Visit Asia

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.

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.

We had already visited Ephesus, Hierapolis, and Laodicea before this leg of our Turkey trip and Aphrodisias for me was the most impressive. It isn’t as grand as Ephesus, but it’s easily the most beautiful.

An ancient city, Laodicea was built by King Antiochus II in honor of his wife Laodice around 260 BC. That makes it almost 2,300 years old.

Despite its influx of visitors, Şirince retains its isolated feel. Yes, merchants and restaurants catering to tourists do line the streets, but they operate within once-occupied homes and spaces that don’t detract from the town’s rural charm.

Seeing Spoliarium was incredible, but collectively, the works in this room blew me away. I’ve long admired these paintings in books so to finally see them up close, so close in fact that I could actually touch them, was something else.

Once a community for noble families and high-ranking officials, it still functions as a…