Adventure Meets History & Culture in Türkiye

My latest trip to Türkiye expanded on my trips to Istanbul and day trip to ancient Ephesus I have now discovered that there is so much more to see and explore. Several trips are needed to appreciate the depth and enjoyment you can achieve there.

My journey started on a high note with non stop Executive Business Class on Turkish Airlines. I flew on one of their new A350-900’s which had all the amenities I could ever enjoy, Aside from the private 1-2-1 pods with doors and lie flat beds, I also had electric blinds, a full coat closet, exterior cameras, plenty of storage and foot space and custom lighting. The on board chef took care of the dining and food was excellent and satisfying. Please note that Turkish has several different aircraft and features vary widely. Also note that Istanbul Airport is ultra modern, but it is huge. Please plan for that coming and going. If you do have Turkish Lounge access, make sure you allow time for it in Istanbul. It is truly amazing.

Our trip was professionally organized by United Travel Service, a Turkish-owned inbound agency of over 22 years. They did an excellent job. Their logistics were perfect and we saw and experienced so much. Our first hotel was the Swissotel Bosphorus is a key location neat all the important sites. Many of their rooms have Bosphorus views. With a large lobby, many public areas and a variety of restaurants, it is an excellent choice. Club Level rooms have a spectacular lounge with food and beverage offering well worth the price to many. While in Istanbul we did a private Bosphorus cruise, explored both The Blue Masque and the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque and Museum. Of course no trip to Istanbul could be complete without a visit to the Grand Bazaar. It is easy to get lost there, but the variety and quality of food there makes in-person shopping a pleasure.

A couple of days later we were on a domestic Turkish flight to Kayseri which is about an hour from where we would be staying in Cappadocia. Our transfer took us directly to the TAS Konaklar Cave Hotel located in Uchiser Village, a very interesting town to explore both day and evening. I have never seen landscapes anywhere in the world like this. I have seen the Lunar look in Lanzarote, the snow caps in Switzerland, the icescapes in Antarctica, and the cobalt blue sky and desolate hills in Tibet. I have never seen such dramatic hills and valleys as they have in Turkish Cappadocia. We set out for Guivercinlik Valley and also the Open Air Museum of Rock Carved Churches. Of course the highlight was the early morning balloon ride over these majestic natural wonders. Yes, it was very early before the sunrise, but it was worth every moment. Over 150 balloons with assistance from their teams launched that morning. Ours was in the middle of the pack. The system is highly regulated now. All I know is that we sailed aloft for about an hour over this amazing and unique landscape. When we came down, our two pilots landed our 24 person basket right on the transport trailer with just a bit of a thump. We all cheered and clapped. It was an adventure within an adventure.

We were in the area touring for two days and we covered both historical and cultural sites. We even attended a performance of the religious “Whirling Dervishes” and went to see the extreme quality of local porcelain and the time consuming but fine quality of Turkish carpet design and making. I could not resist and I bought a piece of each to take home.

Then it was back to Istanbul for one final day and evening, this time at the Bosphorus side Shangri La Hotel. We also got in visits to the magnificent Topkapi Palace and the amazing Underground Cisterns form the 6th Century. This was when Türkiye was part of the Byzantine Empire. Free time should also be part of any visit. We all wish we could have had more time to explore on this program.

We were ready to leave, I had taken advantage of the Turkish Airlines stopover program and I flew on to Athens for the weekend. I have covered Athens from a trip there last year, but I was happy to be back and explore it a bit more. Turkish Airlines brought me home again in style and with happiness of another adventure accomplished with great satisfaction.

Let TravelStore show you the way to your ideal Türkiye adventure.