Two Weeks of Turkish Delight
Turkey (or Turkiyé as it’s now officially known) is likely not on the bucket list of most Americans who travel abroad, which is a shame. When our family — my husband Jeff, teenage daughter Shifra, and I — shared that we were going to Turkey on vacation, we got two questions over and over. Why Turkey? Is it safe? Certainly not the reactions you’d get if you said you were going to Greece, Europe, Italy, Portugal…
So why Turkey?
Back in 2020 — the big year of COVID — we had planned to do Greece and Turkey in one trip to celebrate my daughter graduating from high school. By the time we were actually ready to make the bookings in 2022, we’d done more research and figured each of these countries merited its own dedicated trip. And we picked Turkey first because it seemed more off the beaten tourist track, more interesting, and more unique. A nation that straddles two continents, synthesizes the east and west, seamlessly blends the old and the new, that was never colonized by the British…all sounded appealing. Our experience lived up to the promise for sure.
We did not use tour guides — Jeff did all the planning (and he is amazing at this!). He talked to Kemal, a friend and former native of Turkey who had great suggestions; read many blogs (including Dominican Abroad); combed through Instagram for visual inspiration; and looked up every hotel on TripAdvisor and Booking.com and called each hotel before making bookings. For local itineraries we used Google, TripAdvisor, and the recommendations from staff at the hotels we stayed in.
Is it safe?
I’m not sure where this comes from. Yes, Turkey has its share of political turmoil, civil unrest, human rights violations — but which country (including the U.S.) doesn’t? As tourists, we’ve never felt more safe and comfortable than in Turkey. People were so friendly and helpful, despite the language barrier. We walked around a lot, rode public transport, took cabs, drove a rental — and did not ever have cause for concern.
What we like
We’re sharing our itinerary, experiences, and recommendations to encourage more Americans to visit Turkey (and at 18 Turkish Lira to the U.S. dollar, it’s quite a bargain). But first, a couple things about our family’s travel preferences. Sure, we like to see the sights and do a few (but not all) the touristy things. What we love most is to soak in the culture and vibes, do lots of people watching, chat with locals and ask about their lives, explore on our own (guided tours are not for us), and walk around (we did 91 miles in 14 days). We enjoy the warm weather although I have to admit that Turkey in August was HOT (felt like over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in some places) but it did cool off in the evenings. We kept hats and sunglasses on and hydrated, and were mostly fine.
Quick itinerary
Two weeks seemed just about right for Turkey and that’s all we had with work and school commitments.
· Left Washington D.C. Thu, Aug 11 at 5:30 pm — 10-hour direct flight to Istanbul
· Arrived in Istanbul Fri, Aug 12 at 10 am
· Spent 4 days in Istanbul
· Left Istanbul Tue, Aug 16 at 6:30 am — 1-hour flight to Kayseri, 1-hour drive to Goreme in Cappadocia
· Spent 3 days in Cappadocia
· Left Cappadocia Fri, Aug 19 at 1 pm — 1-hour flight from Nevsehir to Istanbul and 1-hour flight from Istanbul to Izmir; picked up rental car from Enterprise at Izmir airport
· Spent 3 days in Izmir (with day trips to Ephesus, Cesme and Alacanti)
· Left Izmir Sun, Aug 21 at 9:30 am — 3.5-hour drive to Pamukkale
· Spent 2.5 hours at Pamukkale travertines
· Left Pamukkale Sun, Aug 21 at 3:30 pm — 4-hour drive to Antalya
· Spent 2 days in Antalya
· Left Antalya Thu, Aug 25 at 11 am (after 2-hour weather delay) — 1-hour flight to Istanbul
· Spent 1 evening in Istanbul shopping
· Left Istanbul Fri, Aug 26 at 11:30 am (after 3-hour flight delay) — 11-hour direct flight to Washington D.C.; landed at 3:30 pm EST
Note: We used Turkish Airlines to get to Turkey and back from DC as well as for all domestic flights. Service was good and the food was not bad. The only frustrating time was when we had a 3-hour delay for our flight back to D.C. from Istanbul and the airline customer service staff — who seemed to be drowning in chaos — misled us about getting breakfast vouchers.
