JB & Renée

As enticing a reason as any to cross the Bosphorus into Asia, Çiya Sofrası has been hailed by more than one source as possibly the best restaurant in all of Istanbul.

Turkish food is described as the continuation of Ottoman Empire cuisine. The Ottomans fused Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Eastern European, and Balkan cuisines to create one of the world’s most diverse and influential cuisines.

We ate many delicious things in Turkey, but if I had to eat just one dish for the entire two weeks, then I would happily choose dürüm. And not just any dürüm, but the dürüm from Dürümzade, hailed by Anthony Bourdain as some of the best wraps in Istanbul.

Yes, I’m frugal when it comes to material things. But when presented with a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I rarely give the cost a second thought. I value experiences over things, and this hot air balloon ride over the moonscape of Cappadocia is an embodiment of that.

I’ve never experienced claustrophobia in my life, but being in a tight space like that, crouched down almost 300 feet below the surface of the earth, it wasn’t hard to understand the feeling.

When ready, the blazing hot jug is brought out and cracked in front of you, releasing the aroma of its still gurgling contents whilst treating the diners to a little tableside theater.

In my opinion, this Red Tour is one of the best things you can do in Cappadocia outside of the hot air balloon ride. It’s a great introduction to the area and takes you to some of the most striking spots in the region.

Turkish Night is an evening of dinner, drink, and dance. Accompanied by live music, guests will be treated to traditional folk dances from different parts of Turkey. There’s a belly dancer, a wedding ceremony, and a whirling dervish interpretation among others.

It’s easy to see why Cappadocia’s terrain is ideal for exploring on horseback. According to our guide, the horses know this terrain very well. Cappadocia after all, stems from the ancient Hittite word katpatuka, which means “land of the beautiful horses”.

Together with the moonscape of Cappadocia and the Ottoman charm of Istanbul, these calcium travertines are the main reason why we chose Turkey for our 10th wedding anniversary.