Haven’t seen the previous episodes?
Watch Episode 1 – Taj Dubai
Watch Episode 2 – Radisson Blu Fujairah
Watch Episode 3 – Rixos The Palm

Check out the 4th episode of My Birthday Staycations in the UAE at Double Tree by Hilton, Marjan Island Ras Al Khaimah

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The post Double Tree by Hilton Marjan Island RAK | Birthday Staycations 2020 – Episode 4/4 appeared first on Rashida Blogs.

Haven’t seen the previous episodes?
Watch Episode 1 – Taj Dubai
Watch Episode 2 – Radisson Blu Fujairah

Check out the 3rd episode of My Birthday Staycations in the UAE at Rixos The Palm Dubai

Watch Episode 4 – Double Tree by Hilton Marjan Island RAK

Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to leave a comment

The post Rixos The Palm Dubai | Birthday Staycations 2020 – Episode 3/4 appeared first on Rashida Blogs.

Haven’t seen the previous episode?
Watch Episode 1 – Taj Dubai

Check out the 2nd episode of My Birthday Staycations in the UAE at Radisson Blu Fujairah

Watch Episode 3 – Rixos The Palm

Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to leave a comment

The post Radisson Blu Fujairah | Birthday Staycations 2020 – Episode 2/4 appeared first on Rashida Blogs.

Check out the 1st episode of My Birthday Staycations in the UAE at Taj Dubai

Watch episode 2 here

The post Taj Dubai | Birthday Staycations 2020 – Episode 1/4 appeared first on Rashida Blogs.

After procrastinating for a while now, I finally decided to pull together this Turkey holiday guide and help all of you who are planning to travel to Turkey and have been following up on the blog. You guys really inspire me to keep doing better and better! So here goes.

Visa and Flights

Since we were travelling in the peakiest of seasons – Eid holidays – we knew the tickets would be pricey. Also, Turkey doesn’t allow you to apply for a visa before 2 months of travelling, we didn’t have a USA visa in our passports to qualify for e-visa, and thanks to previous experiences, we obviously didn’t want to book everything and risk being rejected by the embassy, so waiting it out was the only option.

After getting our visas through VFS, which took about a week, I started a mad search for the cheapest flights and after a very detailed combination look-up, I got a good deal on Pegasus Airlines. Our onward journey started from Abu Dhabi to Istanbul (Sabiha Gocken) and the return flight was from Istanbul (Sabiha Gocken) to Dubai (Terminal 2).

Although the flight was bearable, on time and affordable, it left a bitter taste in my mouth after one of my rings was stolen from inside my checked-in baggage at the Istanbul airport during my return flight. This has made me wonder if worth choosing to fly Pegasus again. It’s obviously up to you, but based on a lot of messages I received from friends and followers, I would suggest picking Emirates or flydubai and avoiding any Turkish operated airlines.

Day 1 – Bursa

We arrived quite early in the morning, quickly got through the airport formalities, picked up a local sim card and decided to grab a quick bite at Simit Sarayi located on the airport before collecting our rented car.

Since we were travelling to different cities in Turkey, we rented a car well in advance for our out-of-Istanbul stays and made sure we choose something that has extensive or unlimited mileage allowance. We actually went through google maps and calculated a rough distance between our destinations before finalizing the car. We paid a deposit which was partially deducted towards the toll fees at the end. We also purchased a comprehensive insurance at the counter. Fortunately, the small Hyundai i20 hatchback car we had booked online wasn’t available at the rent-a-car garage on the day of collection, so they upgraded us to a bigger Hyundai Elantra sedan free of cost.

Our first stop was Bursa, and since we had our local sim with 16 GB data up and running, finding the best routes and navigating through the country was no problem at all.

Driving time from Istanbul to Bursa: 90 to 120 mins depending on internal city traffic

This shot was taken at the Osmangazi Koprusu suspension bridge that connects Gezbe region near Istanbul with the road that leads to Bursa.

 

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Often referred to as the Green City, Bursa is a bustling city in Turkey that offers everything from markets to malls, and makes a great choice for a day trip from Istanbul or a one night stopover for a traveler’s break. Our stay in Bursa was at Lena Central Flats which was located very much in the center of the city.

Once we were all freshened up, we slipped into our holiday clothes and started with a short walk around the area. Hungry as we were, our first stop was obviously going to be a restaurant. We walked for about 5 minutes before we zeroed in on one Gaga Doner and quickly cleaned up a plate of iskender kebap and tavuk doner at the restaurant. Then we walked a little into the markets, shopped a tiny bit, and went back to the hotel where our car was parked to drive over to our next touristy spot. Although we didn’t do a lot of sightseeing in Bursa, the main attraction we didn’t want to miss was the Bursa Teleferik.

 

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Ticket price: 95 TL per person
Parking: 7 TL for the first hour and 5 TL for every subsequent hours

Honestly at first I thought this would be a normal-ish cable car ride that takes you from point A to B, but it was only after hopping on, that I realized it was so much more. The lovely views it offered were unparalleled, and all that coupled with steep ups and downs made every moment breath-taking. The ride was scary at times, and absolutely freaky at some points too. We even experienced a sudden halt which lasted around 40 seconds, but felt like 40 mins (don’t worry, it’s normal). But the overall experience was nothing short of spectacular. There were two stops at different altitudes and both offered food and shopping options. But if you want every worth of your penny, then make sure you go all the way up to Uludag, even if you’re a teeny bit scared of heights. We obviously went all the way to the top, where it was much cooler, and spent some time there clicking pictures. This place is wonderful during winters, especially when it snows, as the entire area is covered in white and is great for skiing. So if you’re a winter sports person, then you should definitely look at visiting Bursa during those months.

Soon after we had a beverage at Caribou, we were on our way back to the base. I was happy to make a really special friend before leaving and was glad to get a few pictures with her. After all my main reason for coming to Turkey was this – cats!

Later that evening we walked around the narrow lanes of the market close to our hotel, did some shopping and chilled out at Heykel Cafe for a kofte dinner with live Turkish music.

 

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Day 2 – Pamukkale

Next morning started quite early and this was probably the first time we had opted for a hotel that didn’t serve breakfast. This meant we had to stop on the way for some morning grub, and we are beyond glad that we did, for this was the first time in my life that I was introduced to Kahvalti. The king of breakfasts, and quite common in Turkey, the traditional Kahvalti comes with a large platter or thaal full of breakfast favorites, along with some Turkish bread and Turkish tea. This one had a large plate of shakshouka in the center along with different cheese, jams, butter, honey, yogurt, Nutella, salad, olives and more. The only thing missing I suppose was the bal kaymak, which I did end up having on another day, but more on that later.

Driving time from Bursa to Pamukkale: 3 – 4 hours depending on internal city traffic

On our way to Pamukkale we were met with yet another crisis. The hotel we had booked suddenly had a plumbing disaster and our room was cancelled. Booking.com emailed me with another hotel option, and asked me to book that instead at the same price, but they were really naive in not knowing their own limitations – YOU CANNOT BOOK A HOTEL IN TURKEY ON BOOKING.COM FROM INSIDE TURKEY! I kept explaining them to book it on my behalf, but they were just adamant and rude about the whole process.

But well, to cut it short, we arrived at our hotel, and the kind owner of the place immediately escorted us to another hotel next door, accompanied us while we checked the room and made sure we had it booked. Lucky enough for us, this new hotel had only two rooms left, so we managed to settle down without any issues.

It all worked out in the end, but it left me really disappointed with the attitude and customer service of booking.com and their sheer negligence. My entire drive had turned into a stressful fiasco because of their behavior towards handling this situation, plus we reached later than expected because we kept stopping mid-way to try and get through to booking without any network disruption, and if it weren’t for the owner of the hotel, we would have been stranded.

After our shower, we stepped outside the hotel and walked into the first restaurant we saw at the corner – Cadde Grill House. We sat on the terrace that offered a gorgeous view of the Pamukkale and I indulged in my favorite Adana Kebab which was much needed before the excursion we were about to embark on.

A good option for a one night stay, everything in the touristy town of Pamukkale – hotels, restaurants and shops – are located at a stone’s throw from the travertines making it very convenient and time saving. Most of the hotels also offer a spectacular view of the hills and feature their own swimming pools to beat the heat.

 

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Ticket price: 60 TL per person for travertines
72 TL per person with entry to the museum

Once we arrived at the entrance of Pamukkale hills, we spent almost 3 hours trekking up the hill and back. The only attraction in this area, the travertines are quite a trek uphill and downhill both, filled with tons of big and small hot springs along the way. While we didn’t want to, these pools are absolutely fine to swim in and a lot of tourists either carry their swimwear, or simply wear it from their hotel with a cover up to take a dip in these pools, or in the Cleopatra pool at the top.

Just so you know, the white hills aren’t covered in snow. It’s the calcium and mineral rich formations that give these hills a snowy white look. Pamukkale translates to cotton castle in Turkish, and that’s pretty much what these hills look like from afar. The stone formations are quite cold and the water flowing is a mix of hot and cold depending on the time you’re visiting and the position of the sun. While climbing up the hills, you are not allowed to walk with any kind of shoes or socks on and barefoot is the only way to go. Yes, it hurts a little bit where the rocks are hard, and especially if you step on something pointy, but the feeling of the mushy clay like sand and cool water running under your feet is absolute bliss.

