A week along the Turkish coast - Kas and Cesme

Part 1: A week in Istanbul and Cappadocia

After a week inland in Istanbul and Cappadocia, we spent the next week of our Turkish vacation along what is known as the Turkish Riviera or the Turquoise Coast, along the towns of Antalya, Kas, Kalkan and Cesme. It was a completely different experience to the first week, with its coastal vibe, blue waters and relaxed air. (Also after a bit of research, I realised that I have already been to the British, French, Italian, Swiss, Dutch, American and Mexican rivieras before, with the Turkish one being the latest addition to the list 😊)

The itinerary during this part of the trip was

Day 1-8: Istanbul and Cappadocia
Day 9: Drive from Antalya to Kas (4 hours), stay at 3 house apart; Stop at Cirali beach and coves along the way
Day 10: Kas: Day boat tour to 4 swim sites, a sunken Roman city and Kalekoy village
Day 11: Kas: Visit Kalkan, Kaputas beach
Day 12: Drive to Cesme (6 hours), stay at Radisson Blu Resort
Day 13: Cesme: Visit Alacati
Day 14: Cesme: Explore Cesme
Day 15: Drive to Istanbul (6 hours), fly to London


Day 9: Drive to Kas (4 hours), stay at 3 house apart; Stop at Cirali beach and coves along the sea

We didn’t spend much time in Antalya and very soon in the morning started driving along the Turkish Riviera towards Kas. It was quite a scenic drive all along brown bare mountains, with some small patches of greenery. The water all along was the deep blue Mediterranean colour. (Apparently the water in this sea is deep blue because it lacks the nutrients required by algae to grow, so the water is better able to absorb and scatter sunlight and give off its typical vibrant blue appearance). There were also some 100s of beaches and Roman ruins along the route, though we didn’t stop at any of them. Still they were tempting, and its amazing how much history Turkiye has, starting from the Greek and Roman civilisation.

 

Cirali Beach

As it was quite a short drive to Kas, we stopped at a few spots on the way. The first was Cirali beach. It was quite a lucky find as it was a bit off from the highway, and turned out to be a world onto itself. It had high green mountains on the one side, the deep blue water on the other. And a long white sandy beach in between. It was lined with restaurants and hotels along the road, but it still felt quite secluded as it was off the typical tourist route. So we got a chance to swim and lay on this long huge beach with white sand, blue waters and very few people. It was awesome.

 

Random cove

As we drove further between the hills and the sea, there was a cove where we saw a few people swimming in the open sea. There was something so enticing about the view, that we also stopped there and swam and snorkelled for a while. And this was the start of a surreal stay along the coast. Thereafter, every turn brought a new spectacular view. Sometimes a beach, sometime a rokcy cove. Places where we could just stop and swim and snorkel, in the deep blue Mediterranean blue. It was just so heavenly.

View from airbnb during day

Very quickly though, we reached our Airbnb which was located on a mountain overlooking the sea. It was a bit outside the village, in a residential area. And had an imposing view of the sea far off, which included some Turkish and some Greek islands. This Airbnb was the best place I stayed at during our entire vacation, it was even better than the 5 star hotels. It had a pool, lot of greenery, grapes and other fruit plants and a view of the vast world below. We could see Kas village, an extension of the village and many islands in the sea. This view was the best part of the apartment, and I fell in love it it very soon. It was a bit warm though as it was on the top floor. But totally worth it for the view and the sun.

After settling in, we went into the village to shop for groceries as well as to have dinner. Kas is more a locals' village than a touristy one. Surprisingly it is not as well known among tourists as among the locals who spend their summers here. And that was clear as we walked around, there was loads to do but it was mostly Turkish people around.

The first evening, we walked in to the city centre and along the waterfront. It was so lively, full of shops, with people everywhere, shopping, eating and so on. It was quite overwhelming too, with its energy. We finally ate at a vegan restaurant which had a long queue. And the food was less Turkish than we could have hoped for. But it was nice to sit by the harbour and eat, with the boats bobbing up and down in the water all around.

We then walked by a long line of boats trying to book passengers for the full day boat ride the next day. We were tempted but weren’t sure if to go or not. Finally we decided to. We also decided that Kas was too great to leave within a day, so we even cancelled our stay in Pamukkale the day after which is apparently quite a tourist puller, so that we could stay longer at Kas. And it was totally worth it.


