Kimkim Trip Reviews for Turkey

Had all the amenities but I prefer less generic, smaller places with more character and personality. The steam room was nice and the Turkish bath interesting. The buffet breakfast was very nice, except cappuccino had to be paid for. I went to the restaurant for dinner. The food was good, but it took an hour to get served. It seems that someone had to go catch the fish. Or the cook went home thinking there was no one else to serve.

Well located near the water and excellent restaurants. It was a bit generic. I prefer smaller and more character. We had to have a breakfast to go because we left for the airport before breakfast was served. There is a lot of room for improvement if they are going to give out takeout breakfast.

For such a unique experience, I was happy to overlook some uncomfortable mattresses. I don’t think the scorpion that stung my roommate is something that could be avoided; just bad luck.

The driving was formidable and certainly cut into a more leisurely and thorough experience. It was sad to have such a short, rushed time at the museum at Troy. A drive from the top of Gallipoli was unnecessarily, aggressive, causing much motion sickness in the van. After the driver was asked to tone it down, the next day we went very slowly, uphill being passed by all other vehicles on the road. This was either passive aggressive, or the van was underpowered – making the voyage longer.

Tour of the frescos, living sites and tile mosaics was a highlight. We almost missed it because it wasn’t offered. The small museum was also a highlight and could have been easily missed. The drive to the hotel from which we embarked to Ephesus, was another long agonizing drive. Without knowing the degree of time spent in vans, we were robbed of choice to change the itinerary

The experience would have been fantastic- and our guide was exceptional. But, there is no excuse for us having to get up at the crack of dawn to fly to Istanbul and then Cappadocia. The second flight was late and we were exhausted. Therefore, we couldn’t get the maximum enjoyment. Our itinerary had us going directly to Cappadocia (until the day before we were given our flights- a communication came that direct flights were only on some days and we might need to go through Istanbul). It was unbelievably insulting to say the that a direct flight to Cappadocia might not happen well before the flight due to weather. As a pilot, I can tell you that flights will not be cancelled a week before a flight because of weather. I think your local specialist didn’t book our flights until the direct flights were full. We knew the schedule well in advance. She should have booked us promptly so we could get a direct flight. If, indeed the direct flights didn’t go that day, we should have been informed well in advance so we could have choice to make itinerary changes. After all the grueling driving, having a grueling day of flights was particularly unwelcome

We couldn’t go, primarily due to the fact our KimKim contact didn’t get us on a direct flight to Cappadocia.

Wonderful location and staff with a great breakfast . Rooms are simple but very comfortable with everything we needed.

Awesome room at the end of the hall on the 15th floor with panoramic view !

Nice spacious room. Good breakfast. Located close to Taksim Square. Staff was very polite.

Enjoyed getting to know a bit more about culture of Istanbul and seeing the Tower.

Very busy day to see all this together, but worth seeing them.

Palace gets quite busy, having a guide and pushing through is helpful.

Enjoyed the entertainment. The food and timing by the staff was on point. Something you should do once while visiting Istanbul. Enjoyed having transportation to and from the event.

A very spiritual and informative and interesting experience. Who knew??? It is unbelieveable how they can do that.

Don't know how how you could improve this strreet tour. Guide was excellent, knowlegable, and charming. She made the trip fun and enlightening.

Could not have improved, everything perfect/

This day was absolutely amazing in such a geological and historical perspective. Our guide was excellent and really knew his stuff! He could answer all of our questions and knew the location and Hieropolis stories extremely well. The driver as well was safe, clean van, and professional. Highly recommend!

Great location in the old city and it has a lovely pool for relaxing . However the room we had overlooked a venue that played loud music into the night. When I raised this matter the next day we were immediately moved to another quieter room.

I had not expected to enjoy this as much as I did. We were taken by minibus and we boarded a boat at Kekova. The day was spent viewing the underwater and above water ruins of Kekova Island and 5 swims in the aquamarine waters of the area. We also stopped at Simena Castle where people could climb to the top for spectacular views. We were also given a lovely lunch . All in all a great day!

Good location. Lovely rooftop for meals and/or a drink with views of the Blue Mosque - especially nice at night

The hotel overlooks the small harbor and has a real buzz about it. We were able to swim in the sea which was a bonus. The staff were friendly and helpful. We ate at the hotel restaurant next to the water and which had an overwhelming choice of meze.

Lovely small boutique hotel with friendly and helpful staff. It has a great outlook over the waterfront.

We took the cable car up to the top which was an adventure in itself . In the Hellenistic and Roman period Pergamon was a major centre with a far -reaching kingdom and we learned so much from Volkan. The theatre is incredibly steep and could house 10000 people. Going through a 'subway' to enter it be careful not to bump your head . Because it was extremely hot we didn't spend as much time as we would have liked.

This was our first day with Volkan as our guide. He expertly took us to the various locations rescheduling flexibly as it was terribly hot and we waned to avoid big crowds. His knowledge throughout our trip astounded us! We enjoyed all the sites that day : Hippodrome , Grand Bazaar , The Sultans Palace, Hagia Sophia and finally the Basilica Cisterns which was definitely a highlight.