 

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We reached at the top around sunset, and it took approximately 90 minutes to go up with multiple photo stops on the way. We knew we didn’t have much space to visit the museum before its closing time so we simply bought a basic ticket to the travertines, but you can choose to purchase a ticket that includes entry to the museum as well. When we started our downhill trek, it was already beginning to turn dark, and the water was much cooler. Also this second half was much quicker!

 

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Pamukkale also offers other activities like hot air balloons, paragliding and city tours, but we kept it simple and stuck to the travertines visit. Moreover, the hot air balloon adventure was reserved for a different place, but more on that in a bit.

For the remaining part of the evening, we walked around the narrow lanes of the town, bought a few souvenirs, and settled down in Kayas Restaurant for dinner and drinks. The sparkly drink was a real show stopper!

Day 3 – Cappadocia

The next morning we woke up early again, for we had a long drive ahead of us. We indulged in a homely breakfast at the hotel’s in-house restaurant paired with early morning views of Pamukkale hills. Soon after we packed up, checked out and were on our way to Cappadocia.

Driving time from Pamukkale to Cappadocia: 6 – 7 hours + lunch stops

Halfway on our drive, we stopped at Dempet Demireller restaurant located at a filling station for lunch and this one hour was the happiest moment of my trip. I met a small kitten at the restaurant and spent almost every second of my lunch playing with her, feeding her with my hand, holding her, cuddling her, and showering her with loads of hugs and kisses. She was super friendly and fit right in my palms. Towards the end of our lunch, I knew a heartbreak lay ahead, and I just did not want to let her go. But I gave her more goodbye kisses and then we set off towards Cappadocia.

The road to Cappadocia, or Kapadokya as it is locally known, was a bit rough and rocky. At one point we had to pass through some sort of free zone or enclosed area where we had to inform the security we were on our way to this city. Funnily we were also stopped by a police car on the way, and since we were not speeding or breaking any rules, it was just a regular check where they asked for our license. On showing the UAE license, and mentioning we were on our way to Cappadocia, they happily let us go. The Turkish people, especially in non-touristy cities know none or very little English. So use the simplest and most basic universal words to communicate with them in such situations.

Utterly unique, Cappadocia is known for its geographical anomaly of caves, which are often referred to as fairy chimneys due to their structure. Offering picturesque views from almost every part of the city, the hotels here all carved from caves and are located along the steep and narrow lanes of Goreme town. Among other things, one of the best part about Kapadokya is the climate. Warm sunny days and cooler nights makes it just right for an easy enjoyable trip.

 

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We had chosen Lunar Cappadocia Hotel for our stay and we were smitten at first sight. The rooms are such a mélange of medieval and modern architecture, it feels like you’re living the caveman life in luxury.

The city center in Goreme has a myriad of shopping and dining options to choose from, and a host of tour agencies that offer various excursions and activities. Cappadocia is however known for its hot air balloon rides and people come down from all over the world to take part in the flight experience and enjoy all those breathtaking views of the cave city at sunrise.

After checking in and doing our usual bit, we walked down the tiny stone path alleys toward the center of Goreme and parked ourselves at Cappadocia Pide House for dinner. We tried a local Turkish drink along with a couple of Pide and a chicken casserole. In all honesty, the pide were okay, but the casserole was very basic. I would have liked something more flavorful than that. Now I am not usually a kunafa person, but the fact that I was in Turkey made me crave it a lot. So after dinner we walked over to another place – Old Cappadocia Restaurant – and enjoyed a hot kunefe along with some Turkish tea. Best combination ever!

Day 4 – Green Tour Cappadocia

Next morning, we had a filling breakfast at the hotel’s on-site restaurant and then prepped up for a long adventure filled Kapadokya Green Tour.

The tour company had booked the excursion for about 15 people including us, and everyone was picked up from their hotels and dropped back at the end of the day.

Tour details:
Price: 40 € per person including lunch
Duration: Full day tour – starts at 9.30 am and ends at 6 pm
How to get there: All agencies offer pick up and drop
F&B: Set menu lunch is included and offers options to suit different dietary preferences. Drinks are charged extra
We booked our tour through the hotel from Hereke Travels and our lovely guide Alif was the perfect host throughout the day

Tour agencies in Cappadocia offer many excursions, the most prominent ones being Red, Blue and Green tours. All of these cover different spots in the city with very little overlapping. We chose the Green Tour based on the fact that it was the most recommended one on Trip Advisor. Everything green, what I loved the most about this tour was that it was a great experience for someone like me who loves a mix of history, archaeology, nature and adventure.

Our tour started with a visit to the Kaymakli underground cities. We learned a great deal about marvelously carved out caves, the times in which people lived in these cities, the tools they used and their everyday lives under the grounds. These cities, which consisted of different floors, were a means of hiding out from the enemies during olden days. The narrow and low tunnels under the caves were quite an experience to run through. The taller ones among us had to duck their way through the floors and keep their head low even while we stood in some of the rooms. We got a good look at their kitchen, the air circulation vent and prayer rooms as well as burial spaces. It was great to see how they managed to build such proficient architecture in the ancient days which was still intact in the modern times of today. Surprisingly there were many many underground cities in Kapadokya but very few remain, and even lesser are open to the public and tourists.

Our next stop was for a photo op at the Narligol Lake. This lake which fills up a crater is known for its distinct blue and green colors brought out by the presence of minerals like calcium and sulphur.

After the lake, it was time for the highlight and major part of the tour – Ilhara Valley. We started with going down a long flight of 300-steps and covered a distance of approximately 3.5 km walking through the Ihlara valley with one 15 min stop in between for freshening up. The path ran parallel to a river, and over the course of 3.5 kms, we came across different trees like the pistachio tree, saw pigeon houses carved inside mountains and heard the humming of a variety of birds and bees – making it a treat for all our senses. The weather was slightly hot, but most of the path was covered with trees, so we managed to walk easily. At the end of the trek, we settled at a restaurant for a Turkish meatball lunch, bought some fresh strawberries from a street seller and left the lush green ecosystem feeling happily exhausted.

The second last part of our trip was Selime Monastery – an ancient monastery and guesthouse carved inside of a cave that was used by monks centuries ago. Also very high, with a lot of rocks to climb, this required a good amount of stamina and I felt like I wasn’t missing my workouts anymore. We saw the guestrooms the monks stayed in, the kitchen and prayer areas, the place where they tied their animals and took in remarkable views of the city of fairy chimneys from the top.

Before our last stop, we paid a quick visit to Turquoise Lane, where we learned about the Turkish Quartz, Zultanite stones, and I splurged a little. Finally we arrived at pigeon valley which is home to thousands of pigeons, and people enjoy feeding them or simply watching the flock of birds in such large quantities live together with so much compassion.

Tired and exhausted, we arrived at the hotel, rested a bit and set out to try out the famous pottery kebabs for dinner at Fatboys Cafe. While the presentation of these kebabs was quite a watch, I didn’t like the flavor too much, and that made me realize that Turkish dishes made with meat are much better than chicken. After that we decided to try and stick to meat wherever possible to make the most out of this cuisine. Just like the previous night, after our dinner, we hopped to the restaurant inside Hidden Cave Hotel for dessert and tried some Baklava with orange juice and a side of fries (because I was still hungry).

If you have a few days at hand, try doing all three tours, but if you’re short on time, then this green tour should definitely be on top of your list, since it definitely covers a lot of Cappadocia in one day.

 

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Day 5 – Hot Air Balloon Cappadocia

This was the day we had all been waiting for. The one experience that motivated me to take a second trip to the country, an 8 hour drive to the city, and a sleepless night hoping the ride doesn’t get canceled. The much acclaimed hot air balloon flight is a must do in Cappadocia. The price is slightly steep (~200 €), but it’s a once in a lifetime experience, so a little splurge is alright. Moreover, watching those hundreds of colorful balloons go up in the air at the brink of sunrise is totally worth every cent you spend.

Tour details:
Price: 200€ per person. Although price varies depending on the agency you book with and the type of flight you choose – economy (more people) or premium (more privacy)
Time: During August, you can expect to leave between 4-5 am and you’ll be back by 7.30 – 8 am
How to get there: All agencies offer pick up and drop
F&B: a light breakfast is available before the flight and a glass of celebratory fruit champagne is offered once you’ve landed
TIP: BOOK IN ADVANCE. If your stay in Cappadocia is more than a day, book the flight on day 1 so you have a backup in case of cancellation
Fear Factor: if you’re scared of heights, just keep looking straight instead of looking down. I was fearing more for my phone than myself!
We booked our flight through the hotel

 

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We woke up in the wee hours of the morning awaiting the pick up from the tour agency which our hotel manager had arranged for us. We were taken to a far off rocky area which was dotted with a number of gigantic balloons, all starting to get filled up with hot air. Thanks to the dark sky, there were times we didn’t know if the huge thing beside us was a balloon or a mountain!

Watching the balloon fill up was an experience in itself. Paired with hot beverages and Turkish breads on a chilly morning, we watched the giant balloon inflate and rise, all set to take off. For the price we paid, our balloon was a shared experience, featuring 3 sections in the basket for the passengers and 1 in the middle for the pilots. The balloon basket was populated with about 20 people + 2 pilots. We had to jump over the basket to get in and out – there was no door, for obvious safety reasons. We were paired up with a couple from our hotel in the same section of the basket, and they turned out to be good company throughout the flight.