Day 10: Kas: Day boat tour to 4 swim sites, a sunken Roman city and Kalekoy village

This day was the highlight of the trip for me, and encompasses the essence of what the Turkish Riviera stands for. We started early and got to our boat in Kas by 930 in the morning. The village was totally empty and it looked nothing like the night before. We got to the waterfront and could see all the boats ready to leave with their passengers, each with their own plan for the day.

We got onto this huge boat @Simenaboats, with some 20-30 people and then spent all day on it. The captain took us to some 4 swimming sites, showed us a sunken Roman city and dropped us for a while at a village which wasn’t reachable by car. And all day, the same sequence repeated again and again. He would take us to a swimming cove, stop, then everyone would jump into the water and swim for an hour or so, we would come back on the boat, dry ourselves in the sun, eat something, he would take off for the next step and then repeat. It was quite an enjoyable though tiring day, and I enjoyed it completely - the swimming, the sunning and the relaxing.

 

Islands around Kas

While on the boat, we sat on the top and gazed at the different islands and rock formations all around. We lay on the sunbeds with the sun giving warmth and the wind some coolness. The first stop we stopped at was Inonu Noyu. It had clear turquoise waters, and we could see all the way till the bottom of the ocean, with all the rock formations below. It was amazing to swim there. Many other boats also came there and anchored, and suddenly the place would fill up with tourists.

Swimming sites

The other stops we went to were the Akwaryum Koyu, Tersana sunken city cove and Camlik Bay, Each was stunning and lovely to stop and swim around. At the Tersana spot, we could see the Roman stone ruins all along the land on the side. During our last 2 spots, there was another boat going to those places at the same time as us, and they had too many passengers. The moment they would reach it felt like the place was full of loud people. We started trying to avoid swimming after that boat came in 😊.

Batik Sehur
Sunken Roman city

On the way, we also saw the sunken city, Batik Sehur which sunk below sea level due to an earthquake. It was interesting to see some of the remains of the Roman baths, and other walls so clearly under the sea. We also stopped at a village called Kalekoy which was famous for its ice-cream. And surprisingly, it was great. We walked around a bit, and tasted the famous tasty ice-cream. There were lot of fruit trees here too.

 

Kalekoy village

The boat ride also included lunch and tea for the day and I loved the home made Turkish food provided by them – apparently the Captain’s wife made it herself. It was the best Turkish meal I had had in Turkiye. So spicy and tasty, just amazing. My parents also loved the Turkish tea on the boat. We later went looking for those flavours too, trying to find them in town.

While on our boat ride, we saw some people who were living on a boat and touring the coast. They would jump in to the water and swim whenever they felt like – it looked fun. Also during our tour, one old woman came floating in a boat and was selling her herbs and spices to the chefs on the boats. It was a bit heart wrenching to see such an old person having to row so much out to sea to sell her wares.

After the swims, we ended the day, around 6pm. We were really tired by the end. We had ended up having a great day, also thanks to the Captain who was very friendly and helpful. It was definitely the highlight of the Turkish Riveria for me.

View at night

We stopped a bit longer in the local Kas market, trying to buy some local stuff. But we were so tired, we retired early to our apartment. We swam in its pools and just enjoyed watching the slow sunset across the islands. And then the twinkling lights coming up slowly. The view from the apartment was to die for and made the evenings very calm and beautiful. 


Day 11: Kas: Visit to Kalkan, Kaputas beach

On the extra day we got in Kas after cancelling Pamukkale, we didn’t do a lot actually. We drove to the nearby village of Kalkan, which was completely different from Kas, stopping on a beach on the way. And once back to our Airbnb, we just walked around nearby to get a feel of the area.

Kaputas beach

The drive to Kalkan was as expected – in the mountains, next to deep blue waters, with a cool wind blowing. It was quite a spectacular drive. On the way, we first stopped at the Kaputas beach which I had heard a lot about. It’s all the way down a cliff, in a cove and was supposed to be the best beach of the area. So we stopped there and it was quite a steep walk down. To be honest, I wasn’t impressed. It was definitely a good beach but nothing spectacular - it just felt like all the beaches around. It’s location was definitely insta worthy, but that’s it. And it was extremely busy, even though we had gone quite early.

We spent some time swimming there, which felt nice as the day had got really hot. And the water was so clear till very far into the water, even when it was deep. You could see all the way till the bottom but not touch it.

Our next stop was the village of Kalkan which was a relatively posh village, with many holiday homes, mostly new buildings. It was more spaced out too, and didn’t feel too old – quite modern actually. We also found some Turkish hamam places here which we couldn’t in Kas.

