three main villages within the park – Goreme, Uchisar and Urgup. Some people stay within, in these villages while others stay in the villages nearby.
We were staying at Goreme, one of the villages within the National park. We reached the village around 7pm on the Saturday evening and were a bit overwhelmed by the tourist crowds. We found it tough to drive into the village to get to our hotel. And the whole experience did not have a good first impression on us. But once we reached our hotel and settled in, the place finally grew on us.
Goreme is one of the three cave villages which are located within the park. It is built along a small valley and goes all the way up the mountain. The narrow roads have been maintained well, making it easy to drive within the village. Even though the village was so old, it was very well planned and quite clean. It has a lot of restaurants and tourist guides there. So its always full of tourists, making it very lively at all times.
Goreme at night |
There were also loads of Indians in Cappadocia, as it’s a popular tourist spot in the country. And so the first day, we went and ate an Indian meal at India Gate. It was quite an average restaurant, but it still felt amazing to eat Indian food in a foreign land. And the village looked gorgeous from there – it was scintillating at night, with all the yellow caves and houses shining in the night light.
Day 5: Cappadocia: Visit Kaymakli underground city, Ihlara valley trek and have Turkish dinner
Today was a full day spent exploring the area around and one of my favourite days on this trip. We started with a breakfast at our hotel, with a view of the cave houses around and it was a soothing start to the day. We first drove to Kaymakli, which is an underground city of 8 floors! It could house up to 30 thousand people at a time, and had been fully hand carved over many years. People used to live in this underground city while hiding from invaders. It had been abandoned and lost to the world for many years and was only recently re-discovered.
Kaymakli underground city |
There were churches, kitchens, wine storage areas, grain storeyards, stables and what not, everything that you could need. In fact there were a few floors just for keeping and rearing animals. Even now, only 3-4 of the floors have been fully excavated, and the rest are still in various stages of uncovering. We explored a few of the floors underneath and came out quite amazed to see what humans are capable of.
The new Kaymakli town |
Wheat fields |
Ihlara village |
Ihlara canyon from the top |
Church frescoes |
Church frescos |
Ihlara valley |
Beliserma village |
Cafe in the river |
There was a group of dancers who did a few of their local dances, including showcasing a wedding in this area. They were all lively performances. And then there was a Dervish swirl performance which was quite hypnotic. The dances ended with a belly dancer who got a lot of the guests to also dance in the end. All in all it was quite an active evening and we loved it. The food and the performances were all outstanding. And even though it may seem too typical, too touristy I would recommend the Turkish dinner to anyone visiting Cappadocia.
Day 6: Cappadocia: Goreme panoramic point, Uchisar castle, Pigeon Valley and Urgup
Today again we spent the day exploring some of the nearby places in the National Park. We first drove to the Goreme panoramic point, which is above a cliff with a 270 degrees view of the park around, the cliffs, the cave houses, the fairy chimney and all the natural wonders around. This place looks a lot more picturesque when the balloons are around, though today was impressive too.
Then we hiked up from the main road to Uchisar Castle, which was the castle at the neighbouring village. The way Goreme was located in the valley, Uchisar was on a hill top. We ended up taking an off the beaten track to walk from the main road to the city up top and walked through some old cave houses and chimney fairies. It was interesting to see how all these rock structures had been converted into places to stay. We even walked in to one of these houses, where the owner had converted the place into a café and hotel. He showed us the inside, also mentioning that he had been born in the same cave house. It was so airy and cool, the perfect place to stay in such a hot climate.
While walking up to the castle, we also picked up some peaches from the trees on the way. They were so ripe and sweet, we ate them over the next few days. We also saw some tomato plants as well as a small tortoise on the hike up. Turkiye does have a lot of local fruits and small animals everywhere, it’s still so wild and raw even now.
We walked through the pigeon valley where apparently the pigeons were kept. This area has so many fairy chimneys, it was very surreal. And then we reached the village up the hill, Uchisar. It was quite a big city, with panoramic views all around. And the castle felt haunted given the way it had been carved. This castle was a popular place for people to hide when they faced attack. And now the castle can be seen from anywhere, even from far off. We walked a bit through its ruins and bought some of the dried fruits being sold around, they are everywhere.
After walking back down Pigeon Valley, our next stop of the day was the village of Urgup. We stopped on the way at a nice view point, but it was too windy to stay there longer. We kept driving on and stopped near the Esbelli cave hotel. We walked a bit around that area. If anyone comes to visit, I would suggest them to live here. It was quieter and a bit away from the noise of the Goreme area. There were such nice hotels to stay here. We then drove to Urgup and loved it too, such a nice, clean and spacious place to stay. Anything felt better than the crowded Goreme we had picked 😊.
