• Age: 30
• Year: 2019
• Time of year: August
• Length of trip: 11 days
• Travel style: solo, adventure, beach

The recap:
From desert mountains
To crystal-clear ocean
And salt flats in-between

Day 1

Flew from Amsterdam to Istanbul, checked into Second Home Hostel, made friends with the neighbourhood cat on the rooftop.

Day 2

Went to the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque (for women, make sure to bring a scarf to wrap around your head & shoulders to show respect).

Then went for dinner at Seher Restaurant nearby the hostel.

Day 3

Explored more of Istanbul, including the Grand Bazaar.

Enjoyed dinner on the rooftop of the hostel.

Day 4

Flew to Neveshir / Kapadokya airport.

Checked into the Shoestring Cave House in Goreme and then walked up to the top of the hill to catch the end of the sunset.

Went for dinner at Cappadocia Pide House.

Day 5

Chilled by the pool in the morning.

Then went to see the archeological site at Goreme National Park.

Climbed back up the hill for another sunset, followed by a delicious traditional tajine dinner at Ozlem Restaurant and then drinks at Pasha Café.

Day 6

Woke up early for a hot air balloon ride, but sadly was cancelled due to winds.

So time for a hike at Goreme National Park.

Then went for dinner at One Way Cafe Restaurant.

Day 7

Woke up early again for the hot air balloon ride, but again was cancelled due to wind conditions. Warning: This happens often, so make sure you have time for at least 3 days of attempts. Sadly, I only had 2.

Took the Metro Tourism bus to the coast, checked into the Gold Coast Hostel in Muratpasa, Antalya and explored the town.

Went for dinner at Sinarit Fish Restaurant.

Day 8

Highlight: Day trip to the hot springs at Pamukaale – translates to ‘cotton castle’ in Turkish, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

@sara_caissie

Dreaming of travelling back to magical places like this again soon! #vaccinecountdown #guesswhere #lizzo #waterme

♬ Water Me – Lizzo

Day 9

Beach time to wrap up the trip, splurged and checked into the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Konyaalti, Antalya.

Went for dinner and drinks at Food in Box down the street.

Day 10

Back to Konyaalti Beach beach to soak up the sun.

Caught a beautiful sunset on my last night in Turkey.

Day 11

Flew to Oslo to wrap up the solo European adventure (blog coming soon).