Continued from Days 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9
Day 10
We were supposed to leave only at 11 from the hotel, but we woke up early because…shopping! In addition to the more famous Grand and Spice markets, there is also one near the Blue Mosque called Arasta Bazaar. The internet had some good things to say about it. It was very close to the hotel, and we reached by 9. The shops were just beginning to open. It is smaller than the other two. We found some super cushion covers, but otherwise, it actually seemed pricier than the other markets.
We bid goodbye to the hotel by 11, and this time, reached the airport in just an hour! After doner kababs for lunch, we did some duty free shopping and boarded the flight. The flight to Doha had no in-flight entertainment and I had to restrain myself from finishing the book I had brought! The flight was a bit delayed and we had to make a run for the connecting flight! We were warned by the Istanbul duty-free salesman that they might not let the liquor through, thankfully spirits dampening didn’t happen.
In the flight from Doha to Bangalore, I caught Birdman. Michael Keaton was just #wow. What a movie, and a brilliant way to end a flight from reality! 🙂
Costs & Notes
– Our entire trip was planned and managed by Yuki. On hindsight, we should have done more of the planning ourselves, because our needs are a bit different from the standard packages. We did see what we had set out for, but the time we had for our little food explorations, and shopping expeditions was very less. We had the research, but between the flights and transfers, a lot of it remained on paper.
– The cost per person was 975 euros, with the balloon ride, hamam and balloon amounting to 200 euros extra pp. This included lunches and our only additional costs were some dinners, extra water (most hotels give two bottles of water in the room for free) and shopping. All the hotels had wifi, so a data card is probably unnecessary. My suggestion would be to use a guide from something like tourhq for specific city tours and transfers from airports, and book the flights yourself. Compare the costs though.
– My recommendation for a 10 day tour would be 4-5 days in Istanbul (there is just so much to see in terms of culture and history, and so many contemporary hangouts to visit! At some point, we plan to make another Istanbul-only visit, and stay in Sokullu Pasa. Those guys are just amazing!) Â 2 days in Cappadocia, 3 days in Kusadasi (go to Pamukkale from there)