I was switching jobs and wanted to
make the most of the break in between. Going on a holiday was my first option.
Not just any holiday, but a solo trip. Being a mother of two young boys (a 6-year-old
and a 2-year-old), a solo vacation is like a distant dream. But if it’s
important to you, you make it happen! While Vietnam was on top of my list, the
corona virus has just begun affecting countries and I eventually had to cancel
out on all locations in the South East Asian region. This was in March 2020.
I heard of Turkey from a few friends
and decided to go ahead with my booking before doing much research on what the
country had to offer. One of the objectives of my travel this time was to limit
my planning. By habit, I am one of those who plans until the last meal on the
trip. This time around, I wanted it to be more spontaneous.
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| The Gorgeous Blue Mosque, Istanbul |
Turkey is a vast country and requires
several weeks to explore and enjoy. With just 10 days at hand, I didn’t want to
give up. I picked three destinations within the country. Here’s how my solo
holiday went.
Mixed responses to safety
Is it safe for female solo travellers?
What about the frequent terror attacks? What about the violence at the borders?
What about the refugee situation? There were so many questions I was confronted
with when I spoke of my travel plans. Of course, I did my reading around the
safety aspects. And now after my return, I can say that not for once did I feel
my safety compromised in Turkey. It was safe in every aspect. And yes, Turkey
didn’t have a single case of the virus while I was there.
Visa
With no fancy visas in my passport, I
had to apply for the regular offline visa. With a travel agent’s help, you can
get one in about 10-15 days. Yes, there is lot of documentation to be done including
a ‘consent letter’ from my husband for my solo travel. I felt like a child in
school seeking written consent from a parent.
Choosing your destinations
Ranked as one of the top destinations
in the world, Turkey is a great mix of historical marvels, natural wonders and
is a melting pot of cultures. There is something for everyone. Whether you want
to soak in the Byzantine and Ottoman glories of Istanbul, sun bathe at some of
the most beautiful beaches in the world, delve into history wandering through
ruins such as Ephesus, or see some of the world's most surreal panoramas in
Pamukkale and Cappadocia, this country will never fail to woo you. This is the
toughest part if you are on a time-crunch. I picked Fethiye, Pammukale,
Cappadocia and Istanbul and loved every place, each so different from the
other.
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| The thermal pools of Pammukale |
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| The ruins across Turkey |
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| The stunning Turkish Coast |
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| The valleys of Cappadocia |
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| The Bosphorus |
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| The Galata Tower and the Istanbul skyline |
Weather in Turkey
I travelled at the end of winter, so
it was chilly all the time with a few rainy days as well. For the average
Indian, it was very cold. The temperature was anywhere between 2 degrees to 15
degrees depending on the region. I am not complaining because I loved being in
warm clothes all day.
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| Istanbul on a rainy day |
Food
Whether you are a vegetarian or a
non-vegetarian, fear not, Turkey has you covered everywhere. While most people
only speak of the kebaps and doners, there is so much more. From elaborate
breakfasts to desserts you can’t get over, to the best of meats, Turkey will
not disappoint you. Tea is an integral part and a non-tea drinker like me had
about 5-6 cups a day.
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| There's always space for some bread |
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| Looks like meat but it's not |
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| Mezze for all |
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| Any time is tea time in Turkey |
Accommodation
The options are so many, that you can pick
whatever suits your budget. From resorts to boutique hotels to hostels, Turkey
offers every kind of hotel in every destination. I preferred hostels as a solo
traveller. Hostels are great meeting grounds of like-minded people travelling
on a budget and want to make the most of their time. I coined a new word –
‘check-in’ friends. They are people who check in at a similar time as you so
you can plan different activities together. In all the places I stayed at, I
made friends from different countries and going around the place with them on
some days made my holiday a lot more exciting and made visits memorable. But if
you choose hostels, be ready for dormitories and other shared facilities. They
are clean, safe and are very light on the pocket.
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| All tucked up in a cozy cave |
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| I love hostels |
Transportation
Turkey is well connected with various
travel options. Between cities, you have bus and flight options, both costing
almost the same. So, it narrows down to the time you wish to spend. I opted for
flights most of the time because I didn’t have too much time and buses would
mean that I would be travelling overnight for 10-14 hours. All cities have
public buses that ply between the airport and the city and they go by different
names. Smaller cities have minibuses called Dolmus and taxis for commute. Istanbul
has city buses, taxis and trams. You will however need to buy a transport card
that’s easily available in the city.