The actual flight was something that I cannot really express in words. As soon as the balloon took off towards the dark blue sky, it was surreal, and I thought to myself, wow, this is actually happening! When I was lifted off the ground, it felt strange for a bit, after all we were just floating in the sky. It also felt scary, especially when I looked down. And eventually it started to feel liberating, being able to fly in the sky without anything holding me back.

Taking pictures was a tad bit challenging, depending on where you are placed in the basket (each section has 5-6 people), and there’s also the fear of your phone slipping from your hand while you’re trying to chase that perfect selfie, bidding goodbye to all your memories. I did not use my phone at all, for any pictures or videos for I was tooooo scared I’ll drop it. So all my pictures from inside the balloon were taken on my DSLR which was hung around my neck, with the exception of a few on my friend’s XR.

The very sight of those balloons in the air is mesmerizing, leave alone the fact that you are actually flying in one. In fact, calling the views of Cappadocia from high up in the air incredible, would be a major understatement. It was picturesque, perfect and almost as if it’s being painted bit by bit as you keep rising up.

The entire flight – from watching the sunrise in the distance to the colorful sky dotted with hundreds of balloons, and of course, a bird’s eye view of the fairy chimneys of Goreme – was breathtaking to say the least. Initially I was really worked up with the stress of getting good pictures, but soon I realized what mattered most is living the experience in that moment, right there. And for the rest of my flight, I took a few pics here and there, but concentrated first on the flight.

 

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The landing was even more exciting than the take-off. We were all instructed to squat holding the basket and wait for the touchdown. It wasn’t too bumpy at first, but soon after, as the crew began loading the basket on to the back of a pick-up, it started to tilt terribly and we almost thought we were going to topple sideways with the passengers from the other section falling over us. Thankfully, the crew members are highly experienced in such things and no mishap happened.

After the flight, as they deflated the balloon in the background, we celebrated with a sparkling fruit drink and all of us were given a certificate of completion with our names on it. A must, must do in Cappadocia, this was one experience on my bucket list which I was glad I could capture both, in my memories and on my camera.

I must admit, my biggest worry was the fact that the balloon flight might get canceled, because contrary to my belief that this only happens during storms and severe weather conditions, any fluctuation in the wind my lead to a canceled flight. Usually they try and accommodate you the next morning, but we had booked our flight on our last day in Cappadocia so this was our only chance. Thankfully, all went well.

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Of course, the hot air balloon wasn’t the only thing planned for that day. In fact, the first half of the day was so packed, we hardly had any time to breathe. Once we got back to the hotel, we went straight for breakfast (we had to wait a bit since we got back quite early), and got to enjoy the company of a furry feline along with our meal. Incidentally, and thanks to geo-tagging, I had received a message on Instagram from a tour company on my first day in Cappadocia, asking me if I was interested in horse riding. Well, we didn’t have time for that, but I asked them if they could arrange a customized 2 hour jeep safari for us instead so we could check off one more thing before leaving. Yes, it was slightly expensive than the normal jeep tour, but we had the entire car to ourselves, and the experience was tailor made to suit our timings, so it worked fine.

 

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Tour details:
Price: 100 € per jeep
Duration: Usually it’s a full or half day tour, but we asked for a quick 2 hour excursion
How to get there: All agencies offer pick up and drop
F&B: Not included in our tour
We booked our tour on Instagram from Cappadocia Horse Ranch

The jeep safari had its own set of scary ups and downs, much like a desert safari (except this was on a rocky road), and the driver was quite experienced with the thrills. Very exhilarating, this safari was great for discovering those hidden gems of Cappadocia that were located off road amidst mountains and valleys. We stopped at 4 locations that doubled up as viewing points and great photo spots, plus we also learned a little something about each place from our driver. The first one was Pancarlik Valley where we visited a church, followed by Love Valley that offered views of the canyon. Then we stopped at Ortahisar Kalesi where we saw the city and valley from a high point and took pictures inside heart cutouts. And finally we went to Red Rose Valley which combined great views of the rose colored canyons along with peace and serenity. My only regret was we couldn’t experience the entire full or half day tour, and despite how much I wanted to, we couldn’t fit in the ATV bike ride either.

Once we were back at the hotel, it was time to set on our longest road trip yet – to Istanbul.

Driving time from Cappadocia to Istanbul: 8 – 9 hours depending on internal city traffic + lunch stops

On our way to Istanbul, we decided to take a small detour and stop for lunch at Ankara. This industrial city was rather quiet, but from what we saw, the buildings and the city plan looked beautiful. Once within the outskirts of the city, we looked for food options and noticed a MADO. I have never been to a MADO before, so as soon as I saw it, I just knew we had to go there. Little did I know I would be visiting a lot more of this restaurant in Istanbul. During our lunch at MADO, we had Yogurt Soslu Kofte and Cok Malzemeli Pizza, along with a matcha latte and orange juice. The food was really good, and all the ingredients tasted like they had been brought from farm to table.

After a really really long and tedious drive, filled with unimaginable traffic we got to Istanbul Sabiha Gocken Airport where we had to go back to the rent-a-car garage and drop off the car along with signing the formalities. Once that was done, the driver dropped us back to the airport, from where we hailed a cab to get to the European side of Istanbul where our hotel was located. Let me warn you guys here, like most metropolitan cities in the world, a few Istanbul cabbies can be sly and try to cheat you by taking longer routes, etc. Being in 2019, we all know we have to keep Google macps on all the time, especially in such situations. Our cabbie kept “missing” exits and going literally in the opposite direction of where he was supposed to go, blaming traffic for his detour. Moreover he didn’t understand anything in English (or so he wanted us to believe). I fought back, and made sure I communicate to him that we’ll only pay what the ideal fare at this time, with this traffic should be. All the exits he “missed” is on him.

Finally at around 9.30 pm, we got to our hotel – Bucoleon by Cheers and were offered a friendly welcome. The guys at Bucoleon own 4 different properties on the lane, some of which are suites and some hostels, catering to a variety of tourists.

After washing off all the tiredness from the long long day, we decided to have a quiet dinner at the Cheers Bar. I was finally reunited with Adana Kebabs. But exhausted as we were, the next thing for us was sleep. And after all we had a lot of planning to do the next day.

Day 6 – Istanbul Walking Tour I

Our first morning in Istanbul started with a breakfast at our hotel’s on-site restaurant Cheers. Being the Dubaiites that we are, and slightly used to elaborate breakfasts, this one was rather humble, but fresh and filling nonetheless. The best part about the breakfast though was a friendly cat who accompanied us throughout the meal. Soon after the breakfast we spoke to the hotel staff and got our tours and activities for the next couple of days booked in, so we could schedule the rest of our sightseeing around it.

On the first day, we decided to explore the old town of Sultanahmet on foot. The most touristy area, this place is decked with a number of attractions right from the famous Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia museum to the Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar and more. Having so many places scattered all around us got a little tedious, and to manage this, we worked out the best way was to mark every place we wanted to visit on Google Maps. This way we could see what’s closest and what farthest, and then it was easy to chalk out a route and follow that, while also making sure we eat and shop on our way.

We started by visiting the Blue Mosque, also known as Sultanahmet Mosque, but since it was almost prayer time, the mosque was closed to tourists. We decided to re-schedule the mosque visit and instead walked across the street to Hagia Sophia. One of the two most prominent structures in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, or Aya Sofia, has a very interesting past. It was built as a church in 537 AD, then converted to a mosque in 1453 AD, and finally restored to a museum in 1935.

What’s fascinating about the place is that you’ll find elements of both Christianity and Islam depicted side by side throughout. Every brick, every pillar, every marble inside Hagia Sophia tells a story and there’s so much history hidden behind everything, it’ll take hours to learn it all.

 

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Since this is such a must visit in Istanbul, ticket lines during the day are exceptionally long. If you don’t mind paying the premium, a fast track ticket would work best. But honestly, if you like learning about history, I highly recommend you go with a tour guide to this one, or pick up one of those audio guides available at the entrance.

Ticket price: 72 TL per person for a normal ticket | 105 TL per person for a fast track ticket
We were waiting in the fast track line when a guide approached us and offered a no-waiting entry along with a guided tour for 115 TL per person, so we opted for that

After this grand monument, it was time to visit the Little Hagia Sophia mosque, which is a smaller representation of the actual Hagia Sophia. Having a similar history to the latter, Little Hagia Sophia was built as a church in 536 AD, and converted to a mosque in 1497. However, unlike the Aya Sofia which is now a museum, the Little Hagia Sophia still remains a mosque to this date.

Entry: Free
Visitors need to remove footwear before entering the mosque, and women need to cover their heads and legs if their clothes are short. Scarves are available at the entrance of the mosque

 

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We decided to move the visit to Blue Mosque to a different day, and headed towards the Basilica Cistern. Faced with yet another long queue, we looked out for a fast track counter but there was none. Luckily we met another tour guide here, who offered to take us in without any waiting for a slightly premium price.

