chan brothers turkey trip Archives - 2bearbear Singapore Travel Blog: Travel | Stay

Updated on January 1, 2024February 25, 2015Asia Istanbul Travel Turkey Turkey

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) was where we spent our last day of our Turkey Trip. In fact, we were given the option of taking the Bosphorus Cruise, visiting a huge shopping mall and spice market for $100USD per person. We gave that option a miss because we wanted to really “take things down a notch” and relax before heading back to Singapore. That decision also saved us $200USD 😉 But there’s another reason why we decided to skip the tour, and that’s because our hotel, Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe (formerly known as Wyndham Istanbul Petek) is located close to the LARGEST shopping mall in Istanbul – Mall of Istanbul (MOI!).

With that, we decided to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, take a dip in the indoor pool of Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe, before we headed out to Mall of Istanbul – a mere 10 minutes by taxi (about 20TL)

Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe to Mall of Istanbul

Breakfast spread at Grand Istanbul Europe	Beautiful sunny side up with croissant	Reception of spa area of hotel
Gym overlooking swimming pool	Swimming pool of Grand Istanbul Europe	Mall of Istanbul (MOI)
Inside Mall of Istanbul	Moipark inside Mall of Istanbul	Inside Moipark – an indoor amusement park

The breakfast buffet spread at Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe was the only international buffet spread during our Turkey trip this time round. There’s the usual breads, cereals and egg station that is more familiar to the Singaporean taste. But what really surprised us was a HUGE SLAB of honeycomb at breakfast! Yummy (and supposedly healthy)!

After the hearty breakfast, we headed to the 24 hours fitness centre. There, you can enjoy the swimming pool (with nice views), gym (overlooking the swimming pool), Turkish bath as well as full spa services.

The only catch about using the swimming pool is that you’ll have to pay 5USD for a swimming cap – compulsory for both men and women. To us, it was more like an entry fee. Looking past that small little issue, you’ll soon be glad that you made the decision to stay and enjoy. Afterall, Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe is an international 5 star hotel.

After an enjoyable swim (with no one else at the pool), Kate and I went for our baths separately and we have 2 amazing experiences to share…

Tom : Next to the swimming pool, there are separate Turkish baths for both ladies and men. What I enjoyed about the Turkish Bath is that the design is classy yet traditional with soothing music in the background. The temperature of the water have been adjusted and filled up to nice warm temperature, ready for your bath. Remember to take some soap from the shower area into the Turkish bath.

At the centre of the Turkish bath is an octagonal bathing slab. It is warm. The most enjoyable part of the bath is to lie on the heated slab and soothe your mind and body after 7 days of travelling. Ah…definitely a must try!

Kate : While Tom enjoyed the Turkish bath, I enjoyed the shower facilities of the hotel. Turns out that there are jets surrounding you as you take your shower. Much akin to an automated car wash :p. Definitely recommend taking the shower after the Turkish bath. Cool!

All about Mall of Istanbul (MOI)

Traditional Turkish stuffed baked potato – Kumpir	Kumpir stuffed full with ketchup and mayonnaise sauces!	Food court inside Mall of Istanbul
Restaurants at food court Mall of Istanbul	Dinner at Aldar restaurant next to Mall of Istanbul	Mushroom pasta Aldar Restaurant 19TL
Turkish chicken kebab 20TL V GOOD!	Ambience of Aldar restaurant	Final bill at Aldar restaurant – Cheap and Good

Mall of Istanbul is the largest shopping mall in Istanbul that has more than 350 stores for the most avid shopping enthusiasts. There’s also a food court (Gourmet Center) at the top level and even an indoor amusement theme park (the largest in Turkey) by the name of Moipark – all 15,000m2 of it!

Even for Singaporean standards, the Mall of Istanbul is huge. We took about 6 hours to cover the entire mall (which of course includes shopping, resting, chilling and marketing). But our biggest find has got to be the Aldar restaurant which can be prominently seen at the entrance of Mall of Istanbul.

When you enter into the restaurant area (there’s also a cafe area), you would think that you have entered into a fine dining restaurant. Chandeliers, tall windows overlooking the streets and posh decorations within. Having not seen the menu before we entered, we really prayed hard that the price was acceptable. Next, our waiter, who by the way spoke excellent English, came to attend to us. The head waiter (WHAT?!) then came by to say hello to us and asked if everything was fine. We certainly hope so…(referring to the menu)

The waiter then came back with a tablet (electronic menu!) and showed us how to navigate through the menu. As we browsed through, we heaved a sigh of relief. Even with the description above, the meal would cost the same as an average priced meal in a Singapore restaurant ($20 per person). So we went ahead and ordered the mushroom pasta and Turkish chicken kebab. Both of which tasted AWESOME!

The portion of the mushroom pasta was HUGE. Good for two to share (and more). The flavours of the mushrooms were evident and the sauce was thick and creamy, just the way we like it. At 19TL ($10SGD), it was a steal! The highlight of the evening was the chicken kebab. First of all, it was tender and juicy! This made the dish stand out from all other dry and hard chicken kebabs that we have tasted before. The smoky and slightly charred texture also brought out the overall taste of the chicken and its spices. Shiok!

We ordered a lemon tea for 5TL and the total bill came up to…44TL! No additional taxes! (WHAT??!?!!?!) Hence, if you’re ever visiting the Mall of Istanbul, be sure to pop by Aldar’s, you won’t regret it. It was easily the best meal of our entire trip!

Itinerary of Turkey Travel Day 8: Mall of Istanbul and Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe

0700 : Breakfast buffet at Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe
0800 : Swimming and relaxing at the Turkish baths and showers
1000 : Depart for Mall of Istanbul
1900 : Arrival back at Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe
2000 : Complimentary airport transfer
2200 : Meet up with rest of tour group
0040 : Depart from Istanbul Ataturk Airport back to Singapore

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Additional snippets of information

– Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe is located at Mimar Sinan Cadessi No: 80-82 Gunesli, Istanbul, 34212. They can be reached at +90 21 24640000

– Mall of Istanbul is located at Süleyman Demirel Bulvarı, Mahmutbey, Başakşehir, 34306 Istanbul, Turkey

– Mall of Istanbul is about 10 minutes away from Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe. Taxi ride costs about 20TL per trip.

– There is complimentary airport transfer every hour from Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe to the airport. You will have to make reservations with the concierge.

– There is also complimentary transfers to the city. Departing at 10am in the morning and returning at 4pm in the afternoon.

Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of our 10D7N Turkish travels with Chan Brothers during the winter months (27th December to 5th January). Let us know what you think in our comments section below!

Updated on January 1, 2024February 23, 2015Asia Istanbul Travel Turkey Turkey

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

As we wind down towards the end of our Turkey travels, we headed back from Bolu to Istanbul on Day 7 of our travels. But before we left Bolu’s Koru Hotel, we took the opportunity to capture many snow covered scenes around the hotel!

