Day 5- We were picked up from our hotel at around 8:30 am. The travel from Kusadasi to Pamukkale took like an hour and a half. The travertines of Pamukkale are within the vicinity of the Hierapolis archaeological site. The “cotton castle“ is so fascinating, don’t miss it!
The Antique Pool called Cleopatra Bath is also within the vicinity. For those who want to swim, the fee is TL 35. We’ve explored the Ruins of Hierapolis a bit. The site actually stretches over a very large area and we didn’t have the energy to see them all because it was too cold. We left the area by around 4pm and was transferred to Denizli Airport for our domestic flight back to Istanbul.
Day 6- We’ve again joined a tour as part of the package and went around the Hagia Sophia,The Blue Mosque, Hippodrome, Little Hagia Sophia Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and Topkapi Palace. It was raining that day and to our surprise, it even poured hale at some point! Sobrang dami ng tourists sa Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace kahit umuulan. I felt that what took us the whole day to explore, we could have finished in half a day if we did it on our own. Ang dami time nasayang kakaantay when you are touring with a big group. So for these sites, I recommend DIY na lang, may mga audio guide naman which can be rented for 10 TL.
Day 7- It’s our free day to explore Istanbul on our own! From our Hotel in Sultahnamet, we walked down to the Square and bought the Istanbul kart (all around transport card) for 10 TL at a store in the Sultahnamet station then we loaded the card for another TL 20 using the credit loading machine.
From Sultanahmet station we headed towards the Kabatas station in Tram T1 to visit Dolmabahce Palace. There’s an entrance fee of 30TL at the Palace and the tour is guided and very organized. After the visit to the palace, nagbus kami going to Emirgan Park. We travelled in the month of April and they celebrate the Lale (Tulip) Festival the entire month! Madami rin naman tulips all over Istanbul, kahit sa sidewalk, pero I guess Emirgan Park is the best place to see the wide variety. Medyo malayo lang ang Emirgan and na-traffic pa kami. From there bumalik kami ulit sa Kabatas by Bus and took the tram from there going to Taksim Square. Nilakad naming the entire stretch of Istiklal Caddesi (this is such a fun and lively street, I just loved it!) until we reached the Galata Tower. Sa Istiklal may band pa na nagplay while the mini-tram is roaming the street, not sure if it’s like that on a daily basis, ang ingay and ang saya lang! We paid 25 TL as entrance fee to the Galata Tower. Super haba ng pila. Nagmamadali kami kasi sunset na, sa haba ng pila, the sun has already set by the time nakita naming ang view.
I just want to share, according to some reviews sa Trip Advisor, you can skip Galata Tower na lang daw, and instead go to Konak Café which is situated near the Galata Tower din. I’ve seen the Café when we were at the top of the tower. Same view rin naman daw. Instead of paying the 25 TL entrance fee, another option is to enjoy Turkish coffee and some snacks while enjoying the view at Konak. Yun lang nga, the food is so-so lang and according to most reviews, their service sucks daw.
Day 8- This is our last day in Turkey. From our Hotel we walked down the Sultahnamet Square and went to Basilica Cistern. Entrance fee is 20 TL and I’ve rented the audio guide for 10 TL. Just a tip, do not wear a white shirt when visiting the Cistern. Since the palace is a water reservoir, water actually drips through the ceiling. It might leave marks if you’re wearing white or a light colored shirt. From there we’ve taken the Tram and headed to Eminonu station where the Spice Market is just close by. We bought some Turkish delights and some souvenir. While we were on our way to Eminonu, ang dami namin nadaanan na festive looking restaurants between the Gulhane and Sirkeci Tram stations so we decided to have lunch in one of them. So after naming sa Spice Market, bumalik kami ulit by Tram and got off at Gulhane, then naglakad kami pabalik towards Sirkeci. Nagulat kami kasi while searching for a place to eat, we found this souvenir shop selling Turkish delights and magnets, keychains for half the price we got them at the Spice Market! Haha! Sana pala di na kami bumili sa Spice Market.
I really enjoyed our trip to Turkey and I want to go back for the hot air balloon ride sa Cappadocia that I missed!
A few more things I’d like to share:
- Currency: EUR & TL are both widely accepted, although I still suggest you exchange some funds to Lira kasi sometimes if your EUR note is for a big amount, small shops might not have enough EUR for change.
- For guided tours, meals are included (most are buffet) but you have to pay for your drinks. And madalas mahal ang bottled water, one resto we went to charged us 6 TL for a small bottle! So better bring your own.
- Ang late ng sunset dito kaya ang haba ng time mamasyal! Sunset during the 3rd week of April when we were there was at 7:50pm. Nakakatuwa!
- Most domestic flights are delayed. We had 3 domestic flights during this trip and all 3 were at least an hour late.
- In terms of call of nature, not to worry because WC is everywhere and the signs are visible enough. Just a tip, whenever you’re travelling to/from the airport, make sure to visit the WC before starting your journey kasi ang lalayo ng airport. Kadalasan 1-1.5 hours away sya from our hotel or the attractions.
-Ma-traffic sa Istanbul. Take the tram as much as possible and avoid commuting by bus or taxi.
- Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes. Cobble stones ang karamihan ng lakaran sa area ng Sultanahmet and may mga areas na pataas talaga sya kaya nakakapagod lakarin.