Once inside, we were explained the history of the cistern as a means of storing huge amounts of water that would suffice the city for years in the event of any external attack or war. One of the most interesting and photo-worthy part about the cistern was the presence of Medusa heads that were used as an extension to the pillars. In fact, all of the pillars have been brought in from various temples around the world, one of the most prominent pillars being the Pagan eye pillar. While we were at the Medusa heads, we noticed the water around it doubled up as a wishing well, and we saw a lot of people dropping coins in it, so we did our bit too. The pathways inside the cistern can be slightly slippery due to the presence of water, so watch your step.

Ticket price: 20 TL per person for a normal ticket

After Basilica Cistern, our tour guide decided to take us to his brother’s store to look at some of the jewelry and leather products they made. Honestly, they were all quite expensive, so we took a quick glance and excused ourselves.

Tired of trotting around wearing high heeled boots (big mistake for a walking tour), I decided we should go back to the hotel and change my footwear so the rest of the day can be more comfortable (booking your hotel in the center of the touristy area really helps!) On the way we stopped for lunch at Hippodrome Restaurant and devoured some beef doner and curried chicken; these too with the company of a feline.

Once back at the hotel, we decided to take a quick nap before leaving for the next half of our walking tour, this time wearing more forgiving shoes of course. Our first stop was the Obelisk of Theodosius. This ancient Egyptian obelisk is said to have origins in the era of Pharaoh Thutmose III, and was re-erected by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in 4th century AD, in the Hippodrome area of Istanbul. This Hippodrome area is today known as At Meydani or Sultanahmet Meydani.

After a lot of uphill walking, we arrived at a street filled with colorful cafes, and since we were quite parched with all the walking, we sat down at one Maya’s Corner Cafe for some fresh orange juice. The OJ in Istanbul, and even the rest of Turkey is brilliant. The oranges have the perfect color and perfect taste, and the juice is really cheap. So remember to drink lots of it.

After the juice break we walked over to Topkapi palace, only to learn that both the palace and the museum next door were closed for the day. We decided to instead check out the Grand Bazaar, but after walking all the way to one of the bazaar entrances, we were told it is shut for Eid holidays. A little disappointed on not having made the most of our day, we decided the best way to cheer ourselves up was to drop by at a local restaurant and watch the much anticipated UEFA Super Cup game – Liverpool vs Chelsea – which was coincidentally being played at Vodafone Park in the very city we were in – Istanbul! As Liverpool fans, who btw won the game that night, we regretted not knowing this in advance or we would have bought tickets to the game.

But one thing we learned out of that evening was to always check the timings of attractions, and arrive at least an hour before closing time. Moreover stay informed about the operations of businesses and tourist spots during public holidays, or you’ll end up feeling sad like us.

We went back to the hotel late that night and slept in fully prepared to wake up early for our full day trip next morning.

Day 7 – Princes’ Islands

Next day we woke up early and were picked up from our hotel for a tour of the Princes’ Islands. A group of 7 islands, these are gorgeously green pieces of land, located off the coast of Istanbul in the Marmara Sea. A great option for day trips, especially during summer, these islands are extremely tourist friendly, and perfect for beach goers and seafood lovers.

Our Princes Islands Excursion booked through a tour agency took us hopping on ferry around 3 different islands – Kinaliada, Buyukada and Heybeliada.

Kinaliada Island was our first stop. It is known for its beaches and you’ll see a number of sun loungers lined at the coast. After a quick walk around the island, and lots of photo stops, we picked up a cup of steamed corn from the port and went back to our boat for a buffet lunch, included in the trip.

Our second stop – Buyukada Island – was the more commercial one, and the only island which can be accessed through a public ferry from Istanbul (for accessing the other islands, you need a private boat or a tour). Thanks to this, we found a lot of tourists frequenting the island and plenty of food and shopping options. We did some shopping here, especially shoes, and indulged in a large ice cream cone that the island is famous for. Don’t mistaken these as the Turkish ones where the guy tricks you a little before giving you the cone. These were normal waffle cones but came with a variety of fruit, nut and milk based ice cream flavors.

The final leg of our tour was Heybeliada Island. The greenest one among the three, it’s on this island that we got the chance to ride in a horse carriage (also included as a part of the tour). We took a tour of the island in a horse drawn carriage and stopped at a view point for pictures, before finally heading back to the ferry, and ultimately to the city of Istanbul.

The remarkable factor in all these islands is how they are pollution free with locals using electric bikes, cycles and horses to move around. Pretty houses are a common sight across these islands and I almost wanted to settle down in one of them. With lots of fishing options, the seafood restaurants here are a hit.

While we were sailing towards the first island, we were invited to take some pictures wearing traditional Turkish clothes. While I was pretty sure the prices for these pictures will be obnoxiously high, they were really affordable, and in addition to selected hard copies, we got all the pictures as a soft copy too.

Tour details:
Price: 60 € per person including lunch and horse carriage ride
Duration: Full day tour – starts at 7.30 am and ends at 6.30 pm
How to get there: Most tour agencies offer pick up and drop
F&B: Buffet lunch is included and offers options to suit different dietary preferences. Drinks are charged extra
We booked our tour through the hotel

So at the end of the day, I hopped around 3 different Islands of the Princes looking for Prince Charming, but ended up on a horse-led chariot, falling in love with all the natural beauty there.

 

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Although there wasn’t much to walk, the Princes’ Island Tour was a tab bit tiring, but thankfully we had just the right thing planned for the evening – Turkish Hammam!

On the way back from the hamami to the hotel, we stopped by at Cozy Pub & Restaurant for a Chicken Doner dinner with drinks. And then we walked into the dreamiest, sweetest, (literally) and most comforting place of all in Istanbul – Hafiz Mustafa. We had received a few recommendations to try the milk cake at this place and we are so so so glad we did. That night, we ordered a raspberry milk cake and chocolate kunefe for dessert with some Turkish tea on the side. The milk cake was simply WOW. I have never, I repeat never, had such a smooth, velvety, creamy milk cake in my life. We licked the plate clean in seconds. The kunefe was really good too. The combination of chocolate and cheese took this traditional Turkish sweet to a whole new level. Hafiz Mustafa is very famous for its variety of baklava and they are perfect to take back home. They box it up really well, which makes it a great gifting option too. You can also buy Turkish delights from here, but I found they had lesser variety so I decided to pick that from some other place.

Day 8 – Istanbul Walking Tour II

This day was filled with more history. To be honest, it was not entirely a walking tour (we cabbed it a couple of times), but the places we visited required a lot of walking. Since the breakfast at our hotel was pretty basic, and Turkey is known for its rich cuisine, we decided we will try skip the hotel and try something more authentic for breakfast on our last two days.

We started our morning with cabbing it across the bridge and going up the Galata Tower. The queue was already starting to build up when we arrived, but since we were quite early, we managed to get in quick. Our tickets included the visit to the top viewing gallery at Galata Tower and a 4D fly ride after. The lift took us to the top floor of Galata, after which we climbed another flight of stairs to get to the gallery. I instantly remembered this spot from the movie Dil Dhadakne Do. Offering spectacular 360-degree views of Istanbul, this was a great photo stop, except the passage is too narrow for multiple people to pass, and if you’re hoping for that perfect shot, you might have to wait a long time for people to clear out, or end up annoying a lot of others waiting in line.

 

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Ticket price: 35 TL per person

There is a restaurant at the top of the tower, if you’re hungry, but we already had plans for breakfast so we decided to give that a miss. On our way down, we used the stairs – which reminded me of the underground caves in Kapadokya. The narrow stairs almost gave those medieval feels, and took us to the flight experience. This 4D ride was a rather amateur one, given we have done so many such 5D and 7D rides before, but the idea behind it was fair – taking the viewers on an aerial tour of Istanbul.

After Galata, our hungry tummies were growling, and since we knew a MADO was close by (there are a lot of branches around the city), we quickly GPS-ed the closest one on Istiklal street and marched towards it, while also picking up a few souvenirs on the way. We thought it was only the mains, but even the variety of breakfast at MADO is overwhelming. I knew the one dish I had been craving for all this while, so we decided to order the traditional breakfast (Kahvalti) to share which came with a number of different breakfast items including my favorite Bal Kaymak – cream and honey! This kahvalti was quite similar in terms of taste to the one we had in Bursa, however it was slightly more modern (read: sophisticated) given the restaurant setting. I loved the shakshouka, and the selection of cheese, and the entire platter was quite filling.

After a well-deserved breakfast, we took a stroll down one of the most touristy streets in Istanbul – Istiklal street. Dotted with high street brands on both sides, including the likes of Zara, Sephora, Mango and more, this street is a shopper’s paradise. There are a number of different stores on this street, and if you’re feeling peckish, there are tons of eating options too – like MADO and Hafiz Mustafa. We came across the tram that ran up and down Istiklal street all the way to Taksim Square, but since it was too crowded, we decided to simply walk it up to Taksim.

After a couple of photos at the square, we hailed another cab and drove down to Dolmabahce Palace. Gorgeous isn’t the word to describe the luxurious facade and interior of this palace. Large halls, exquisite furnishings and intricate detailing are just few of the things that make this palatial marvel worth a visit. Bathed in antiquities and golden tones, every room in this palace tells a story, if you’re willing to listen. Unfortunately, photography wasn’t allowed inside, so we simply had to capture everything in our minds. But since we obviously couldn’t leave the palace without some more pictures, we spent some time near the riverside that borders the palace and clicked away till my appetite was satisfied.

