dyscover

Just back from a month long trip to Turkey so am listing below my two cents worth. I’m going to keep it simple and just provide my feedback for what we encountered during our trip. Apologies for typos, for not being able to spell Turkish words correctly on my keyboard and for any errors that might ensue.

Just a bit of background, we are an Indian couple in our mid thirties, widely traveled and but for a few stretches, covered most ground on our own, using local transport. My husband eats just about anything, I on the other hand am a strict vegetarian, ie, no meat, fish or eggs, so part of the eating choices we made were governed by this.
Our visit coincided with Ramazan and although we initially had concerns, these were unfounded and indeed trounced completely as we were able to enjoy and participate in an important festival for the Turkish people. The atmosphere was fantastic, most everyone was on their best behaviour and more often than not we were hospitably invited to partake in the breaking of the fast or iftaar by complete strangers on the street. We had no hardships whatsoever due to Ramazan.
We started out in Istanbul and our route was as follows :

Istanbul – Selcuk – Pamukkale – Bodrum – Marmaris – Fethiye – Kalkan – Antalya – Ankara – Safranbolu – Ankara – Urgup – Nemrut and surrounds – Urgup – Istanbul.

Part 1 : Istanbul (first part of trip)

Istanbul Stay : Sari Konak Hotel. Great location, very helpful staff, super view from the terrace, decent breakfast comprising the usual Turkish fare of breads, jams, olives, feta, cereal, cold cuts, tea n coffee. Rooms are quite compact, we had the deluxe double at the start of our trip which was just about a little bigger than the regular at the end of our trip.
Bathrooms are a little worn, some mold at the corners, but generally for the location and service, it’s a recommended place to stay.

Istanbul Sights (first part of trip) : Blue Mosque – get here early, women need scarves to cover their heads, plastic bags provided for shoes to be carried inside

Aya Sofya – next after the mosque, the size will blow you away, was not terribly impressed with the mosaics after St Marks in Venice which to my mind has been the best that I have seen, but worth a look. Metal detectors when going in take a little while. Have a small café in the gardens for water and icecream and such.

Basilica Cistern – I enjoyed it, its lit up very well which created an interesting mood. Walk to the back to see the Medusa heads and watch your step as it can be quite slippery. Just outside are a couple of decent souvenir shops, bought 2 books on Naseeruddin Hoca anecdotes.

Hippodrome – nothing much to see except for the 3 columns but there were a lot of stalls during Ramazan for food and streetware, which were interesting and really came to life after sunset when it seemed the whole of Istanbul was there to celebrate.

Museum of Islamic Art – we enjoyed our visit, hardly any crowds, great display of carpets and a nice café which again does only tea/coffee/icecream but with a fantastic view.

Arasta Bazaar : definitely worth a look, some interesting jewellery shops (I really loved the jewellery in Turkey), as well as some ceramic and carpet shops. Will detail more when I cover our shopping experience as a whole in Turkey
We were informed that the State run shop in the Hamam is closed for renovation.

Bosphorus Cruise : We opted for the shorter cruise that goes upto the second bridge and returns as the husband was not too keen to spend the whole day on the water. At the Eminonu docks there are several boats that do this, and we just opted for one of them. Was an enjoyable way to spend half the day and get a feel for cosmopolitan and modern Istanbul with the million lira houses. Make sure to sit on the left hand side of the boat for the best views of the various palaces/yalis/mosques etc onshore.

Hammam : We visited the Cemberlitas Hammam which was recommended more than the Cagagoglu one. The husband opted for the full service which includes a scrub down and oil massage and by all accounts enjoyed it. I preferred the self service option as I have sensitive skin and did not crave the kind of rubbing down I had heard about. There are separate areas for men and women. In the changing room, you put on the disposable underwear and use the wrap or pestemal to cover yourself. Once in the bath area, most were starkers, and the ones getting the service were really getting scrubbed, which I opted to do for myself. Its nice to lie on the heated marble platform, but if it gets crowded, and it does sometimes, it may not be as tranquil as you would like it to be. Worth the visit, but I’m afraid I’ve been spoilt by the Asian Spa experience. Whatever you opt for, don’t forget to carry body lotion to soothe the skin after.

