THE MOST CORRECT REVIEW
PAMUKKALE - be EVERYTHING!
To be in Turkey and not go to Pamukkale?!
There is an expression in Turkey: Whoever has not been to Pamukkale has not seen Turkey!
Pamukkale in Turkey is the most famous natural monument. This place is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, consists of an ancient volcanic plateau, which is located more than 100 m above the valley. behind the salts are snow-white travertine terraces. For a long time, the entire slope was covered with a white coating. Water accumulates in the terraces, forming shallow pools. Here are the most unique hot springs with a large proportion of calcium oxide, which contribute to the treatment of many diseases.
We DO NOT recommend swimming in travertines - you will see for yourself and the water is stagnant (the smell is not camille) and there is almost nothing to swim in (there is almost no water)....
We were on this excursion last year (May 2016), and this year (June 2017) our friend was there, and to our great regret we heard that there is even less water in the travertines than when we were. . .
Therefore, we decided to share our impressions, which are still almost unshadowed by anything:
Last year (2016) the tour cost $35 per person (purchased from Ginza).
This year (2017) the same Ginza costs for some reason already $50 per person. . .
ATTENTION: when selling the tour, they most likely will not tell you, and when approaching the travertines from everyone (99.9% probability), the guides will suddenly start demanding an extra $18 per person for the "Cleopatra's Pool", but in fact, the entrance cost 32 lira (at today's rate it's about 9 dollars), so you don't have to take the guide, but you can get the tickets yourself on the spot (if you're not afraid to queue when we were there - there was no queue at all, that's when it was our friend (now) queues were huge, so decide for yourself).
By the way, usually, and to our great surprise, the guides do not walk with you throughout the complex and do not tell anything, but let you into the territory, show directions where everything is and then wait before leaving, such a joke....
The complex is big enough, here is the Map:
This Map is located inside the complex when you go inside and follow the main path towards "Cleopatra's Pool".
There is a belief about the Cleopatra Pool that the one who swims in this water will look 30 years younger! . Water is about 35-36 degrees.
You hand over things in lockers and swim. Everyone refuses to leave the pool!
In general, ALL go to Cleopatra's Pool! We live once! And here to life plus thirty years or from age minus thirty years... and only for some 32 lira there...
It is also IMPORTANT to consider that the total time of the tour is limited (we had about 3 hours, and now the tour lasted only 1 (one) hour), so TIP: divide your time into 3 (three) parts in the following order:
(1) travertines 20-30 minutes (walk about 500 meters from the main street)
(2) Hierapolis (Roman Theatre) up to 20 minutes (maximum)
(3) Cleopatra pool up to 60 minutes
The guides offer another order, namely:
(1) travertines first
(2) then Cleopatra's Pool
(3) and at the end Hierapolis (Roman theater)
which, by the way, is also convenient for everyone to go through and return to the exit, but we will tell you that after the pool, "cutting" up the mountains (there is a slope of more than 30 degrees) is not very comfortable, but it is easy to find a way out, because you will be at the highest point and you will see where everything is, including the exit.
When swimming in the Cleopatra Pool, a photographer will take pictures of you and at the exit you will be offered to buy these photos (we don’t know the price, we think it’s inexpensive).
IMPORTANT: to the right of the entrance to the Cleopatra Pool (10 meters maximum) on the railing (fence) of the pool there are two taps (red color - do not miss it), and so: be sure to pour this water into an empty water bottle, but DO NOT drink on the tour. Drink ONLY the next morning STOCK in the room - and immediately within 2-3 minutes you will begin to look younger and lose weight...
You can (should) take a walk around the ancient city of Hierapolis. In good condition are such historical monuments as the Roman theater, founded in the II century. AD The stands of this theater once accommodated up to 15 thousand spectators, there is a picturesque colonnade on the main street, there is also the temple of Apollo, the sanctuary of Pluto with a grotto, the baths of Cleopatra, the gates of the arch of Domitian. Also on both sides of the road there are tombs of different eras - this is a necropolis.