Ticket price: 60 TL per person

Finally we decided it was time to get back to Sultanahmet and tick off our last stop for the day – Topkapi Palace. More of a museum, Topkaki Palace is spread across a really large area and features artifacts from the olden days showcased in different sections of the palace. We started with the kitchen and pantry areas where we saw the different tools used by chefs in those days, then moved on to the library and praying room and finally took a peek of the river from the rear end of the palace. We skipped a lot of areas in the museum because most of these places were too crowded and had long queues, and we were too tired by then to walk any further.

Ticket price: 72 TL per person

Honestly, walking around these museums requires a lot of energy and stamina, so make sure you’re well hydrated and have your walking shoes on. I liked Dolmabahce more than Topkapi as a tourist, since it was more structured and had well defined sections to tour. Topkapi Museum on the other hand would probably require half a day if not less, to cover the entire palace. The entry tickets at all these places are quite reasonable but there are long queues so make sure you either go early or if you can, then opt for fast track tickets.

Once we were out of the Topkapi Palace, we hydrated ourselves with some fresh orange juice from a street side vendor and walked back to the hotel to freshen up and get dressed for our last night in Istanbul.

 

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We had saved the last evening for a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus. Although most people will recommend you take both a day cruise and an evening cruise to fully experience this epic waterway, we thought since we’ve already sailed our sunlit bit during our trip to Princes’ Islands, a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus should suffice.

We had opted for the dinner and drinks package, and just like all other tours, this one provided pick and drop too, If you’re getting there by yourself, stay mindful of the traffic and make sure you get there earlier so you don’t end up missing the cruise.

As soon as we set foot on board, we were led to our dinner table and asked for our meat preferences for the mains. I had honestly never seen such an assembly line of dinner service on a cruise before. When we arrived, we were surprised to see some of the guests had already finished their dinner, while a few others were yet to arrive. As we waited for our meal, a photographer offered to click some pictures and we were obviously happy to comply. Just like Princes’ Islands, the photos here as well were really affordable, and we got a hard copy + soft copy of every photo we clicked.

The dinner was fair, with basic options and flavors, but I believe their focus was more on the entertainment and sightseeing part of the cruise rather than the cuisine. After dinner, we were all invited to move to the top deck of the cruise, where a number of chairs were laid out for us to seat ourselves and watch the entertainment bit. The show was a mix of folk dance, skit and belly dancing performances with a lot of audience interaction. We enjoyed this along with the views of Istanbul night sky, July 15 Martyrs Bridge, Maiden Tower, Dolmabahce Palace and much more.

Tour details:
Price: 70 € per person including dinner and drinks
Duration: Evening tour – pick up around 7.30 pm and drop off around 12.30 am (Cruise timings from 9 pm to 12 am)
How to get there: Most tour agencies offer pick up and drop
F&B: Set menu dinner and unlimited drinks included
We booked our tour through the hotel

Day 9 – Roller coaster day in Istanbul

Sometimes a little peace and calm is all you need to call it a day. Our last day in Istanbul, contrastingly, was quite a whirlwind. We woke up with a plan to conquer lots of different places on our last day, but alas, nature had other plans.

Since we still had two things pending on our list – Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar, we decided to pack our bags, leave it at the hotel lobby and set on foot for the quick stops, obviously with some last day celebratory breakfast on the way.

We started with the day with a spiritual visit to Sultanahmet mosque. Also known as Blue Mosque, due to the color of the tiles that cover the walls inside the mosque, this historical structure is used as a place of worship until this day.

Entry: Free
Visitors need to remove footwear before entering the mosque, and women need to cover their heads and legs if their clothes are short. Scarves are available at the entrance of the mosque. Disposable bags for shoes are given to everyone at the entrance.
Visiting hours depend on prayer timings and the mosque is closed for tourists during the prayers.

The entrance and visitor movement was perfectly managed and despite seeming long, the queue moved really quickly and we soon found ourselves inside this grand mosque. Once inside, we realized how magnanimous this place of worship was from within, and it felt so peaceful too. After spending a few moments in the silence and serenity of the mosque, we decided to leave and start walking towards our next stop.

But, but, but! As soon as we stepped outside, it started raining. At first it felt like a passing cloud and we stood under some shade to take cover from the rain. But in minutes it began to rain heavily. In fact, calling it heavily would be a rather understatement. Windy and wet, it was pouring so bad, it almost felt like the streets of Istanbul had turned into a river of sorts.

We jumped from one place to another to take cover – first an ATM machine, then a street side cafe, then outside a store – but were overpowered by the heavy showers. Feeling defeated (and hungry), we decided to run over to MADO, which was just a few meters away, and sought some respite from the rain while also feeding our empty tummies.

We still had Grand Bazaar on our list – our final stop for the day – and we kept hoping for the rains to stop so we could cover that 15 minute walk without any hindrance, but by the time the rain got lighter, it was too late. We were completely soaked from head to toe – sneakers even – and all we wanted was to change and somehow get to the airport.

To compensate for our loss, we decided to drown our disappointment in one last plate of that indulgent milk cake from Hafiz Mustafa, and then we headed back to the hotel, hoping they would make an exception and help us dry off before our flight back home.

While it was still raining, we walked to Bucoleon and asked the friendly hotel staff if they could spare us a room for an hour just so we could shower and change. And yes, those lovely people did that for us. Although we were willing to pay, they let us use the room free of charge. We made good use of that 1 hour to shower and maxed out the hair dryer trying to air out our shoes and clothes as much as we could.

Finally it was time to head out to the airport, and the hotel staff advised us to leave asap as the rain would have managed to block the traffic movement. They called us a cab, and once we set out, we soon realized that the traffic on the regular route would definitely make us miss our flight. We asked the cabbie to take the tunnel instead (which has an additional toll), and use the quickest route possible to get us to Sabiha Gocken Airport.

We arrived pretty much on time to the crowded airport and paid the cabbie a bomb ~350 TL for the ride including the toll (it was not metered). We managed to somehow get through the clogged up check-in, even picked up a McD meal from the lounge area (trying the local McD is a must for me), and got on our flight safe. But after a week of wonderful experiences and memories, the return flight left a bitter taste in my mouth, what with my suitcase being ransacked and my ring stolen from inside a pouch.

Again I’m thankful it was just one ring and not the entire pouch, but point is, this one single day made me realize so much about holidays in a frame by frame montage. While we wanted everything to go perfectly, some plans got canceled and things almost went terribly wrong. But each little event left a mark on our minds.

And in my case, well, although I missed out on one of the most important places on my list – The Grand Bazaar – luckily I’ve captured it in my memories from my 2014 visit (but have very few bad photos from then). Moreover, this roller coaster of a day has made me want to make a quick stopover in Istanbul in the future just to visit the Grand Bazaar, and at the same time, be extra cautious about the airline I fly and where I place my valuables.

 

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Turkish Food

When it comes to food, Turkish cuisine never disappoints. A haven for meat lovers and sweet tooth alike, Turkey offers such a diverse variety of food, you’re sure to find something you love.
During my 9 day trip to Turkey spread across 27 meals and over 70 different dishes, there are probably just 2 things I didn’t quite like.

 

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Although I cannot add everything in this carousel, here are the top 10 food items I loved in Turkey:

Thanks for reading my Turkey blog post and hope my itinerary helps you plan your next Turkish holiday. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to message me on Instagram or Facebook

 

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This was my second visit to this property and that says a lot about the place, given I hardly ever repeat hotels in UAE. So what exception made me choose this resort again? An amazing all inclusive price (> AED 600 per room per night), a complimentary room upgrade, coupled with the chance to enjoy a 3 hour drive though nothingness, and of course, the 377383 hours that I could spend in their infinity pool, all came together to push me into choosing Tilal Liwa for a quick 2nd time summer staycay.

 

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Room

While I was lucky enough to get an upgrade to the Royal Suite during my last visit approximately 2 and a half years back, this time we were upgraded to the 2nd category Sahab Room, which in my honest opinion was not at all bad. The room opened up into a hallway with the bathroom on the left and wardrobe on the right, and led to the main area featuring a king size bed, a TV table with a chest of drawers and two seating chairs.

Take a quick tour of my room at Tilal Liwa Hotel:

 

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In terms of amenities, everything we needed was present, except for the usual dental kit which I have grown into the habit of calling for at every hotel I stay. The tea and coffee facilities were as expected and the mini bar was well stocked (not that we made use of it). The wardrobe was good enough for a one or two night stay. And since this hotel is located quite literally in the middle of nowhere, which means you have to drive at least 15-20 minutes to get to the nearest supermarket, I don’t think anyone would want to stay here for more than 3 nights.

Bathroom

Quite spacious, and most certainly clean, I really liked how the bathroom was divided into well defined areas so you always have space to move around. The bath tub was absolutely soak-friendly and I had concrete plans to make full use of that just incase the pool got too hot for me. Luckily, the pool was perfect, but more on that later.

All the little tidbits like toiletries, towels, etc. were maintained well, and yes, the bathroom comes with a shattaf and a bidet, so suit yourself!

