Pamukkale - Antalya - Cappadocia - Dates - 22nd March'19 - 27th March'19
"The deepest form of Love is curiosity" - Iordan
Travelers: Narendra Kapoor, Madhu Kapoor, Deepak Kapoor, Rati Kapoor, Rajesh Kasera, Pushpa Kasera, Sudhindra Kumar Jain, Anjula Jain, Mukul Tandon, Meena, Tandon, Akshay Gupta, Ritu Gupta
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The best part of the present is it's in the middle and you can always look in both directions, we still remember when we were in the middle of our Iceland trip in Akureyri getting ready for our Northern lights tour in evening, we get a call from Mr.Sudhindra Kumar Jain from Kanpur asking do we do tours to Turkey and that time we had no work base in Turkey and like as always we took upon the challenge of doing a tour in Turkey thinking it's just going to be another great experience of life and said Yes for the trip, we worked hard on the trip for 3 months and in no time like always in past things worked out and worked out well from all angles and looking back today you feel it was so super fun. Till the time you are not gonna go forward, you will never know what's waiting for you. So we went leading a trip of 12 travelers from Kanpur who were all above the age of 60 yrs and one was 78 yrs and now can say for sure they all were worth sharing a ride and it's been an awesome experience to meet such lovely people.
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We all met in Istanbul at the Park Lares hotel and after the trip briefing, we were all set for our morning flight to Denizli from where we reached our first stop Pamukkale, weather was perfect, conversations kept the fun going and witnessing the white salt beds with sun rays falling on the hot water coming out from thermal pools with a backdrop of mountains , you could see all travelers getting out of their comfort zone and excited to see something so beautiful. After spending good time and sharing some priceless moments you started feeling you are traveling with family and we were off to our next destination Antalya - beach side of Turkey known for its Old town Kaleci, its food, city of Perge, amphitheater and so much more.
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We all were staying in a beautiful boutique hotel in the Old town of Antalya with the beach right next to us and we were all off exploring again,it was cold and windy but the enthusiasm and excitement level of all travelers was on another level and we were lucky to be on time for the sunset and sky was beautiful and very peaceful which is one of the perks of traveling just before the peak season kicks in. The night rolled with some amazing conversations, food, and drinks.
Next day we were all up early all fresh and geared up for a full day of exploration, the sun was out which is always good to see, we started exploring the city of Perge its ruins, Amphitheater and you are imagining how it used to be in the past in the time of Gladiators and so much more. Turkey is such a beautiful country and reveals itself only when you spend time and try to imagine its past - it's something which amazes and takes your curiosity level to another level. Our next stop was the archaeology museum which took us more back in times of Antalya past which was beautiful to visit as well. Our next stop was stopping for local Turkish cuisine at a Turkish family which was not only delicious but the hospitality of Turkish people was so heartwarming. You love when you have such amazing experiences with you. Everybody ate their heart full. In the evening was a small walking tour of the Kaleci district followed by dinner and when in Turkey all you need is a Turkish bath to end a long day of travel.
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Next day we were up early and headed to our next destination Kayseri and if you know it then we were off to the rocky cliffs region of Turkey "Cappadocia" , we started our travel in Cappadocia by visiting the Derwent Valley which gave you panoramic views of the cliffs and then we made our way to the Open-air Göreme museum showcasing different structures of rocky cliffs in very different forms. The views and weather both were perfect. We were also introduced to the local artwork from the region of Cappadocia and it was a great experience to see people taking time and explaining about their culture and also how they live in the cave houses. Talking of cave houses we were lucky ourselves that we got a chance to stay in one of the cave hotels as well. It's an experience sure to cherish.
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The evening was slow as everyone was tired after a long day of travel but it turned out in a pizza party as all travelers were planning to go out later for dinner and to everyone's surprise, everything was closed and we were lucky to figure out a local pizza place and that night sharing and taking care of people you are traveling with you really felt this is just one family.
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Our next day started with a wide spread of Turkish breakfast with a view of Hot air balloon rising all around from different directions and it was a sight to behold, you could see hundreds of hot air balloon rising from different directions and going way up in the sky and you sat having your breakfast how they view would be from the top which is again a MUST DO experience when heading to Cappadocia which for us was also waiting next day. Our travel started in Cappadocia by visiting some local markets and what blew us away was the underground city of Kaymakli, looking back and trying to imagine gives you goosebumps. It was phenomenal - Just imagine you have an underground city with everything equipped you have a place for cows, cooking, living, you have a water source, you have storage for food, and it's not only one floor, it goes to 7 to 8 floors down and we were more blown to see all our travelers were making an effort to explore this city which is not easily keeping you have very narrow paths.
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Time rolled and we reached our farewell lunch which was organized at a local Greek family living in Cappadocia region, the food was widespread with so much to try till the deserts. You can't ask for anything more. Everyone looked and gave a feeling of happiness. Evening came to an end with our dinner organized at an Indian restaurant and was filled so many great conversations.
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Last but not the least we were up early at 4.30 Am and we were all geared up for our Hot Air Balloon ride over Cappadocia, we got loaded in the Balloon at 5.30 Am and we could see the Neon gas getting pumped by big cylinders in balloons and then it rose from ground in a flash and we UP IN THE AIR and the views just started getting better and better. On one side you have the Sunrise happening and all around you can see hundreds of Balloons rising, it was a sight to behold and you are sharing the bucket with 20 more people. After one hour we landed which was a crash landing and we were stuck on top of each other for 15 mins, not the best position to be especially when you have someone on top of you, haha but it's part of the experience and you cherish every moment of it. All our travelers were awarded a certificate for the same. We went back to our hotels celebrated the same and a great breakfast was served. Turkish hospitality hands down - No idea how much I miss the Turkish tea
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Our travel came to an end and in no time we were on our flight to Istanbul and that's where we bid goodbye to our group and headed off to Romania.
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We were happy that everyone walked back with a lot of memories at their end and that's what matters. Memories stay forever. Happy that we have this trip as a chapter in our small journey. Love for travel connects the world. Connecting Cultures.
Thank's again to all travelers who joined us on this beautiful journey. It was indeed a pleasure to meet you all.
Love - Travel to Discover - Everything happens for a reason.