Turkey (Cappadocia) trip.

Just to let you guys know, i am still nursing myself back to health and I am highly intoxicated with doctor's prescription right now but i've been dying to start blogging again. I've been contemplating for a very long time to start blogging but i only found the courage to do so just recently. It feels so good now that i can start to pen down everything in my head. Well you know, just to help me express myself, to share my opinions, or just to rant in the most indestructible way.

I'll probably share my holy grails for my go-to sick remedies some other days but today, i'll be sharing with you on one of my favorite trips of all time *drumroll* ....... TURKEY! (well the headline gave it away).

I will be breaking the post into a few parts because trust me, you wont get anything out of this post if i were to squeeze everything in just.one.post.

So here goes..

We spent a total of 15 days in Turkey and believe me, we had so many itineraries before finalising our plan. But this was the best plan that the both of us had agreed on, mutually.

We spent the first 2.5 days in Cappadocia (which i will be sharing in this post). The next 3.5 days in Istanbul, 4.5 days in Izmir and another 4.5 days back in Istanbul. I wish we explored other parts of Turkey but we didnt want to tire ourselves out so after finally agreeing to one plan, we decided to stick with it.

We took Singapore Airlines because we prefer direct flights (dont judge us!) . Our flight was at 0130hrs on Wednesday (01 August). [Sidetrack] we have been taking night flights for all our long haul flights not because its cheap, but because I just cant stand long haul flights. I prefer using up my energy during the day and sleep through 5-6 hrs in the plane, the remaining 4-5 hrs utilizing the inflight entertainment and the last 2 hours preparing my face for touchdown. Yes, i said preparing my face, which i have also contemplate to share with you on how i get ready in plane and also introduce to you the products that i'll always have with me when i travel. I'll probably do it in another post on this but believe me, flights has never felt long for me if we fly off at night (long flights only k!). #myhacks

The exact words was " Coffee first. I need to get coffee now" Hence, starbucks.

After landing in Istanbul at 1345hrs (13 hrs later) , we took a connecting flight to Cappadocia via Turkish Airlines. The perks of The Star Alliance partnership is amazing but the layover, is tiring. We spend 3 hours at the airport waiting for our flight to Cappadocia and took another 1hour airport transfer from Nevsehir Airport. We reached our hotel - Mithra Cave Hotel at about 5pm. That is a total of 28hrs from the point we got onto the plane in Singapore. Imagine taking a non-direct flight. Sike o.O

Everything in Cappadocia was managed by Emre, the manager of Mithra Cave Hotel.

Here is the breakdown of our activities (just in case you guys want to know how much you will spend in Cappadocia).

Hotel : Mithra Cave Hotel ( 2 nights, 1 room - with breakfast)

Price after 8% VAT : € 130 (SGD 199.60)

The hotel hospitality was beyond words. They had an amazing spread for breakfast and a beautiful sunrise and sunset view to die for.

*The prices below are hotel rates and is for your rough estimation only.*

Airport Transfers

Private transfer:

Nevşehir Airport:

60 Euro from 2 to 4 people, (SGD 92)

80 Euro From 6 to 10 people. (SGD 122)

Kayseri Airport:

65 Euro from 2 to 4 people (SGD 99)

85 Euro from 6 to 10 people (SGD 130)

Shuttle Transfer: 25 TL per person from/to Nevşehir and Kayseri airport. (SGD 6 /per)

On to the activities now!

Hot Air Balloon

We took the Instanbul Balloons for 12 passengers but we were so lucky to have only 8 onboard! (meaning, more space to move around and not packed in a basket like sardines!)

Before the flight, the shuttle service will pick you up from your hotel at about 0345hrs and you will have your breakfast first (breakfast included in package) .

Thereafter, they will bring you to the balloons and fly for 1.5hrs. At the end of the flight, your pilot and his team will prepare an after flight ceremony and serve you a non-alcoholic sparkling drink (sparkling water & cranberry juice - i asked!). Before they dismiss you, they will hand out your certificate of participation.

Do pray for a good weather because they will not fly if it is too windy in the morning.

Lucky for us, we managed to fly! The next day, we heard our hotel neighbour said that their flight was cancel due to bad weather but, they were refunded.