Pool

I really really like the pool at Tilal Liwa. Yes, there are so many gorgeous pools in Dubai and I have been to quite a few of them as well, but something about the calming infinity edge looking into the nothingness of the desert really soothes my senses. After seeing tons of people floating in pools, this time around, I picked up an inflatable from ACE Hardware along with a manual pump, and I really enjoyed floating on it. The afternoons did get hot and dry, but that was only if you were lounging outside the pool. The pool waters were cool and while we were inside, we didn’t feel the heat at all. We actually spent quite a lot of our two days soaking up the sun and wading through the pool waters. The depth wasn’t too deep like the one at Rixos, so I found it quite comfortable to walk around and do some posing for the gram!

Dining Options

Although the dining options at the hotel are limited, I didn’t really miss not being able to eat enough food, since the all day dining restaurant – Al Badiya – had new items on offer everyday. Since we opted for an all-inclusive stay, all our meals at Al Badiya were covered, in addition to drinks at the restaurant, the pool bar and Layali Bar. My only regret was not being able to order food at the pool bar or the lounge. Also, a heads up, the all-inclusive package sounds quite lucrative, but the spirits on offer are the most basic ones. Moreover, no cocktails included, so that was another minus for me, but I managed to sail through the weekend with a rose in my hand.

Nearby Attractions

Well, to be honest, there are no such nearby attractions close to Tilal Liwa durng this time of the year, but it’s a great tourist spot during the annual Dhafra Camel Festival that takes place in December. A 15-day soiree, this cultural festival features a series of competitions, such as a camel beauty contest, falcons, community traditional dresses, archery, traditional food, music and poetry, and offers a great chance for visitors to experience Emirati hospitality.

 

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Of course, if you are visiting during the rest of the year, you can opt for one of the numerous activities the hotel offers at an extra charge like camel riding, moon gazing, dune bikes, desert safaris and more. If you like cycling, you can take a ride on one of their cycles parked outside for free, or if the weather is forgiving, you can walk barefeet on the sand and experience the raw beauty of nature. Tip: Don’t walk too far into the desert in the night, and beware of the creatures that hide under the sand.

Bonus

Watch my room tour of the Royal Suite from my 2016 trip to Tilal Liwa

 

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Have you been to this hotel yet? What did you love/hate about it?

Tilal Liwa Overall Rating:

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Enter Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah, that had a lovely under the Stay Longer Save BB package for just AED 977.95 per room for 3 nights. That, my friends is certainly a steal, especially given the peak time we were booking for.

Fast forward 2 months and we arrive at the Hilton Garden Inn Resort on a lovely June afternoon. I had got an email notification from Hilton asking me to check in on their app earlier, but I found only smoking rooms available when I looked it up. So while we were driving to the resort, I instantly called them up and asked them to make sure I had a non-smoking room reserved for myself. The lobby was understandably crowded, children running about, families waiting while one of them completes the check-in formalities, guests getting in and out of lifts towards the restaurant and pool, you get the picture.During our check-in, a little mix up at the counter was almost expected, but I insisted I get a non-smoking room since I had it confirmed over the telephone. Thankfully, within a few minutes it was available and ready for us to settle in.

Room

The room was quite expansive, consisting of a large double bed, a corner desk with a chair, an arm chair with a pouffe and side table, a 4 door wardrobe, TV, mini bar and tea-coffee facilities. Very easy for moving around, there was enough space for up to 3 adults to live comfortably. The window in the room gave us partial views of the corniche, tennis court and next door Naeem Mall. The bed was up to my standards and I believe I had a peaceful sleep on 2 out of 3 nights, the odd one being the one where I had a terrible sudden cramp in my stomach, due to an earlier injury. Even then, I managed to get a pretty good sleep. The desk was the best part of the room. Luckily I was carrying my laptop with me, so I got the chance to finish quite a bit of my pending blog work, while also browsing IKEA to buy my own desk and chair at home.

Bathroom

While the bathroom was super convenient, the one thing it missed was a bath tub. I am not a big fan of having tubs at home, but when it comes to hotels, I certainly fancy a soak or two. This being a 3 night stay, I would’ve certainly preferred some me time with a bubble bath and a glass of grape, but well, I had to settle for my tiny space in the pool. The bath was neatly arranged with a WC (and a shattaf!), a wash basin with an end to end counter and a standing shower area. I’d have liked it if the shower area had a door, since that would’ve restricted any water flowing towards the other half of the bath, but we managed.

Pool

Our first instinct after settling in was to check out the pool, but then we didn’t want to face the blazing sun while it was right over our heads so we decided to nap a bit. I usually don’t like napping in hotels, unless I am really tired, and this time around I wasn’t, so we ended up watching TV instead and before we knew it, it was time to check out the pool. The pool was crowded. And I mean it. Super crowded. It was as though the entire hotel was in that pool. We managed to spot a couple empty loungers and stacked up our towels there so we had some place to sit and sip our cocktails. Have I not told you how much I love sipping on cocktails by the pool! Since we were starving, and the complimentary peanuts wouldn’t suffice our hungry tummies, we also ordered a sandwich to go with the drinks. Between the drinks and the food, we found a little space in the pool to just let loose and feel the blues. One thing, and probably the only thing I love about summers, is that I can walk out of the pool without any shivering at all. And that feeling is priceless.

Restaurants

Hilton Garden Inn RAK has three places to dine and drink – all of which we tried during our stay. The breakfast, which was included in our package, was all their all day dining restaurant on the lobby level – Garden Grille. Very spacious, this restaurant was sufficient enough to cater to all the Eid rush. They had an extension within the restaurant which was opened up during peak breakfast times and set up with all the buffet stations to divide the crowds. On the same level, they had another resto-lounge called Garden Bar & Lounge. We enjoyed one of our evenings at this place sipping some great cocktails during their happy hour and dining on their bestselling pizza. The Pool Bar, located next to the pool on the lower level, was our regular for poolside drinks, sandwiches and quick bites. On the Thursday evening during our stay, the hotel was hosting a Pool Party + Summer BBQ where they kept the pool open until late and offered all-inclusive packages as well as amazing prices on drinks and finger food coupled with great music. We spent quite a while of our Thursday night at the Pool Bar for this. The hotel also has a small convenience shop near the lobby where you can pick a snack or a drink (licensed) or buy items like soap, dental kit, etc.

Nearby Attractions

While Ras Al Khaimah is known as a tourist attraction for its mighty Jabal Jais mountains, and has especially become a great choice for adventure seekers with the Toro Verde ziplining experience, we chose not to go toward the mountains since it was too hot, and instead just walked over to the Naeem Mall next door. Quite an expansive mall, this caters to shoppers and diners alike. With the best fashion brands in tow, a two storey supermarket, a petite food court and some great casual dining choices, we ended up going to this mall twice during our stay – once for a quick bite at the food court, and the second time for some shoe shopping and dinner at The Yellow Chili.

Apart from Naeem Mall, you can also visit the nearby Manar Mall, and if you are looking for more licensed options for food and drinks, you can walk over to the CityMax hotel located opposite to Hilton.

Hilton Garden Inn Ras Al Khaimah Overall Rating

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The property is located on a vast span of land adjoining other properties on Marjan Island and with a direct access to the beach. Apart from the multiple accommodation options, they have numerous restaurants (meals at which are free and included in your stay), three different pools, a nightclub, children’s activity center and a small souk – all within the property. As soon as we arrived, we were swiftly checked in and given a printed map/guide that highlighted the different areas on the property, the different restaurants, how to reserve a table and whether they have a menu that incurs additional charge. We asked if we could reserve a table, since reservation is highly recommended and we booked ourselves at their steak restaurant for dinner. I will talk about the additional charges in a bit, but first let’s have lunch.

Lunch – Meal 1

The lunch buffet is open only until 3, so as soon as we checked in, the concierge asked us to first have our lunch or it would be closed. I found this slightly odd, since it creates a kind of havoc situation especially if you are travelling with children. You don’t really get much time to get freshened up. The best option would be to arrive at the hotel slightly earlier, get yourself checked-in, leave your bags at the check-in desk and head over for lunch while your room gets prepared. On the other hand, if you miss the lunch, you could also go to their 24/7 restaurant to grab a quick bite.

As for us, we asked the bell boy to take our bags to the room while we headed to the Seven Heights restaurant for lunch. The first thing I noticed as soon as I stepped in was the crowd! There were so many people, it was honestly surprising. We somehow managed to find a table, but the service was slightly slow at this point and we found it difficult to ask for plates or cutlery. The food was quite good though, and we weren’t looking at filling up anyway, because we had so much more to explore.

Room

Following lunch we checked in to our room which was supremely big. We were given a double room apartment which had one room with a king bed and attached bath, and another room with two single beds, and one additional bathroom in the hallway. This made for the perfectly comfortable stay. I must admit, I did spend a few seconds running around the entire apartment like a little girl.

The bathrooms were clean, and extra spacious. The only thing missing though was a nice bathtub. I am all for standing showers, they make life simple, but if the apartment has got two baths, having one as a lovely tub to soak in won’t hurt.

In terms of amenities, everything was right on point. Wardrobes, toiletries, hot beverage stand, TV, etc, – you know the drill. One thing about Rixos Bab Al Bahr All Inclusive is that the mini bar is also complimentary, but before you get too excited let me tell you, you won’t find any of that premium stuff in here. Just a couple of casual chips and a couple of beers in addition to juices and soft drinks.