Istanbul — a vibrant smorgasbord
Istanbul is a bustling, crowded metropolis with incredible charm, history, architecture and modern vibes. The Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque — both Greek Orthodox churches converted to mosques by the Ottoman empire — were just stunning. The Blue Mosque has interesting signage explaining fundamentals of the Islamic faith. A couple of hours seemed adequate for each of these spots. Be prepared to take off your shoes at the entrance to the mosques. And ladies, take a scarf because you need to cover your head and shoulders.
We spent a lovely half day at the Topkapi Palace Museum with its incredible tile work and expansive harems, public chambers, library/reading room, lounges, courtyards and kitchens. One morning, we wandered through Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, Egyptian Bazaar, and Old Bazaar for hours window shopping, taking pictures and stopping for Turkish coffee and street food (those carts with simit or with grilled corn on the cob and roasted chestnuts were irresistible). We also walked around the Galata Bridge, where we enjoyed seeing men fishing off the bridge. A stroll through Gulhane Park, the Topkapi Palace gardens, was refreshing and it was fun to see local families and young people taking a breather.
Our wanderings took us to some interesting neighborhoods. We loved Balat, once a Jewish neighborhood, with its colorful houses and restaurants. We took a public ferry across the Bosphorous Strait from Eminonu on the European side to Kadikoy on the Asian side, just because it was so neat to cross continents in a span of 20 minutes. And we spent an evening in the very modern Taksim Square area (honestly, Times Square pales in comparison to the lights and wares of Istiklal Avenue).
Istanbul has an eclectic choice of restaurants. While we enjoyed Turkish food, it was also nice to find good Chinese, Italian and Indian options. A couple of our favorite restaurants were Galeyan, where the Turkish tapas was amazing; Dubb Ethnic where we enjoyed the kebabs and grape leaves; Primi Balat with pasta made from scratch onsite, and Sofya Asian Restaurant, a family-run little Chinese place where they cooked up a spicy meal in record time. Pottery show
We stayed at Yilsam Sultanahmet Hotel — a comfortable place, conveniently located near all the attractions (we mostly walked around and took the Metro). Our room had a lovely view of the Sea of Marmara. The staff were friendly — Kunte at the front desk gave us good recommendations for where to go and how to get around. And Mohammed even loaned us his own Metro card to load up and use while we were there. The Turkish breakfast — at the rooftop restaurant with lovely views and seagulls perched at the open windows — was a great start to the day.
When we returned to Istanbul for a last night’s stay before returning to the U.S., we spent one night at the very comfortable La Vida Hotel in Sultanahmet. It had a spacious, well-designed room and was in the heart of the action, with restaurants and shopping at its doorstep.
We did most of our Turkiye shopping — for Turkish Delight, tea and trinkets — in Arasta Bazaar, behind the Blue Mosque. Kadir at Flamingo Spice was especially helpful and stocked us up, thanks to great bargains and excellent service.
The city is quite a trek from the airport — about an hour’s drive depending on traffic. But we found a fabulous driver, Busra, who was so adept at navigating the narrow alleys where two big vehicles can barely pass. She charged us USD $40 one-way.
Cappadocia — charm unlimited
While we loved all of Turkey, Cappadocia was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip. We stayed in Goreme, ranked among the world’s most beautiful villages. The rocks formed from volcanic ash, the charming cave hotels, the adorable alleys, the cave cathedrals, verdant valleys with hiking trails and the very friendly people made it a dream destination.
One of Cappadocia’s main attractions is the sunrise hot air balloon rides — expensive (at $230 a person for a 1-hour flight) but a memorable experience with breathtaking views of the fairy chimneys in Love Valley. We enjoyed our jaunt to the Dervent Imagination Valley with animal-shaped rocks as well as our hike through the Red Valley and Rose Valley where it was so fun to rest in a cave and grab some fresh grapes off the vine as we walked. The beautiful Ihlara Valley was the perfect setting for a 4-mile hike with stops to admire the frescoes in some cave churches along the way. The Derinkuyu Underground City, which was built to house up to 20,000 people together with their livestock and food stores, to protect against raiding armies, was awe-inspiring. The multi-level Selime Cathedral with its monastery, cathedral, grain storage, wine cellar and incredible views was well worth the couple of hours we spent there. The Goreme Open Air Museum, a UNESCO world heritage site, with rock-cut churches from the Middle Ages, was interesting though our visit there was a bit rushed.