This was our second day in Istanbul encompassing the Spice Bazaar and the boat trip along the Bosphorus. The highlight was definitely a visit to The Blue Mosque which is astonishing in its architecture and decoration.

It was amazing to walk through this site and imagine its construction in the 6th century by the Romans. Our guide gave us interesting facts and pointed out the Medusa heads used as column bases!

There was a short walk through the quaint village and up to the top . The view at the site of the temple was quite spectacular - the view of the Aegean and Lesbos. One can imagine that was why they chose that spot to construct it.

A highlight was learning about the Maeander River ( from which we get the word 'meander') and how it silted up over time thus preventing access to the sea which had been Miletus's key advantage. It is well-known as a home of many Greek philosophers.

Amazing

No much difference from the day before

We enjoyed it

We enjoyed the lunch there

Very food , but was early morning, we started it just after the breakfast, so we could not try the food options May Was better if you make it after the blue mosque tour

We loved it

We loved it

Cappadocia is a special place. Fresco Cave Suites was a great place to stay while there. The staff was more than helpful and the room was quite comfortable. It was well located for seeing the local areas.

It was beautiful, in a beautiful setting with cobblestone streets. A lovely area to have food or drinks and a restaurant across the street.

The room was in a cave but probably not my favorite hotel. And the restaurant was overpriced.!

Good location, friendly staff, good service, rooms were comfortable, cute, and cleaned well every day. It was a really nice hotel and had the most amazing breakfast with fresh eggs, frittata, sausage, salad, pastries, bagel, cereals, toast, honey, molasses, bulgar wheat, various cheeses; it really was one of the nicest breakfasts from a hotel we've ever had, plus there's the view of the blue mosque or the sea the other side. The food on the terrace we had at dinner on the first night was also really good - best dolmades we've had (and we dont really like dolmades!) Highly recommend. The only reason it didn't get five stars is there are a few small repairs that need doing here and there so it's not a five star hotel in that sense, but we had a fab time and would definitely go back.

Wonderful location, ease of access via walking to the historical areas of Istanbul. Breakfast spread so much variety and delicious

It is a lovely cave hotel at the topmost part of Cappodacia. Our room was beautifully appointed and surprisingly very comfortable. Cool in the heat and warm at night. Plenty of lights as there are no windows. The only negative was the deep steps, as its an ancient site, the steps were difficult for us as older people to handle going up and down to get to our room.

Loved visiting the spice and the Grand Bazaar. I liked that our guide took us to the spice market the first day as its smaller and to acquaint us to “bazaars” then the Grand Bazaar which can be a bit overwhelming with its size but we only chose a few “streets” as we had specific things we wanted to buy. We also visited the oldest Turkish delight candy store, visited Rustum mosque with its beautiful blue tiles, and went on a boat tour on the Bosphorus to see both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul which fascinated us. It was a wonderful ending to a lovely tour to just sit on the boat, relax and drink tea seeing the sights. Highly recommend to end with that as we were a bit foot weary by then.

It was interesting at first but then seeing more sacred art in different caves became a bit tiring also, it's all uphill on a very hot day. We opted to stop sooner and did not see the rest. I realize we are not Christians and do not feel much affinity toward the paintings. But for Christians and those who love sacred art, seeing these in unusual places, the caves and the fact that these exist for your viewing is spectacular.

We loved trying our hand at creating pottery at the wheel. The guide at the pottery shop explained the process and also the famous ring wine of the Hittites. We loved learning about the history of this art and seeing all the beautiful ceramics. We immensely enjoyed the time spent there. We visited Love Valley and walked a bit, took some pictures then had delicious pistachio coffee for the first time. We sat and enjoyed the view from the cafe. I enjoy seeing the colored ceramic jars decorating the trees instead of "love locks" these are "jars of love and wishes" makes great and fascinating travel pictures.

We have never seen anything like this so it was so fascinating to watch the dancing. I am truly impressed that they were able to twirl continuously and in sync with each other with closed eyes!! I did try and oh boy, was I dizzy and off balance, especially when trying to close my eyes too. It takes years of training and skill!! We enjoy learning about different traditions, culture, clothing, food and customs etc. this one fits the bill. We enjoyed learning about the history of this place too and visiting the room with the beautiful lamps, so magical.

Love everything about this wonderful magical experience! Nothing can compare to this. Seeing how its done to being inside the hot air balloon to seeing the wondrous sights of the landscape and all the other balloons! So very special. Our pilot likes to navigate among the pillars, that was a bit scary but fun too.

Love visiting and seeing the landscape and the formations for the first time- I was in awe!! I could not believe my eyes and had to keep looking to see new formations, shapes, and the impossible concept of a heavy rock balanced on a precarious top. It is otherworldly! I was also fascinated to see a police station inside one of the formations! So cool!!