Watch a video of the room tour here:

Pool Time

The pools at Rixos Bab Al Bahr are beautiful. My only two issues – 1. The adult pool was a tad too deep for me and 2. It was freakishly cold which made it almost impossible for me to stay put on the lounger without shivering like a damp kitten. We somehow managed to spend some time in the pool to check that off our list, but while we were there we noticed quite a few people with foam on their legs – indicating they had gone for some sort of spa thing. We missed on checking out the spa, but as far as I am aware, the massages are not complimentary, but spa access is. Would be a good option to call the property and check it out for yourself.

Sitting by the pool, we also sipped on a couple drinks from Su Bar – the poolside bar – that serves cocktails, mocktails and snacks.

Snacks – Meal 2

After the relaxing (and freezing) pool stint, we obviously felt hungry again. But we needed to make sure we didn’t eat too much for we already had dinner plans too. But it’s a human tendency, when you pay for something all inclusive, you are bound to overeat. We stopped at Toast’n Burger, which is a 24/7 diner, for some quick bites. We ordered a hot god sandwich and fish & chips to share, mainly because we didn’t want to fill ourselves up before dinner.

To settle all that food, we took a walk through the property and arrived at the petite and colorful Istanbul Bazaar which sells lovely souvenirs from Turkey, along with a little of UAE specialties too (like the sand glass).

Dinner – Meal 3

We had been advised by a friend to make sure we reserve our dinner table as soon as we arrive. Luckily we had booked ourselves for dinner at Meat Point while we were checking in. After the evening snacks, we went back to our room for a quick shower, some TV time and then got dressed for the evening. I wore a floral skirt which I bought from Splash Fashions and paired it with a nude top. The stole was a real savior thanks to the chilly weather and sea breeze.

We stopped by for drinks at Mojito Bar and seated ourselves opposite the stage where we enjoyed live dance performance and acrobats. After a couple of drinks, it was time to head to Meat Point. The steak edition of Rixos Bab Al Bahr’s multiple restaurants, this spot offers an all inclusive menu along with certain items that are charged separately. This usually includes premium steak cuts. Call me a miser but we just opted to go with the items that were a part of the inclusive options. We started with a creamy potato soup and shrimp ceasar salad, followed by lamp chops and chicken mushroom for mains. We honestly had no place for dessert, so this was all we could manage.

My initial plan was to head over to the Inferno night club after dinner, but call it old age or whatever, we just decided to call it a night.

Breakfast

Like all hotel stays I have been too, I was really excited for breakfast at Rixos Bab Al Bahr as well. Breakfast was served at Seven Heights and the buffet spread was nothing short of impressive. Again, my only let down was the massive crowds. And also the fact that after having eaten so much the previous day, I was not really up for looking at any more food. But a breakfast is what it is and there was no way we were going to skip that. We stacked up on the usuals – omelette, toasts, potatoes, cereals, my favorite foul medammes, some pastries, juice and hot beverages. And we managed to eat most of this!

Finally, before heading back to D-town, we decided it was time for one last dip in the pool (which was much warmer now), and a refreshing Pina Colada by the poolside.

Here are some more pictures from Rixos Bab Al Bahr. The property at day and night, a box of complimentary macaroons, and the performance in the evening

Rixos Bab Al Bahr Overall Rating:

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The expansive lobby with see-through lifts are the highlight as soon as you enter Al Ain Rotana. The hotel looked quite old in terms of interiors, but it was maintained quite well. We had some hiccups when it came to checking in – the room we had selected wasn’t available and we were being asked to settle for a smoking room – but we preferred waiting until our room was ready.

The Room

The room was gorgeous. Very spacious and with a balcony, it offered peaceful views of the garden city. The room offers everything you would need for a relaxing stay. The bathroom features a tub to soak in if you like, and there’s a bidet too, but the only thing missing is a shattaf, and I prefer shattafs over bidets. Right from a decent TV to tea and coffee facilities and a spacious wardrobe, the room is good enough even if you plan on staying more than one night.

With all the amenities in place and a comfortable bed, we would have almost preferred going off to sleep, had it not been for our spa appointment. We quickly parked our bags and walked towards the Zen spa.

The Zen Spa

We had booked an appointment at the spa way in advance even before booking the room, so obviously our entire stay was centered aroung this spa session. We arrived at the spa almost on time adn were offered a choice of different packages. We chose to go with the jacuzzi + massage + bath package which was priced at AED for two people.

Our first leg was the jacuzzi. Dressed in swimsuits, we set aside 30 minutes to enjoy the warm massaging waters in an otherwise quite chilly weather.

Next up was the actual massage. This 90 minute treatment was to take place in a remarkable room that housed two massage beds and a bath tub in addition to a toilet and shower room. The treatment room was probably bigger than our room at the hotel! With soothing strokes and lavender oil that almost instantly put me off to sleep, I enjoyed my blissful 60 minutes with a full body massage. The masseuse was really good at her job and managed to melt down most of my annoying shoulder knots.

Finally, after a good 45 minutes of sound sleeping during the massage, it was time to soak up in the bath. Fragranced with essential oils and all foamed up, we enjoyed the warm bath for around 30 minutes until it was time to shower, change and bid goodbye to the spa.

We were almost sure we would stop by at the pool for a little while, but after the massage all we wanted to do was bury ourselves into the comfy bed and grab some shut eye.

Dinner

While Al Ain Rotana has an all day dining restaurant that serves buffet, it also houses a few other outlets including Trader Vic’s, which is where we decided to dine. The food was not too bad, but not too great either. And all we could think about was going back to the hotel and sinking into the bed!

Breakfast

As I always prefer, we had this staycation booked inclusive of breakfast. The breakfast options at the restaurant were perfect. It had all my favorites including omelet, cereal (with coconut shavings!), potatoes, foul medammes, and hot beverages. After a satisfying Saturday breakfast, we skipped the pool yet again, and instead chose to rest for a bit before we packed up for a 2 hour drive back home.

My Ratings:

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Azerbaijan, or Baku for that matter, was quite a last minute decision for us. It was my 30th birthday; yes the big Three O, and there was no way I was going to be a plain Jane about it. While I won’t go into details about what our initial plan was, or why it didn’t work out, I will definitely tell you why Baku was our next best choice.

Travelling to Baku

Located in the Caspian region of Asia, Azerbaijan is one of the few places which, like its neighbors, has gained a lot of popularity among tourists in the past couple of years. Located just three hours from Dubai, Azerbaijan is situated in the same time zone as UAE and offers visa on arrival to UAE resident visa holders. We opted to travel with Fly Dubai, which is not only one of the preferred carriers to fly to Baku, but also, their timings are just right for the smart traveler.

The 8 am flight on Friday got us to Baku by 11 am, and we were arrived at the hotel a little over an hour later by 1230 pm. Since we had less than 3 days to explore Baku and around, we had been a little proactive with our planning, and hired a tour guide who could help us make the most of our super-short trip. Although we were pressurized with time constraints and had to work our trip around a public holiday (and my birthday), let me warn you, three days is in no way enough time to take in all the beauty that this city has to offer. If I could have it my way, I would have added at least one day more to my trip.

My Impression of Baku

The capital of Azerbaijan, this urban city is filled with architectural marvels that showcase the melting point of modern meets traditional. Modern construction stands tall alongside restored century-old buildings, giving the city a very unique look. With its fashionable local crowd buzzing through the streets, this city almost feels like the Paris of Asia with high end fashion brands like Roberto Cavalli, Emporio Armani, Burberry, Gucci and the like – a very common sight.

Our Hotel

Our previous trip – Europe – was filled with stays in budget hotels which my luxury-loving Dubaiite soul was not too fond of. For this trip though, we decided we would indulge in a little comfort, if not luxury, and opted to stay at Intourist Hotel Baku.

A little off the center, but located bang on the main road, this Autograph Collection by Marriott property is quite famous across the city, with signboards leading you to the hotel. It’s one of those places whose name you can tell the cabbie instead of having to explain the area and guide him through the lanes. Intourist is certainly one of the better hotels and surprisingly not too pricey for the kind of comfort it offers. The hotel features an all-day restaurant with a 24-hour bar, a spa (book in advance) and a cozy library as well. The wood-rich interiors of the hotel blended in just right with the freezing temperatures outside.

Day 1

As soon as we arrived at our hotel, which was around midday, we were checked in and the first thing we decided to do was grab some shut eye. This happens a lot when you’re travelling on Friday mornings, you just need that couple hours of sleep before you’re ready to head out to enjoy the place. After our nap we ordered some room service (which was great btw) and then put on our wintery clothes to explore the main town. The temperatures in Baku were pretty low at this time of the year – ~ 11°C at 8 pm – which means I had to carry a lot of jackets and boots and I was not complaining one bit. We had landed that afternoon and were only exploring the city on our own that night, but the next two days would be way more exciting! We didn’t have our tour guide with us on the first evening so we simply cabbed it down to Nizami Street. The cab ride cost us approximately AED 5, which was really surprising since everyone I know had told me cabs are too expensive in Baku. False.