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| The ferry at Istanbul |
Cash and spending
While I carried enough cash, I found
that most places accepted cards as well. A travel card was truly handy in my case.
I chose to ignore the transaction fee because I didn’t want to carry too much
cash around. I travelled light and that included my wallet too.
Fethiye
Picturize turquoise waters, calm seas
where you can float all day, pretty walkways covered with umbrellas, a gorgeous
looking harbour with snow-capped mountains in the background. Well, that’s
Fethiye for you. A small town located on the beautiful Turkish coast closer to
Greece, this was my favourite destination. Life is slow here. Most tourists
head to Antalya or Bodrum for its beaches and nightlife. I picked the quieter
alternative and I don’t regret it.
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| The Tlos Ruins |
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| The calm and clear waters of Butterfly Beach |
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| Swimming into the cave |
Ölüdeniz (popular by the name of Blue
Lagoon) is situated 14 kms south of Fethiye and is famous for its beach
resorts. A typical beach, there are several activities you can choose from. You
can choose from boat tours, paragliding, water sports, scuba-diving and much
more. But being an off-season, I found myself at the beach with about 10 other
people. There were no activities either. Fethiye is strict about their tourist
season and maintains quiet times otherwise. I opted for a private boat tour
where I toured a few islands on a speed boat.
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| The luxury of having a private speedboat to yourself |
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| The abandoned town at Kayaköy |
If you like exploring the ruins, a
visit to the ghost town of Kayaköy should not be missed. Completely abandoned since
1923, Kayaköy was once home to around 10,000 people. Yakaköy is another place
to visit for ruins. Being a little far away from town, very few people visit
these ruins.
The Fethiye fish market is an
attraction by itself. Pick from the fresh fish at the market and have it cooked
right there at one of the restaurants. I went there twice during my three-day
stay. The town closes early, so its ideal with simple travellers like me who
like quiet evenings.
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| A seafood lover's paradise |
Click here to read my detailed blog on Fethiye
Pammukale and Hierapolis
The calcite travertine hot springs of
Pammukale (translates to cotton castles in Turkish) is a geological wonder
that is a must-visit when you are in Turkey. The surreal, brilliant white
terraces are made of several warm pools rich in minerals. Pammukale is also
home to some remarkably well-preserved ruins of the widespread Greek-Roman city
of Hierapolis. With such a unique combination of natural and man-made wonders,
it’s no surprise that this is a Unesco World Heritage site.
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| The Hierapolis ruins |
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| Pammukale |
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| The hard-to-resist thermal pools |
I chose to travel to Pammukale from
Fethiye which is a 4-hour journey by road through Denizli. Again, with picture-perfect sceneries throughout the journey, I could go back to Turkey just for
this experience. While I did my visit in a day, I strongly recommend you stay a
night at least to avoid rushing through this beautiful site.
Cappadocia
Straight out of a fairytale,
Cappadocia is almost dreamlike with its fairy chimneys, cave dwellings, underground
cities, and balloons drifting across the landscape. Cappadocia was originally a
lake, which filled with volcanic ash creating a huge volume of tufa, a soft
volcanic stone that has eroded to form the fantastic chimneys and columns. While
there are small hamlets around, Göreme is the most popular town and is sure to
leave you mesmerized. The town offers several cave-dwelling options and I
picked one cozy little cave hotel for my stay of two nights. I took a hot air
balloon ride on my first day at Cappadocia. The favourable wind conditions and
the chilly weather made it perfect for a fascinating and memorable ride. That
was the only day the weather was good in that week and I couldn’t be more
thankful for that.
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| Cappadocia - beyond words |
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| Hills and valleys all around |
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| And yay...that's my balloon |
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| 8 floors underground |
Tour operators in Göreme offer several tours (Red, Green and Blue) that span the entire region. You can also do these tours on your own. But being a solo traveller, it was economical to just go with one of the readily available day tours. The green tour that I opted for covered visits to the Göreme panoramic viewpoint, the pigeon valley, the Onyx Jewelry Factory, Derinkuyu Underground City, Ortahisar Panaroma, Mustafapaşa Old Greek Village, Keshlik Monastery, Taşkınpaşa Medrese, Sobessos Ancient City and the Soğanlı Valley. At 40 Euros, this was a good deal as most places were far from town and the travel was comfortable in a Mercedes minibus. The lunch in the valley along with some awesome fellow travellers was the icing on the cake.
