Usually while planning trips abroad, we plan them to the clichéd locations. There are many places in the world which are exotic yet unexplored. But, we only think about Paris & London & the Vatican city, when we are looking for abroad destinations. True, these places are equally awesome to visit, but the untouched places, and remote locations are what will make your trips really memorable!
So, just for those of you who love to venture out of the conventional spaces, we would be covering many other such locations in the coming blogs.
A friend of mine got an onsite opportunity at Turkey and we all pestered him with comments like, are tu Turkey Jake Kya karega. Little did we know that Turkey is such a beautiful location. A place which is the perfect blend of Islamic and European cultures. A place having history of Ottoman sultans. A country which has some sites which will take your breath away! And believe me, you will want to come here again for more!
There are flights from all metros in India to Istanbul and hence planning a trip is easy. The tickets cost around 30-40k INR.
What to see:
There are many places in Turkey to see. Istanbul and Cappadocia are the most famous ones. Let’s start with the major attractions of Istanbul.
Istanbul
Aya Sofia or Hagia Sofia:
A church converted into a mosque and now a museum, Aya Sofia is a grandeur that should not be missed. The mosaics in the gallery which date back to 12th century and the beauty under the dome will leave you enchanted!
Basilica Cistern:
This underground Cistern was used earlier to store water for the palaces. It is believed that there are many underground cisterns in Istanbul but this is the largest excavated one. The architecture of this place is sure to leave you spellbound. The Medusa heads are the major attraction here.
Blue mosque:
This is one of the biggest mosque in Turkey and the only one having six minarets. The other one was the Prophets mosque at Mecca which had six minarets which then added one more minaret to make it distinctive. You need to dress respectfully to visit this place. That would mean no body exposure.
Topkapi Palace:
Topkapi palace is the largest museum which served as a main residence for the Ottoman sultans. The beautiful Turkish architecture and the grandeur of the place along with the view of Bosphorous River make the palace a very beautiful place to visit. Try to visit early in the morning to avoid crowds and keep lots of time to enjoy the palace thoroughly.
Cappadocia
After Istanbul, Cappadocia is the most visited site in Turkey. The reason being, it has a landscape which would make your jaws drop! You would feel as if you are on some other planet. The sunrise and sunset at these viewpoints are not to be missed.
Cappadocia has lot many caves and you must visit at least one of them. The underground cities are a spectacle of the older eras. Some of them are even 10 levels deep! You will see remains of school, stables etc. still present in the city.
There is a magical place in Cappadocia, on the high plateau of central Anatolia. Here you will see what appears to be chimneys straight out of the fairy tales from our childhood! The beautiful mushroom like formations have actually been formed after millions of years of a geological process that transformed the rocks in this area into these fantastic things. Don’t dare to skip this area in your itinerary, when you visit Turkey, or else the witches are going to come and get you!
One amazing activity that you can do in this place is take a hot air balloon ride to get the top level view of the beautiful landscape! People who have done it say that they haven’t seen something so beautiful and surreal in their entire life.
Goreme
Similar to the above are the open air theatre at Goreme and the beautiful valleys around it. There is something very cool about pure stone sculptures, the rock-cut churches that hold us in awe of the nature surrounding us. The frescoes that line the walls inside these churches portray the love for art the Turkish people have.
Pamukkale:
Pamukkale means “Cotton Castle” in Turkish and have a look below why is it called so:
The white calcite formations look like snow, doesn’t it?
Wait there’s more to it. The water that flows through these terraces is mineral rich hot water. What fun would it be to swim in this hot water amidst the calcite terraces!
Hierapolis:
This is again a UNESCO world heritage site and has ruins of the baths of the Greeks. It also has a well preserved theatre.
Well, I can keep going but there are just too many wonderful sights in Turkey to cover everything in a single blog! Let’s check what experiences you should not miss out on when you visit this country.
Must have experiences in Turkey:
Binge on the food:
Turkey mein kebab nahin khaya to Kya khaya. Although you get kebabs even here in India, the kebabs in Turkey are something else! They just melt in your mouth! Pita bread, shawarma are other things you can binge on! Indulge in the local food and you will savour it forever.
Walk and explore:
There is nothing like exploring Turkey on foot. Explore the small alleys, meet the warm locals, explore the hookah bars and binge on the local food!
Hamam baths:
If you are tired of walking and exploring Turkey, indulge yourself in the Turkish bath or Hamam bath. You will be taken in a steam room and will get a full body massage and a foam bath here.
Cruise Experience:
People in Turkey love cruising and there are a wide variety of options available. The Aegan coast is the best for cruising Cruises or yachts take you along the Aegan coast to the Greek islands. The Bosphorous river cruise is the best way to explore the culture of Turkey and some cruises even take you till the Black Sea.
How many of you feel like going there right now? Well, you’re in luck! Our partner, The Flapper Life has come up with a tour to Turkey, mainly Istanbul & Cappadocia!! Check out this link here below to register today:
https://www.facebook.com/events/497336777436339/
Do visit, and let us know about your experiences! As always, we love to hear back from you!