Apparently, this village is quite popular with British and other international tourists to have their holiday homes at. There were more British citizens in this village than Turkish people! And that’s why, more people spoke English here, the shops were different, and everything was more posh, while Kas was more Turkish, where local people lived and worked. It’s so interesting how within some 30 kms, two villages can look and feel so different.

My father went to the beach for a while and liked it. And we experienced the Turkish hamam and liked it too. But as it was so hot that day, we decided to call it a day soon without exploring Kalkan and came back to our Airbnb for an afternoon siesta. We finally enjoyed our own Airbnb and views from it in the evening. We also walked down to the Aksagerme beach which was right where the road turned towards our Airbnb and watched a wedding reception happening there.

I also went for a run along the waterfront, almost till Kas. It was a fun run, though a bit tough in the humid heat. The lights of the village, the houses in the cliffs and the islands all lit up, made it quite a charming scene. 

It was interesting to see though, the whole road was lined with people in their caravans, who had come for a nice evening next to the water. They were all sitting outside in the evening breeze, some in the water, some just on the road and all had their barbeques going on, till late at night. We even saw some people swimming till 9 pm! It definitely felt like a relaxing place to be.


Day 12: Drive to Cesme (6 hours) stay at Radisson Blu Resort

The next day was quite an uneventful day, a full day of driving all the way from Kas to Cesme. Most of the drive was again along the coast, with mountains on one side and deep blue Mediterranean Sea on the other. It was a spectacular view but to be honest, it had become a daily occurrence by now😁. So we noticed it a little less today. We drove through some huge green valleys with pretty villages.

In between we stopped at a local stall for some fresh juice. And also at a local eating place, like a dhaba, with some very tasty food served very cheap – rice, yoghurt and rajma! We also drove past Izmir, which was this huge city right next to the sea. It felt a bit like Bombay, with all its high-rises and the waterfront in between.

We then turned towards Cesme which was on a peninsula, jutting out into the Aegean sea. Suddenly the quality of highways, quality of houses and everything around changed. It was clear that this was where the rich Turkish people holidayed. The coastal road had been a two lane road, but here it had turned into a motorway with fast traffic.

Cesme was richer and greener than Kas. It was full of holiday homes, with avenues lined with palm trees, loads of restaurants and resorts everywhere. The roads were wider and better maintained, with lot of buildings everywhere. The weather also became cooler here and the sea less blue (Aegean sea is different than the Mediterranean in its colour and character).

The hotel

In Cesme, we were staying at the Radisson hotel, which was a huge resort hotel on the beach. It had a few swimming pools, and a lot of activities everywhere. And all around it, were holiday homes surrounded by palm trees. The whole experience here was very different than all the other places we had stayed during this trip.


Day 13 and 14: Cesme: Visit Alacati, explore Cesme

The first half of the day, we spent in the hotel itself, in the various spa facilities they had, the 4 pools and the sea. It was a great hotel to enjoy and a lovely warm day to boot. It was a bit windy though. The beach was shallow till far. And the variety of pools was good to shift from warm to cool to the herbal ones – depending on your mood at the time.

Streets of Alacati

The second half of the day, we went to Alacati, a nearby town. The town looked quite normal initially, with the usual modern houses, shops et al. But the city centre was something else. Apparently it was a Greek town for a very long time, and the old town still retains the same feel to it. So the city centre was all white, with old Greek stone houses with blue doors and lot of bougainvillea everywhere.

Greek streets of Alacati

It felt like we had come to a different world altogether, a slow place, with white stone houses, lots of shops and just a lot of walking to do. The place was full of tourists and there were many restaurants to just sit and have a nice day. We shopped a bit, but for the rest of the time just walked around, enjoying the various small streets and views. Every street had its own flowers, which added a lot of charm to it. We also went up to the old windmills, to get a birds eye view of the area around.

We ate food at Salkim Sorgut and it was quite tasty. Interestingly, the only other guests at restaurant were also a group of Indians 😊. We had a lovely evening in the place, it was so charming. And it also helped that the weather was perfect, neither hot nor cold.

Radisson Blu

One of the next days we went out to Cesme town to do some small shopping. It was quite crowded and full of people – it felt like a popular tourist place for sure. We ate at a boutique small place which offered homemade Turkish food but it’s sad that it was the worst food of our whole trip. It’s also interesting how even good reviews can lead to bad places. Anyways, we spent the rest of the day in the pools and spa of our hotel, and were ready to say goodbye to Cesme (and Turkiye) soon.


