19/08/2023
14 Days SOLO Turkey
( Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Ephesus, Izmir)
Sharing my Turkey experience my Cappadocia dream come true. 💖
Will try to include my total expenses but not detail. But I will try to out all information for major expenses like accommodation, tours and transport.
Original plan is visit Dubai because i scored cheap one way to dubai for only PHP 1k+ one way with Cebupacific (yung pabalik dahil late booking na nasa PHP5k+) . But friends told me August is too hot to tour around. So I check cheap rout to other country and I remembered that I badly want to visit Turkey. Cappadocia to be specific to ride balloon and see how magical it is in real life. And so I booked Dubai>Istanbul via Pegasus.
💸💸💸Estimated Total Budget below💸💸💸
Aug 26: MNL>DXB
* 4:10pm Depart MNL
* 9:40pm Arrive DXB
Aug 27: DXB>ISTANBUL
* 4:50am Depart DXB
* 8:45Am Arrive Istanbul
After Immigration. Bought Sim card with 10gb Data, 1000Sms and 500mins Call (it’s so expensive)
Then exchange 50euro to TL so I can buy Istanbul Kart and have some TL cash in case I need it.
💸Sim Card: TL 190 | PHP 1705
📌if you’re not as paranoid as I am, just buy at center. But if you want to feel connected wherever you go just buy in the airport 😅
💸Istanbul Kart: TL 50 (TL6 for card and TL44 load) | PHP 450
📌you can use this to bus, metro and tram. This is also what use from airport to center via bus
Accommodation: use Couchsurfing for free stay for 2nights
Aug 28: ISTANBUL (Sultanahmet)
📍Süleymaniye mosque
📍Blue mosque
Line is long for tourist, so a friend advice me just to enter using the local door. 🤣 and I did much faster, but still crowded and the Mosque is under restoration.
📍Hagia sophia — TL 72
📍Gülhane park
📍Galata Tower
For sunset we ride ferry (i still use Istanbul Kart here) to go to Asia side.
Aug 29: CAPPADOCIA
* 1:00 PM Flight to Cappadocia(Nevseher)
* 2:20 PM arrive in Cappadocia
💸I booked airport transfer from my accommodation for TL 40
Accommodation:
💸Goreme Art Stone €42 for 3nights. Free buffet breakfast and beautiful terrace to watch balloon in the morning
📍drive around and watch sunset with local friend
Aug 30: CAPPADOCIA (Green Tour)
I wake up early (4am) and met another local friend to watch balloon in Love Valley.
Back to hostel for breakfast and prepare for Green Tour
💸Green Tour: €40
Booked with my hostel.
It’s worth it because places that we visited are far to each other. And it includes pick up and drop off to your accommodation, lunch and every entrance. English tour guide
But I really wish they can provide at least water. Hahaha
It’s start at 9:30am for pick up.
📍Goreme Panoramic
📍Salime Monastery
📍Ihlara Valley
📍short trekking
📍lunch near the river
📍Underground City - this is my favorite!!
And we stop on a shop to try Turkish Delights , coffee and tea.
Then back at the hostel around 6:30 PM
I have my unforgettable night as well with solo female travelers from India, Brazil and Macau. Unplanned with different agenda to go out. End up amazing night dance with locals at the center (they have night events/concert) with my first try of what they called Shiha (Ho**ah) and we don’t even bothered to stay late even if we need to wake up early for Balloon ride hahaha! No regrets but full of fun!
Aug 31: CAPPADOCIA (Hot Air Balloon)
And this is it pancit!!! 💖💖💖 the day I’ve been waiting for! Just for 2hrs sleep I need to wake up 4:00 for 4:30 pick up
Hot Air Balloon: €180
I booked at Butterfly Balloon. Price includes pick and drop off hostel,buffet breakfast, 1hr Balloon ride, celebratory champagne and certificate and medal for keep.