We came back to Goreme early that day by 630 pm. And then we explored our own village. Goreme looked really nice at night, with all the lights on. It felt like out of a fairy tale. We walked to another Indian restaurant, Namaste Indian for our meal and really liked the food there.
Day 7: Cappadocia: Goreme open air museum, Avanos pottery and Kizilirmak riverside walk
Today it wasn’t as warm as the other days, it was actually a very pleasant day. We had been booking a balloon ride for the past few days but it kept getting cancelled including this day as it was quite cloudy. So we spent the day exploring around some more. We first went to the Goreme open air museum. This area was quite a hub of activities and had some nice shops and handicrafts also nearby. It had some very nice pretty churches, 6 of them. I walked around them for a while. The Buckle church which was outside on the main road had some gorgeous blue paintings on the ceilings. I liked the Sandal church, Dark church and the Apple church too. The rest were just about ok.
Day 6: Cappadocia: Goreme panoramic point, Uchisar castle, Pigeon Valley and Urgup
Goreme panoramic point |
Then we hiked up from the main road to Uchisar Castle, which was the castle at the neighbouring village. The way Goreme was located in the valley, Uchisar was on a hill top. We ended up taking an off the beaten track to walk from the main road to the city up top and walked through some old cave houses and chimney fairies. It was interesting to see how all these rock structures had been converted into places to stay. We even walked in to one of these houses, where the owner had converted the place into a café and hotel. He showed us the inside, also mentioning that he had been born in the same cave house. It was so airy and cool, the perfect place to stay in such a hot climate.
While walking up to the castle, we also picked up some peaches from the trees on the way. They were so ripe and sweet, we ate them over the next few days. We also saw some tomato plants as well as a small tortoise on the hike up. Turkiye does have a lot of local fruits and small animals everywhere, it’s still so wild and raw even now.
Pigeon valley |
Cave hotels near Urgup |
We came back to Goreme early that day by 630 pm. And then we explored our own village. Goreme looked really nice at night, with all the lights on. It felt like out of a fairy tale. We walked to another Indian restaurant, Namaste Indian for our meal and really liked the food there.
Day 7: Cappadocia: Goreme open air museum, Avanos pottery and Kizilirmak riverside walk
Today it wasn’t as warm as the other days, it was actually a very pleasant day. We had been booking a balloon ride for the past few days but it kept getting cancelled including this day as it was quite cloudy. So we spent the day exploring around some more. We first went to the Goreme open air museum. This area was quite a hub of activities and had some nice shops and handicrafts also nearby. It had some very nice pretty churches, 6 of them. I walked around them for a while. The Buckle church which was outside on the main road had some gorgeous blue paintings on the ceilings. I liked the Sandal church, Dark church and the Apple church too. The rest were just about ok.
There were a lot of similar kind of places to visit in Goreme still (like the Red Valley with sunset point, Devrent and Pasabagi monks valley, and Cavusin with its 2 famous Byzantine churches), but we had got bored of the same kind of activities everyday. So for the last day, we did something different. We drove to the nearest city, to Avanos.
Avanos ceramics |
Along the river |
Day 8: Balloon ride in Cappadocia, drive to Antalya (7 hours), stay at Tara Dinc hotel; Stops at Sultanhani caravanserai and Lara beach
We had been booking the famous Cappadocia balloon rides for the last 3 days. And they had been cancelled 3 times because of strong winds. We finally managed to get some tickets for the ride on our last day in Cappadocia. So we woke up before sunrise and went to Cavusin valley where even before dawn there were 100s of balloons in the sky, ready for the ride. It was quite a magical sight to see at dawn, all these balloons being filled with air and the air of anticipation all around.
Balloon ride |
In the balloon |
Anyways then it was time to leave Cappadocia. It had been a nice relaxing stay for us. I think if you are fond of hiking and nature, there is a lot to offer in the area. Lot of activities everywhere. But if not, then it can get a boring to stay here long.
After the balloon ride we started our long drive to Antalya. First we drove through some dry areas which were clearly not very rich. You could see that the wealth in the area had dropped from the other route we had driven on. On the way we stopped at Caravanserai, which was an old resting place from the silk route times, which had recently been renovated. We also walked through the local market next to it which was selling some really exquisite handicrafts.
After this, the landscape changed to mountains which were gorgeous. The drive was through green areas, through valleys and hills. We stopped at a few local places on the hilly way to eat our meals. The road here was a 4 lane road and a pleasure to drive on. Then we got onto the coastal road which was extremely busy. There was just so much traffic there as it was summer and apparently all the Turkish people come to the Riviera then. So we took an internal road to get to our hotel, which was all along the sea. It had nice parks next to it and gave a sea resort kind of vibe. The weather got warm by now, it was 35 degrees and driving along this road we saw all the grand resorts along the sea which Antalya is famous for.
Lara beach at night |
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