We recently visited Turkey and returned to Mumbai on 04 Sep 2024 .Turkey is the 4 th most visited country in Europe (part of Turkey falls in Asia). It attracts large number of tourists as it has uniqu (Read More)e blend of history, culture and natural beauty as well as the hospitality ,affordability ,secular fabric and a good weather conditions of this country makes Turkey a popular destination for tourism.
When in Turkey, tourists tend to visit popular destinations such as Istanbul, where the East meets West, Iconic landmarks like Hagia Sophia , Blue Mosque, Topkai Palace, Grand Bazar, Taksim Square as well as the stunning landscapes of Cappadocia with its otherworldly rock formations ,Hot Air Balloon Flights and the dip in unique natural pools in Pammukale Travertines is a lifetime experience. Beach-goers also flock to beautiful beaches at Antalya, Kusadasi and other cities which has clean and pristine beaches
Other major draw for tourists is the Turkish cuisine, renowned for its kebabs, baklava, and Turkish delights. Indian food is also easily available at many places.
While visiting Turkey ,everything went very smoothly with our transfers ,we had very good hotel accommodations, Konak Hotel - Istanbul, Best Western Plus Khan Hotel - Antalya and EFE Hotel were bang in the heart of city , market , restaurants and other visiting places were well within walkable distance , however Dedeli Konak Hotel at Urgup in Cappadocia was little far from Goreme village which is a scenic and beautiful village preferred for the night stay by tourists ,also Dedeli Konak Hotel has a rooftop dining arrangement, we faced little trouble climbing up stairs but it was manageable. Nevertheless, that did not dampen our spirits, we enjoyed a lot and were very happy with activities which were planned to make our tour memorable. Our last stop at Kusadasi turned out good place to unwind, it's a vibrant port city, very scenic and lively, it has ambience of European culture totally different from Istanbul. We observed that the airport transfers as well as pick up and drop from hotel for activities were well planned and executed, we were kept well informed about the activities that were lined up and upcoming tour schedule, vehicles arrived well in time, drivers & guides ( Emara, Aileef, Kaadir, Dilek ) were punctual , well mannered and well informed . Also I liked this fact that our movements were remotely monitored ,as I can recollect, on one occasion when I dropped a message in our what's app group stating we are waiting at the airport, out of concern Rohit immediately called out to check if everything is ok there with us. That made us so comfortable to move around confidently with ease because we knew that we were not left alone in the unknown territories and there are concerned team members watching our movements.
Last but not the least we appreciate that there were no hidden costs, there was complete transparency in dealings, whatever was promised in our tour package was made available to us. Overall it was an incredible experience that we won't soon forget.
Thank you so much Esra , Corbeco Travels and the entire team of Travgram for the ground support in Turkey .
Special thanks to Shivani for meticulous planning and putting together a great itinerary for an affordable price and Rohit for the guidance received at each stage for flight bookings, visa processing, last day pre -departure shopping and for all those smaller but important things associated with travelling to popular long distance locations.
Warm Regards
Ishaq