Day 15: Drive to Istanbul (6 hours), fly to London 

The last day was just a mad dash to the finish. We left early, to reach Istanbul before our flight and it helped that the entire route was through highways. The roads were perfect and we beat the Google Maps time too. Though we kept driving without a lot of breaks. All the roads on this route had tolls which were totally worth it.

The landscape was gorgeous, it was more green this side of the country. There were stunning valleys full of agriculture. And nice charming towns and villages on hilltops on the way. We stopped only once at a service stop on the way. Closer to Istanbul, we took the farthest bridge on the Bosphorus to make it to the airport in time, driving along the Black sea. And as usual, I was surprised with how lavish this place is. We again passed by small settlements which felt quite exclusive and posh. And we made it to the airport in time, to fly back to London.


Some impressions of the country

I have wanted to tour Turkiye for quite some time. I had read so much about the country, that I wanted to go beyond the capital Istanbul. And it did not disappoint. I loved it, its culture, its vibrancy, its history and the lovely Turkish Riviera. I can definitely see myself coming back here more, just to relax.

Here are some thoughts on what I saw and felt

• The whole country felt really like somewhere in between Europe and Asia. It still had some of the chaos and flexibility; the colours and vibrancy of Asia. As well as the good infrastructure and development of Europe. It had so many beautiful villages on the sides of the road and each one was so picturesque and very clean – such a stunning country
• Turkiye has everything – vibrant and varied nature – mountains, seas, coast, beaches, desert, salt lakes and forests; huge cities and charming villages; history from the Greeks to the Romans to Byzantines to Ottomans to now; its own unique culture and spectacular landscapes to drive through. The whole Mediterranean coast is crazy – there are ruins every 15 mins from Greek and Roman times. It's mind-blowing how much history, culture and things to do there are in Turkiye
• Agriculture is everywhere. We saw so many gorgeous fields on our drives – sunflower, wheat, maize, kale chane, and so on. And we also saw so many fruit trees either on our hikes or places we stayed in, like grapes, figs, lemons, oranges, peaches, plums, melons, walnuts, cherries, pomegranate, tomatoes and so on. We also sometimes just plucked a few and had them fresh from the trees. And I was amazed by the number of greenhouses everywhere. It was all really nice to see
• There was so much of good handicraft ware everywhere, all shops were full everywhere. It was a treat to the eyes to see it all. The shopkeepers don't bargain a lot though which was surprising
• We saw a lot of Indian tourists both in Istanbul and Cappadocia, but not in the coastal areas, in Kas or Cesme. It was clear which were the more touristy areas 😉. And the same went for Indian food, we didn’t get any more Indian food once we got to the coast
• People felt quite European here. They are on time. There wasn’t a lot of cheating or bargaining here (except of course taxi drivers in Istanbul). Overall, the status of life looked ok but of course, we saw some poverty around. And saw some old people having to work (the toughest scene was when a very old woman came in her boat to where our boats were, to sell herbs. She was so old, it felt very risky to be out at sea so far, all alone)
• Overall Turkish people are not too friendly. They are polite but don’t really go out of their way to help you. Also, they smoke too much, all the time
• People really don't know English much. Nothing was written in English anywhere, and we had to translate everywhere. In fact, at a few spots, some cops stopped our car but let us go without checking anything when we started with, "English?"
• The local Turkish dogs are so huge, like really huge. We saw a few of them on our travels. Also there were lots of cats everywhere. Just like in Greece
• The highways were fabulous – they connected all the main cities, and were completely new. It was a pleasure to drive there. The drivers though were less so, they drove more like Asia 😉. Overtaking, speeding and all was common. Also an interesting difference of driving in Turkiye is that the police place paper cut - outs looking like police cars all along the highways, full with blinking lights. It was really tough to figure out which were the real and which the fake cars
• We started our trip from Istanbul, drove around in a circle and flew out from Istanbul. One can always fly between the places or drive in one direction and fly back out from Izmir or Capadoccia or Antalya. This change in itinerary saves one long day of driving
• If I have to post the trip make a change to the itinerary, I may not have gone to Cesme. As Cesme was quite a similar seaside resort to Kas. So I would have just stayed in Kas longer, then gone to Pamukkale and back. Driving to Cesme took an extra day and it was quite similar to Kas
• In Capadoccia we stayed in the centre of the Goreme National Park in a cave house. I felt that living in a cave house was overrated, and the main villages were too crowded. Next time, I would stay outside of the park, maybe in the town of Urgup
• And as always, here is a list of many other places on this route that we could not visit. Cappadocia - Cavusin, hike along the canyon to see balloons in the morning; Antalya – Hadrian’s Gate; Kas - Meis, Greek theatre; Along the coast - Pamukkale, Ephesus, Fethiye, Dalaman, Kusadasi; Bodrum and around - Datca, Palamutbuku, Gocek, Selçuk; Izmir

Overall, I loved the vacation and see myself coming back again.

