Excursion tour "ISTANBUL, Treasures of the Turkish Riviera" from PREMiO Travel
Another great trip organized by PREMiO Travel has come to an end. I flew from Boryspil to Antalya. Then 1850 km towards Istanbul through the ancient cities of Hiropolis, Ephesus, Pergamon and Troy. We flew with UIA. The flight was delayed for an hour. Breakfast on board consisted of a roll with cheese, tea, coffee, juice. After two and a half hours we landed in Antalya. Temperature at 8 am +16. I received my luggage without delay, I decided not to change the lira at the airport - their exchange rate is not Orthodox: 1.56, it seems. The bus and the guide were waiting not far from the exit. Let me tell you about the guide. This is my third tour with PREMiO Travel, I have never been disappointed by the guide. Our name was Sesai. Very erudite, intelligent, even a little soft for our tourists. It didn't take long to get to the hotel. It's called Harrington Park. Good hotel. Checked in half an hour after arrival. We were waiting for the numbers to be ready. While waiting - the guide handed out bracelets for food categories. I paid for dinners and excursions in Ukraine. I don’t understand people who didn’t do this, and then paid $ 100 for excursions on the spot. And there were those who, for the sake of dubious savings, bought tickets to museums on their own, and then listened to our guide's tour. For such, I will inform you that only lira is taken at the box office. I will return to the hotel. The first day we rested. After checking in - at 11 o'clock went to the beach. Sea across the road. The tunnel from the hotel was already closed, so we went to the beach across the road. There is a traffic light next to the hotel. The beach is pebbly, the bottom too. Can't say that I'm a fan of the pebbles. I love soft sand. But the warm sea (+22) and the sun allow you to forget about active acupuncture foot massage. At 3 o'clock I started to shake from doing nothing and I went to explore the surroundings. Across the road from the hotel is a wonderful promenade with a lot of cafes on the seashore. In the second from the hotel I had lunch. Grilled fish with salad + fresh orange juice + Turkish coffee + 24 lira. In dollars, they gave me 18. The exchange rate is 1.33, although in the exchange office the next day I changed 1.76. Change lira. It's more profitable. Half an hour walk from the hotel is the Antalya Aquarium with the world's longest underwater tunnel. I went there after lunch. Entrance 55 lira, but I liked it. 4 floors, there is something to see. The aquarium is new, sharks and rays are not very big yet. In front of the aquarium there is a mini-city museum, and a little further - the Guinness Book of Records Museum. Dinner at 19:00 Food is enough. The assortment is not so plentiful, but it is not possible not to eat! I got a full plate, despite the fact that I didn’t take potatoes, pasta, or rolls. Fed well in all hotels for breakfast and dinner. This time I decided to buy also dinners - 5 dinners-$50. There were 6 people in our group. You need to eat regularly. Last time I took breakfast and dinner and gained 5-7 kg of weight. This time I even managed to lose half a kilo, despite the fact that I ate sweets for dinner. To close the topic of food: in all hotels it is forbidden to take food out of the restaurant in order to comply with sanitary standards. I counted 2 or 3 cameras in the restaurant. Plus go uncles with walkie-talkies. On the first day, we recorded one woman. There was a scandal and a fine of 10 euros.
Day two - Antalya. Departure at 8 am. The weather turned bad, it rained almost until the evening. Therefore, take umbrellas or raincoats. The old city was almost without tourists. By the time of the boat ride, the rain had subsided. Then there was the leather center, lunch, waterfall, gold center, back to the hotel. I heard many times indignation about the arrivals in these centers - they say they take a lot of time, it's expensive there.......etc. And every time I see a lot of happy faces who have successfully shopped there. Although, of course, tourists would not hurt to add efficiency.
Third day: we left at 8 am in the direction of Pamukkale. First place - carpet center. The crisis has reached here. At a temperature of + 12, I dreamed that now I would warm myself in the center with coffee and crayfish. And we were treated to a piece of cake with cheese and chemical apple tea. We didn't stay here for long. There are many changes in Pamukkale. All the paths have been ennobled with terraced boards, the amphitheater at the pre-excavations, many ruins have already been fenced off and you can no longer take pictures inside. For the thermal pool and travertines, we allocate 1h40m. Bathing - 30 lira or 17 dollars. The guide collected money and gave out the keys to the storage boxes. For an hour I swam in soda, the rest of the time I looked at the fading and already far from snow-white slope. Then a cursory tour of Hiropolis. Pam Spa hotel is 15 minutes away.
I really like this hotel. And of course, its main advantage is a thermal spring with terraces. Outlet temperature +56, lower - cooler. If you want to take a free towel - buy a hat if you didn't take it from the last time. That's where the unique rate is - 2 lira or 2 dollars or 2 euros. Steamed half an hour before dinner. After dinner I went to the village to drink pomegranate juice for 1 lira and buy baklava. I already wrote in past reviews that I buy baklava for home at a local bakery. They don't speak Russian or even English here - everyone uses gestures. For 1kg 600gr I paid 34 lira. Later I saw baklava in Istanbul, but I think it was more expensive there.