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| An experience to remember |
On day 2, I decided to do a little
walking tour by myself. I walked a couple of kilometres to the Open Air Museum
that Göreme is famous for. The rock-cut churches in this valley date to the 11th
and the 12th century and have some beautiful depictions on the walls
and ceilings. However, with the photographic restrictions, I managed only a few
external pictures.
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| The Open Air Museum |
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| Churches at the museum |
Avanos
With some time at hand before I headed
to Istanbul, I decided to make a quick trip to Avanos – a pottery town
bordering Göreme. The Red River quietly flows through this small yet
picturesque town. With several pottery workshops dotting the town roads, I
learnt a little about the different ceramic and pottery work of the region. But
what I enjoyed most was my super-quiet time watching the river. It's so unlike
me to sit for more than an hour staring at the river.
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| Never miss a chance to visit one of these |
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| The Red River at Avanos |
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| I could stay here all day |
Istanbul
Istanbul with its mix of culture, history, and modern luxuries is a paradise of a different kind. This city attracts a huge number of tourists all year round and is built for memorable travel experiences. The city has so much to offer for travellers of every kind. You can spend weeks and months here and still have lots left to do. So, you can imagine my 3 days in Istanbul were just a ‘touch and go’. With my hostel in the Sultan Ahmet area, most of the famous landmarks were within walking distance.
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| The Blue Mosque |
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| The Basilica Cisterns |
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| The Hagia Sophia |
While in Istanbul, you cannot skip a visit to the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace, the Galata Bridge, the Basilica Cisterns, and the Grand Bazaar. I covered these on day 1 of my stay which gave me more time to explore the rest of the city.
The historical attractions are a great way to see the journey Turkey has been through various empires. It’s marvelous how these monuments have stood strong through time and one can spend hours marveling at their architecture and be mesmerized in their stories. Like most European cities, Istanbul also has many walking tours to choose from. You can choose various paths depending on your interests. And they work well for solo travelers and backpackers. And guess what? Many of them are ‘free’ (more like you pay what you feel like). I picked one for food and I loved it. I wish I had taken one of the historical places as well.
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| Inside the Hagia Sophia |
As you know, Istanbul stretches on
either sides of the Bosphorus and is the only city divided between two
continents – Asia and Europe. Both sides have a different vibe and I suggest
you take time to visit and stay on both sides of the city. For my food tour, I
visited the Asian side – Kadikoy and along with Can, my guide, I explored all
the street food of Istanbul. This was the highlight of my stay in Istanbul and
I wouldn’t mind going back just for this. For a foodie like me, I enjoyed
walking through the narrow alleys trying out local delicacies in places that
are popular with locals.
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| The Galata Tower by night |
I love markets and chose to spend an
entire day going to the bazaars in Istanbul. The Grand Bazaar is a must-visit
with hundreds of shops selling everything from apparel to sweets and dry fruits
to jewellery to artefacts. It reminded me of the souks in Dubai. While I hate
shopping (yes, I really do), I love walking in markets interacting with traders
and understanding what the place has to offer. I bought my stock of souvenirs
here. The Spice Bazaar is another place to shop for edible treasures of Turkey.
Try out the different varieties of Turkish delight or teas, I am sure you’ll
have lots to carry home. I went twice to the Spice Bazaar which is just beside
the Galata Bridge in Eminönü, simply meaning that I loved the place.
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The truly grand Grand Bazaar
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The Eminönü pier and the Galata Bridge are always bustling with
life at any time of the day or night. My hostel-mate Alex and I spent a lovely
evening just watching the sunset on the Galata Bridge. With several eateries
lining the water edge, locals spending hours with their fishing rods and the
silent traffic moving past, passenger ferries coming in every 15 minutes, there
is never a dull moment here. The views of the city from the bridge are just
breathtaking and so picture perfect.
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| On the Bosphorus |
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| Stairway to the Galata tower |
My initial plan was to spend 5 days in
Istanbul but with flight cancellations due to the virus scare, I had to cut
short my holiday. I am glad I chose a time when there were not many tourists
which meant public transport was not crowded, I got pictures without photo
bombers and I didn’t have to wait in long queues at the places I visited. The
weather was cold with the warmest being 7 degrees, perfect for outdoors and
walking tours.
With so much more left to do, Istanbul
goes back into my list of places to visit again. Turkey was the best place
considering it was safe for a female solo traveller and was safe from the
Coronavirus while I was there.