 

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Nizami street is located in the central area of Baku and is a true representation of the old and new. With traditional stone streets paving up to modern malls, fancy chandeliers lining up the wide streets and dozens of stores on every side of the road, this area is a complete package for shopping and dining. Right from restaurants and cafes to high end fashion, international brands, souvenir shops and much much more, this place has everything you’ll ever need. Since it was pretty cold at that time of the year, it made the walk all the more pleasant. Filled with tourists and locals alike, this is a must visit in Baku.

 

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After a lot of walking (and freezing) we stopped by at the petite Rea Cafe in Nizami street for dinner and drinks. Not a very traditional one, this cafe was all about burgers and fries, and we came across the best combination of #fries and mushrooms ever! Not only did the cafe have an extensive selection of cocktails coffees, burgers, salads and sandwiches, which made it a perfect stop for a chilled evening out, but moreover the drinks were so affordable, a cocktail was equivalent to a mere AED 20.

 

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After dinner, we were pulled into a sweet store that sold a variety of teas and Azerbaijani honey. Quite a famous one we’d heard, we ended up buying a couple of tea varieties and a bottle of honey for back home. Leave it to them to pack it for your plane ride, and they’ll get all the bubble wrap necessary to make sure your honey is intact.

Day 2

This was going to be super exciting, and we were really looking forward to the long adventure filled day ahead. We started our morning with the lovely buffet breakfast at Intourist’s 24 hour restaurant and got ourselves all layered up to stand the cold. On Day 2, we had our tour guide with us, which means we had a car to put our stuff in, and the freedom to stop and start as per our convenience. Dressed up as almost Red Riding Hood (and wearing 2 layers of tees!), we head out in the chilly 8 degree temperature towards the villages on Baku.

Our first stop was Juma Mosque in Shamakhi that was first constructed in 744 AD after which it has gone through various renovations under the rule of many kings. The architecture of this mosque, very similar to a lot of Egyptian mosques, is spacious and airy, while the inscriptions and designs on its ceilings are inspiring. During our stop at the mosque, it started raining, which dropped the temperatures even further, so we quickly decided to get back in our cocoon and head over to the next stop.

Driving through foggy roads what felt almost like a path to heaven, we arrived at Shamaxi Silent Lake. This gorgeous restaurant located on the hills must be a spectacle during the blooming months of springs, but for us it was a sight filled with clouds and fog and autumn brown trees. Almost looked like a scene out of a Yash Chopra movie! Unable to seat ourselves outdoors, we went into the warm and comforting restaurant and picked a table with a brilliant view. We warmed up to a hot cup of Azeri tea with a special local cherry jam. Very sweet, I could swear the jam almost tasted like cherries dipped in honey, but I was told there was no honey in it. The Azeri tea was quite similar in taste to a typical Sulaimani tea.

Next up on the way to Qabala, our driver stopped for a quick photo op at a gorgeous spot in #Qabala and suggested we do this slow mo vid for a really dramatic shot. I loved those autumn colors and vibes! If only I could have SRK from Mohabbatein playing his violin in the background

 

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After all those leafy adventures, we set sail (almost) towards the Nohur Gold Qebele (also known as Lake Qabala). This beautiful town is located approximately 4 hours from Baku and is generally 10 degrees cooler than the city. I was almost expecting it to snow, but instead we were greeted with a constant drizzle that lasted throughout our boat ride. Definitely chilly, this was a great opportunity for the Dubai kid in me to don those winter jackets, boots, gloves and cap! Despite the weather, we decided to get our limbs and joints working and opted for a pedal boat to explore the lake. Yes, it was really difficult to pedal with all those chills, but the view, coupled with being in the center of the water with fog all around you, made the effort worth it! Qabala is a must visit in Azerbaijan, and totally worth a stay too. We’re strapped for time, but when you plan your holiday, make sure you include atleast a one night stopover in Qabala.

 

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Finally we arrived at the main destination of the day – Qabala. Starting off from the lowest point from Qafqaz Tufandag Hotel, we took a few cable car rides up to the top and the 10 manat ride was way more worth than what it costs. There were bits and parts of the ride where nothing was visible and it just added to the whole excitement. Once we reached the top, I was greeted with the most gorgeous view I have ever seen in my life – SNOW! Having grown up in a desert country, with annual trips to the tropical humid Mumbai, I had never seen snow before this in my life. And well, it was like heaven! Seeing snow for the first time in my life was definitely a tick on my checklist and an accomplishment just one day before I turn 30. I didn’t get to touch and feel the snow though, and I’m hoping I don’t have to wait another 30 years for that! We spent a good amount of time in the 2 degree weather at the highest point, clicking pictures and admiring the beauty of nature, but eventually it got too chilly and our hands started to freeze so we decided to head back down. This one needs to be on your to-do list for Azerbaijan even if you’re there for a really short time like me.

Here I am on top of Qabala overlooking the snow capped mountains from above the clouds!

 

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We were quite hungry by this point, so our driver, who loves Indian food, took us to the most frequented spot by tourists – Raja Restaurant. Founded by an Indian man who married an Azeri woman, this restaurant serves the best of both cuisines. Indian is quite regular for us, so while our driver chose a spicy Indian dish, we asked him to recommend some classic Azeri dishes for us. We had a Marci Sorbasi lentil soup, followed by Lula Doyma lule kebab and Kand Toyuqdan Sac chicken on sadj. The lule kebab were my favorite. We ended our meal with a Karak tea and walked back through the clouds towards our ride back to the city. Quite a scary one, the 3 hour ride had a lot of portions that were so foogy, there was zero visibility. Reminded me of my previous summer in Armenia.

Once back at the hotel, we decided to change up and spend the night with drinks and bites at their in-house restaurant. We stayed there for quite bit, admiring views of the ferris wheel across the street and the calm sea beyond. And that was all there was to Day 2.

Day 3

This day was very special for me. It was my last day in the 20’s. We started with the usual breakfast at the hotel and set out for an entire morning and afternoon of city touring. We started at the “I love Baku” spot outside the Heydar Aliyev Center. While we didn’t go inside the museum, we did manage to get a glimpse of some of their activations outside and also got a lot of good clicks.

 

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Next up was the Ateshgah or Fire Temple in Baku. Frequented in the past by many different religions, the tiny rooms surrounding this temple have so many stories to tell. From Zoroastrians to Hindus, there are elements of various religions present inside the temple.

 

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After the fire temple, it was time for another fiery spot – Yanar Dag or fire mountain. This is the place of never-ending fire. Yes, the fire never goes off in this spot, and for me it honestly felt so good in that chilly weather. The presence of natural methane gas is responsible for this fire, and it is considered a very important site. Anyone trying to put out this flame (which doesn’t go off come rain or snow), can be fined by law.

 

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For lunch, we stopped at Quzu Qabirgasi Kebab Restaurant, and I was more than happy to fill my belly with those juicy kebabs. With a crunchy salad and cherry juice on the side, we indulged in grilled chicken and meat kebabs before heading to our next location.

The Dagustu Park or Highland Park as it is commonly known is located at a high point in the city, hence its name. A walk through Martyr’s Lane dedicated to martyred soldiers of war leads to the Eternal Flame Memorial. Behind the memorial is a viewpoint that offers lovely views of the layered streets of Baku and the sea. We spent a few minutes at this spot and caught a glimpse of the Flame Towers on our way out.

Following the Martyr’s Lane, we stopped for a quick visit of Bibi Heybat mosque which is located near the port. Before heading back to our hotel and getting ready for celebrations, we made one last stop of our evening at the famous Azerbaijan Carpet museum. Home to scores of different styles of carpets, this museum takes you through the history of carpet making, the different types of carpets and how the tradition has stayed alive over the centuries.

Birthday Eve Dinner

Our driver had been kind enough to recommend the 360 bar in Hilton to ring in my 30th, and had made the bookings for us the previous day as well, so we were quite excited about it. We had a rather quick dinner at the Sky Grill Terrace in Hilton, which I kind of didn’t enjoy too much (my prawn pasta was too fishy), but what followed at the 360 Hilton Bar was more than anything I could ask for on my 30th. A revolving restaurant, 360 offered unparaled views of the night sky and thanks to their upbeat music, dim lighting, and fab drinks, it was perfect.

 

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Last Day in Baku

We didn’t really do much on the last day, except got up, had our usual breakfast and packed up to leave back to Dubai. The ride to the airport was a saddening one, simply because I loved this place so much, it was hard to accept I was leaving it so soon. But thanks to the easy immigration and short haul flights, I knew I will be coming back very very soon. At the airport we had our lunch at a local restaurant and I did some duty free shopping since after all it was my birthday and gifting yourself is a thing I totally believe in!

Details

Destination: Baku, Azerbaijan
Currency: Manat
Visa: Visa on arrival for UAE resident visa holders (USD 26 per person)
Dates of visit: 16-11-2018 to 19-11-2018
Airline: Fly Dubai
DXB > GYD: Departs at 0800 from Terminal 2, arrives at 1100 in Baku
GYD > DBX: Departs at 1550 from Baku, arrives at 1850 in Dubai, T2
Hotel: Intourist Hotel Baku Autograph Collection
Temperature: Ranges between highs of 15 degree C to lows of 7 degree C
Places visited: Baku, Qabala
Mode of transport: Taxi, Private tour guide

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