Spice Market and Grand Bazaar : The Spice Market tends to have 3 types of shops, spices which after you visit one, you mostly can skip the others, souvenirs, and one of type of shops. The Grand Bazaar is much bigger and serious shoppers can hope to spend quite a bit of time here. Also the route between the two markets is also jammed with shops for clothes, leather and the like. More details of specifics that we liked in the Shopping section.

Beyoglu area : We took the tram to Kabatas and then the funicular to Taksim and walked down Istikklal Caddesi. Many modern shops, branded stuff, a very different feel to the more traditional in Sultanahmet. Definitely pop in to take a look at the Cicek Pasaji or old flower market which is sort of like an arcade now converted into a slew of eating joints.

Chora mosaics : this is one we missed, because all the guidebooks apparently gave the wrong closing time. The right time as found out by the ever helpful Mustafa at Sari Konak is 4.00 pm in summer. We thought it was closer to 6 pm and planned to visit followed by dinner at the Asitane, but of course that never happened. Next time.
Will cover the rest of the sites as we saw them on the return trip later.

Istanbul Food (first part of trip): Magnaura Café, Sultanahmet : Ate here the first night, stone’s throw from our hotel. Decent Turkish food, nice ambience, especially if you sit streetside and watch the Ramazan festivities as we did.

Doy-Doy, Sultanahmet : Highly recommended for their prices by most local people, this is where I was first introduced to my staple for the trip – mercimek corba, or lentil soup, which was pretty good. The husband’s shish tavuk was just about ok. Nice view from the terrace. On the whole, average.

Rumeli Café, Sultanahmet : We enjoyed our meal here, nice soup and crepes for me, nice grill for the husband and our first step into what is now a lasting love affair with pistachio baklava.

The Cure, Sultanahmet : just next to the Rumeli Café, nice soup for me, husband really enjoyed the seafood casserole here.

Dubb, Sultanahmet : Indian food, need I say more, great and authentic, I should know. Very highly recommended.

Hamdi, Bazaar area : must make reservations and ask for a table on the OUTSIDE terrace, they have a large enclosed terrace on the top as well. They bring around the mezes to choose from. The haydari, dolmas and soup were great, husband enjoyed his kebabs.

Saray Café, Beyoglu : On Istikklal Caddesi, we just stopped in for a small bite as we were feeling puckish, but later on found out it is an institution that belongs to the mayor, no less. Husband really enjoyed his doner kebab here.

Meditrina, Ortakoy : where we headed after having had enough of the “local” flavour for 4 days in a row. It has been profiled as one of the best Italian restaurants in Istanbul and so we made reservations, what we did not bargain for was the view. Its on the the first floor of a building that overlooks the Bosphorus, the Bosphorus Bridge and the Ortakoy Camii or mosque and both the latter are beautifully lit up at night. Our table overlooked this wonderful view, which I have to call the best view in Istanbul, beating even 360. Food is good, service attentive, prices are not cheap, but it’s a good way to get a taste of what modern Istanbullis have access to when they want to go global in terms of food.

360, Beyoglu : have to, have to make reservations and not just the day of the meal but preferably several days ahead if you want one of the coveted terrace tables. If you have not managed to snag one of them, like we hadn’t, request to be moved if one opens up as soon as you arrive, we were able to enjoy the dessert part of our meal outdoors as the manager graciously moved us upon a no show. Food is interesting, I liked the hummus laced with cinnamon, most unusual but works and the pasta was good too. The restaurant is on the top floor of a building and the elevator only takes you so far up after which you have to walk up 2 flights of stairs. The views are incredible, but I preferred the more intimate vistas from Meditrina.

Tarihi Sultanahmet Koftecisi : don’t take my word for it, ask the upto 200 people waiting in line outside wanting to break their fast here and only here. The lines near the me too establishment just a few steps away called the Meshur Sultanahmet Koftecisi are justifiably smaller.

Three other memorable eating experiences :
Potato Gozleme from one of the iftaar stalls lining the Hippodrome.
Kumpir, or baked potato with yummy fillings. I had mine in Beyoglu, but understand the best ones are to be had in Ortakoy
Pistachio Baklava from Cigdem : It’s a wonderful shop a little further down towards Cemberlitas from the Sultanahmet tram stop. Hands down our favourite baklava and their double pistachio comes a close second. We actually got some on our last day to go, so as you can imagine, this is being typed with sticky fingers. Alas, it lasts for just 8 days, but have no fear, there is a viable option which I will highlight later.

