In the process, we got to visit places that we would never have even heard of, thanks to their guidance, and ate at restaurants and saw hotels that we may have missed out on, on our own....
travelogue
Everyone knows there are many advantages to having a local guide when travelling to new destinations, but having a well-planned and executed tour arranged with the help of no less than the Ministry of Tourism of that country, takes it to another level altogether, as we discovered on our recent whirlwind FAM trip. For our party of nine - a delegation of event management companies and wedding planners from across Pakistan - were invited by the Tourism Boards of Turkey and the Republic of North Cyprus to visit these two countries recently to gauge their potential as destinations for weddings and corporate events and conferences. In the process, we got to visit places that we would never have even heard of, thanks to their guidance, and ate at restaurants and saw hotels that we may have missed out on, on our own.
In Turkey, our first destination was Antalya. It was raining as we got out of the airport and into the coach waiting for us, so went straight to our humongous, plush hotel: Titanic Mardan Palace. After checking into our rooms, we immediately embarked on an inspection tour of the interior of our hotel that has two distinct sides – Antalya and European, and allegedly it takes minimum 6000 steps to get anywhere from one end of the hotel to the other! Our rooms were all at the Antalya side as the European side was fully booked. After inspecting the mammoth interior we went to its bistro to grab a quick bite. Recharged, we were ready to resume our inspection, this time of the warehouse that stocks technical equipment for events – lights, sound systems, SMDs, etc.
With the skies now clear we then left for a tour of Old Town, a quaint area that reminded one of Roman architecture as one entered it. Our guide showed us a Seraphim temple that had been created by Egyptians, then converted into a church, and finally a Kesik mosque. Walking up and down the narrow alleys of the Old Town, appreciating its beauty, and simultaneously being regaled by the guide’s stories, we finally reached the restaurant where we were to have our dinner – one of the high points of our entire tour. Known as Ruin Anadya, the site is a must-visit for one and all. The quaint hotel-cum-restaurant is located on top of excavated Roman rocks – discovered during its construction – which have been carefully preserved under a glass floor so that visitors to the hotel can see the rock formations below without actually climbing down the steps and seeing them. However, we did go down and couldn’t help marvelling at the way the rocks were preserved and artfully displayed.
We then took a tour of the rooms in the hotel – very quaint and British-looking. Having by now built up a ravenous appetite with all the walking we had done, we sat down for dinner at the hotel’s restaurant – a delicious five course meal served with elegance and style.
But our day was still not done. After dinner we made our way to Nest Convention Centre. Our entire party was completely floored by the amazing high-tech space which could accommodate 6000 people on one floor at a time, and boasted two such floors. Finally, we called it a night and made our way to our hotel, to massage our aching feet.
The next day, right after a hearty breakfast we left to inspect the warehouse of MIE Decorators which neatly stocked props, accessories and decoration items for weddings and parties. It was reassuring to learn that if one wants to organise a destination wedding in Antalya, one doesn’t have to fret about lugging all these items from one’s home-town.
Our next stop was Regnum Carya, a high-end but understated hotel – especially compared to the opulence of our Palace – where presidents and politicians routinely stay. After inspecting the rooms, conference areas and other facilities we bid adieu to the hotel and made our way to Gloria Serenity, a circular-shaped hotel and one of four belonging to Gloria Resorts. After the inspection we went back to complete our own hotel tour as the rains had precluded us from seeing the villas across the gardens, earlier. To our delight, we found each villa has its own pool and access to the golf course.
Our next stop was Titanic Deluxe Resort and Titanic Belek, leaving us amazed at the large number of five-star hotels in the city. Dinner was at an Italian restaurant in the hotel. Again, lots of courses were served, and the food was delicious. After dinner we went to explore the hotel’s night club and then exhausted, retired for the night.
Next morning we left for the airport as we had a flight to catch for Istanbul. When we reached our hotel, Raffles, our ‘rooms’ took our breath away. Each of us was given an apartment with a beautiful view of the Bosphorous and the city. Known as their residential suites, these are normally reserved for their long-term or regular guests. Dry fruit, baklava and fresh fruits adorned our rooms. It took a lot of will power to abandon such a welcoming abode, but we set off immediately for inspection of the hotel’s facilities. Raffles Standard Signature rooms also boast a Bosphorous view and are much like suites. After a detailed tour of their facilities we ate dinner at their pan-Asian restaurant, Isoko – boasting marvellous food and presentation, with countless courses flowing non-stop. We all agreed that the kind of food, service and variety we were offered on this trip was unmatchable.
Next morning, after an early breakfast we darted out to the connecting shopping centre to do whatever little shopping we could, before setting out on our inspections.
The first stop was a scenic wedding destination, overlooking the Bosphorous - the Esma Sultan Mansion - arrived at after a long scenic drive overlooking the Bosphorous strait, which connects the sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Since it was a sunny day and a weekend to boot, we could spot many people fishing on the coastline and eating at the restaurants overlooking the strait.
Our next stop was Salit Halim Pasa Mansion, another beautiful venue for indoors and outdoors event. A bridal shoot was taking place, when we arrived, with stunning models attired in white gowns busy posing or getting their make-up done. After taking many pics of the venue we partook of a formal lunch there and then embarked on a cruise of the Bosphorus. Our hosts served us with fresh fruits and munchies as soon as we got on board. Through our long and exhilarating ride, venues were pointed out that could serve as picturesque wedding destinations.
Finally, we reached our hotel – Ç ra an Palace Kempinski – on the grounds of which is a magnificent palace designed by the same architect who has designed Dolmabahce Palace. After checking into our rooms we went for an inspection of the hotel. Dinner was another formal affair, arranged for us in a private room in the portion of the hotel that is part of the palace but reserved for dignitaries, or bridal parties. The view of the grounds from its terrace was breath-taking, to say the least.
The next day after breakfast we left for sightseeing and more inspection of hotels. Our first stop was Renaissance Hotel, a five-star accommodation but more affordable for most people than the ones we had been seeing so far. It has a restaurant on the top floor with 180 degrees view of the city, and is centrally located with shopping centres like Zorlu and Javahir close by.
Our next stop was Topkapi Palace, built by Ottomon Sultan the Magnificent, who also lived there, but which we only saw till the gate of the first courtyard, Gate of Salutation, as there was not enough time to see it from inside. One of the oldest churches in the city, built by the Romans - church of Aya IriniInny - is also found on the palace grounds.
Next, we went to see Hagia Sophia, which for 1000 years - from 6th to 16th century -remained the highest dome in the world. A symbol against pagan religions, it was a church then was converted into a museum and then into a mosque. Later, we took a walk along the Hippodrome where Romans used to do chariot racing. It had monuments in the centre which had been razed to the ground and the debris used to make the famous Blue Mosque. The Hippodrome was later repaved a few metres higher than its original elevation, and a few monuments like the Serpent’s Head and pillars were salvaged, so that they are still there. Our next stop was the Blue Mosque, which is forever under renovation, but we took the opportunity to offer our prayers there.
Sight-seeing done, we still had a couple of inspections left - Hilton Bomonti and Swissotel. We found Swissotel especially great for outdoor events. Our last dinner together as FAM group was at a restaurant at the Sheraton City Hotel, with belly dancing for our entertainment, bringing our magnificent and exciting but exhausting tour to an end.
