anybody done O's multi-day trip to Cappadoccia recently?

[May B]

We arrive in Istanbul on the Riviera on Oct. 22nd and Oceania has a perfect post-cruise tour for us, time-wise. I'm just not sure about their hotel, which doesn't seem to get good reviews.

 

I'm not so much worried about the cost, which I know will be high, but my comfort. Anybody done this in the past year or so? The hotel is Kapadokya Lodge Inn Hotel (formerly known as the Lykia Cappadocia Lodge Hotel).

[A Knitter]

We will be in Capaddocciai in 3 weeks but not staying at the hotel you mentioned. I personally prefer not to use any ships pre cruise accomodations and do my own research for location, location, location. In our case we are in the heart of the city. Paying a little extra but worth it. I will certainly post a review once we complete our cruise on Insignia.

[Travelcat2]

We went to Cappadocia a little over a year ago. It was one of the most amazing places we have been - ever (and we have been to over 60 countries). I would not hesitate one moment to go there again -- no matter what hotel we were staying at!!!

[May B]

We will be in Capaddocciai in 3 weeks but not staying at the hotel you mentioned. I personally prefer not to use any ships pre cruise accomodations and do my own research for location, location, location. In our case we are in the heart of the city. Paying a little extra but worth it. I will certainly post a review once we complete our cruise on Insignia.

 

Hi, A Knitter,

 

I hope you'll come back to report a little about your experience. Thx for the reply.

 

--May

[May B]

We went to Cappadocia a little over a year ago. It was one of the most amazing places we have been - ever (and we have been to over 60 countries). I would not hesitate one moment to go there again -- no matter what hotel we were staying at!!!

 

Thx, Travelcat2. I like the way you put it!

 

Did you do a hot air balloon ride?

 

--May

[Travelcat2]

Thx, Travelcat2. I like the way you put it!

 

Did you do a hot air balloon ride?

 

--May

 

No, we didn't but sat on our balcony early in the morning and watched the sky fill up with gorgeous balloons. It was a breathtaking sight. We did a three night pre-cruise with Regent -- it was magical:)

[NC&KY]

Hi, A Knitter,

 

I hope you'll come back to report a little about your experience. Thx for the reply.

 

--May

My wife just got a consulting job in Istanbul beginning less than 3 weeks before our TA cruise, but my dad always told me not to look a gift horse in the mouth. So we're going. Because we've seen the highlights of Istanbul, we're going over to Cappadocia after her work is done. Putting together a trip is incredibly easy. Go to any of the Cappadocian city pages on TripAdvisor (such as http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g297989-Activities-c25-Urgup_Cappadocia.html) and you'll find listings and reviews of tour companies that will pick you up at one of the airports in Cappadocia, take you for tours of 1-4 days, put you up at a hotel (you have a wide range of choices of where to stay, including several that get better reviews than the one you mentioned), and then return you to the airport. All you'll need to do is arrange to get to the Istanbul airport and book a round-trip flight with Turkish Air. Even for someone who doesn't usually DIY, this one is a breeze.;)

[May B]

My wife just got a consulting job in Istanbul beginning less than 3 weeks before our TA cruise, but my dad always told me not to look a gift horse in the mouth. So we're going. Because we've seen the highlights of Istanbul, we're going over to Cappadocia after her work is done. Putting together a trip is incredibly easy. Go to any of the Cappadocian city pages on TripAdvisor (such as http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g297989-Activities-c25-Urgup_Cappadocia.html) and you'll find listings and reviews of tour companies that will pick you up at one of the airports in Cappadocia, take you for tours of 1-4 days, put you up at a hotel (you have a wide range of choices of where to stay, including several that get better reviews than the one you mentioned), and then return you to the airport. All you'll need to do is arrange to get to the Istanbul airport and book a round-trip flight with Turkish Air. Even for someone who doesn't usually DIY, this one is a breeze.;)

 

This is very helpful and I really appreciate it.

 

And I love hearing you quote your wise dad.

 

--May

[Joanandjoe]

We arrive in Istanbul on the Riviera on Oct. 22nd and Oceania has a perfect post-cruise tour for us, time-wise. I'm just not sure about their hotel, which doesn't seem to get good reviews.

 

I'm not so much worried about the cost, which I know will be high, but my comfort. Anybody done this in the past year or so? The hotel is Kapadokya Lodge Inn Hotel (formerly known as the Lykia Cappadocia Lodge Hotel).

 

We stayed at the Lykia Lodge in November, 2009, as part of a Regent (sister line to Oceania) pre-cruise package to Cappadocia. We, too, had heard so-so things about the hotel. It was actually quite comfortable, and we had a large and quiet room well away from any noise. The Turkish breakfast was incredibly good. I hope that the new owners continue the lavish breakfast, which was big enough for lunch as well as breakfast. Yum!

 

We were interested in the balloon tour, but it was very early in the morning. Even if we had wanted to go, the balloon would have been cancelled due to bad weather.

 

Cappadocia was amazingly beautiful, and I still have the pictures up on my cubicle and work. To put that in context, I don't have up on the wall any pictures from subsequent trips to Hawaii, Monaco to Rio, or the Grand Canyon. The people on the tour were too frail (mobility problems) to go to the underground city; so, instead, we went to a 7th century monastery, which had amazing paintings on the wall. The trip was pricey but worth it.