Missed opportunities – Asitane which we had heard such a lot about, but due to the Chora Church confusion, we did not get to visit, and Hacibaba in Beyoglu. Also did not visit Divan & Rumi Café (did not see much choice on the menu for me).

Istanbul – Getting Around : Given that the hotel was wonderfully positioned, we walked pretty much everywhere, taking the tram to get to Eminonu and Kabatas, and taxis only for the transfers to and from the airport and for our visit to Meditrina. The tram is very convenient, just buy tokens from the manned desk at the tram stop and that’s it. Naturally we were careful to avoid peak times, which while we were there were mostly early evenings when they would be packed with people rushing home to break the fast.

isabel

Thank you so much. Wonderful report. Can't wait for the rest.

callalilli

dyscover.. thank you so much for so much information... i'm definitely taking notes. looking forward to more..

dyscover

Part 2 : Selcuk and Ephesus

After leaving extra luggage with Sari Konak in Istanbul, we flew with Pegasus Airlines from Istanbul to Izmir. Flight on time, all professional. Food at the airport is a rip off, 20 YTL for a sandwich and coffee. At Izmir, we took a cab from the rank outside to drive us to Selcuk,cost about 90 YTL for approx 1 hour ride. Stayed for 2 nights.

Stay in Selcuk : Hotel Bella, has good ratings here as well as on Trip Advisor but in all fairness I was disappointed. We had their most expensive room and it was still tiny. Its clean but worn at the edges with scratchy bedcovers. The loo was very small too. There’s the ubiquitous low wattage lighting everywhere. The terrace is nice, brekker was decent, they do give you eggs, and they have an evening dinner option of a choice of 3 mezes from around 20 options, a meat grill and coffee for 15 YTL which was quite ok, but a bit repetitive if you plan on eating there every evening. The owners also run a carpet business and make the pitch very early on but once refused, stay off the subject, albeit marginally showing their disappointment for a few moments. They drive you around the place though, dropped us off at Sirince, dropped and picked us up at Ephesus and arranged for a taxi to take us to Meryemana and back, and they lend you their well worn guidebooks for the duration of your visit. Next time, I would probably stay elsewhere like Kusadasi and trudge down for the day as that’s very doable, or try the Nisanyan Houses.

Sights in Selcuk : Sirince Village : hotel dropped us off and we took the dolmus back for 1.50 YTL. Its very tiny and there’s not much to see. The rustic ambience provided by some shops selling local produce like fruit vine and dried fruits is spoilt by other shops selling fake watches and other knock offs.

St. John Basilica : Very close to the hotel and worth a walk around to appreciate the size.

Selcuk Ephesus Museum : Definitely a worth see and best to do it after seeing Ephesus as that way can get a better perspective of where the statues came from, how they were positioned, etc. They also had a very interesting temporary exhibit on Gladiators while we were there. Best of all, their A/Cs work brilliantly and provide a great refuge on a hot day.

Meryemana’s House : We found this place to be very nice, it was cool, calm, with a very peaceful atmosphere. Remember to take some empty some bottles if you want to collect your own holy water rather than buy from the stalls outside, and for pen and paper to write requests to tie to the branches.

Ephesus : We have seen ruins before, what we liked about Ephesus is that as you walk around you get a real sense of what the city would have looked and felt like. The monuments are impressive, and we feel we did the right thing by walking downhill from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate rather than the other way round, especially in the heat. It does get crowded, one way to beat that is to come really early at 8 when the site opens as the big tour groups bussing in normally get there by 9. Water bottles at the stalls outside the gates are a rip off at 1 Euro for 500ml, best to buy before coming there. No toilets in the site, only outside the two gates with a western one only at the lower gate. Don’t miss the communal toilets and brothel. And although it is expensive at 20 YTL, the terraced houses are spectacular and a must see. Again, they provide a fascinating look into how people lived and worked, and the added advantage is that there tend to be less crowds moving around inside. The houses have different areas connected by glass walkways and stairs and these can get quite slippery.

