UCHISAR CASTLE -- 4

CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

The main reason visitors go to Uçhisar is to climb to the top of the hisar, the tall rock outcrop via tunnels and enjoy the spectacular panoramic view, the best view of Cappadocia except for that which you get from a hot air balloon.

https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/CentralAnatolia/Cappadocia/uchisar/index.html

UCHISAR CASTLE -- 3

CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

Uçhisar has numerous hotels, some of them with cave rooms.

https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/CentralAnatolia/Cappadocia/uchisar/index.html

UCHISAR CASTLE -- 2

CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

The popular backpacker base of Goreme Town is a short distance downhill from Uçhisar (OOCH-hee-sahr, "tiptop castle").

https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/CentralAnatolia/Cappadocia/uchisar/index.html

UCHISAR CASTLE

CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

The natural rock citadel of Uçhisar is the tallest point in Cappadocia, visible for a great distance from the region's other towns such as Urgup and Avanos.

https://turkeytravelplanner.com/go/CentralAnatolia/Cappadocia/uchisar/index.html

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 11

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

I just checked Efendi and not only do they have dozens of reasonably-priced tours for Istanbul and the entirety of Turkey.

They also have a tour for people who require dialysis. 

As a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, that impresses me very much.

https://www.efenditravel.com

https://turkeytravelplanner.com

http://www.yunak.com

https://www.muze.gov.tr/tr/muzeler/goreme-acik-hava-muzesi-goreme-orenyeri

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 10

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

The Day 2 tour took me all over the place, so I left having ticked every checklist item save for the (additional cost plus 3 a.m. wake up call) sunrise balloon trip.

I bought so many books on Cappadocia, that I even emailed Yusuf about Turkish Airlines policy on weight of bag.

I always go light and carry on, but when faced with a 200 USD cost of shipping home rare books from Istanbul and souvenirs for Cappadocia, I was figuring may check the bags was my option.

Yusuf, a highly trained tourism expert, assured me that while the carry on limit was 8KG, I had at least 20 KG of checked bag for free allowance for the journey back to Miami later in the week.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 9

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

With Efendi’s work to free my from my first day Cappadocia itinerary, I got to spend 4 hours in the Open Air Museum (the tour stop is only an hour) walking up hill at my own pace to favor my knee, and lingering till closing to get better light for photography.

I even got to wander the touristy, but worth a stop for food and shopping town of Goreme, about 1 KM from the museum.

With Efendi, I got the best of both worlds -- all the security, price point and seamless service of a package deal -- but the individuality to strike out on my own.

The entire taxis, park admission food on my own, etc. cost way less than 100 Turkish Lira, about 20 USD, well worth it to see the park on my own.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 8

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

Day 1 was a long hike and my knee was acting up. 

The weather for the next day called for storms.

I pictured my only visit to Cappadocia being marred by a sore knee and rain sweeping away photos I wanted to take in Goreme. 

I offered to leave the tour halfway into Day 1 and pay a taxi to Goreme.

The tour guide was polite, but balked at it.

I dialed Yusuf (he gave me his cell and told me to call 24/7) and quickly, the tour driver was depositing me in Goreme.

The understanding was that I would not have travel protection until I was back in the care off the Day 2 driver the next morning, that I would pay taxi home to hotel and that I was skipping the free lunch.

 I agreed.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 7

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

Each day, I was picked up around 9:30 a.m. and taken around to all the key sites and museums. I must say, the buffet lunch was fairly mediocre, but no lacking for items. 

There must have been 100 things to choose from, which is good for the picky eaters.
Efendi and Yusuf even helped trouble shooting a problem of my own creation.

The number one thing I wanted to see was the Goreme Open Air Museum. 

We were supposed to see it on the first day, but the on-site tour operator switched my itinerary.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 6

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

Breakfast -- 95% of Turkish small hotels, be they rural or urban, have a buffet spread in the morning -- had all the traditional Turkish white cheeses, breads, olives, pickles and dips -- along with enough warm food, jams and other items to appeal to the more western palate. 

The room at Yunak was spectacular, though it involved climbing very many outdoor, smooth marble stair cases. It had a very modern and luxurious bath.

There was a heater, but I never needed it.

Plenty of comfy sheets and blankets made me at ease with the constant 67 degree interior.

The room was large as a suite, stocked with free bottled water and amazing to sleep in, what with its carved niches from being an ancient cave home.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 5

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

The service at Yunak Evleri was superb, the finishes amazing, the common areas upscale, etc.

I feared the restaurant would be mediocre and expensive, since it was a bit of a hike into the ancient village of Urgup for a dining alternative.  

But it was the opposite a multilevel lounge deck -- with spectacular views of the canyon around us and the hotel's cliff facade -- welcomed with a fireplace, hip music (volume not too loud) and an array of items.  

Eating late and on the road, I opted for a simple margarita pizza and a gourmet, ultra-thin crust creation arrived with a price tag far less than you'd pay in the states.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 4

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

The 600 USD included transfer to and from Ataturk airport and coach seats on a larger than I imagined jet to Nevsehir Airport.

