Marvelous Turkey & The Aegean Coast

We arrived in Istanbul in the early morning and after all the routines, such as getting our visa, finding our luggage, and finding each other, we proceeded to our hotel in Sultanahmet area of Old Istanbul.  Our hotel was only minutes away from everything you want to see in Istanbul:  the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, and the Grand Bazaar. Upon our arrival, we took some time to recuperate from our long journey, but by evening we were ready to hit the town.  We walked to a beautiful restaurant nearby, Imbat, with a panoramic view of the Bosporus and the city lights.  The food was delicious, the service impeccable, the wine unforgettable, and we were off to a great start!

The next day we walked to the Grand Bazaar and Spice Market and got lost in this labyrinth of over 4,000 shops first opened in 1461. A couple of people wondered off to walk by the river and get a feel for this amazing city.  In the afternoon, we were picked up by our guide, Hakan, for a private tour of the Bosporus.  After a short drive, we boarded a ferry and cruised up the strait passing beautiful mansions, famous monuments, and enjoying the view of two continents. After the river ride, we rode a cable car up a hill for an incredible view and drank Turkish coffee at  Pierre Loti Cafe.  The day ended with dinner at a trendy riverside restaurant, Assk Cafe, which was definitely the place to be on a Friday night. 

On Saturday, we met our guide, Hakan, and toured the Hippodrome, the beautiful Topkapi Palace, strategically perched on a hill overlooking the Bosporus, the famous Blue Mosque set opposite the Hagia Sophia in Sultanahmet Square, which we visited next.  Lastly, we visited the enormous "sunken" underground cistern across from the Hagia Sophia.  In the evening, we witnessed the Whirling Dervishes.  During this ceremony, dervishes spin around and around, in a trance-like state, ostensibly getting closer to God with their movements. The night ended with a spectacular dinner at the currently voted best restaurant in Istanbul in the Marmara Hotel, Mikla. 

On our final day in Istanbul, some of us visited Princess Islands and enjoyed the beautiful beachside villages. Others spent the day shopping and sightseeing in Taksim Square.  This modern side of Istanbul is replete with fine restaurants, boutiques, and in the evening, the place comes alive with its myriad of nightclubs and street performers.  We had dinner in one of the popular restaurants in that area and stayed for some nighttime fun and dancing.

Monday morning, Day five, we took an early flight to Izmir, picked up our rental car, and began our exploration of the Aegean Coast.  On our way to Kusadasi, we stopped at Sirince Village looking for a hidden gem, the Nisanyan Elver Hotel tucked high on a hill overlooking the town of Selcuk. Our adventurous spirit was highly rewarded when we arrived at the resort and were invited to have a home cooked lunch, starting with freshly baked bread.  This lunch became one of the highlights of our trip, and the olives we devoured will never be forgotten. We met a friendly guide who had just dropped off some customers in the hotel.  He very nicely offered to drive us down the steep hill and invited us to visit his cousin's rug shop just in town.  One of our travelers, Amy, got a good deal on a beautiful Turkish rug. After our lunch and shopping break, we continued our scenic drive until our arrival at LaVista Hotel in Kusadasi.  To say we were pleasantly surprised with this chic boutique hotel is an understatement.  We were welcomed with fresh blend of juices and quickly escorted to our modern and comfortable rooms, each with a balcony overlooking the ocean.  The one thing we will always remember is watching picture perfect sunsets while lounging in the warm waters of the infinity pool.  We will also treasure the kind and professional staff, as well as, the delicious food of the poolside terrace restaurant with a wonderful ocean view. The following day in Kusadasi, some travelers chose to visit Ephesus, while others decided on Pammukale.  When we returned to the hotel, once again, we gathered at our favorite spot. There is nothing more desirable than an infinity pool with a majestic sunset view to relax after a long day of sightseeing!

The morning of Day seven, immediately after breakfast, we drove to Bodrum,  the St. Tropez of the Aegean Coast.  We arrived mid-morning and checked in to our Bohemian, boutique hotel, Su Hotel. We had plenty of time to discover this beautiful, lively town and witness some of its historic sites. Ana and Tania enjoyed a wonderful lunch in La Casita, a family owned restaurant sitting a hilltop with a fabulous view.  In the afternoon, a couple of us enjoyed the sunset navigating the waters of the Gökova Gulf on a beautiful private wooden sailboat.  After swimming in these crystal clear waters, we were treated to some local, red wine and a delicious fruit platter.  In the evening, we met with the rest of the group and enjoyed another amazing dinner in a seaside restaurant, where we chose the type, size, and preparation method of our just caught fish and some delicious sides.