It’s expensive but it’s so worth it! So magical! Bitin ang 1hour. I just suggest take as many pictures as you want. But have a moment to just stop and watch the view, feel the cold air and the fire of the balloon at same time. 💖💖💖
Sunset in
📍Red And Rose Valleys (so beautiful 💖)
💸also book bus Goreme to Pamukkale- TL100
Sep 01: CAPPADOCIA
Wake up around 6am to watch the Balloons at the terrace of the accommodation with another new female solo traveler from NZ.
📍Open Air Museum- TL 45
🚌 Cappadocia to Pamukkale
Sep 02: PAMUKKALE
I arrived 5:30am in Pamukkale, meet a friend and take a short rest before we start our day.
💸 Ticket - TL 60
📍Thermal Pool
📍Heirapolis Ancient City
💸 Bus to Ephesus - TL 50
Accommodation to Ephesus
💸Rebetika Hotel- Tween Room 1night- €23/2 = €11.5 good breakfast at the rooftop
Sep 03: EPHESUS > Izmir
💸Ephesus fee - TL 60
💸Bus to Izmir - nakalimutan ko na presyo 🤣
Accommodation to Izmir 2nights
💸Mini Hotel tween room- €52/2 = €26
Buffet breakfast
Sep 04: IZMIR
Just relax day in Izmir nothing much to see. A big city and good post for very bus
📍walking in the bay
📍Asansor (so you can see city of Izmir)
Sep 05: IZMIR- Cesme
Found new friend with car to visit more places near Izmir
📍Cesme Alcati
📍evening deep at one of the beach in Cesme
Accommodation: new friend offer a couch for me to sleep
Sep 06: IZMIR
Need to work! So stay in Starbucks to work and meet new friends from Couchsurfing for chitchat and nice walk around Izmir
Night bus back to Istanbul
Sep 07: ISTANBUL
Arrive very late around 2am but gladly my host is so kind to pick me up at the bus station, prepare late dinner and give me extra room to rest.
In the afternoon host help me to look for my hostel and check in.
💸Accommodation: Nobel Hostel: €25.50 - I recommend this, the terrace have a beautiful view of Blue Mosque.
📍Roam around Grand Bazaar and buy goodies and coffee set.
📍Night party in Taksim
Sep 08: ISTANBUL
Free days. I just work and met local friend to roam around.
📍Bosphorus Cruise Tour
Sep 09:
Work in the morning before checkout
Met local friend and couple from Couchsurfing
* 9:45pm Depart Istanbul to Dubai
**if you notice after Ephesus my itinerary become more chill. You can use these days to travel more around Turkey like Fathiye and Marmaris. Or stay longer in Pamukkale and Ephesus instead of staying just one night.
💸💸💸Budget- probably spend PHP60,000 ($1,600 | €1,050) all in all ; 💸💸💸
return flights, flight to Cappadocia, hostels, bus transfer to other cities, food, tours, hot air balloon(€180), pasalubong, handmade 30years old carpet(€30) yeah it's expensive but so beautifuuuuullll 💖💖💖
Flights breakdown;
MNL>DXB>MNL: PHP6,923 (Cebupac)
DXB>Istanbul>DXB: PHP12,087 (Pegasus)
Istanbul > Cappadocia one way: PHP 3,300 (Turkish Airline)
Turkey E-Visa : PHP 1,082
**Turkey is not expensive, more likely same here in the Philippines. my major expenses is Flight and Hot air balloon in cappadocia. so if you're not planning to ride ballon (but you should) you will save €180 or PHP10,000+, you can also save if you will ride long night bus to Cappadocia from Istanbul instead of flight.
Note:
-Turkish people are really kind and hospitable. They try to help you as much as they can even if you don’t understand each other
-If they like you they will always offer you tea. I experienced this many times, getting free tea to different restaurants
-Able to secure Turkish E-Visa because I have valid USA visa
-Abangers of cheap flight, Piso fare of Cebupac to Dubai, then just book Dubai to Pegasus for cheap flight to istanbul. Pegasus is a budget airline like Cebpac.