It also covered transfer from that Cappadocia area airport to my hotel and back, plus two full days of touring itinerary with an English speaking guide.

Best of all, the extra 100 or so I spent got me a prime room at Yunak Evleri Cave Hotel. 

Now there are hundreds of cave hotels in Cappadocia, but few are a 4 to 5 star that Yunak is.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 3

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

I was staying in an area on the tramway in Sirkeci. All of my previous taxis, Ubers and drivers dropped me off blocks from my hotel. Pickups were more strung out delayed and confusing.

Yusuf assured me that my driver would be at the door of my hotel, plus he would call ahead to let the front desk know if he was arriving late at all.
This gave me such comfort and assurance.

Through a smart phone, while tidying up my room, doing some light sink laundry, organizing my receipts and recharging my camera batteries on the middle day of a 14-day trip, Efendi completed the itinerary.

Even though I could easily call up word docs and PDFs on my phone, Yusuf personally delivered a print out to my hotel and insisted the front desk place it in my room.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 2

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

Let me state up front, I'm a very independent traveler. I have seen vast parts of Europe, Latin America and far beyond -- with or without any local language skills -- on my own.

I have booked daring travel way back before we had the internet, trip advisor and all the online ways of doing research.

So to like a package tour, it had to be near perfect.

Right off the bat, Yusuf found a 3-day, 2-night visit for about 500 USD. That was the price I would pay just for round trip flights, had I booked on short notice on my own.

We ultimately settled on a package costing roughly 600 USD (we could have gone as remarkable low as nearly 400 USD) to ensure a great time.

CAPTIVATING CAPPADOCIA -- 1

THANKS TO EFENDI TRAVEL

Yusuf Karaca of Efendi Travel in Istanbul Turkey created a luxury package to Cappadocia in the span of three short hours, for a reasonable price.

I was in Istanbul and though I could spend a month in the city without getting bored, I started wondering if I should see something more. It is a 12+ hour flight from Miami, so when would I be back?

I decided Cappadocia would be perfect. Because Tom Brosnahan's Turkey Travel Planner is my bible for travel in Istanbul and beyond, I took his advice to contact Efendi.

I sent a simple email to info@efenditravel.com   

Within minutes, Yusuf was emailing. There were no sales come-ons, attempts to upsell or to pressure me to close the deal.

There was, a pending deadline, because I was aiming to leave about 48 hours after contacting Efendi.

GRAND BAZAAR, ISTANBUL, TURKEY

Kapalı Çarşı, or Covered Market

Yes, sadly, at least half the nearly 4,000 stalls are aimed at tourists.

But the Grand Bazaar is a must see.

Go for the history.

Stop to have tea -- Turkish or apple.

Bargain with a salesperson -- the gold and silver places generally charge by weight, with a very small mark up for the craftsmanship.

Check out turkeytravelplanner.com for more insights.

RAIN DOESN'T DAMPEN SPIRITS IN HISTORIC PERA

ISTANBUL, CITY OF FABLES AND MYTHS

A light drizzle on a warm day just provides an excuse for more baklava and tea in a gold-rimmed, tulip-shaped glass on pedestrian-oriented Istiklal Caddesi

TURKEY TRAVEL PLANNER

EXPERT ADVICE, WRITTEN BEAUTIFULLY ON AN ENCHANTING WEBSITE

My travel writing friend and colleague Tom Brosnahan has created the most delightful site.

It may not be as flashy and graphically-oriented as some sites, but TurkeyTravelPlanner.com
delivers pure steak -- when other sights barely deliver the sizzle.

Tom has been to Turkey so many times, he should be able to run for office.

His expertise on Istanbul alone is worthy of Hall of Fame honors as an informative sharer of practical information.

Before the events of July 15, I began planning a trip to Istanbul.

There is no shortage of online information about the historic and fabled city.

Read Orhan Pamuk's autobiographical book on his beloved city and you will want to book the next flight on Turkish Airlines.

I research and write about travel all the time, so I think I'm a pretty good finder of facts and hidden secrets.

Let's just say, I barely knew the European side of the Bosphorus from the Asian, nor the Sea of Marmara from the Golden Horn...until I stumbled upon Tom's site.

I'll write more in the coming days.

But I truly don't have words grand enough to endorse this site.

It has the basics, it has the quirky, it has the practical.

Links are logical and allow you to expand from the basics on the Hamam (Turkish Bath) to learning the lowdown on the famous, most expensive, most beautifully-designed and most inexpensive local facilities.

I quite possibly could have, even after my savvy research, been staying on a noisy street, surrounded by tourists and paying $150 per night more for a relatively cookie cutter lodging.

Through Tom's site, I found a place that is well-located, in more authentic surroundings, operated by a family legendary for hospitality expertise and booking for a nightly price that will just about pay for my airfare in savings vs. staying at a chain hotel.

TurkeyTravelPlanner.com has this kind of in-depth information on the entire nation, not just Istanbul.

Even if you have no immediate plans to see the great mosques, museums, vistas and people...Tom's site will over some of the most-entertaining armchair travel you've ever found yourself lost (that's a good thing) in.

click to visit the Istanbul section of Turkey Travel Planner