Cappadocia’s restaurants cater to its international tourists. So we enjoyed our forays into Chinese at the Peking Restaurant and Namaste India for the most fresh and flavorful Indian food. The fresh Mediterranean produce brings all cuisines to life. We also liked the views of Goreme village from the rooftop at Seten Restaurant with its Anatolian fare.
However, the best things about Cappadocia was our stay at the Goreme Suites, a lovely boutique hotel with just six rooms, a pretty terrace and garden, and amazing views. It was like staying in someone’s very comfortable and charming home. We ate plums off trees in the garden and got to know the resident cats, Lentil Soup and Chickpea, who hung out with us whenever we sat down. Emrah, the manager, was the ultimate example of customer service. He spent time talking to every guest, gave us great recommendations, asked us how every experience was, and made sure we were comfortable. Birsan cooked up the best breakfast every day with fresh breads hot out of the oven and eggs made to order. She and Emrah took me into the kitchen and showed me how to make that wonderful Turkish coffee. Cihan and Emre, who drove us around, were friendly and helpful.
Izmir — lively and a convenient base for day trips
From Cappadocia we flew to Izmir — we actually had to go to Istanbul first and from there to Izmir. Wish Turkey had trains like other parts of Europe! The domestic flights were short, just an hour or so approximately but with their complicated security set-ups it was a lot of time at airports. We picked up our rental car at Izmir airport and drove to the Park Inn by Radisson at Konak Pier. It was nice to be in a chain hotel (our only time in Turkey) — we had a spacious suite and the Turkish breakfast was incredible, with an extensive selection of fruits, juices, nuts, cheeses, olives, and breads including the local “boyoz” a Sephardic Jewish bread and local specialty. The front desk staff, especially Ozcan and Sinem, were most helpful and gave us great tips for where to eat and day trips to take.
We also enjoyed our daily walks, before and after dinner, on Konak Pier. It was so fun to see local families picnicking on the beautifully-maintained areas by the ocean as late as 10 pm. Some groups were singing and there was plenty of live music at the dozens of restaurants on the pier. Big Chefs with its Americanized fare and Topcu with Turkish specialties were great dinner spots, with decent vegetarian choices. We also had an excellent Chinese dinner at the Red Dragon Asian fusion restaurant.
While we didn’t do much in Izmir itself, it was an ideal base for some wonderful day trips. On our first full day, we drove to Ephesus. About 20 minutes before Ephesus, we made a quick stop at the Basilica of St. John and Ayasuluk Hill in Selcuk. It was awe-inspiring to step on the grounds where the disciple John lived and wrote after Jesus’ crucifixion and lies buried. The stunning Ayasuluk fortress made for some great views and pictures. And there are many archaeological digs still in progress. The best part, it was not too crowded and not too big, making it pleasant to wander.
Ephesus just takes your breath away. It is stunning to see how much of the original city — built in the 10th century BC in what was then Greece — is intact. The city has a fascinating history through Greek, Roman, and Byzantine eras. Houses, baths, temples, churches, city centers and more take you back to the life people lived centuries ago — Ephesus was a key commercial site in the Mediterranean and also central to the spread of Christianity. The Grand Theater, which can hold 24,000 spectators, is a marvel in stone — among other events, the apostle Paul addressed the Ephesians here. The beautiful Celsus Library was the largest library built by the Roman empire. A day was barely enough to fully experience the historic remains, and we may have done even more if it wasn’t so hot! We concluded our trip with a visit to a house constructed on a site around where Mother Mary lived with John after Jesus’ death.
The day after Ephesus, we drove about an hour from Izmir to the lovely seaside cities of Cesme and Alacatti (located less than 30 minutes apart). Cesme, a laid-back and pretty beach town packed with restaurants and stores, offers lovely views of the Aegean Sea. Alacatti, the charming Greek town, absolutely stole our hearts. It’s an Instagram paradise (love how every picturesque spot has a mirror nearby to help you get photo-ready). The pretty cobblestoned alleys, the rustic stone buildings, the cascading bougainvillea on every stoop, the curbside seating (with colorful checkered tablecloths) in rows of endless restaurants — you just never want to leave. And the icecream is out of this world — we had to try at least a couple different places.
Antalya — beautiful and laid-back
After three days in Izmir, we drove to Antalya, with a brief stop at Pamukkale on the way. The drive itself was lovely — great roads (but some drivers can be crazy, so watch out) and lovely views of vineyards all along the way. At Pamukkale, we took at shuttle to the thermal pools. We spent some time in the “natural spa” pools with their mineral deposits. The white travertines were dazzling. We did not tour the adjacent ruins of Hierapolis, as we wanted to get to Antalya before dark.
