Journey Across The Land of Four Seasons: Vishal’s Turkey Trip with Thrillophilia
'A job may fill your pocket, but traveling fills your soul.'
My partner and I were driving back home from work when she said these lines. When I think about it now, I'm so glad that she did. As we spoke about how we were always running out of time for ourselves, a song suddenly played on the radio - ‘Saiyaara’ from ‘Ek Tha Tiger'.
It reminded me of how I used to love the scene where they show Salman's entry in slow-motion with Southeastern Turkey's Mardin in the background. Istanbul's Maiden Tower and Mardan Palace Hotel in Antalya were the places that stayed with me for years after watching that movie.
"What do you think about visiting Turkey?" I asked her.
"Well, I've always wanted to visit one of those Turkish Hamams that I saw in Dil Dhadakne Do".
And that's when we realized, we had already finalized our destination.
Now we didn't want to spend a lot of time figuring out an itinerary and the things associated with it. So we spoke to our friends and got to know about Thrillophilia. We were told they could help us plan a trip on an end-to-end basis, and that is exactly what we needed.
The next thing you know - we were on our flight to Turkey with another couple we've been friends with. What more could I have asked for? Two couples, heading to 'The Land of Four Seasons', for a vacation that was long due.
We landed in Istanbul - and that's where it began!
Where Time Stands Still
Visiting the Ottoman Relics in Istanbul was as good as traveling back to the times when the Ottoman Empire was in power. Another gem that we visited was the Topkapi Palace, where the lavish courtyards and ancient artifacts got us fantasizing about the lavish lives of emperors.
When we got to the Blue Mosque, my partner reminded me it was another site that was shown in Ek Tha Tiger. It was where the song ‘Saiyaara’ was filmed, and it looked a hundred times more beautiful than it did in the movie.
After taking off our shoes, we entered the large hall in the mosque. We couldn't even remember the last time that we felt such peace around and within us.
Before heading back to our hotel, we also visited the Grand Bazaar. The variety of items available in the market was simply impressive, from jewelry, exotic spices, and copperware - it had everything. For us, the best part about the Bazaar was finding out who among us could haggle the best with the sellers - and of course, I lost to my partner. It sort of reminded me of her business negotiation skills back at work - she always fetches the best deal.
Love, Landscapes, and Hot Air Balloon Rides
Up next on our list was Cappadocia, which we were told was formed around 60 million years ago. We had not seen anything like it ever before and the unique rock formations woering above us were a visual treat.
According to us, the best part about Cappadocia was its valleys. We found them to be so fascinating that we constantly kept clicking pictures. There was even a point when my partner told me that I was a great photographer (Had to visit Turkey to hear this!).
But truth be told - the real magician was the stunning landscape of Cappadocia.
If there's one feeling that I can't put into words, it was when we were flying at a height of more than 3,000 feet in the sky. From up there, we felt like we could see the whole world. If I tried really hard, the best word to sum up the Hot Air Balloon ride would be - Magical.
During our time in the sky, the experience felt so personal. Looking at the breathtaking views around us, sometimes at each other, we realized that coming to Turkey was one of our best decisions ever.
A Dive into Historic Ruins and Natural Wonders
Just the way that I’m a big history buff, my partner’s love for nature knows no bounds. And hence, visiting the waterfalls in Antalya was a special experience for her. It was love at first sight for her when she saw the fascinating Kurşunlu Waterfall and Duden Waterfalls.
On the other hand, I couldn't stop thinking if there were any historical sites in Antalya. To my amazement, during the Pamukkale Hierapolis & Cotton Castle Tour, I got a chance to explore more. We walked around Hierapolis, which we were told was once an ancient Roman spa town built more than 2,000 years ago. My favorite part about the tour was when my partner stepped into the travertine terraces and asked me to come along. Walking upon the mineral slabs, with our feet dipped in thermal waters, was one of the most memorable moments of our trip.
While on our way back to the hotel, I thought about how we'd both need to get back to our workaholic lives. She noticed that I looked a bit sad that the trip was ending, and offered me a 'Turkish Delight', a traditional jelly-like Turkish candy.
It was really sweet - both her gesture and the candy.
I thanked her for reminding me how important it is to make time for traveling. She responded to that by saying,
"It wouldn't have been possible without you, and Thrillophilia".
I guess that is true since our core challenge was not being able to find enough time to craft an ideal itinerary. Our destination expert Raj, took care of everything, from our hotel bookings, transfers, and meals, to professional guides.
So cheers to Thrillophilia, for creating a travel experience in which every moment felt like a scene from our favorite movies.
Read More: Thrillophilia Turkey Reviews