Koru Hotel Bolu to Istanbul Turkey Travel Day 7

Facade of Koru Hotel Bolu with snow from the previous night	Breakfast buffet area of Koru Hotel Bolu	What we had for breakfast @ Koru Hotel Bolu
Snow covered driveway of Koru Hotel Bolu	Snow man made by members of the tour group	Arty shot of snow and pine tree
Kate enjoying the snow	Arty shot from window of our hotel room	Icicle formation at Koru Hotel Bolu

When we arrived at the Koru Hotel Bolu the previous night, though we could see some of the snow, it was already too dark to take any good shots. So we woke up early this morning and warmed ourselves up with a hearty breakfast before heading out to take these photos.

The awesome thing about Koru Hotel is that its vicinity is covered with pine trees. This means that as the snow covered the pine trees, a beautiful snowy scene is presented before you…Ahh…

Then it was a 3 hours drive back to Istanbul where our first stop was Camlica Hill.

Top Attractions in Istanbul Turkey Travel Day 7

Sunrise with snowy landscape enroute from Bolu to Istanbul	Tunnels that cut through the mountains	Sunny snowy landscape after the tunnel
Camlica hill free toilet next to the restaurant	Bosphorus strait and Bosphorus bridge seen from Camlica Hill	Tom overlooking Bosphorus strait
Nuruosmaniye gate or gate 1 of grand bazaar	Tom at Grand Bazaar Istanbul	Turkish lamps at Grand Bazaar Istanbul for 30TL (inclusive of lamp stand)

Turkey is the only country in the world that borders between continental Europe and continental Asia. From Camlica hill, you can see views over the Asia part of Turkey as well as the Bosphorus Strait. The Bosphorus strait connects 2 bodies of water; Sea of Marmara to the south and Black Sea to the north. Views over Bosphorus strait is simply breath-taking…

Tip: At Camlica Hill, there’s actually a free toilet next to the atas (high class) restaurant.

Next, we headed to one of Istanbul’s biggest attraction – The Grand Bazaar! You will first be taken to the Nuruosmaniye Gate or gate number 1 (of the 21 gates in Grand Bazaar). If you’re lost, simply ask for the direction back to Nuruosmaniye Gate and ~~some~~ the friendly stall owners will give you the general direction.

Tip : While shopping at the Grand Bazaar, you should always ALWAYS ALWAYS bargain. Secondly, you should also compare prices because there will always be more than 1 shop selling the product that you want to buy. As a reference, we bought our small Turkish lamp with a lamp stand (bulb not included) at 30TL (about $16.50SGD).

We were given 2.5 hours which we initially thought was too long. But with all the bargaining and endless shopping options (scarves, lamps, turkish delights, souvenirs etc), the 2.5 hours flew past really quickly. We also left with a box of Turkish Delights (and a packet of walnuts) for 42TL after bargaining (yes, you can even bargain for Turkish delights after they weighed and calculated the price). Expensive but the Turkish Delights were full of ingredients. Best Turkish Delights we’ve tasted. Sample more to make your $$’s worth! 😉

We then gathered back at Nuruosmaniye Gate before heading to Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Bargaining at Turkish Delight Shop	Istiklal shopping street next to Taksim Square	Doner Wrap for 9TL (More expensive for Beef – Go for the Chicken!)
Roadside mussel stores at istiklal shopping street	Night view of Taksim Square	2bearbear and Taksim Square taken from burger king
Restaurants at kumkapi	Inside kumkapi ege – Restaurant where we had our dinner with live music	Room at Wyndham Hotel Petek Istanbul

Our last attraction in Istanbul for the evening is Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street. The Istiklal Shopping Street is located next to Taksim Square and is usually very crowded in the evenings. You’ll be given about an hour to shop and purchase some souvenirs. While you’re here, visit the Hafiz Mustafa Turkish Delight to bring home some beautifully packed delights for friends and relatives (prices are also cheaper here than at the Grand Bazaar). Kate and I also went to the top of Burger King and chilled there as we enjoyed the night views over Istiklal and Taksim Square. Of course, Kate got to do some shopping therapy at Mango and Zara first!

Finally, to end off the evening, we had dinner at Kumkapi Ege restaurant where there was live music. Dinner was “so so” but the atmosphere was great. The Kumkapi area can be somewhat compared to Clarke Quay in Singapore with lots of dining options to choose from.

After an eventful (and packed) day in Istanbul, we finally headed back to our hotel – Wyndham Hotel Petek Istanbul. This was the only international 5 star hotel (there were a couple of local 5 stars during the trip) during our visit to Turkey. We also found out from our travel companions that if you pay about $400 more per person, there’s another group that does the same itinerary, staying at international 5 stars every night. Well, that’s $800 bucks saved right? More Turkish Delights please!

Itinerary of Turkey Travel Day 7: Istanbul Attractions of Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Istiklal Shopping Street, Taksim Square and Kumkapi

0845 : Depart from Koru Hotel Bolu
1015 : Rest stop
1145 : Arrival at Camlica Hill Istanbul
1300 : Lunch at Great Wall Restaurant (worst meal of the trip therefore not mentioned at all)
1430 : Departure to Grand Bazaar Istanbul
1500 : Arrival at Grand Bazaar
1730 : Departure from Grand Bazaar to Taksim Square
1830 : Arrival at Taksim Square / Istiklal Shopping Street (1 hour)
2015 : Arrival at Kumkapi Ege Restaurant (1 hour)
2145 : Arrival at Wyndham Petek Hotel Istanbul

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Remember to leave your comments for 2bearbear Singapore Travel Blog in our comments section below!

Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of the attractions and things to do in Istanbul during day 7 of our Turkey Trip. On the last day, its essentially free and easy for us because we wanted to have a good rest before we headed back to Singapore.

We’ll also tell you why its better (and cheaper) to do so in our last post – day 8 of our Turkey Trip! 😉

Updated on January 1, 2024February 20, 2015Asia Cappadocia Hot air balloon cappadocia Travel Turkey Turkey

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia is arguably the hottest attraction and things to do in Turkey! On the second day of 2015, we managed finally fly over Cappadocia with Royal Balloon!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon!

Royal Balloon bus picking us up from hotel at 615	Royal Balloon HQ for breakfast	Yellow Flags indicating no flight at all 3 sectors
Table indicating the different groups flying for the day	Breakfast spread at Royal Balloon Cappadocia	Breakfast area at Royal Balloon
Green Flags indicating good to fly!	First balloons of the day taking off	Hot Air Balloon flight in Cappadocia

In general, Cappadocia refers to the amazing monolith formations (fairy chimneys) of Turkey. However, more specifically, Cappadocia actually refers to a region that is enclosed by 3 towns, namely Uchisar, Urgup and Avanos.

We initially wanted to fly on the first of January. However, due to bad weather conditions, we were unable to fly. According to our guide Enis, if there’s high wind speeds, no winds, rains or low visibility, the hot air balloons won’t fly. We were also pretty surprised when he said “no winds”. Turns out that hot air balloons can only alter its altitude and axis of spin. The altitude control allows the pilot to catch the wind or avoid it. The spin about its axis allows passengers to have different views during the flight.

This also means that the hot air balloon essentially have no control over the direction of travel. Wherever the wind takes, it will go!