On day eight we left very early en route to Fethiye/OluDeniz, where the beautiful Mediterranean waters begin. On our way, we stopped at Dalyan for a private tour of the Lycian tombs hidden in the rock formations bordering the river. Our captain took us to Iztuzu (Turtle) Beach, which has miles of fine golden sands and crystal blue waters surrounded by majestic mountains. Before arriving at the beach, we stopped to see some fisherman, who for a small contribution will use crabs to lure big turtles for the tourists to see. I don't think any of us will ever forget the time we spent playing and relaxing in this breathtaking beach.

We arrived at our hotel, Yacht Boutique Hotel, by early afternoon. Once again, we were pleasantly surprised by our venue, a chic hotel overlooking the marina.  Some of the travelers decided to stay around the pool and relax until dinnertime and others took a water taxi ride to Cadis Beach to watch the sunset.  Dinner was at one of the many restaurants found in the marina boardwalk. 

The next day, our travelers chose different activities ranging from a visit to the Greek island of Rhodes, paragliding, relaxing at one of the many beautiful beaches in the area, and a private boat trip to Butterfly Valley and Blue Cave. Oludeniz is a fabulous place for extreme sports and beach activities.  Anything you want to do, you can probably find it in Fethiye and/or Oludeniz.  We came together for dinner at Jade's, a beachfront restaurant with a fabulous terrace and terrific food and drinks.  After dinner, we sat around these cushiony sofas and shared a hookah, while reminiscing our experiences of the day. 

Day ten, after breakfast, we began the last stretch of our trip driving to Antalya. We had a little time to visit the Old City and the harbor area as we shared a lunch overlooking the sea.  We flew from Antalya to  Cappadocia arriving in the evening and checked in to the Sultan Cave Suites Hotel, a highly rated hotel featured in Conde Nast as the place to stay in Cappadocia.  We were certainly not disappointed by the accommodations, the service, the food, and most of all the breathtaking views.

 The following day was a free day allowing the travelers to choose from a number of activities, such as hiking, ATV tours, horseback riding, biking, etc.  Some of us did the ATV as well as the horseback riding, while others spent the day hiking and discovering the natural beauty of Cappadocia by foot.  Our farewell dinner was at Ziggy Cafe & Restaurant, a great restaurant at the nearby village of Urgup. We sat at the top terrace overlooking this beautiful village and enjoyed a nine course dinner of Turkish traditional dishes accompanied by a great bottle of local wine. 

Our grand finale on Day twelve was waking up at 4 am to be picked up at our hotel and taken to a field to watch our air balloons inflate in anticipation for our sunrise flight.  Shortly after 5:20 am, we climbed aboard our balloons and took off simultaneously with dozens of others, filling the sky with beautiful colors.  We flew for about 50 kilometers and landed in an open field just on the other side of a hill.  The landing was very exciting, as our captain prepared and warned us for a rough one because of windy conditions.  Our faces told the story of excitement and fear as we hit the ground and rocked from side to side feeling like we would flip at any time. Needless to say, we did not flip and no one was hurt.  We were given a diploma and shared a champagne toast for our safe landing.

The rest of the day allowed some free time to do last minute shopping, revisiting some well liked sites, or having a Turkish Bath at a hammam spa. There are no words to describe this spa treatment, laying on a warm marble stone while you are scrubbed, covered in warm soapy foam, rinsed with perfectly hot water, and massaged until bliss. The Turkish Bath was followed by a 30 minutes glorious massage and a facial mask.  Everyone needs to experience it. Around 5 pm, we were picked up by our shuttle and driven to the airport for our return flight to Istanbul.

Once more, we arrived at the Senatus Hotel around 10:30 pm on our last evening in Turkey. A few travelers rushed to catch the subway to do last minute shopping of Turkish delights and sweets (lots of baklava).  After a good but short night's sleep, we departed in the early morning to the airport where we shared our goodbyes with lots of hugs, and flew home to our families and friends.

Turkey was full of surprises and it exceeded all our expectations. We knew we would experience history and great architecture, but we got so much more. The people were friendly and eager to help, the roads nicely kept and well signed making it easy to travel from place to place, the streets clean, the food delicious, the wine delightful, and the scenery not to be forgotten. I know that this trip has ranked this marvelous country high on my list of places to visit. Turkey will remain in our hearts for many years to come, for we have had the time of our lives.  Words cannot justly describe what we have experienced in the past twelve days. It is definitely worth coming back and we hope you join us when we do!