Map of the drive

A week in Turkiye - Istanbul and Cappadocia

Resorts along the Bosphorus

After years of dreaming of a long Turkish vacation outside of Istanbul (I have been to Istanbul three times already), I finally got to explore Turkiye last year over two weeks. We spent time a week inland, in Istanbul and Cappadocia plus another week along the Turkish Riviera, in Kas and Cesme. And I loved the time I spent in the country. The history, the culture, the architecture, the richness, the mountains, the seas, the warmth, the people, the food, the roads; everything was outstanding. It was like the perfect vacation. Even writing about it brings all those amazing memories back to me. And now Turkiye is added to my list of favourite countries to travel to.

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

n my first day in Istanbul, I landed quite late and reached the hotel only by late evening. The taxi ride to the hotel as usual was quite colourful and vibrant. There were loads of high rises all the way, with enough green areas in between to make the ride picturesque. The roads were wide, and people all around made the whole vibe quite inviting already.

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

The Aya Sofya had an even longer queue. And it took us a while waiting in the sun to get in. The place had changed from the last time. When I had visited in 2007, it was a museum. And now it was a mosque. So the tickets were gone. You now had to take off your shoes when you go in. The interiors were fully carpeted now. And some people were coming in to pray, much lesser to just visit. There were more chandeliers inside, all lit up and looking gorgeous.. There seemed to be less of the Christian paintings than before (I saw only one when leaving). And now there was a separate area for men and women to pray, a place I had walked around before was closed to me now. It felt so incompatible with what I had experienced before, to come to a place many years later and find that its entire character had changed. But the outside looked the same as before – the Aya just sitting there grandly like an emperor, unmoved and untouched by what was happening around it.

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

We also passed by mosques every 10 meters. All with the typical blue roofs and unique designs. We also passed by many old imperial buildings, all telling the story of this ancient city. There were some old wooden houses on the way, some very old monuments around. There were so many bazaars too everywhere, it was all so lively and full of people. It was as if every turn in this area had its own history. There was a liveliness in the city which for me is forever the signature of Istanbul. It was bubbling with life at every turn. It was quite tiring too as the whole area is quite hilly, so you need to walk up and down quite a lot.

Lamps in the
Grand Bazaar

Then we reached the Grand bazaar and it was as enticing as ever. With the painted and covered ceilings. Except the really old part, which did not have a painted ceiling but sold the really antique stuff. And small shops everywhere selling all kinds of stuff – the gorgeous Turkish lamps, sweets, antique jewellery, pottery, handicrafts, clothes. Anything you name, it was there. Just so much stuff, in all colours. Exotic and quirky. It was quite a unique experience. And tiring too, so we stopped for some Turkish tea, and that is where my parents became fans of the local tea.

Egyptian Spice Market

Then we walked all the way down the hill to the Galata bridge, through the Eminonu bazaar area. Sometimes we glimpsed the sea through the lanes, and it was such a gorgeous sparkling blue. The rest was all crowded with everyone buying and selling all they have. We walked through the grand Misid Caruso Egyptian spice bazaar, which was a riot of colours and flavours. It was so vibrant, with so much stuff. And so crowded. 

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.

Along the Bosphorus

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.

Along the Bosphorus

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.

End of the Bosphorus

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.

View from Anadolu Karagi cafe

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.

Istanbul at night

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.

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.

Goreme at night

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.

Kaymakli underground city

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.

The new Kaymakli town

When we came out, we walked to the top of the mound, and it looked like a small mud hill from the top. All around it was a modern town with normal houses. And just tens of feet from it was Kaymakli, a huge city so completely hidden that no one could have guessed this place could house 30 thousand people within it, going all the way down 8 floors. Apparently there are many such other underground cities around, Derinkuyu being another such big one. And some 150-200 smaller such settlements in the area around. So now when we were driving to the next place, I kept looking for such hidden cities 😉. Finding none though.

Wheat fields

Our next stop was a ride away, the Ihlara valley. It was quite a long drive away, through some gorgeous fields, landscapes and towns. This was quite an agriculture predominant area, with yellow sunflower fields, wheat fields and black gram fields all the way. In fact we got out of our car and picked some fresh kale chane too, which we ate over the next few days. We drove past some small nice towns too, all charming in their own way, and we easily could have stayed in one of these less crowded places.