During our day of flight, a van from Royal Balloon picked us up at our hotel lobby at 615 and we arrived for breakfast at the HQ of Royal Balloon at 630. Breakfast was buffet styled while we awaited for flight updates on the monitor screens. Yellow flags indicate “no flights” while Green flags indicate “Yay! Fly!”

You may also wonder how they can afford the buffet spread (before payment) if the day’s flight is not confirmed…one of the reasons why flying with Royal Balloon is more expensive at USD220 per person. Of course, it also boasts the best safety records and reputation 😛

While the first group flown, we were fortunate enough to see these beautiful scenes…

Shot of hot air balloons overhead	Royal Balloon Hot Air Balloon and Pilots	Hot air controlling altitude and rotation
Our pilot (Tugrul Guclu) who joked that it was his 1st flight	Hot Air Balloon flight in Cappadocia and grp 1 balloons in the distance	Lowering altitude to the pigeon homes Cappadocia
Did our hot air balloon crash here in Cappadocia?	Flying amidst the clouds	At least 60 balloons in 1st flight of Hot Air Balloon flight in Cappadocia of 2015

Video of our Hot Air Balloon taking flight over Cappadocia

There were 4 compartments on the hot air balloon with each compartment taking up to 6 people. There were also handles inside the balloon for brace positions. As soon as we boarded the flight, our pilot taught us the brace position and to be ready for these positions during landing and take-off, when necessary. Fortunately, both landing and take off of the hot air balloon were very smooth – no need for us to take the brace positions at all 🙂

Our pilot was also very humourous. When we were about to take off, this conversation took place

Pilot : Is this your first time flying?
Unsuspecting passenger : Yes! (Excitedly)
Pilot : Mine as well!

Of course, during our flight, we were able to tell he was very experienced…take a look at this video as we barely cleared the top of this formation…

Barely clearing the top of a formation in Cappadocia!

The hot air balloon experience in Cappadocia was definitely one of the best experiences in our years of travel! You will really really really have to experience it to believe it! Nope, the following video also does not do justice to the views we’ve enjoyed…

Hot Air Balloon Flight over Cappadocia

Our top experiences during our hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia includes
– Majestic views of the fair chimneys, pigeon holes and monoliths of Cappadocia
– Flying amidst the clouds…heavenly…
– Flying deep in the valleys and getting really really close to the formations
– Experiencing all this with your loved ones (in this case – Kate my love! :P)

Overlooking the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia	Enjoying the awesome views	How close we were to the monoliths!
Wonder if we cleared this tip?	Almost touching the formation!	On Cloud 9…
Entering the Valleys of Cappadocia	Balloon chasers pulling us in	Landing right on the back of our truck

The entire flight took about 45 minutes while we alternated between flying high with the clouds and low between the valleys during this time. Since the pilot was unable to control the direction of flight, there was a team of people on the ground that monitored the balloon throughout the flight. As soon as we flown over a good spot for landing, the pilot lowered the balloon while the “balloon chasers” ran and jumped to hold on to the ropes lowered by the pilot. They would then pull the balloon such that the basket landed squarely on the back of the truck. As the balloon deflated, we also started to (sadly) alight the flight…

Pilot unclipping the hot air balloon from the basket	Opening up the top to deflate the balloon	Pilot pulling the wire to open the top
Balloon deflated and kept	Safe landing of hot air balloon on back of truck	Champagne celebration after hot air balloon landing in Cappadocia
Cheers with pilot in the background	Pilot donning medals upon completion of hot air balloon flight	Royal Balloon hot air balloon medal

After a smooth and successful landing, the ground team even set up a table nearby with champagne and chocolates for “landing celebrations”. The pilot also presented every passenger with his or her medal from Royal Balloon as a memory and token for the completion of the hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia. Of course, Kate took the opportunity to take photos with the handsome pilot as well 😉

Itinerary of Turkey Travel Day 6: Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia

0615 : Depart from Dinler Hotel Nevsehir to Royal Balloon HQ for Breakfast
0815 : Commencement of Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia
0900 : Hot air balloon lands / Landing Celebrations with Champagne and Chocolates
0935 : Arrival back at Dinler Hotel
1030 : Departure from Dinler Hotel to Ankara (Capital of Turkey)
1245 : Lunch
1345 : Departure from Lunch to Ankara
1515 : Arrival at Ataturk Museum in Ankara
1630 : Departure from Ataturk Museum to Hotel in Bolu
1845 : Arrival at Koru Hotel in Bolu

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If you opt not to take the hot air balloon flight, you will have more time to sleep in and have a leisurely morning at breakfast before the group returns from the hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia. Subsequently, we headed towards Ankara for a stopover at the Ataturk Museum (the founder of modern Turkey) before ending our day at Bolu. The drive from Cappadocia to Ankara is approximately 400km. Enroute, we passed by Salt Lake, which produces 80% of salt production in Turkey (can you believe it?!).

Along the way, we made a stopover at the capital city of Turkey – Ankara. Here, we visited the Ataturk Mausoleum which commemorates the founder of modern Turkey – Mustafa Kamal Ataturk. We also saw the change of guards at the Ataturk Mausoleum…

Change of guards at Ataturk Mausoleum

Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

The hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia is definitely the highlight of our Turkey trip! Find out more as we travel back to Istanbul on day 7 of our Chan Brothers Turkey Travel!

Dancers at Turkish Nights One girl was really unhappy

Updated on January 1, 2024February 18, 2015Asia Cappadocia Goreme Open Air Museum Kaymakli Underground City Travel Turkey Turkey

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

It was the 1st of January 2015 as we began our 5th day of travels in Turkey. Initially, we thought we would be able to fly on the hot air balloon to welcome the new year. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t permit and we had to proceed with the rest of our programme in Cappadocia (pronounced as cap pa dok kia).

On day 5 of our Turkey travels in Cappadocia, we visited the Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and even had the opportunity to be entertained at “Turkish Nights” to welcome in the new year!

In general, Cappadocia refers to the amazing monolith formations of Turkey. However, more specifically, Cappadocia actually refers to a region that is enclosed by 3 towns, namely Uchisar, Urgup and Avanos.

Turkey Travel to Cappadocia : Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Belly Dancing!

Kaymakli Underground City

Our first stop of the day was Kaymakli Underground City. The underground city is actually made up of close to a hundred tunnels but no one really knows who built it. In fact, the underground city was more like a hiding area and was not used for permanent stays. Many different groups of people came to seek refuge in this area, used it, expanded it and left with all their barang barang (stuffs) after use. When the emergency was over, they would have no need to hide and they would pack things up (nice and slow) and leave. Which is why there aren’t many items left within the tunnel network.

Today, some of the tunnels are used as storage areas while only certain areas are open to tourists. During your visit, you would be able to see a huge stone that was used to cover the entrance to the underground city and also another that was used for grinding purposes in the kitchen. Yes, cooking was done within the network with ventilation. Nonetheless, cooking was only done at night – to not give away your position of course!

