It took me a while to decide whether I should write in Indonesian or English. I honestly prefer Indonesian, since I am used to telling my traveling stories in my own native language. Gives me more flexibility to express my feelings and thoughts. Still, knowing that writing in English might be more helpful to wider audience, I chose English in the end. For this one.
Because I found it soooo hard to find legit information and reviews about Turkey! I had a Turkish holiday two weeks ago. Spent 8 days travelling around the country; visiting Istanbul, went all the way to Kudasasi, Selcuk, Kapadokya, Konya, Ankara, and back to the European side.
My mother and I initially planned to go on our own and use our self-made itinerary. We browsed and browsed and browsed, trying to arrange a solid travel plan. No luck. The major difficulty was finding a detailed, updated information about Turkey's public transportation, both inside and between cities. Since we did not want to take the risk of getting lost in our way, we ended up registering ourselves for a tour.
So.. with a sincere desire to share, I hope this post can be of use for anyone who is planning to travel to Turkey. And who knows may also change your mind to consider making Turkey your next holiday destination and not other countries! :)
A bit rather unnecessary prelude before we begin. You can skip this part if you want. It is officially a year and two months since I graduated from college and entered the workplace. Leaving arrangement in my workplace is extremely flexible; I am allowed to take days off from office even before completing 12 months tenure. Nevertheless, this Turkish vacation is my first block leave ever, for holiday purpose, in the history of my professional career. I once took a week of leave last year for a trip to Hanoi, but it was to attend a conference (my goodness, no, it was not a vacation at all). My trip to Turkey was a long-awaited one. The one I really looked forward to. After enduring high pressure and stressors for more than a year, I thought I deserved a break, and so I took it. It made this holiday a really special personal experience.
My mother and I (yes, it was only a two of us, what a nano-nano combination) started the journey by arriving in Istanbul. We took a stroll around Sultanahmet, visiting Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya, the Blue Mosque, and Hippodrome Square. My favourites were definitely Topkapi Palace and Ayasofya!
Topkapi Palace was the main residence and administrative headquarter of the Ottoman Empire Sultans. Located just beside Ayasofya and Bosphorus Strait, it is now a museum whose collections are mainly ancient weaponry from the fall of Constantinople, ranging from swords, axes, maces, riffles, bows, knives, and chain mails. Very Age of Empire and/or Dynasty Warrior kind of stuffs.
I saw a 3-meters-long big swords there. Definitely an Excalibur. Or Ned Stark's famous winter-is-coming sword. I was leisurely walking around the museum when this sword appeared before my eyes and my first reaction was "no way you are shitting me".
Other highlights are the Prophet Muhammad's possessions. Swords, clothes, even beard. There were also an original door of Kaaba and its ancient keys. Seeing them with my own eyes sent chills down my spine. I even had teary eyes.
Another teary eye moment was when I finally arrived at Ayasofya. I had been longing to visit Ayasofya for a year, thanks to Barasuara's Hagia and the memory of my late grandfather (see this post for the brief story). I did not have the chance to enter the building because of the tight schedule, so all I could do was seeing it from outside, but it was already more than enough. A priceless experience. I do not know what else to say.
We went to Kudasasi via Canakkale the next day by bus. The distance was awfully far, so it took almost a day to get there from Istanbul. We visited a lot of places the day after: The House of Virgin Mary (self-explanatory enough; it is a place which people believe as the house where the Virgin Mary or Saint Maryam once lived), Ephesus, Hierapolis (both are incredible Greek ancient city ruins), and Pamukkale (Turkish "cotton castle"; a famous thermal spring natural site).
Ephesus was lit. Totally recommended. You got to see the ruins of old theatre, library, parliament building, residences, and (the most interesting one, even more interesting than the Temple of Artemis) public toilet. All was built in the 10th century using hundreds and thousands of marble. Even the roads are from marble! What a crazy rich and advanced civilization. I could not help but wondering how on earth they could build such a majestic city without current cutting-edge technology.
As a continuation of our trip, the next two days' destinations were scattered all across Kapadokya. After closing the 6 hours distance gap between Pamukkale and Avanos, we started the adventure so early in the morning by riding a hot air balloon! Hot air balloon is Kapadokya's speciality, so I totally recommend anyone who visit Kapadokya to experience the thrill.
My mother and I were very lucky that we had a nice weather, considering that hot air balloon does not operate on windy days. The size of the hot air balloon in Kapadokya varies. There are three types in common: the small one with only 8 people on board, the medium one with around 15-18 people, and the large one with 20-ish capacity. It usually flies at dawn, so the passengers can watch sunrise from above.
And the view from above was breathtaking. I saw hundreds of hot air balloon flying around me. On the ground were Goreme with its "fairy chimney" rock formations and cave hotels and houses. A combination of pale blue, yellow, and purple coloured the sky, illuminated by the light from the sunrise. Riding hot air balloon for me was nerve-racking at the beginning, but the fear and anxiety gradually disappeared and changed into an awe.
Well, if you are chronically afraid or have a phobia of height (and/or small space), then it's definitely not good for your heart though..
After safely landed, the pilot opened a bottle of champagne and we had a toast! I am so impressed by the pilot's skills in flying the hot air balloon. The landing was unbelievably smooth (the basket perfectly landed on the back of a truck!). Aside from hot air balloon, Kapadokya also has the famous Underground Cities and Goreme Open Air Museum, which we also visited during our time there.
We moved from Kapadokya to Bolu, Ankara, and eventually Istanbul again. Anitkabir in Ankara is a must-visit. It is a grand tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father and first president of Republic of Turkey, as well as a big museum neatly displaying Ataturk's possessions. My mother and I came to this place just two days after Turkish Independence Day, so there was a special exhibition to commemorate and celebrate the historic day. We also stopped by the Salt Lake on our way to Ankara. The lake offers you a stunning view as the lake's surface perfectly mirrors the sky, blurring the horizon.
Shopping at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar and cruising along the Bosphorus Strait were our last agendas. Grand Bazaar was something. It has 21 identical entrance gates, and the layout inside is also similar, so it is technically very easy to get lost there. There are more than 3000 shops selling immensely varied commodities, from food, clothes, toiletries, carpets, accessories, jewellery, ceramics, and God knows what else.
The fact that most shoppers are female leads us to an interesting and rather funny part about Grand Bazaar: the majority of shop clerks are male, young, and good-looking. It is an old, simple, yet versatile marketing strategy. The clerks were friendly enough they called you "sister", some of them even spoke Indonesian, and they knew how to praise too--well, at least, based on my experience. As long as you equip yourself with sufficient cash and impeccable negotiating skill, you will survive Grand Bazaar just fine.
At the end of the trip, our tour guide asked which place was our favourite. Deciding between Kapadokya and Istanbul was tough. It is a total hands down for Kapadokya and its hot air balloon, but in my opinion, Istanbul's Sultanahmet has its own charm. Situated in the Eropean side of the city, Sultanahmet is an Old City area. Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome Square, and Grand Bazaar are located here. The combination of Sultanahmet's small alleys, paving-blocked streets, old buildings, and authentic stalls created a comfortable and unique ambience that I absolutely love. In the end, my answer to the question was Istanbul.
As I have mentioned earlier, it is somehow difficult for me to find a legit information about getting around in Turkey. I notice that certain cities have bus and tram, but the track and timetable are unknown. Major tourist attractions, such as Ephesus and Goreme, are located in different regions within the country, whose distance is also far. It will not be a trouble if you take flights to travel between cities (for example, you can fly from Istanbul to Nevsehir in order to get to Kapadokya, which I highly recommend), yet for those who want to keep their budget low, then bus or train ride becomes the only option.
Comprehending Turkish state railway or bus is another story. You can try browsing yourself. Anything can be arranged if you are adventurous enough, though. Since I traveled with my mother, I simply could not afford uncertainty for her, so we followed a tour. Registering for a tour is suggested for those who don't want to trouble themselves creating their own itinerary.
Time and flexibility are the only disadvantages of following a tour. I love visiting museums. I enjoy spending a long time inspecting a single collection. It was painful for me to be only given 45 minutes to visit Topkapi Palace and Anitkabir. I did not even have the time to enter Ayasofya because the schedule was so tight. You cannot change your pace and deviate from the main itinerary to stop by a baklava shop in the middle of Sultanahmet and have yourself a cup of apple tea, for example.
The bright side is it gives me a reason to come back. Always look at the bright side.
As for the food, mostly mouthwatering and not far different from Indonesian cuisine. Turkish people still eat rice. I ate a lot of lamb meat served in the form of patty or stuffed inside a kebab. They always have salad and soup for appetizer. Pomegranate, olive oil, and honey are highlights there (the honey is finger-licking delicious). I absolutely love Turkish bread--its flavour and texture are so rich in fibre! There is a traditional Turkish bread called Simit. Round in shape, almost resembles Auntie Anne's pretzels, with a lot of sesame seed sprinkles. Very affordable as it costs only 3-5 lira. I had my last Simit when I was waiting for my return flight at Ataturk Airport and I was very sad knowing that I have to say goodbye to the bread.
This is a trivial, personal thing, but observing vehicles in Turkey was also interesting. I saw a lot of Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, Mercedes Benz, and Volkswagen on the streets. Japanese cars were hardly seen. I am a fan of BBC's Top Gear, so I religiously watched the old episodes in which Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May were still around. Seeing those reasonably priced cars that were reviewed by them was somehow hilarious.
Soooo.. I think that's that. I had a very strange feeling arriving back in Jakarta. The last 10 days are like a fleeting dream now (it's technically escaping adulting and reality lol). Traveling away from work and stressors turns out to be satisfactorily enjoyable. It replenishes your positive energy--we do need some refreshers and to loosen up a bit every once in a while.
Turkey is a perfect destination if you are interested in history and nature. A heaven on earth for museum enthusiasts, as there are a lot of museums there. The country also has unique culture due to its strategic location overlapping Asia, Middle-East, and Europe. I think anyone who visited the country would really love to come back, myself included.
And in the end, my Turkish holiday was indeed delightful. Sungguh maka nikmat Tuhan mana yang engkau dustakan. Alhamdulillah I am blessed.
Topkapi Palace was the main residence and administrative headquarter of the Ottoman Empire Sultans. Located just beside Ayasofya and Bosphorus Strait, it is now a museum whose collections are mainly ancient weaponry from the fall of Constantinople, ranging from swords, axes, maces, riffles, bows, knives, and chain mails. Very Age of Empire and/or Dynasty Warrior kind of stuffs.
I saw a 3-meters-long big swords there. Definitely an Excalibur. Or Ned Stark's famous winter-is-coming sword. I was leisurely walking around the museum when this sword appeared before my eyes and my first reaction was "no way you are shitting me".
Other highlights are the Prophet Muhammad's possessions. Swords, clothes, even beard. There were also an original door of Kaaba and its ancient keys. Seeing them with my own eyes sent chills down my spine. I even had teary eyes.
Another teary eye moment was when I finally arrived at Ayasofya. I had been longing to visit Ayasofya for a year, thanks to Barasuara's Hagia and the memory of my late grandfather (see this post for the brief story). I did not have the chance to enter the building because of the tight schedule, so all I could do was seeing it from outside, but it was already more than enough. A priceless experience. I do not know what else to say.
We went to Kudasasi via Canakkale the next day by bus. The distance was awfully far, so it took almost a day to get there from Istanbul. We visited a lot of places the day after: The House of Virgin Mary (self-explanatory enough; it is a place which people believe as the house where the Virgin Mary or Saint Maryam once lived), Ephesus, Hierapolis (both are incredible Greek ancient city ruins), and Pamukkale (Turkish "cotton castle"; a famous thermal spring natural site).
Ephesus was lit. Totally recommended. You got to see the ruins of old theatre, library, parliament building, residences, and (the most interesting one, even more interesting than the Temple of Artemis) public toilet. All was built in the 10th century using hundreds and thousands of marble. Even the roads are from marble! What a crazy rich and advanced civilization. I could not help but wondering how on earth they could build such a majestic city without current cutting-edge technology.
As a continuation of our trip, the next two days' destinations were scattered all across Kapadokya. After closing the 6 hours distance gap between Pamukkale and Avanos, we started the adventure so early in the morning by riding a hot air balloon! Hot air balloon is Kapadokya's speciality, so I totally recommend anyone who visit Kapadokya to experience the thrill.
My mother and I were very lucky that we had a nice weather, considering that hot air balloon does not operate on windy days. The size of the hot air balloon in Kapadokya varies. There are three types in common: the small one with only 8 people on board, the medium one with around 15-18 people, and the large one with 20-ish capacity. It usually flies at dawn, so the passengers can watch sunrise from above.
And the view from above was breathtaking. I saw hundreds of hot air balloon flying around me. On the ground were Goreme with its "fairy chimney" rock formations and cave hotels and houses. A combination of pale blue, yellow, and purple coloured the sky, illuminated by the light from the sunrise. Riding hot air balloon for me was nerve-racking at the beginning, but the fear and anxiety gradually disappeared and changed into an awe.
Well, if you are chronically afraid or have a phobia of height (and/or small space), then it's definitely not good for your heart though..
After safely landed, the pilot opened a bottle of champagne and we had a toast! I am so impressed by the pilot's skills in flying the hot air balloon. The landing was unbelievably smooth (the basket perfectly landed on the back of a truck!). Aside from hot air balloon, Kapadokya also has the famous Underground Cities and Goreme Open Air Museum, which we also visited during our time there.
We moved from Kapadokya to Bolu, Ankara, and eventually Istanbul again. Anitkabir in Ankara is a must-visit. It is a grand tomb of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding father and first president of Republic of Turkey, as well as a big museum neatly displaying Ataturk's possessions. My mother and I came to this place just two days after Turkish Independence Day, so there was a special exhibition to commemorate and celebrate the historic day. We also stopped by the Salt Lake on our way to Ankara. The lake offers you a stunning view as the lake's surface perfectly mirrors the sky, blurring the horizon.
Shopping at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar and cruising along the Bosphorus Strait were our last agendas. Grand Bazaar was something. It has 21 identical entrance gates, and the layout inside is also similar, so it is technically very easy to get lost there. There are more than 3000 shops selling immensely varied commodities, from food, clothes, toiletries, carpets, accessories, jewellery, ceramics, and God knows what else.
The fact that most shoppers are female leads us to an interesting and rather funny part about Grand Bazaar: the majority of shop clerks are male, young, and good-looking. It is an old, simple, yet versatile marketing strategy. The clerks were friendly enough they called you "sister", some of them even spoke Indonesian, and they knew how to praise too--well, at least, based on my experience. As long as you equip yourself with sufficient cash and impeccable negotiating skill, you will survive Grand Bazaar just fine.
At the end of the trip, our tour guide asked which place was our favourite. Deciding between Kapadokya and Istanbul was tough. It is a total hands down for Kapadokya and its hot air balloon, but in my opinion, Istanbul's Sultanahmet has its own charm. Situated in the Eropean side of the city, Sultanahmet is an Old City area. Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya, Blue Mosque, Hippodrome Square, and Grand Bazaar are located here. The combination of Sultanahmet's small alleys, paving-blocked streets, old buildings, and authentic stalls created a comfortable and unique ambience that I absolutely love. In the end, my answer to the question was Istanbul.
As I have mentioned earlier, it is somehow difficult for me to find a legit information about getting around in Turkey. I notice that certain cities have bus and tram, but the track and timetable are unknown. Major tourist attractions, such as Ephesus and Goreme, are located in different regions within the country, whose distance is also far. It will not be a trouble if you take flights to travel between cities (for example, you can fly from Istanbul to Nevsehir in order to get to Kapadokya, which I highly recommend), yet for those who want to keep their budget low, then bus or train ride becomes the only option.
Comprehending Turkish state railway or bus is another story. You can try browsing yourself. Anything can be arranged if you are adventurous enough, though. Since I traveled with my mother, I simply could not afford uncertainty for her, so we followed a tour. Registering for a tour is suggested for those who don't want to trouble themselves creating their own itinerary.
Time and flexibility are the only disadvantages of following a tour. I love visiting museums. I enjoy spending a long time inspecting a single collection. It was painful for me to be only given 45 minutes to visit Topkapi Palace and Anitkabir. I did not even have the time to enter Ayasofya because the schedule was so tight. You cannot change your pace and deviate from the main itinerary to stop by a baklava shop in the middle of Sultanahmet and have yourself a cup of apple tea, for example.
The bright side is it gives me a reason to come back. Always look at the bright side.
The weather throughout my trip (26 October - 2 November) was nice. It was autumn, so it was crisp cold, and more north means colder. The average temperature in Istanbul was 14°C in the late afternoon before dropping to around 8°C in the evening. The coldest temperature was early morning in Dinar (where I had a traditional yoghurt mixed with honey and opium flower seed for breakfast for only 10 lira, yum) and Kapadokya, which was 2°C. It may give you an impression that it was freezing, but no, it was comfortable. Perhaps because it was still autumn and not winter.
The only anomaly I found was the temperature in Ephesus; around 25°C with a rather burning sun. It did not feel like autumn at all. The local tour guide said that temperature in Ephesus could reach 40°C in summer, so I guess the weather there is hot in nature. I recommend you to bring along sunglasses, hat, or umbrella when you visit this site.
The only anomaly I found was the temperature in Ephesus; around 25°C with a rather burning sun. It did not feel like autumn at all. The local tour guide said that temperature in Ephesus could reach 40°C in summer, so I guess the weather there is hot in nature. I recommend you to bring along sunglasses, hat, or umbrella when you visit this site.
As for the food, mostly mouthwatering and not far different from Indonesian cuisine. Turkish people still eat rice. I ate a lot of lamb meat served in the form of patty or stuffed inside a kebab. They always have salad and soup for appetizer. Pomegranate, olive oil, and honey are highlights there (the honey is finger-licking delicious). I absolutely love Turkish bread--its flavour and texture are so rich in fibre! There is a traditional Turkish bread called Simit. Round in shape, almost resembles Auntie Anne's pretzels, with a lot of sesame seed sprinkles. Very affordable as it costs only 3-5 lira. I had my last Simit when I was waiting for my return flight at Ataturk Airport and I was very sad knowing that I have to say goodbye to the bread.
This is a trivial, personal thing, but observing vehicles in Turkey was also interesting. I saw a lot of Renault, Citroen, Peugeot, Mercedes Benz, and Volkswagen on the streets. Japanese cars were hardly seen. I am a fan of BBC's Top Gear, so I religiously watched the old episodes in which Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May were still around. Seeing those reasonably priced cars that were reviewed by them was somehow hilarious.
Soooo.. I think that's that. I had a very strange feeling arriving back in Jakarta. The last 10 days are like a fleeting dream now (it's technically escaping adulting and reality lol). Traveling away from work and stressors turns out to be satisfactorily enjoyable. It replenishes your positive energy--we do need some refreshers and to loosen up a bit every once in a while.
Turkey is a perfect destination if you are interested in history and nature. A heaven on earth for museum enthusiasts, as there are a lot of museums there. The country also has unique culture due to its strategic location overlapping Asia, Middle-East, and Europe. I think anyone who visited the country would really love to come back, myself included.
And in the end, my Turkish holiday was indeed delightful. Sungguh maka nikmat Tuhan mana yang engkau dustakan. Alhamdulillah I am blessed.
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