Food in Selcuk/Ephesus : For the most part, there were no major culinary experiences to think of. Had lunch one afternoon in Sirince, nothing to write home about. Dinner was at Hotel Bella, as mentioned earlier, this is a nightly affair with the same stuff every night though, but its quite ok, and decent value. When we visited Ephesus, we had a quick bite at one of the canteen stalls outside the lower gate, again nothing spectacular. Will give one tip though, if you come across ice cream called Roma Gelato, walk away, unless you have a fascination for chewing gum texture ice cream. In Turkey, best to stick to Walls or Mado ice cream.

dyscover

Part 3 : Pamukkale

Made our acquaintance with the Turkish bus system as we took our first bus from Selcuk to Pamukkale. This is what we learnt : there are large national bus companies like Ulusoy and Varan, which do long haul trips like Istanbul to Ankara, and which naturally have the most modern buses. Then there are smaller regional players like Pamukkale and Kamil Koc, they have buses suited to the load they carry on a particular route, so can be a small 30 seater to a full on modern bus. And then there are local players which normally have only smaller buses and dolmuses and these tend to stop more frequently too. Can buy tickets pretty much on day of travel, unless big festival or holidays expected. Tickets are issued with seat numbers and you are expected to be on your seat and not change until the journey begins and its clear that free seats will remain free. And yes, the driver will, if need be, ask for people to change seats to accommodate single traveling women to be seated next to other women. In the 30 seater buses that we took more than any other kind simply because we were doing short local loops, the best seats are in front, so while buying, best to check if seats 1, 2, 3 and 4 are available and take those, they have more leg room.
Our journey from Selcuk to Pamukkale was with Pamukkale bus company. They have one bus that goes every morning TO PAMUKKALE. Other buses will drop off at Denizli and then one has to either get a pick up or take a dolmus to Pamukkale from there. Our bus stopped at Denizli and then continued on to Pamukkale. Journey was comfortable, bus in good condition, they give you cologne water to refresh yourself and a drink and slice of cake as well. All in all, a good experience.

Stay in Pamukkale : Venus Hotel, again rated highly here and on Trip Advisor. We stayed for one night and quite liked the Venus. There was a bit of a problem earlier on, we were supposed to be picked up by them on arrival at Pamukkale bus stop, but there was no one in spite of having confirmed just the evening before that there would be. On phoning, they apologized and arranged for another hotel to get us picked up. On arrival, we learnt that the owner’s grandmother had passed away that morning and hence naturally, things were quite chaotic with no cars and employees free, a perfectly legitimate situation. The hotel is nice, large clean rooms, working amenities. The owner Ibrahim and his lovely Australian wife Karyn are most helpful. They managed to give us lunch, which the husband calls the best home cooked meal he had on our trip. They usually provide a shuttle to the travertines, but again, that was off the cards on that day and we had to trek to the travertines on our own, about a 10-15 minute walk. Dinner was at the Venus as well, again pretty good, had one of the best Yayla Corba or warm yoghurt soups here.

Sights in Pamukkale : Travertines : The only claim to fame of this tiny town, and we really enjoyed our visit. Best to go closer to evening time, its cooler and easier on the eyes as well as the sun blasting off the white surfaces can be quite difficult. Just to be clear, there are two ways to get up, one is to walk up through the travertines themselves along a marked path, where no footwear is allowed but one can wade into some pools. The other involves driving up nearly 2 miles (we did not know it was that long and that became a problem as will be evident later) to get to the top of the travertines where there is a boarded walkway, just for views. We chose to walk up, and although I had some reservations, it was not all that bad. Some patches can get a bit rough on the feet, but overall its very doable and the views are quite spectacular. Once on top, we walked around Hierapolis, the Ancient Pool, etc and then returned to the travertine area for sunset which was really spectacular and makes for some nice pictures. It gets dark pretty quickly and we were quite sure we did not want to walk back down through the travertines, so we got out from the upper entrance and this is when we realized that the walk down the road would be along a unlit stretch for 2 miles, and we were the only ones there by then. Luckily the staff at the entrance office for the boardwalk pointed us to the last taxi still in the parking lot and we rode back into town. Overall, we think its worth going to Pamukkale for the travertines, simply because there really is nothing like it anywhere else.

Food in Pamukkale : As mentioned, all our three squares were at Venus Hotel and were quite good.