Kaymakli Underground City Cappadocia	Entrance Tickets to Kaymakli Underground City	Stone door to block tunnel
Stone door reused as a grinder	Shops outside Kaymakli underground city	Entrance of Goreme open air museum
Entrance tickets to Goreme open air museum	Monastery at Goreme open air museum	Dark church (extra $ for access) and kitchen on right side

Inside Kaymakli Underground City

Goreme Open Air Museum Cappadocia

The Goreme Open Air Museum is one of the main attractions (besides the hot air balloons!) of Cappadocia. The monoliths at the open air museum itself are a sight to behold. One of the best spots to take a shot would be right outside the kitchen area. Here, you’ll be able to see a great overview of the area and also visit an amazingly crafted dining table – completely crafted out of one stone!

There are also 3 churches (the size of a small chapel rather) that you should visit. These include the Apple Church (named after an apple tree right in front of it), the Serpent Church (a serpent is drawn within that represents sin) and the Sandals Church (partly because of the clear representation of sandals left behind in this church). Another interesting thing about the Church of Sandals is that the pictorial representations within depict nativity. The apostles are mostly without emotions but the animals are smiling because of the happy occasion.

If you’re really into the arts and history, you’d want to know that red colour is used during the pre-iconoclastic age (5th to 8th century) while the colours are only added from the 11th century onwards, during the post-iconoclastic age. As with most older civilisations, paintings are generally used due to the lack of education then.

Eventhough our guide, Enis had more stories to tell, as typical Singaporeans (and Malaysians), the group happily started to snap away at the beauty shown at Goreme Open Air Museum…

Before we left, we also got to try Turkish ice cream for 5TL. Remember to go for the lemon flavour! The vanilla (or original) flavour, sadly, had some gamey lamb smell (and taste). Well, at least that indicates some form of authenticity right?

Long table in dining area carved out in its entirety	Exterior of Dark church	Valley in the background
Stairs up to Sandals church	Entrance of Buckle church	2bearbears and Cappadocia valley
2bearbears and church @ Goreme Open Air Museum Cappadocia	Turkish ice cream 5 lira. Lemon flavour BEST.	Lunch at Uranos Sarikaya

Sights and sounds of Goreme Open Air Museum

Dining at Uranos Sarikaya

Uranos Sarikaya was one of the best restaurants (in terms of decoration) that we visited during this trip. Internally, it seemed as if the restaurant was dug out of a cave and there’s even a live performance in the center of the restaurant that adds to the authentic Turkish atmosphere.

While the fish was not the best (beware of the bones!), we had a large serving of the spaghetti! You can ask for extra spaghetti (mixed with cheese) and tomato-based sauce. As we left the restaurant, we also witnessed a beautiful sight overlooking the river right outside Uranos Sarikaya.

Before the day ended, we stopped by an interesting stretch of formations (called Dream Valley) whereby, if you use a little bit of your imagination, you’ll be able to see a dancing couple, a camel, a bear and santa claus!

Large dining area inside Uranos Sarikaya	Live music during lunch	Fried trout fish
Baklava Uranos Sarikaya	Beautiful sunny day after lunch @ Uranos Sarikaya	Can you spot the Dancing Couple?
We can see a bear! Can you?	This camel is easy to spot eh?	Entrance of carpet weaving association

Interesting monoliths of Cappadocia

Kayseri Carpet Factory and Showroom

Before night time descended, we managed to squeeze in some time to visit a carpet factory and showroom in the Kayseri area. Inside, we were shown how carpets are made by hand and how silk is extracted from the cocoons of silk worms. Of course, at the end of the tour, all the various types and size of carpets were hauled out in front of us in a showroom. Drinks, including red and white wines were served. Likely to incapacitate your ability to make sound decisions 😛

We were told that the ladies who work at the showroom have been monitored over a period of time and those who are deemed “talented” would be put to work on pure silk carpets. Turkish carpets have come to be known as carpets of great quality because of the Turkish double knots and various materials (including wool, cotton and silk) used.

Before the trip, we had already wanted to bring home a Turkish carpet and we eventually decided on a mercerised cotton carpet at 1.5m x 0.9m. The starting price was approximately $3,700 usd but with group discounts (presumably with the tour), it was eventually reduced to $1,700. Mr Zeke, the guide who showed us around then came in and reduced the price to $1,400. We requested for a further discount and came away with $1,300, inclusive of air delivery right to our home in Singapore. What do you think of this price? Let us know in the comments section below!

The carpet arrived 1 week later and we found out that it flew by SQ! Now we know where all our money went…

16000 hand woven carpets at the association!	Live demonstration of the weaving process of a Turkish Carpet	Hereke. The finest Turkish Carpet
How to get silk from cocoons	Variety of Turkish carpets made with double knots cotton, wool or silk	Uchisar Cappadocia
Free flow of wines beers teas and soft drinks	Dancers at Turkish Nights One girl was really unhappy	Traditional Turkish twirling dance at turkish night

Turkish Nights and Belly Dancing

To end off our first night of 2015, we headed to a Turkish Night event. Turkish Night is usually held only on the 31st of December as a form of celebration. At Cappadocia however, it happens every night, for tourists like you and me! Yay!

At the Turkish Night event, there are free flow of drinks and many dance performances. These performances include the twirl dances, traditional dances and of course, belly dancing. Here’s a glimpse of the belly dancing performance during Turkish Night

Although there is free flow of drinks, do lower your expectations because the only highlight of the evening was the belly dancing. The drinks (including licorice liquor, beer and wines) were not that good and the traditional dances got repetitive after a while.

Nonetheless, it was an interesting experience and a great way to start off the new year!

Itinerary of Turkey Travel Day 5: Cappadocia Day Tour covering Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night

0815 : Depart from Dinler Hotel Nevsehir to Kaymakli Underground City
0845 : Arrival at Kaymakli Underground City
1000 : Departure from Kaymakli Underground City to Goreme Open Air Museum
1035 : Arrival at Goreme Open Air Museum
1215 : Lunch
1400 : Arrival at Dream Valley
1430 : Departure from Dream Valley to Carpet Showroom
1445 : Arrival at Carpet Showroom
1600 : Departure to Urchisa for a quick photo
1630 : Reach Urchisa and reach hotel at 1700
1830 : Dinner at hotel
1945 : Departure for Turkish Night
2230 : Arrival back at hotel

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Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

Find out more about day 6 of our Chan Brother’s Turkey travel where we’ll finally get to fly on a hot air balloon over Cappadocia!

Updated on January 1, 2024February 16, 2015Asia Cappadocia Cotton Castle Travertines Travel Turkey Turkey

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

One of the highlights of our Chan Brothers Turkey Trip came on the 4th day where we visited the Cotton Castle – Pamukkale! It was also the day where we covered the longest distance of the entire trip where we journeyed 650km to Cappadocia – home of the monoliths and hot air balloons!