The set up is so romantic. Enjoyed the red Turkish wine, so smooth and delicious and the snacks really complements it. This trip was for our 45th wedding anniversary so it made it all the more special. Love the views too. Then we noticed the sky darken, true enough it started to rain suddenly, we all ran into our van. It was so funny. We never got to see the sun set but it emulates our wedding. it rained heavily the morning of our outdoor wedding. We went ahead and then it stopped raining and the sun came out when it was time for our wedding. Wow, we see it as a sign of good luck. So, when it rained on our wedding anniversary romantic sunset event, we see it as a good omen that good days are ahead. Smile.

Wow, just wow! Imagine people having to live underground for days!! I do have a phobia of small spaces so I am proud of myself for forging ahead and visit. It was worth it! Learned so much and how ingenious people back then were in creating a living space for their animals, themselves, making wine, kitchen and even a church. How they close those spaces with those heavy circular rocks!! I am very impressed. I am also impressed with myself for being able to navigate through those narrow tunnels!!

It was a very hot day, we asked if we can forego this activity instead our guide took us to the village of Ayvali and Mustafapha which are very, very special and well worth our time. We visited a traditional Turkish restaurant, had a lovely lunch and met the owner who knew sign language. It was fun to converse with him and with his Deaf aunt via videophone. We also got to watch a small village election for a mayor. The changing of the flags for each party, etc It was fascinating to watch for a while. We also asked for a few hours on our own. We went browsing among the shops near our hotel. We got to watch a master Tuff carver create beautiful formations like we see in the landscape. We enjoyed chatting with some shop owners, learned about Zultanite stones, wow. And just sit in a cafe, and enjoy the views.

The Blue Mosque is a beautiful building. I kept staring at it. I have so many pictures of this mosque during the daytime and nighttime. Hagia Sophia has an interesting history we learned from our guide, Zekiye, also the Hippodrome, the scupltures in the area and some buildings have an interesting history. We also visited a carpet store and learned how they made rugs. Fascinating too.

It was an interesting and beautiful palace. We learned so much about palace and harem living and dispelled some myths originally thought. We did not visit all the museums but saw most of it as we were tired and a bit hungry by then. We appreciated our guide being flexible. We did watch the palace guards band which was a nice way to see a sort of reenactment as it was in the olden days.

Was a great location. Every day we would walk to our tours. The hotel was very responsive of our needs. Rooms were spacious and bright. Close to small stores for obtaining needed supplies, mostly water.

I only gave this 4 stars, because it lacked the authenticity and charm of the previous two hotels. Its a nice hotel for modern standards.

Met the owned and had a great conversation. It was like staying at an old friends home. The hotel had a historic feel yet clean and comfortable. Location was the best for the area, set next a iconic tourist attraction famous in the region.

It was amazing that you you could see the continents of Asia and Europe in the straight. The appreciation of the boat trip was delightfull.

Very enlightening. I found the guides information very helpful. It helped me gather details that were lacking from my own research. It also provided ensight to the important this region played in world history.

The food was everything I remember from my previous trips to other parts of Turky. I love the food!!

Was kind of disappointed in the grand blizzar, felt more like a shopping mall. However; once in a shop, the people made the experience enjoyable and authentic.

I've been in a hot air balloon before, but what made it great was how they dipped into the valley at tree top level. As I was video taping it reminded me of drone footage, but personal. The ballon operator was great.

I kept finding the history every unique and flashing to the American southwest Indian trips and how they used the valleys for protection and building their communities. Same security concept, but different way to leverage the land and building materials.

I bought a picture over 20 years previous to this trip. Spent 3 hours in this little shop talking with the owner and he explained the whirling Dirvish to me and getting to experience live brought that time speaking with the shopkeeper back to life. Truly enjoyed the experience.

I learned that what i knew about this was completly wrong. Thank God for Schbnem and her knowledge. I feel more informed with a better understanding.

I loved it. The chef hosted this in her home and she allowed me in the kitchen I tell you this because my wife won't. Again eat way to much. We really appreciated Schbnem he guide and Mustuf getting enjoy this a well. It felt like family having a Sunday dinner where everyone is involved.

Ever enjoyable.

So much ancient history in this region. Wonderful learning experience.

Loved the history of the potters family. I enjoyed again the interaction the people.

Ive only seen the prep and presentation like this in the movies, 5 stars. It was the perfect setting and experience to the end of our trip.

The stay at Armada Hotel in Istanbul was fantastic. The location was ideal, placing us right in the heart of the activities, and it felt very comfortable and safe. Everything was well-established, making it easy for us to get around without any issues.

The hot air balloon ride was undoubtedly the highlight of our trip, attracting people globally. It was something Brenda always wanted to try, and it did not disappoint. The experience was unique and thrilling, offering stunning views that we'll cherish forever.

The ceramic tradition experience in Avanos was delightful. The opportunity to sit at the pottery wheel and try it ourselves made the experience personal and engaging. Watching the artisans at work was a pleasure, and being involved added a unique touch.