Ihlara village

And then we came to Ihlara village which is located along a canyon. There were some new houses and some old cave houses in the village, all on the top of the canyon. We got some gorgeous views of the village at the edge of the canyon there – it was quite a picturesque place. We walked along a the canyon a bit, admiring its beauty.

Ihlara canyon from the top

If you go down to the bottom of the canyon along the river, you can hike for 19kms from Ihlara on one end to the Selime monastery on the other. And the marking all along was very good. We hiked only a part of it, from Ihlara to Beliserma. And it was outstanding. First the valley was green all along the river. And then there were old caves in the mountains all along. Apparently those were all parts of the monasteries here, and Christian monks used to live there and pray. Some of those caves were so high up in the canyon walls, it was difficult to imagine how the monks got up there.

Church frescoes

Church frescos

The monks of the valley also carved and painted some gorgeous churches in the cliff walls. There were loads of these ancient painted Byzantine churches all along the way. I visited four of these, the Daniel Pantonassa church, Kırkdamaltı Kilisesi (the St George church), the Jacinth church and the Serpentine church. Each of these still had some painted frescos on the walls and the ceilings. Just walking in to see them felt like we had come to a different era.

Ihlara valley

And the hike along the river was through shrubs and greenery, it was all very fresh and green. We stopped at a cafe on the river, which was another highlight of the day for me. The café had small tents right in the middle of the river. And you could sit in the carpeted tents, with your feet in the river, enjoying the food and drinks. It was fascinating to be there.

 

Beliserma village

We ended our hike at Beliserme, which was an easy spot as the cars came all the way till the bottom of the valley. Driving out from this spot, we again passed by some drop-dead gorgeous villages, with old cave houses lining the edges of the canyon. It was like we were driving through a different era all together. And then we drove back to Goreme, again passing through many villages with cave houses. It’s like they were everywhere here, everyone liked to live in them😊.

Cafe in the river

Our last stop of the day was a Turkish dinner at Evranos. There are many such restaurants arranging Turkish dinners at night, and this was in the town of Avanos. It was in a building which had a cave-like appearance. They served many courses of traditional Turkish food. And all through the night, there were folk dances happening in the podium. 

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

Goreme panoramic point

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.

Pigeon valley

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.

Cave hotels near Urgup

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. 

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

We first stopped at a pottery shop as this city is famous for its pottery. And the pieces there were so exquisite! So detailed, so artistic. It was tough to pick something and not the rest. We bought a few pieces finally, and were amazed at their quality. My father also tried his hand at making a few pottery pieces. It was a nice experience.

 

Along the river

Then we went to the river, Kizilirmak and walked around it. It had a few parks and cafes next to it. Lot of people were boating in the river too. We walked in the park and had lunch at Mado café. It was a very relaxing afternoon next to a river in warm weather. And felt nice to take it easy one day. And when we came back to Goreme, we had dinner again at the Indian place, Namaste India, closing out our stay at Cappadocia.


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

And then we took off in a group of about 21 people in one balloon. The balloons take off one after the other and even touch each other initially. Ours then took us up very high when we could see over the whole valley and the 100s of other balloons. Colourful and patterned ones. The captain brought us down very close to the ground and just like that you keep floating for around an hour. It was quite a magical sight, especially as the sun’s first light came about. We could see all the natural formations all around, and even our villages far off, Goreme and Uchisar. We also saw so many people doing horse riding and other such activities down below.

In the balloon

We also had a very interesting landing where some people had to pull us towards the right spot to land. Thankfully we made it down safe and sound, totally excited after the ride. It was quite nice to do this activity so early in the morning. And then the whole day was still ahead. Overall it was nice to finally do the balloon ride. And we also saw why Goreme was so popular to stay, it looked fabulous all around with the 100s of balloons dotting the sky – its one of the experiences Goreme is popular for.

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

We checked in to the Lara Dinc hotel, which was very basic, simple and sweet. It was located in almost a residential area with lot of high rise apartments near it. And we could see the flights landing from there all day, there were just so many! It was near the Lara beach and we walked there in the evening to eat. It was so full of people, even at 10pm! It was so warm even at night, in the 30s, it felt amazing. There were not a lot of good food options there though, so we just ate at a local café on the beach and called it a night as we had some more driving to do the next day too.

Continued (part 2)...