Turkey Travel to Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Cappadocia

Breakfast at Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale	Pamukkale Cotton Castle from a distance	Hierapolis City of Heroes Pamukkale
Entry Tickets to Cotton Castle Pamukkale	Travertines overlooking Pamukkale	Kate and the travertines of Pamukkale
Hot spring to soak our feet during winter @ Pamukkale	2bearbear enjoying the views of Cotton Castle Pamukkale in Winter!	Travertine Pools of Pamukkale in Winter

Pamukkale literally translates to Cotton and Castle. The term Cotton Castle (or Pamukkale) was not derived from any legend or story. Simply, if you take a look at the picture below, it looks like a white and fluffy cotton castle from afar. Hence, the name.

The Cotton Castle of Pamukkale is famous for its travertines. As the hot spring flows over the sides of the hills, calcium carbonate are deposited overtime and they form these amazing structures that we see today. Due to conservation efforts, only a section of the Cotton Castle is open to the public. During summer, the travertine pools are filled up and travellers can soak themselves and enjoy the summer sun. However, during winter (the time that we visited Pamukkale), only the main channel has hot spring water flowing through it. Therefore, you can see many travellers sitting by the sides and enjoying themselves while soaking their feet.

Tip : If you intend to soak your feet during the winter season, remember that the main channel IS REALLY SLIPPERY! This is due to algae formation as the hot spring water flows through the channel. Kate also had a slip which resulted in wet pants! Also, if you intend to sit down and soak, do note that water does flow along intermittently. Meaning, even though it may seem that its dry, when you sit down, it WILL DEFINITELY be wet. So bring along a plastic bag to sit on. Lastly, bring a towel or some tissue to dry your feet when you return!

Again, as recommended by our guide, Enis, the best views of Pamukkale can be taken from the garden side of cotton castle. At the travertines itself, views over the city of Pamukkale is also amazing, as shown by Kate below 🙂

Enjoy the views of the travertines of Cotton Castle Turkey (Pamukkale)

Journey to Cappadocia and rest at Dinler Hotel Nevsehir

After our visit to Pamukkale, we embarked on our 10 hour long arduous journey from Pamukkale to Cappadocia (approximately 650km). Along the way, we had rest stops and lunch and of course, many stories from Enis, which we will share with you below…

Poppy seeds yoghurt and honey	Close up of yoghurt for 8 TL good for 2 to share	Lunch time after 3 hours of driving
Great tasting grilled chicken wings!	Entrance of Sultanhani Caravanserai	Crown Entrance of Sultanhani Caravanserai
Insulated interior of Sultanhani Caravanserai warm in winter cool in summer	Twin Beds of Dinler Hotels Nevsehir Cappadocia	Spa services offered by Dinler Hotel Nevsehir

1. Visiting the doctor in the olden days. In the olden days, if you had a problem with your finger, you would first go and buy a bronze finger from the blacksmith and bring it to the priest of the “clinic”. Leg problem, bronze leg. In those days, the priest was the doctor and he would take the bronze finger, melt it and treat it as a form of payment. He would then give the patient a drug to cause hallucination. Based on what the patient says, the priest would then prescribe medicine for the illness because in those days, it was believed that the gods were speaking to the patients through the drug. Wonder how many people actually got cured (or killed) in this way. Scary…

2. About poppy production. During our rest stop, we were able to taste this dish of yoghurt mixed with honey, topped with poppy seeds! Don’t worry, these seeds won’t cause any form of hallucination and it tastes somewhat like the sesame seed. Legally (the key word here), Turkey is the 3rd largest in the world for opium poppy production. Dinar is the place where we stopped to taste this yummy (and healthy) dish.

3. “Make it Zero” and Week of Thieves. Enis shared that one of the government officals and his son were caught in a tele-conversation whereby the dad was asking where the son hid the cash. The son replied that he stashed it at their usual place. So the dad wanted the money to be transferred and the son asked whether to transfer all of it. The dad replied “make it zero”. Since then, the phrase has become a joke among the locals, even sparking the “Thieves Week” from 17-25 December each year. People would wear black bandit masks during this period, which can be quite hilarious according to Enis.

4. Sultan Nasreddin Hodja. There’s this famous character called Sultan Nasreddin Hodja and he’s usually depicted riding a donkey backwards. So the story goes that he always rides a donkey and waves to everyone he sees when he goes through the city. However, one day, one person complained that he did not acknowledge him. Of course, to Nasreddin Hodja, this was obviously not true as he always greets everyone. So to counter this, he rode the donkey backwards. He explained that he rode the donkey backwards because he would greet those he sees and the donkey greets those that he doesn’t see! What a humorous figure!

5. About good cherry harvests. Did you know that a long hard snowy winter equates to late cherry blossoms which means a good cherry harvest? Conversely, a “mild” winter equates to a bad harvest of tiny cherries.

Before arriving at Dinler Hotel Nevsehir, we visited the Sultanhani Caravanserai. It was built in the 13th century and served merchants plying the silk road. Along the silk road, travellers would build “motels” like the Sultanhani Caravanserai. These caravanserais would be a shelter for the travellers and they can only be put up for 3 days. Shelters like these are free to use and people would find rest for themselves and their animals before embarking on their next phase of travel. However, unlike hotels, no food was provided and you have to cook your own food and tend to your own stuff. Most importantly, leave on time!

Itinerary of Turkey Travel Day 4: Cotton Castle of Pamukkale and Journey to Cappadocia

0715 : Depart from Lycus River Hotel to Cotton Castle Pamukkale
0730 : Arrival at Pamukkale Cotton Castle
0900 : Departure from Cotton Castle to Cappadocia
1100 : Stopover for yoghurt with honey and poppy seeds
1300 : Lunch
1730 : Arrival at Sultanhani Caravanserai
1900 : Arrival at Dinler Hotel Nevsehir

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Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

Find out more about day 5 of our Chan Brother’s Turkey travel where we’ll visit the famous Cappadocia region of Turkey!

Updated on January 1, 2024February 13, 2015Asia Ephesus Hotels House of Virgin Mary Pamukkale Travel Turkey Turkey

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

On day 3 of our Turkey travels with Chan Brothers, we visited a leather shop (complete with front row seats to a fashion show!), the Roman Ephesus of Turkey as well as the hot springs of Lycus River Hotel in Pamukkale!

Turkey Travel to Ephesus and Pamukkale (First Stop : Silvio Leather Fashion Show)

After a hearty breakfast, we went around Coastlight Hotel to take some shots before we headed to our first stop – Silvio Leather showroom!

At the showroom, we were given some apple tea before we were treated to a fashion show – front row seats no less! Of course, these were amateur models but we were rather impressed by this young male model who really strutted his stuff down the runway. During the fashion show, we were shown the latest and trendiest leather jackets. Some had amazing prints and most were reversible. Silvio Leather also claimed that they produce for international brands such as Burberry and Polo Ralph Lauren…

During the fashion show, members of the audience were also invited to take part and model some of the leather jackets. This brought much laughter to our tour group and we especially enjoyed the samba dance at the end of the show!