Day four - we leave at 7:45 and head to Ephesus. But first there was a textile center. This is my second time in Ephesus, but the tour was not boring. For 2 years, they unearthed a bunch of new ones, and our guide led new paths. It should be noted that all excursions in this tour are very galloping across Europe - an hour and a half at the facility! Therefore, in order to listen to the guide and have time to take a picture, I stood with my back to him and clicked around. We did not have any additional excursions on this tour. Was offered casually to the house of the Virgin Mary - if you want, we'll stop by now. 3 people wanted it and we missed it. By 17.30 we arrived at the Pine bay hotel that I knew. The only hotel in the whole trip where the electricity did not turn off when leaving the room. Aegean Sea. Despite the wind and the darkness, he redeemed himself. Was not alone. A few more Germans wanted to mark themselves in the Aegean. Water +20. Be careful at dinner. Mere mortals, in the sense of HB, can be located in the hall behind a glass fence. And in the hall where the food is located, there are guides and All Inc.
Day five. We left at 8 and headed to Pergamon. Here a small lyrical digression, rather a request. People!! ! If you are afraid of something (heights, drafts, ailments... ) - why do you go on sightseeing tours? Do not spoil the rest of others! Stay at home!!! ! A cable car leads to the entrance to the museum of the city of Pergamon. But, due to the fact that one tourist from the previous groups got scared, we were taken by taxi for 4 people. No, it’s comfortable in a taxi, the taxi driver is a sweetheart, he treated me to candy so that my ears don’t block from the height, but on the cable car it’s cooler, and much cheaper for the host company. If you are going to take pictures using a tripod, leave it on the bus, or don't get it before you get inside, otherwise they will take it away. In Hagia Sophia, all things are even passed through the scanner. Will give at the exit. I purposely do not describe the impressions of the ruins themselves. They will each have their own. The main thing is to turn on the fantasy and local beauties will sparkle with new colors. After the tour, the path lay in the Halic Park Hotel. The hotel is located in the town of Ayvalik on an island in the Aegean Sea. Near Greece and the island of Lesvos. Who has a visa - the guide advised on the ferry to swim there in 20 minutes. The island is connected to the mainland by an artificial embankment. Good hotel. There is even a kettle in the room. But the sockets were all filled with resin. To charge everything, I had to move the nightstand, turn off the refrigerator and TV. Didn't dare swim. The beach is very dirty and the wind was strong. Went to the pool. But it is for those who like to turn sour in the water. Fully swim in 7 meters will not work.
Day 6 - Troy. She didn't impress a lot of people. Because there are 9 layers of the city of different times of construction, they have not yet managed to dig them all out. A Trojan horse stands at the entrance to the museum. And then everyone was entertained by Trojan squirrels who live in stone ruins and fight with Trojan cats. An hour of excursion, lunch, and we say goodbye to the Asian part of Turkey. Ahead of the Dardanelles! This is the time to remember our smart driver. It was only thanks to his virtuosity and violation of the rules that we managed to catch the ferry. We were late, of course, due to the lack of punctuality of the tourists. In 30 minutes we are in Europe! Landscapes changed instantly and became similar to ours. On this day we were on the road for about 8 hours. In the evening we arrived in the suburbs of Istanbul, at the Artemis Princess hotel. The hotel stands on the shores of the marble sea. Across the road is a hypermarket where you can buy coffee, olive oil, etc. much cheaper than in tourist centers. Sea+18. When we decided to swim the next evening, the guard looked at us for a long time, mentally twisting his finger at the temple. Food cannot be brought into the hotel. At the entrance you will be asked to leave it at the reception until departure.
Day seven. Istanbul. We left at 7. Traffic jams on the way. We drove for an hour and a half. Last day. The one for which I actually went on this tour. So: Hippodrome, columns, Blue Mosque, Sofia. We were lucky that only 1 cruise ship entered the city this Tuesday. There were many tourists, but not very many. Those who did not buy excursions lined up at the box office. We went in right away. We were given headphones with receivers. A very handy item. The guide told, and we could move away from him to watch and photograph what we want. Sofia is amazing! After we were given an hour of free time to eat... I went to the cisterns, from Sofia to the right, cross the road - a corner yellow building. Entrance 10 lira. Very beautiful. Then I went down a little along the tram rails to souvenir shops, bought a shawarma for 5 liras and returned to the hippodrome. We were taken by bus to the Galata Bridge to travel along the Bosphorus. Wonderful excursion. The ship sailed close enough to the shore that all the palaces could be seen. After 1 hour 40 minutes free time visit the Egyptian Bazaar. I managed to buy coffee in a company store where the Turks buy. If you pass through the bazaar, exit and turn right. Go for the smell. 1kg of ground coffee (10 bags) - 30 lire. Then I bought the freshest Turkish delight. Not reaching the exit from the market on the right. 40 lira/kg. Sliced and vacuum packed. Then I returned to the Galata Bridge to eat the famous fish buns. They are cooked right on the boats, eaten nearby on kegs. It costs 5 lira, you can buy a glass of pickled vegetables for 1.5 lira. This is where our journey ended. The next morning at 6:30 we left for the airport. We flew back with Aerosvit. For breakfast there was puree with meat, dessert and even Italian wine. Wonderful finale. Now that I know the main directions of Istanbul, I will plan an independent trip of 5 days to see everything slowly. Thanks to Premio for the good organization and Sesai for tolerance!
