Expectation and reality. Turkey. Kyiv - Izmir - Pamukkale - Ephesus - Cesme
It took three things to start the trip: the low season (December), the Eagle and Tails. Izmir travel show (for pointing to points) and the profitable Kyiv-Izmir flight.
Budget for two (air, car rental + gasoline, hotels, museums and food) - 590 euros. Details on the video, and a description with details and prices below.
From what we saw and what is worth seeing:
1. Arrival at the Adnan Mendez Airport in Izmir late in the evening, overnight at the hotel right in the airport terminal building, 51 euros for two with breakfast.
2. Breakfast, registration of a car rental (booked, of course, in advance through the sites of search and comparison of prices and conditions). They didn’t take the car that was cheaper (as I understand it, without a rental desk at the airport, but a company in the city that drives the car to the parking before arrival), but from those who can return the car directly to the airport. Our flight was at 4 o'clock in the morning, not everyone can return the car at two o'clock in the morning. They chose those who work around the clock, have good reviews and reasonable prices. The car is new, clean and fully functional.
3. Departure to Pamukkale (250 km) - everything is new. Unusual organization of traffic, unusual roads. Several times, even with a navigator, I got lost at difficult interchanges, roundabouts with many traffic lights. An unusual gas station called "Kurshunsuz". The gas station operator himself enters the car number and liters near the gas station, then you go to the cashier with a check to pay (all payments on the trip are by card, no cash exchange was needed). Car rental for three days - 61 euros (with insurance) + 50 euros gasoline for 700 km (there was more than it was in the tank at the beginning, I could not figure out the sensor, I refueled before delivery).
4. Pamukkale and Hierapolis are two miracles that complement each other. Snow-white terraces made of travertine, through which warm water flows from a thermal spring and ancient Roman ruins with a giant amphitheater. Since the trip is independent, they entered through the second entrance (from the bottom of the mountain, deserted), and stayed on the territory as much as they wanted and could. Entrance 144 lira for two.
5. Overnight in Pamukkale - a super hotel, not a chain, but with an unreal variety of breakfast, 28 euros for two, road to Ephesus (about 200 km). Ephesus is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage, the entrance is 120 lira for two, a lot of interesting things for lovers of ancient classical architecture.
6. Moving to Cesme, on the coast of the Aegean Sea. More than 100 km, a hotel 29 euros right in the Old Center on a picturesque embankment with a bunch of moored boats. View from the window to the port, the sea and the Greek islands on the horizon. The location and design are great, the hotel maintenance and breakfast leaves much to be desired.
7. Castle in Cesme, entrance 80 lira for two, search for thermal springs in the sea, on the shore, as shown in the show "Eagle and Tails. Izmir". Along the way, we visited the resort development area in Alacati (4 km), the beach, and after a long search, we found these springs and bought up in the sea. The air temperature at that time was +16, the water temperature in some places up to +30. . . +35, and mostly +20.
8. In the evening we visited Izmir itself - the Old Town, the embankment with ferries, narrow streets and intersections, one-way traffic, streams, really still goosebumps, how did I get out of there and not scratch the car? Once I mistakenly drove into a road with heavy oncoming traffic. The catch was that these are two parallel one-way roads with three lanes, and both in the same direction. At the traffic light I turned, I thought it was empty there, and they would go to me in three rows, I barely got out and then backed out. And where did the traffic police look?