Facade of Coastlight Hotel	Reception of Coastlight Hotel Kusadasi	View from restaurant of Coastlight Hotel
Old Fashioned Lifts	Turkish Tea and Coffee Dispenser	Facade of Silvio Leather
Leather jacket fashion show @ Silvio Leather	Audience involved in the Fashion Show @ Silvio Leather	Dancing with Models

After the fashion show, you’d be led to the second level where the expensive leather jackets are. These leather jackets produced by Silvio Leather averages about USD1000 (AFTER special discounts). We were quite taken back by the price as these were non-branded leather jackets. But for cheaper leather jackets, you can proceed to the first level where there are off-season leather jackets that averages about USD200. If you have not purchased anything by now, you’d be led to a small leather shop next door that sells leather shoes and bags averaging about USD100. Yes, hold out and you’ll get better deals.

Tip : You have to be strong and resist the temptation of buying a leather jacket! Imagine the number of branded bags you can buy with USD1000 – 2!

House of Virgin Mary & Ruins of Roman Ephesus in Turkey

Leaving the Silvio Leather showroom, we headed to the House of Virgin Mary. As it was still drizzling, we only had a shortened visit here. At this attraction, there’s a baptism pool near the House of Virgin Mary, the house itself (where you can’t take any photos within), a fountain to draw water (so bring along an empty bottle) and of course the area where you could leave a wish to Virgin Mary herself!

Remember to bring your own note and mechanism to tie it if you want your wish to come true!

Entry to House of Virgin Mary	Entrance of House of Virgin Mary (No Photography Within)	Fountain for drawing water
Leaving wishes for Virgin Mary	Pillars lining the main street in Ephesus Turkey	Tom and Ruins of Ephesus
Goddess Nike (Can you spot the swoosh?)	Speakers corner for dissemination of roman decrees	Main street from city centre to library Ephesus Turkey

Then came the highlight of the day, our visit to the Roman Ephesus of Turkey!

There are 2 stories related to Ephesus

Story 1 – An Oracle

In the first story, it was said that in the 7th century, a prince of Athens received an oracle where he would build a city if a fish, wild boar and fire appeared simultaneously. One day, he saw someone doing some grilled fish and a wild boar ran over that BBQ. He saw it as a sign and built the city of Ephesus.

Story 2 – Amazonian Women

In the Anatolian version of the story, Ephesus was simply built by the Amazon warrior women.

If you take a look at one of the pictures below (the one with Medusa), you would see these 2 stories depicted on the columns of that structure.

You may know that the world-renowned brand, Nike is named after the goddess of Victory Nike. But did you know that if you look closely at her skirt, you’ll be able to identify the most familiar logo world-wide, the swoosh.

Can you see it?

Trian Temple with globe beneath its feet	Private residences with mosaic tiles	Story of Ephesus – Medusa or Amazon Women?
Toilets for men in Ephesus	Library facade of Ephesus Turkey	Empty heart and large feet see girl bring credit card
Supposed brothels at the side	Theatre taken from the pine trees for the best view	Ephesus Theatre and Kate

Leaving the city centre of Ephesus, you’ll be on a main street that leads to the Library of Ephesus. Take a shot from here. Unfortunately, it was raining during this time 🙁

Enis (our guide for Chan Brother’s Turkey Trip), told us about this special stone that has a picture of a left foot, heart, face of a woman and rectangle carved on it. According to his analysis of this piece of stone, he was able to tell that there’s a brothel right next to it. How?

He said, “If you are having an empty heart and have a large left foot, you can find a pretty woman right ahead. Don’t forget to bring your credit card!” Haha!

Tip : Besides the library, the other prominent structure is the theatre of Ephesus. The best spot to take a panoramic view of the theatre (as shown above) is between the pine trees before you exit to the market and souvenir shops.

Facilities of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

To end off the evening, we arrived early at Lycus River Hotel of Pamukkale. Pamukkale refers to cotton castle, a formation of calcium carbonate that seems to form a “cotton castle” in the middle of a hill. Before we were to head to Pamukkale the next morning, we had a good rest at Lycus River Hotel!

Lycus River Hotel Lobby with Fireplace	2bearbear and Twin sharing room of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale	Pool and Restaurant of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale
Indoor thermal pool with tunnel leading outdoors	Outdoor thermal pool Lycus River Hotel	Indoor jacuzzi pool
MUST TRY Turkish Bath!	Live band with dancing folks	Beef patty with cheese was awesome!

There are 2 main things that you should try at Lycus River Hotel in Pamukkale…

1. Thermal Pool (aka hot springs). There’s a hot spring that you must check out at Lycus River Hotel. Remember to bring your swim wear! The thermal pool also leads outdoors and it was especially enjoyable to be soaking in the thermal pool during the winter season. Just like what you see on Japan Hour – winter onsen!

2. Turkish Bath. Originally, we were discouraged from taking the Turkish bath due to poor reviews from previous groups. Nonetheless, we still gave it a go. How can you go Turkey and not try a Turkish Bath right? It costs us 85TL (or $50SGD) and it was the best $ spent during the trip! The Turkish lady would scrub you first (you’d be in your undies or swim trunks) and then lay the softest and warmest coat of foam blanket over you.

Pure Bliss…

To form the foam (some tongue twister for you), the lady would trap some bath foam on a towel and swing it from side to side. This motion catches air within the towel and forms the foam which she would later squeeze upon you.

This would be followed by some gentle massages around the whole body (front and back) before washing you clean. No contortion, man-handling type of bath as they say.

One word from Tom : SHIOK!

From Kate : Because my Turkish lady had GIGANTIC boobs, as she massaged my arms, her boobs would rub repeatedly over my face! I think the Turkish lady enjoyed the bath more than I did…Boo Hoo.

After the enjoyable and relaxing sessions at the thermal pool and Turkish bath, we went for the dinner buffet where there was also a live band playing traditional Turkish music. Some Turkish folks also went forward to dance during dinner. Our favourite for dinner was the beef patty as well as making wraps using fresh lettuce.

Together with some members of the group, we had post-dinner drinks at the beautiful lobby lounge and chat till we were tired before we turned in for the night.

Itinerary of Turkey Travel Day 3: Coastlight Hotel to House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus and to Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

0815 : Depart from Coastlight hotel to Silvio Leather showroom
0845 : Arrival at Silvio Leather showroom
1000 : Departure from Silvio Leather showroom to House of Virgin Mary
1015 : Arrival at House of Virgin Mary
1045 : Depart for Ephesus
1230 : Departure from Ephesus to Pamukkale
1500 : Break at Turkish delight stopover
1630 : Arrival at Lycus River Hotel @ Pamukkale

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Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

Find out more about day 4 of our Chan Brother’s Turkey travel where we’ll visit the traventines of Pamukkale (Cotton Castle)!