[Joanandjoe]

We've located Joan's review of our Regent Cappadocia trip in November, 2009. Joan's review of the hotel was less favorable than mine; but neither of us felt that the hotel detracted from the trip. I'll add to the review the fact that they did offer to switch hotels for us, but that didn't happen to the mobility problems of the other people on the trip. The Navigator referred to in the last sentence was our ship, the Regent Seven Seas Navigator. Joe

___________________________________________

 

Cappadocia review

 

We'll write more when we get over the terrible colds (actually, bronchitis for Joe) which we got from the miserable weather on the trip. It rained all or part of the day the first 9 of our 13 days (we never did see the sun in a week in Turkey), with an all day rain three of the days (a downpour with wind at Ephesus). Despite the awful weather, it was a great trip. Cappadocia is beautiful beyond belief!

 

An uncomfortable Transatlantic trip, with jet lag and cramped conditions, improves when we see a charming girl holding a sign with our names on it. Seamless connections to the hotel. We find a delightful restaurant on the Taksim Square, and enjoy our meal fully.

 

We were part of a group of 8, with the two of us (ages 64 and 62) the babies of the group. Three or four of the others were over 80, and maybe 5 of the 8 had mobility problems. So there was no hotel switch. We met our guide, Sayat Turabik, in the lobby of the hotel. Nobody gave us a name or meeting time, but we were ready early in spite of our jet lag, and eventually connected with Sayat in Istanbul. For what we paid, we should have had that information. Sayat handed us a printed schedule of our Cappadocia adventure. We spent the morning visiting Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Sayat's advice about shopping the Spice Market and the Grand Bazaar was accurate and helpful. Lunch at Hamdi was superb. We had a view of two continents, appetizers and pizza, and a mixed entree. I bought 1/2 c. saffron for $2.00, and Rahat Locum (known simply as Lokum in Turkey). Back to the hotel by 3:30, we walk around and find a modest restaurant. We're drinking bottled water, on Sayat's advice. Superb buffet breakfast in the hotel, a delightful meal.

 

Turkish airlines gets us to Cappadocia in the rain. They serve a meal on the short flight: yogurt, water, cheese sandwich. A bit of sunshine for about two minutes, a waiting bus, and our tour begins. We hike up and down the justifiably famous Goreme Open Air Museum. We visit Avanos, walk into a cave and see a potter making a dish. I don't buy, although the place is obviously a shop. More sight-seeing of the remarkable Cavusin and Pigeon Valley, more caves. Wonderful lunch in a restaurant where they bake your stew in a clay pot and break the pot to serve you. The local wines are quite good, as my fellow-travelers sip a glass or two at their own expense. We are greeted with juice or wine on arrival. Unpacking, refreshing baths, and a buffet dinner fill our evening. Everyone's happy with an early bedtime.

 

Buffet breakfast the next day is excellent, bountiful and varied. Joe and I acquire a taste for their cherry juice. Joe is now insisting that PANORAMA is the Turkish word for Gift Shop, half-jokingly. The Turkish Lira is worth less than the dollar, so shopping is a pleasure.

 

The Lykia Lodge, is, I'll admit, a bit dreary; but we weren't there for much else other than eating and sleeping. They greeted us with complimentary beverages (hard or soft). We got two good nights of sleep, so the small rooms didn't bother us. The food at the Lodge was terrific: great buffets at breakfast and dinner. We almost became addicted to sour cherry juice! The other meals on the trip were excellent, with one exception: a perfectly awful lunch at the Topkapi Palace just before we boarded the ship.

 

The guide, Sayat, was a very flexible guy. Seeing the age of the group, he switched our whiling Dervish reservations from 8:30 p.m. to 5:30--and we had front row seats. When it became obvious that the group (other than me) had knees too tricky for the underground city (the vote was 7 to 1 against going, with Joe the one Yes), we went instead to the Keslik 4th century cave monastery. The frescoes are far more expressive than anything in Europe at this time, and the keeper is happy to see us. We are the sole tour group there. Sayat finds us a Roman excavation so recent, we can't photograph it because it has not been fully recorded yet. Fascinating. We even went to a winery.

 

The fairy chimneys are wonderful beyond description. We do not have a chance to ride a donkey, but we have a wonderful visit. Sayat jokes the donkey ride is $1- to get a ride and $10.00 to get off....Plane back to Istanbul the next day is a nightmare of people trying to get 10 bags each into the overhead compartment, a lobby without bathrooms or water, and the seats in the far back of the plane. It's a holiday weekend, and Topkapi Palace is so crowded we can't get close to the exhibits, and the lunch here is only so-so. (Joe's view--bloody awful!) The wind and rain make the Navigator especially welcome. Joan

[May B]

Thank you for two great posts. Glad to hear how well your photos turned out.

 

As well as the tour!!!

 

--May

[Joanandjoe]

Whichever way you decide to do Cappadocia - private arrangements or through Oceania - we think you'll enjoy being in this fascinating place.