Here's the prices for your rough estimation :

Comfort Balloon

• The capacity of the basket for 4 passenger : 170 Euro (per person) (SGD 261)

• The capacity of the basket for 8 passengers : 150 Euro (per person) (SGD 230)

İstanbul Balloons and Universal Balloon

• The capacity of the basket from 12 passengers :120 Euro (per person) (SGD 185)

• The capacity of the basket from 16 passengers :110 Euro (per person) (SGD 160)

• The capacity of the basket from 20 to 28 passengers : 100 Euro (per person) (SGD 150)

Royal Balloons

• The capacity of the basket from 16 to 20 passengers: 140 Euro (pay cash 10 Euro discount) (SGD 215)

Deluxe Balloon flights - 90 minutes flight

• Comfort, Universal and Istanbul Balloons 180 Euro (from 12 to 16 passengers) (SGD 276)

Private Balloon Flight – 90 minutes flight

• Comfort, Universal and Istanbul Balloons 1200 Euro ( From 2 to 4 passengers ) (SGD 1845)

The hotel offers many daily group tour but due to time constrain, we only took 2 activities which was the ATV Tour & Horse Riding. If you are planning to stay here for more than 3 days, i would recommend you to go for the other daily tours too.

Here's some photos!

ATV Tour

Sunset Horse Riding

Daily Group Tours (price per person) ;

Red Tour 35 Euro (SGD 53) : Hotel picks up 09:30, Castle, Castle, Goreme Open Air Museum, Urgup Three Beauties, Lunch in Avanos, Avanos pottery demonstration, Pasabag, Devrent Valley, Love Valley, Carpet Manufacturer and back to the hotel at 17:00. The price includes Lunch, Tickets, Guide, pickTransportation and VAT

Green Tour 40 Euro (SGD 61) : Hotel pick up 09:30, Goreme Panorama, Derinkuyu Underground City (14 floors down ), 3 km hiking in Ihlara Valley, Selime Monastery, Uchisar Pigeon Valley, Onyx Factory back t the hotel around 17:30. The price includes Lunch, Tickets, Guide, Valley, transportation, and VAT

Atv Tours 30 Euro (SGD42)  : (2 Hours day or sunset tour with guide) Love Valley ,Valley, Çavuşin Village, Rose Valley

Horse Riding 30 Euro (SGD 42) : (2 Hours day or sunset tour, with guide) The ride will take you to Rose, Red and Love Valley and Çavusin old town. For your information, Cappadocia means the “land of beautiful horses” in ancient Persian language, and it is derived from the name of our region which was Katpatuka.

Jeep Safari 40 Euro (SGD 61) : One of the most exciting the region in an off-road vehicle. Our Jeep Safari tour offers you the best off the best: open-top Land Rover Jeep vehicles for unobstructed views of the valleys, churches and other cultural highlights. We take you to the hard to find places and away from the crowds for spectacular views and the excitement of traveling off-road in the unique landscapes of Cappadocia all in one day.

Turkish Night Show: 40 Euro (SGD 61) including dinner, unlimitted local drinks and transportation; The Turkish Night Show highlights the dance traditions of various regions of Turkey, complete with traditional costumes and of course, exhilarating belly dancers. This lively performance is a great way to enjoy traditional Turkish music, dancing and join in the festivities during audience participation.

So here is the breakdown of our expenses !

Air ticket (Instanbul to Nevsehir) : 694 Turkish Lira per person (SGD 166 x 2 = SGD333 +/-)

Hotel : SGD200

Shuttle Service : SGD12/per x 2 way = SGD24

Total Activities : SGD554 (+/-)

Hot Air Balloon - $185 (x2) = $370, ATV - $46 (x2) = $92, Sunset Horse Riding - $46 (x2) = $92

Total : SGD 1111 (+/-) *

Price not inclusive of food expenses and tips.

My advise is, check with your hotel for their activities rate. Some hotels offer different pricing, and some tour agency offer a cheaper rate. This is absolutely based on your personal preference, and this is the rough estimation I can share with you based on my trips.

Okay, thats all for today's post! Time for a quick rest now.