Another Awesome Trip!

I initially planned to post this the same week I returned to Singapore, but my schedule was turned upside down for various reasons, coupled with post-trip and shift-related exhaustion...

Friends who are connected to me on social media would've seen the numerous photos and videos I uploaded.

Turkiye exceeded all my expectations, and has moved France from its 15-year-long top spot on my list of favourite travel destinations. 😊

When I decided to book this tour, the main criteria was to "go somewhere warm" haha. I visited Iceland in 2025, and Scandinavia + Japan in 2024, so a change of climate was preferred.

Despite sharing a border with Iran, the ongoing conflict hasn't affected Turkish tourism at all, at least in the western half.

Another stroke of good luck: I bypassed Emirates completely and went with Singapore Airlines, avoiding last-minute cancellations which would've either cost me dearly or derailed the trip entirely.

I was solo for 2 days in Istanbul, and could already sense the country was something special.

On the first evening, I took a walk to the Galata Tower area, mingling with local crowds who were out for weekend meals. There are generally very very few Asians in Turkiye, so I stuck out like an exotic animal. But those whom I made eye contact with smiled warmly, and one young man I approached for help at an ATM machine laughed and attempted to assist, before I discovered an English option and he went on his way.

I also spotted the famous street cats lounging peacefully at multiple locations, with food and water always available, and people giving them space or affectionate pets.

I randomly found an excellent cafe that specializes in fish wraps. I remember closing my eyes and going "mmm!" upon taking that first bite. This would be repeated daily for the next fortnight. 😋

On day 2, I did a 5-hour small group food tour with a local guide named Ayse ( pronounced as Aisha ). We stopped at shops, markets and restaurants, sampling Turkish delights, wraps, pickles, cheeses, menemen, Iskender kebabs, ice-cream and pastries. 

It was an unbelievable experience! I was the only Asian and solo traveller, surrounded by couples from the U.S. and Australia. But everyone was very friendly and made me feel most welcome. 😊

On day 3, I moved to another hotel and met up with my group for the upcoming 2-week tour.

There were 30 of us, most hailing from the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Our guide was a 45-year-old local named Barcin, and our driver was Sakir.

I won't go into specific details about the tour itself. The photos and videos speak for themselves.

Suffice to say, I never realized Turkiye is such a beautiful and fascinating country.

My favourite activities:

Cappadocia

Hot air balloon chasing at sunrise - wonderful even without riding in one!

Paşabağ Valley - with beautiful volcanic rock formations, and a visit to a local family's cave house

Kusadasi

Turkish cooking session at a family-owned restaurant - superb!

Ephesus

The spectacular ancient city and archaeological museum

Eating!

OMG the food blew my mind haha.

And I've had lots of amazing cuisine in many countries including France, Japan and Italy.

This surpassed them all.

The highlights were definitely the mind-boggling desserts.

Everywhere we went - hotels, cities / towns, even rest stops - there were mountains of pastries, cakes and sweets.

My biggest regret was restricting myself due to OCD-ness about weight and health.

Despite my restraint, I still gained 1.5-2kg during the tour, as evidenced by intermittent weighing at hotels that provided scales. 😅

When I mentioned this to fellow travellers, one of them told me to stop weighing myself lol.

Local fauna

Many street dogs and cats everywhere we went.

Wild storks in their nests, some with chicks!

Free roaming ducks and geese - there was a town where a lone goose stood in the middle of the street and blocked our coach. Our driver very patiently braked and waited for it to waddle out of the way before moving on. 😄

Lots of goats, scattered horses and cows.

I was especially touched by how the Turkish people love all animals.

I could feel great kindness permeating throughout their society everywhere I went.

We need more of this in Singapore, instead of psychos attacking defenseless strays. 😡

The people

How I'm treated in a foreign country always plays a huge part in my overall level of enjoyment.

Switzerland is exquisite, but the Swiss are quite aloof so I didn't feel a significant connection when I was there.