Updated on January 1, 2024February 11, 2015Asia Kusadasi Pergamon Travel Troy Turkey Turkey

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

On day 2 of our Turkey travels with Chan Brothers, we dived straight into one of the highlights of the trip – the Trojan Horse of Troy! After breakfast at Tusan Hotel, we headed straight to the ancient city of Troja (Troy), with loads of interesting mythical stories told to us by our guide Enis…

The Trojan Horse of Troy in Canakkale Turkey

Reception in Tusan Hotel Canakkale	Lobby of Tusan Hotel Canakkale	Pool and private beach Tusan Hotel Canakkale
Breakfast spread at Tusan Hotel	Entrance of Troja Ancient City of Troy	Enis explaining the 9 layers of Troy
Amphitheater of Troy	Tom and Trojan Horse Troy	2bearbear and ancient ruins of Troy

Troy (and Trojan Horse) is just a 15 minutes ride away from Tusan Hotel in Canakkale. During this short ride, we were given an introduction to the mythical world of Greek/Anatolian stories…

Story of the Trojan Horse

First and foremost, the Trojan Horse is a myth. Nonetheless, it is an exciting story that leads to the Trojan Horse that we would be visiting that morning.

And so the story goes, Homer (or Homeros) wrote 2 books (Odyssey and Iliad) concerning the last 23 days of war at Troy. In the mythical story, there was a wedding among the gods (Wedding of Peleus and Thetis) but Eris (the goddess of jealousy or discord) was not invited. To thwart the wedding, Eris came up with a plan and brought forth an apple (that says “to the most beautiful woman”) to Zeus, who was the chief of the guards. In order not to be involved in this would be “cat fight”, Zeus handed over this issue to Paris of Troy (so smart of Zeus!)

3 goddesses (Hera, Athena and Aphrodite) came to seek the apple, each offering a bribe to Paris. Hera offered to make him king and offered him a lasting family line while Athena offered him wisdom and skill in battle. But eventually, Paris chose Aphrodite because she was able to get him Helen of Sparta who is the most beautiful mortal (wife of the King of Sparta). As a result Athens unites with Sparta to get Helen back from troy, sparking the start of the Trojan War.

In comes Achilles, a demi god and strong warrior (played by Brad Pitt in the 2004 movie Troy). At first, Achilles did not want to be involved in the war. To increase the morale of the soldiers, Patroclus (the cousin of Achilles) dressed as Achilles and fought in the Trojan War. As a result, he was killed by Hector.

To revenge his cousin, Achilles was advised by Odyssey to build a huge horse with brave men inside to besiege Troy. You’ve guessed it, this horse was the Trojan Horse!

Phew…what a long story to explain the background to the Trojan Horse! All because of Helen!

About the Ancient City of Troy

There are 9 layers to the ancient city of Troy. Meaning each time the original Trojans left (due to weather or war), the new Trojans would return to rebuild the city again. Troy layer 6 is believed to be the time of the Trojan Horse while Troy layer 9 is known as the Roman ages.

Troy was rediscovered by a German businessman by the name of Heinrich Schliemann. He followed the stories of Homer and believed in the existence of Troy. He eventually found Troy in 1871 and started to remove its treasures using the guise of corrupt locals to smuggle the treasures out of the country.

What really amazed us was how people in the hundreds of years BC, built up civilisations such as Troy by carrying these huge bricks and carving intricate monuments. They also thought of buildings walls slanted so as to deter thieves and attackers as it would be easier to defend a slanted wall. They also thought of using pitos as “ancient refrigerators” where they would store excess grain and hide them underground for use during winter.

At the entrance of the city, the Trojans would build a slope where travellers or even attackers entering the city, would feel the “aura and presence” of the city as they ascend to its gates. Of course, the city was build atop a hill to have good views over its surroundings.

Tip : While taking photos with the Trojan Horse, remember to take it from the front view as how Tom took it in the picture above!

From Troy Canakkale to the Ancient City of Pergamon in Turkey

The ride from Troy to Pergamon took about 3 hours and we took a rest in between to have our lunch. Enroute, Enis told us about olives in Turkey…

There are essentially 2 main colours of olives – green and black. Green olives are the first fruits to be plucked in October and they change to black in the December/January period. From the olives, olive oil is extracted. Should the acid level of the olive oil be less than 1 percent, it is considered as the top grade. Top grade olive oil is usually made from the green (turning to black) olives. Extra virgin olive oil is produced by cold pressing the olives without breaking its seeds. As most chefs have already mentioned, olive oils cannot withstand heat hence when using it, it should be used over low heat or lightly tossed with your food of choice.

Did you know? Italy is the top producer of olive oil in the world but 65% of its olives comes from Turkey!

Thank the Lord for the sun as we left Troy	Enis pointing towards Aegean sea	Apple tea for 2 TL at our rest stop
Lunch Buffet enroute to Pergamon	Cable car up to Acropolis Pergamon	Entry tickets to Acropolis Pergamon
Ruins of Acropolis Pergamon	Tom and Theatre at Pergamon	Columns of acropolis 6 by 8 @ Pergamon

The building of Pergamon (formerly known as Bergama in Turkish) was started by Philetaerus. He was entrusted with the treasury of Lysimachus who was a Roman Commander. When Lysimachus died, Philetaerus used the money to build up Pergamon and in 100AD, it was returned to Rome because of the money with which it was built. In this way, Rome had already extended its influence to Anatolia before they came.

Note : During the tour, Enis would often use the word “Anatolia”. Anatolia is actually bounded by Black Sea to the North, Aegean Sea to the West and the Mediterranean Sea to the South. The Sea of Marmara would connect to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus River. “These lands” as we know it, refers more commonly to Turkey today.

Pergamon sits atop of the hill and the most prominent portion of it is the Acropolis, a temple area where the Pergamons would come to worship their gods. The other prominent structure is the theatre which can sit up to 9000 people overlooking the city of Pergamon.

The tour bus would only be able to bring you to the foot of Pergamon. To reach Acropolis, you would have to be transferred via cable car. However, on this day, it was raining and the cable car was closed. Hence, we were transferred by local taxis through winding paths up to Acropolis. Do remind your guide to advise the taxi drivers to drive at a slower pace, else they might race up the hills (and down) as with what happened to us. Too exciting for our liking! Yikes!

The Acropolis of Pergamon

Awesome views over Bergama City and of the Theatre!

Stopover for olive oil and fig products	Skin products at 50 lira buy 2 free 1	Entrance of olive oil shop – Mozaik Lokum
Twin Beds of Coastlight Hotel Kusadasi Turkey	Toilet and Bathtub of Coastlight Hotel Kusadasi Turkey	Dinner @ CoastLight Hotel Kusadasi Turkey

Before we reached our last stop for the evening at CoastLight Hotel Kusadasi, we stopped over at Mozaik Lokum for some olives products. The store owner who is a humorous man and can also speak some Mandarin, introduced us to the products of his shop. Before we left, we bought 3 bottles of skin care product (buy 2 get 1 free) for 100 TL (Turkish Lira). This is approximately $60SGD or $20SGD per bottle.

Not sure of its effect though but it sure smells good!

Close to the olive shop, you can clearly see the Selcuk Castle. The Selcuks (or Seljuks) was one of the tribes of the Turks. Ottoman being the most famous of the tribes. At the top of the hills sits the “First Ephesus” and at the bottom of the hill, the “Second Ephesus”. The Ephesus that we would be visiting the next day is the “Third Ephesus” also known as the “Roman Ephesus”.