There is also a museum on the territory of the complex, usually the entrance fee to the museum is NOT included in the price of the tour, so if you have enough time, you can visit the museum on your own.
Before entering / exiting this whole complex (where there are buses), you will not be offered, but you can rent 2- and 3-seater electric mopeds on your own. The same mopeds can be rented near the Cleopatra Pool. We didn’t take it, but we should have taken it - if you go around everything, then you will need to walk a lot, but like this: on a moped, klaaaass!
Near the Cleopatra Pool there is a small shop with souvenirs, we pay special attention to copies of ancient coins in a presentation package - we have only found such coins in the Old Town of Kaleiç i, Antalya, but without any packaging. Also in this souvenir shop there are still original items that are sold only here.
Also, in front of the entrance / exit to this whole complex (where there are buses) there are several shops with souvenirs (in principle, everything is more expensive than everywhere else), but the toilet is free, and there is the most delicious goat milk ice cream (they sell only 5-6 balloons each, and they don’t sell one balloon at a time).
This is Turkish ice cream Dondurma: thick and does not melt for a long time. It is kneaded from goat's milk and the powder of dried orchid tubers. The homeland of the dessert is the southeastern part of Turkey, where these orchids grow. Dondurma ice cream was made back in the days of the Ottoman Empire, the sultans believed that orchids increase male strength and the dessert is still sold from wooden barrels on the street. The ice cream maker is forced to constantly knead the ice cream so that it does not thicken. In a barrel, as a rule, there are dozens of servings of Dondurma, so only a strong man can cope with the dessert.
And yet, in the same place in front of the entrance / exit to this whole complex, in the central store, there are souvenirs made of semi-precious stones for sale (not very expensive).
Also (on this excursion to Hierapolis), you may be offered a trip to a textile factory (BAMBOO products) from towels to bathrobes - here the GOOD quality and reasonable prices. We compared prices in Kemer and Antalya - there are cheaper ones, but the quality is much worse. So, choose and take what you like. For reference, a blanket (2m x 2.3m) cost only 20 dollars (we don’t know now, we vaguely suspect that it will be more expensive), but we haven’t seen such prices and such high quality anywhere else in a factory, however, something similar for sale in Kemer in a store on the other side of the White Tower towards Carrefour (50 meters).
And finally, a visit to the wine gallery - it all depends on the mood. Free tasting is very good. They offer to buy a bottle of wine for $25 (I will write again - a bottle of wine for $25!!! ). In supermarkets (for example, in the same Kemer in Carrefour - such wine costs 20-23 liras, or in Migras in Antalya about the same within 20-25 liras). In general, decide for yourself, BUT there were cases, they gave nectar for tasting, tourists bought wine for $ 25 right at the tasting, arrived at the hotel - and there was vinegar (cheated, in short)! The Turks themselves shout that pomegranate wine is made only in Turkey, as if they had never heard of Israel, Abkhazia and Armenia. Our opinion: the most delicious Turkish wine is melon wine (smells bad, but delicious!!! ).
AND MORE - a trip (there), for example, from Kemer will take about 6.5 hours, back: a little faster - about 6 hours, so you may not have time for dinner at the hotel. Therefore, on the road, ALWAYS take water and a few sandwiches. Moreover (see above) you ALWAYS need to draw water from the red tap near the Cleopatra Pool into an empty bottle from under the water!
During the trip (back and forth) there will be a visit to a cafe and in front of the entrance to the left of the cafe there is a real teahouse with a low table and a carpet instead of chairs - we saw only here and photos with such surroundings only from here. Tea and coffee were the same price - one dollar (now, we suspect that they will charge 2 dollars each).
But now, you have been to Pamukkale, and now no one will say that you have not seen Turkey, especially since you have already swum in the Cleopatra Pool and are already getting younger, and in the morning at home (at the hotel) you will drink water from the red tap and you will definitely look 30 years younger, if not in body, then in soul for sure!
So PAMUKKALE - be EVERYTHING!
!!! ! THANK YOU FOR APPRAISING THE PHOTOS!!! !