I've had consistently positive interactions in France, Japan and the USA, which is why they're always at the top of my list and I've returned multiple times.

But the Turks really win hands down!

At the Mausoleum of Ataturk in Ankara, we were surrounded by hundreds of students as our visit coincided with the last day of school.

The teens gathered in groups to chat and take photos, but whenever I stopped to wait, they smiled and asked me to pass first.

At the Paşabağ Valley in Cappadocia, 2 adorable little girls greeted me in Japanese and didn't seem to understand when I explained where I'm from. 

They then asked me for hugs and we took a wefie. What a heartwarming memory I will treasure forever. 💓

In Troy, when we passed a class of young teens, all of them waved and said hello with big smiles on their faces. 

At one of the rest stops - can't recall where exactly - there was a restaurant with an incredible buffet spread.

I quickly took my phone out to snap photos. When the boss noticed what I was doing, he brought his wife out of the kitchen and gestured towards her.

I couldn't understand what he said, but I saw how proud he was of her, and knew he was telling me she's the marvelous cook, and she smiled shyly at me. 😊

My wonderful tour group

Everyone has their own preferred travel style, but mine is in a way conditioned from my late teens, when my mum booked us on our first group tour ( in the UK ).

She didn't want to travel with Singaporeans, so she chose a British company that catered to international clients.

We had many more great trips with this company before I switched to an American one in 2015 ( because of its affiliation to the Marriott Vacation Club, which I'm a member of ).

For the Turkish trip, I returned to the British company as it has a better itinerary.

The tours I take are also more expensive, but I've found that this guarantees travellers whose demographic profiles and mindsets are more similar to mine, ensuring shared interests and a smoother, enjoyable experience.

On this trip, there were 3 doctors ( me, an anaesthetist from Canada, and a public health specialist from Australia ), a nurse from the Mayo Clinic, plus a Canadian couple comprising a judge and a professor of education. 

Lots of retirees / near retirees, making me the youngest yet again. ( But I'm used to it, and I find older people very interesting haha. )

This is my 5th year travelling solo, so mingling with strangers has become second nature. And everyone always welcomes me at their tables, asking lots of questions about Singapore, my work and where else I've been. 

This tour was also different because there were 3 other women on their own. The oldest was a 75-year-old American widow who's very petite but has a big personality and 10 times more energy than I do. 

I marvelled at how she navigated all the long walking tours with uneven ground, stairs and hills, etc. without using a single aid. I hope I'll be as strong as she is when I'm 75!

Last but not least, our incredible tour director, Barcin.

People think being a doctor is tough, but I can't do what TDs do. 

They work very long hours, take care of large groups and ensure everything goes according to plan, but sometimes need to adjust the itinerary for various reasons.

The last occurred when we were in the coastal city of Kusadasi, and SIX cruise ships arrived the morning we were going to visit the ancient city of Ephesus.

Barcin moved the visit to an afternoon slot, and we spent the morning at other places that weren't part of the cruise groups' schedules.

After lunch, everyone returned to the ships and the archaeological site was back to its baseline state, giving us ample opportunity to explore the ruins and take beautiful photos.

In addition, Barcin has one of the best personalities ever.

I've travelled with many great TDs over the past 30 years, but Barcin really stands out with his calm, relaxed demeanour and excellent sense of humour. 

Coupled with a university degree in classical history, we were always entertained with fascinating stories about Turkey, Greece and Rome, both on the coach and at every location we visited.

No local guides were involved, so Barcin led every single tour. It was no small feat, and I greatly applaud his endless energy and enthusiasm. It made this long trip extremely enjoyable, thank you! 👍😊

Every time I go overseas, it reinforces my love for discovery and adventure, for meeting new people, sometimes even making new lifelong friends.

It's something I never take for granted, and which I hope to be able to continue doing until I'm in my 70s ( a huge motivation for me to stay fit and healthy haha ).

Before I end this post, here's a quote shared by Barcin:

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."

My next trip will be a short one in September.

Time to start planning for 2027. 😁