Ramkishore's Travel blog!

Overview

From April 4th to April 18th 2025, we embarked on a captivating 16-day journey across Turkey, exploring its landscapes, culinary treasures, and rich history. Starting in Istanbul, we ventured to Cappadocia, Antalya, Pamukkale, and Kusadasi before returning to Istanbul covering a little over 2500 kms by road.

Highlights of the Trip

• Road Trip Adventures: Starting from Istanbul Airport, we rented a Renault Clio from Avec Cars and embarked on a scenic journey through Turkey’s diverse landscapes.
• Hot Air Balloon Ride in Cappadocia: An unforgettable experience soaring above the breathtaking Soganli Valley.
• Turkish Cuisine: Menemen (scrambled eggs with tomatoes) became our comfort food, complemented by Lamachun (thin Turkish pizza), Pide, Doner kebabs, Gozleme (savory Turkish flatbread) a.k.a Aloo Paratha 🤪, Kumpir (stuffed baked potato with toppings) and Baklava’s!
• Historical Immersion: Exploring museums, palaces from Roman and Ottoman eras and gaining insights into Turkey’s fascinating past.

Itinerary at a Glance

• April 4: Arrival in Istanbul – Pick up rental car, rest at a hotel near the airport.
• April 5-8: Cappadocia – Hot air balloon ride and exploring unique landscapes.
• April 8-11: Antalya – Coastal charm and Mediterranean vibes.
• April 11-12: Pamukkale – Visiting thermal pools and ancient ruins.
• April 12-14: Kusadasi – Gateway to historical sites like Ephesus.
• April 14-18: Back to Istanbul – Wrapping up with the city’s bustling energy.

Budget Breakdown

Our trip across Turkey was an incredible experience, but we did encounter a few budget surprises. While we had planned most expenses, we ended up overspending in a few areas:

• Airfare: INR 1,57,000 – Roundtrip airfare (Economy Saver) for 3 adults on Emirates (BLR – IST – BLR). Booked around 3-4 months in advance.
• Activities, Museum & Attraction Entry Fees: ~ INR 1,23,000 – The second-highest cost, encompassing the hot air balloon flight, entrances to ancient ruins, museums/palaces, boat tours, and entry to Land of Legends for the three of us. While we initially expected the hot air balloon experience to be the most expensive, the combined cost of other activities added up quickly.
• Food: Approx. 44000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 98,000) – Full service restaurants were quite expensive, and since fast food options lacked vegetarian choices, we found ourselves dining at sit-down places more often. We averaged around INR 3000 per meal for the 3 of us twice a day in addition to snacks, beer, juices, water and ice cream throughout the trip.
• Car Rental: 12280 Turkish Liras (~ INR 27,000) base rate for 10 days (Renault Clio Automatic Petrol) rented from Avec Cars.
  • Additional Insurance: 3000 Turkish Liras (~ INR 6,500). While the base rate included CDW, I took the additional Gold Assurance pack which covered damages to either Tires, Glass or Headlights and Bodywork damages up to 9000 Turkish Liras. We never needed to use this since our road trip went without any hiccups, there were no unforeseen events.
  • Fuel Costs: 7900 Turkish Liras. (~ INR 17,500). We were over charged 1600 Turkish Liras by Avec as a penalty since we returned the car with only half a tank of fuel. Had we topped up the tank before the return, it could have saved us 800 Turkish Liras. It was a novice mistake.
  • Tolls: 3912 Turkish Liras (~ INR 8,500) – We didn’t do enough research on highway tolls, which turned out to be way higher than expected. The rental car had an HGS RFID sticker on it which meant we did not have to pay tolls in cash or credit as we passed them but Avec automatically billed us for it 2-3 days after our return with an extra 7% service charge.
• Hotels: 23700 Turkish Liras (~ INR 53,000) – Throughout the trip, we stayed in 2-3 star accommodations, except in Istanbul, where we opted for a 4-star property, making good use of my Accor points.
• Visa: INR 13,000 – We were eligible to apply for Turkish e-visa’s since all the 3 of us have active US Visas (B1/B2). We paid 50 USD each, the e-visas were issued immediately after payment.

Reflections

Turkey welcomed us with open arms, offering unforgettable sights, delectable dishes, and warm hospitality. Each stop had its unique charm, making this trip a kaleidoscope of moments we’ll treasure forever.

One of the surprising conveniences was how widely accepted credit cards were—almost 90% of the places we visited allowed card payments. Only very small shops or purchases for minor amounts insisted on cash. In fact, across 16 days, we only converted 200 Euros into approximately 8,100 Turkish Lira, and this cash lasted the entirety of our trip.

Tip – For international spends, we use specific credit cards that do not levy any forex or DCC conversion fees. On this entire trip, I exclusively used the UNI Gold X card powered by Yes Bank and it worked great throughout. If you’re an Indian resident and interested in getting one (It is lifetime free), consider signing up from my referral link for a free Amazon Voucher worth 1000 INR – https://app.uni.club/yuBA/28423ivo

While we had planned most of our expenses, some costs caught us by surprise. Entry Fees at Historical sites and Museums turned out to be more expensive than expected, highway toll charges took us by surprise, and food costs were higher at full-service restaurants, as fast-food options lacked vegetarian choices.

Despite these budget surprises, every expense contributed to a rich and rewarding experience, making the journey absolutely worthwhile.

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