(Kuala Lumpur - Dubai - Istanbul - Trabzon - Uzungol - Ayder - Camlihemsin - Trabzon - Bursa - Istanbul - Dubai - Kuala Lumpur)

After two years of living in the era of Covid-19, I've been given yet another oppoturnity to travel overseas. The destination that I've chosen is the the beautiful and amazing European country of Turkey. Why Turkey? One of the main reason is their currency which is Turkish Lira is falling (1 lira= RM 0.29 - RM 0.34). If there's any difficulties once I reached there, it will be more or less bearable compared to other European countries.

Travel Cost:

Flight

• Emirates (KUL – IST – KUL) : RM 1902
• Pegasus (SAW – Trabzon – SAW) : RM 270
• AIG Insurance (cover Covid-19) : RM 249

Accommodation

• Hotel Emirtimes Tuzla : RM 331.59
• Nova Uzungol : RM 307.56
• Ayder Doga Resort : RM 434.17
• Cimen Apart : RM 273.34
• Life Point Hotel : RM 285.57
• Artic Hotel : RM 305.39
• Blue Sultan Apart : RM 681.73

Total : RM 2619.35 / 3 : RM 873.11

• Kereta sewa 5 hari + minyak : RM 385.30 + RM 147.79 / 3 : RM 177.69
• Bas + makan (yang dibayar guna debit/credit) : RM 182.60
• Tukar duit 2000 lira (tunai) : RM 685.68 (0.342)

Overall Cost : RM 4340.08

(does not include any shopping like baklava, sejadah, turkish tea, clothes, keychain)

Basic Itinerary:

27.2.2022

• Kul - Dxb - Ist by Emirates
• IST - SAW by Havaist bus
• Check in Emirtimes Tuzla Hotel
• Dinner di Ayder Restaurant

28.2.2022

• Check out
• Free shuttle to SAW
• Sabiha Gokcen - Trabzon by Pegasus
• Looking for a rental car
• Trabzon - Uzungol (1 jam 30 minit)
• Check in Nova Uzungol

1.3.2022

• Foggy Weather
• Seyir Terasi (view point)
• Strolling around the lake
• Chilling at the cafe (snowfall)

2.3.2022

• Good Weather
• Seyir Terasi
• Kom Cafe
• Masjid Uzungol

Check out

• Uzungol - Ayder, Rize (2 jam)
• Check in Ayder Doga Resort Hotel

3.3.2022

• Adoring the view from the room
• Check out
• Firtina Valley
• Zilkale
• Ayder - Camlihemsin (30 minit)
• Check in Cimen Apart

4.3.2022

• Staring at the view from the apartment. (in front of a river)
• Check out
• Camlihemsin - Trabzon (2 jam 30 minit)
• Trabzon Castle
• Check in Life Point Hotel
• Trabzon Meydan

5.3.2022

• Sending back rented car at the airport
• Trabzon - Sabiha Gokcen by Pegasus
• Sabiha Gokcen - Bursa by bus
• Check in Artic Hotel
• Kozahan
• Iskender Kebapci
• Sufi whirling Tasavvuf Vakfi Bursa

6.3.2022

• Subuh prayer at Ulucami
• Cumalikizik Village
• Kozahan
• Check out
• Bursa Otogar - Esenler (Istanbul) by bus
• Check in Blue Sultan Apart

7.3.2022

• Ortakoy
• Arnavutkoy
• Hagia Sophia
• PCR test di All Nations TT Gulhane
• Eminonu
• Galata Bridge

8.3.2022

• Balat/Fener
• Grand Bazaar
• Sirkeci
• Ambil PCR report
• Hamman bath di Sultan Suleyman Hamman

9.3.2022

• Subuh prayer at Masjid Hagia Sophia
• Sultanahmet
• Check out
• Sultanahmet - IST by private transfer
• IST - DXB by Emirates

10.3.2022

• DXB - KUL by Emirates
• PCR di KLIA
• KUL - PEN
• Home quarantine

View from Seyir Terasi

Masjid Uzungol

 Lucky to get free room upgrade at Ayder Doga Resort Hotel, Rize.

View from the room

TIPS & TRICKS

1. The plan to travel here was made a month before departure. It was a bit short in time to prepare everything but in the end everything goes well

2. Bought the flight ticket a month before. While searching for the ticket I've compared between two flights from Qatar which is RM 1700 and Emirates RM 1902. I've chosen the ticket from Emirates because it covers the Covid-19 insurance as well. Plus, I was eager to fly with Airbus A380.

3. After I bought the KUL-IST ticket, then I bought the ticket to Trabzon. There were two options which are Pegasus and Turkish Airlines. The prices were quite the same. Chose Pegasus because of the depature and arrival time is more convenient.

4. