Oct 1, 2018
Cappadocia
I booked a hot balloon tour in advance but got cancelled by email due to weather conditions. I was actually not very disappointed, partially because it saved me 150 euro and partially because I didn't have to wake up at 4 am. I then spent the day exploring the major sites in Cappadocia.
It seems since October 1st all the tourist attractions in Turkey have increased their admission fees by 50%. The Goreme Open-Air Museum is now 45 lira. This place is within walking distance to Goreme town. To get to Kaymakli Underground City (or Derinkuyu Underground City that most tour groups go to), you need to take a dolmus (minibus) to Nevsehir (passing Uchisar where the impressive Uchisar Castle is located), then change to another dolmus. They run about every 30 minutes. I found Kaymakli Underground City interesting to explore - if only for the sake of avoiding the heat outside.
Another popular site in Cappadocia (at least with tour groups) is the fairy chimneys at Pashabagi. This area is a little far from Goreme town and dolmuses are not very frequent, so if time is limited a taxi (by meter) might be a good idea. The last thing to do is hiking around the valleys near Goreme. Rose Valley seems to be the most interesting.
Direct flights between the airports in Cappadocia and Antalya are very limited and I flew from Nevsehir to Antalya through Istanbul at night.
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| Rose Valley |
Oct 2, 2018
Antalya
Antalya is a major city on the east side of the Turquoise Coast. It's mainly a transit place for me but I spent a couple of hours exploring the the old city - Kaleici and Konyaalti Beach before heading for the otogar (bus station). Both the old tram and the new tram are pleasant rides and you need to buy a card to pay for the fares.
A four hour bus took me to Kas, in the middle of the Turquoise Coast.
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| Konyaaltı Beach |
Oct 3, 2018
Kekova and Kalekoy
Almost in each resort town along the Turquoise Coast there are day boat trips off the coast. The most interesting one is probably the boat trip to Kekova Island and Kalekoy from Kas. I booked a trip for 100 lira. The tour started at 10 am. They first bus you to the village of Ucagiz where everyone boarded a boat. The trip seems to have a set route, stopping three times for swimming (but not snorkeling), including one with lunch. But the highlights are the Sunken City on Kekova Island and the Simena Castle at Kalekoy (12 lira to enter the castle). There is a good view from the top of castle. The tour returned to Kas about 6:20 pm, just enough time to catch the sunset at Antiphellos Theater.
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| Sunken City (Kekova Island) |
Oct 4, 2018
Kaputas, Kayakoy and Oludeniz
There are two famous beaches between Kas and Fethiye - Patara Beach and Kaputas Beach. Patara is long and Kaputas is pretty. With limited time, I chose the later and was not disappointed. There are actually frequent dolmuses between Kas and Patara, passing Kaputas and Kalkan (from where frequent dolmuses go to Fethiye).
There are basically two interesting places to see around Fethiye - the Greek ghost town of Kayakoy and the most photographed beach in Turkey - Oludeniz. I took a dolmus just in front of Carrefour near the otogar to Kayakoy. The view from the castle (with a Turkish flag) is amazing. Just below the castle there is a church. From the eastern side of the church a trail leads to Oludeniz, with red & yellow marks on the way. This is a great way to get to Oludeniz from Kayakoy. The hike is initially uphill then mostly downhill, with some good viewpoints over the ocean on the way. It took me 2 hours to get to the northwest part of the Blue Lagoon and another 30 minutes to reach Oludeniz Beach. The lagoon and the beach I saw are quit different from the photos on postcards/guidebooks, perhaps because the later were taken from the air.
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| Kayaköy |
Oct 5, 2018
Pamukkale
There are many buses from Fethiye to Pamukkale, taking 4 hours (with a change of bus near Denizli). Luggages can be stored at the bus office in Pamukkale for free (many tourists only spend a few hours in Pamukkale, and the bus companies seem to know this very well). I totally agree with Lonely Planet that it's best to enter from the south gate (a taxi from Pamukkale town up there may save some time and energy), check out the Hierapolis' ruins first then walk downwards through the travertines and eventually exit from the middle gate to Pamukkale town . The pools are not very deep so most people just put their feet in and walk, though for some deeper areas you can sit inside the pool (if wearing swimwear) that's more similar to a typical hot spring experience.
Frequent dolmuses go to Denizli Otogar from Pamukkale. The train station (gar) in Denizli is just opposite the otogar. I bought a ticket to Selcuk for 17.5 lira, much cheaper than buses but more comfortable (if you have a seat, as it's not assigned) and it's only slightly slower than the bus.
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| Travertines (Pamukkale) |
Oct 6, 2018
Ephesus, Pamucak and Sirince
Like in Pamukkale, a one-way journey through Ephesus from the Upper Gate to the Lower Gate is the best. The Upper Gate is 3.5 km from Selcuk town and there is no public transportation so a taxi may be needed. Like in most sites in Turkey, there are so many people at Ephesus, though walking on the Curetes Way is still quite pleasant. Some highlights at Ephesus include the Odeon, the Latrines, the Library of Celsius, a foot imprint indicating the way to the Bothel and the Great Theater.
Dolmuses between Selcuk and Pamucak pass the Lower Gate entrance so it's easier to get to either direction by public transportation. Pamucak is the closest beach to Ephesus and not well known so it's very laidback. There are two restaurants on the beach. Loungers are also available.
Back to Selcuk's otogar, I took another dolmus to the little village of Sirince. Sirince is surrounded by mountains and is getting very popular with local and foreign tourists these days. There is a good view from some platforms just below Church of St John the Baptist.
There are numerous flights by different airlines from Izmir to Istanbul and prices are very competitive. That makes flying a much better option than the 10 hour bus. A one hour train from Selcuk to Izmir Airport just makes it even easier.
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| Celsus Library, Ephesus |
Oct 7, 2018
Istanbul
There are different ways to enjoy Istanbul. I only got one day and did the typical things - checking out the three most famous sites around Sultanahmet - Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya and Topkapi Palace, taking a commuter boat from Europe to Asia (I always found commuter boats more interesting than tourist boats), and taking a Turkish bath in the evening. It was a full but relatively relaxing day.
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| Aya Sofya, Istanbul |
Overview
Turkey should definitely be on the list of any serious traveler, if only for the diversity of the country. There are landscapes, beaches, ruins, religious buildings and lots of history and culture. The places I've visited are very safe and most people I met are friendly. Traveling in October has a big advantage as weather is perfect and prices are lower. The recent depreciation of the lira makes it even more attractive to foreign travelers.
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