Itinerary of Turkey Travel Day 2: Troy Canakkale to Pergamon and Coastlight Hotel Kusadasi

0800 : Depart from Tusan Hotel to Troy
0815 : Arrival at Ancient Ruins of Troy
0930 : Departure from Troy
1300 : Lunch
1400 : Depart for Pergamon
1530 : Depart Pergamon
1900 : Arrival at Mozaik Lokum Olive Shop
2000 : Arrival at CoastLight Hotel Kusadasi

If you enjoyed our content, “Like” us on Facebook Today!

Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

Find out more about day 3 of our Chan Brother’s Turkey trip where we’ll visit the ancient ruins of Ephesus!

Updated on January 1, 2024February 10, 2015Canakkale Istanbul Travel Travel Itineraries Turkey Turkey Turkey

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey was our next country to “conquer” as we have not had the opportunity to visit this country (ahem @ GoTurkey.com :p) that spans between both Europe and Asia continent. As there is a language barrier and a vast distance to travel if we were to do a free-and-easy by ourselves, we decided to join the Chan Brother’s 10D7N Turkey travel for only $2100 per person. It is very affordable because $1000 would be the price of the air ticket while the remaining $1100 is used for meals, transportation, accommodation, attraction tickets, tour guide as well as taking out the hassle of planning all the routes around Turkey. It is especially worth it when you get to skip the MASSIVE queues outside the major attractions in Istanbul!

We chose to travel via the Turkish Airlines flight (instead of Singapore Airlines) because of the timing of both departure and arrival flights. We departed at 12:30am and arrived at 6:30am in Istanbul (both local times), having full days in Turkey on the departure and arrival days!

Upon arrival at the airport, we were greeted by our local guide Enis who brought us immediately to Istanbul to visit the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia.

Attractions in Istanbul Turkey

Turkish Airline Departure Dinner	Turkish Airlines Breakfast	Tour bus from Ataturk Airport to Istanbul
Guide Enis explaining the Hippodrome	Egyptian Monument Hippodrome Istanbul	More monuments at the Hippodrome of Constaninople Istanbul

If you take a look at the monuments at the Hippodrome, you’ll realise that they are formed up in a single line. During the Roman era, it was actually the central columns of a chariot race. Imagine the chariots going round the columns resembling an elongated oval shaped race track.

Exterior of Sultan Ahmed Mosque aka Blue Mosque	Interior of Sultan Ahmed Blue Mosque	Dome of Blue Mosque Istanbul
Exterior of Hagia Sophia Museum	Mosaic at Entrance of Hagia Sophia	Why are people trying to make a wish here?
Imperial Gate at Topkapi Palace Museum	Gate of Felicity and Kate in Topkapi Palace Istanbul	View of Bosphorus River from Topkapi Palace

Views from the Topkapi Palace

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As we moved from the Hippodrome to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia Museum and Topkapi Palace, we were told of stories at these various areas…

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) : Have you ever wondered why there are 6 minarets (slender tower typically with a balcony) at the Blue Mosque? Legend has it that the order was to build altin (gold) towers around the mosque. However, the builder heard alti (six) instead. Hence, six minarets were built around the Blue Mosque. In fact, Blue Mosque is not blue in colour but it earned its name because of the 20,000 blue mosaic tiles used within the mosque. Hence, a touristic name of Blue Mosque was derived!

Hagia Sophia Museum : At the Hagia Sophia, there’s a hole in the wall with a long queue behind it. Everyone is actually queuing to place their thumb in the hole, make a circle with the palm of their hands and make a wish. Legend has it that an angel promised a boy to look after his equipment so that he could go back to take of his parents. The boy never returned and the angel is thought to be trapped within, granting wishes to people who came to visit.

Topkapi Palace : The first courtyard of the Topkapi palace extends from Imperial Gate to Salutation Gate while the second courtyard is from Salutation Gate to Felicity Gate. At the second courtyard, there is a Justice Tower where the Sultan would stand and witness executions taking place. However, the best part of the Topkapi Palace is actually the view of the Bosphorus River. Remember to take beautiful shots from the balconies overlooking Bosphorus. Other notable places to visit includes the treasury, religious relics (both Christian and Muslim) as well as the Royal Kitchen.

Grilled chicken with fries for lunch at Citadel Hotel Istanbul	Rest stop between Istanbul and Canakkale	Ferry crossing straits to Canakkale
Cafe and sitting area on upper deck of ferry	Fried Fish at Tusan Hotel Restaurant for dinner	Must-Try Grilled mackerel at Tusan Hotel
Bathroom and Bath Tub of Tusan Hotel	Dressing table and TV Tusan Hotel Canakkale	Twin beds Tusan Hotel Canakkale

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Itinerary of Day 1: Istanbul to Canakkale Turkey

0630 : Arrival at Istanbul Ataturk Airport
0830 : Visit to Hippodrome, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque), Hagia Sophia Museum and Topkapi Palace
1230 : Lunch at Citadel Hotel Istanbul
1400 : Depart for Canakkale
1600 : Stopover for break
1830 : Ferry to Canakkale
2000 : Arrival at Tusan Hotel Canakkale

After our visit to all the attractions in Istanbul, we adjourned to Citadel Hotel Istanbul for lunch before commencing the approximate 6 hours drive to Canakkale. This includes a ferry ride in between where the whole car drives unto the ferry to be transferred across the straits to Canakkale.

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Related posts

This post is part of our 10 Days 7 Nights Turkey travel with Chan Brothers. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip.

Turkey Trip Day 1 : Singapore to Istanbul and Ferry to Canakkale

Turkey Travel Day 2 : Visiting the Trojan Horse of Troy and Ancient City of Pergamon

Turkey Travel Day 3 : Visit to Ephesus / Turkish Bath and Hot Springs of Lycus River Hotel Pamukkale

Turkey Trip Day 4 : Pamukkale Cotton Castle and Journey to Cappadocia!

Turkey Trip Day 5 : Cappadocia, Kaymakli Underground City, Goreme Open Air Museum and Turkish Night Celebrations!

Hot Air Balloon Flight in Cappadocia with Royal Balloon : Turkey Travel Day 6!

Turkey Travels Day 7 : Istanbul’s Camlica Hill, Grand Bazaar, Taksim Square and Istiklal Shopping Street!

Mall of Istanbul (MOI) : Shopping Eating and Relaxing on Day 8 of Turkey Trip!

Basic Turkish Language You Should Know

Here are some simple Turkish phrases that you should know to make your Turkish trip that much more enjoyable. But for ease of pronunciation, we’ll not spell out the actual Turkish spelling but the way you should pronounce it!

Thank you – teh she kew air de room (6 syllabus to say thank you?!?!)
Hello – mehr ha ba
Goodbye – gule gule
Good morning – gew nei den (yes, we know. It does sounds like “good night”)
Good night – yeee yeee gu jay lash
I am fine – yeee yeee
No worries (not at all) – beer she dean
Yes – eh vet
No – ha year

Find out more about day 2 of our Chan Brother’s Turkey trip when we visit the legendary Trojan horse!