Antalya, known as the Turkish Riviera, is gorgeous, with a relaxed vibe. We spent an entire day on a pebbled beach enjoying the sun and warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The beach is pristine and well-maintained with lots of great restaurants offering live music and nargile (hookahs). On our second day in Antalya, we took an all-day city tour offered by Nirvana Travel. While it was not the greatest experience — owing to delays and guides who barely spoke — we did see some of the city. It was billed as a walking tour but we didn’t do much walking. The tour included a picturesque cable car ride to the summit of Tahtali Mountain and back, stops to the Lower and Upper Duden Waterfalls, a short stroll through the charming old city of Antalya with Hadrian’s gate and a few other ruins, and a rather boring hour-long cruise. It was disappointing that the tour stopped for over an hour at a silver jewelry store, which was not even listed as a destination, where we were harangued by salespeople.
In Antalya, we stayed at the Pearly Hotel and Spa in Konyalti, a comfortable place right across the ocean. Hamza, at the front desk was especially helpful. Jeff got a Turkish massage at the hotel spa, which he said was amazing. A great find was the Vegan House (who knew!) a little family-run garden restaurant in a lovely residential neighborhood a couple of miles from the hotel. Kutu Plus was another great restaurant where we went for dessert (the best ever chocolate and pistachio pastries) one night and returned for dinner the next.
We returned our rental car at the Antalya airport and took a flight back to Istanbul for a shopping spree before heading home. With a 2-hour flight delay (weather-related), we lost much of the day in the airport and on the commute into the city. But that made the shopping quick, which is what we prefer anyway. We stocked up on lots of Turkish Delight to bring home to family and friends, along with a few odds and ends.
Food and vibes
Everything about Turkey — from the customs to the buildings to the people and food — is a fascinating blend of east and west.
We typically don’t expend too much effort on finding food. But Google Maps was always a great friend and the reviews helped us track down decent places to eat most of the time. My daughter and I are vegetarian but that did not present problems usually. Honestly, we could have lived on the fresh salads and yummy breads (with dessert of course). And of course, we always started the day with a huge Turkish breakfast. What an incredible spread of cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables and herbs, jams, juices, and a variety of savory breads including simit (a crunchy bagel of sorts encrusted with sesame seeds) and borek (a spinach and cheese pastry). So hard to come back to toast and cereal!
Turkish coffee is the best! It’s not just the flavor and intensity but the joy of pausing, relaxing (there’s no such thing as coffee to go) and sipping the coffee from lovely cups, almost always served with a piece of Turkish Delight. And we loved those fresh juices everywhere (at what they call vitamin bars) — orange, apple, pomegranate, melon… and amazing lemonade.
The people in Turkey are friendly and courteous but sometimes shy, especially if they don’t know English. While staff at hotels, restaurants and stores carried on great conversations in English, we got by at other times by using iTranslate and then just showing our phones to someone who could type back an answer in Turkish, which worked quite well. And we tried to practice the few Turkish words we picked up, like Teshekur (thanks), a small effort that I think the locals appreciated.
A blog about Turkey wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the cats, mostly strays. They are everywhere, by the dozens! Crossing the streets, enjoying the sun, jumping up to join you (on your lap or an adjacent seat) if you sit down for a meal. Every restaurant and hotel has adopted one or more cats and keeps them well-fed.
What did it cost?
Round-trip airfare from DC to Turkey was $1650 a person. (We got one of the higher fares with an option to cancel and lose about $400 per ticket vs paying $1,200 round trip and losing the entire amount in case we had to cancel). Also note that Americans need a visa to go to Turkey, which costs about $50 per person. It’s a simple process and you can complete it all online.
The hotels we stayed in ranged from $150 to $200 a night and most included breakfast. $30-40 usually got the three of us a great meal with drinks. Domestic flights were around $100 a person for most legs. Tours and cabs were an added expense and varied from place to place. We also got Turkiye museum passes for TL 1,000 each and they worked across the country at indoor and outdoor sites, saving us the trouble of standing in lines.
Gule gule (goodbye) Turkiye. It was worthwhile and we have beautiful memories (and pictures, and friends) for life. We’d do it again. But there are so many places in the world to go to and so little time.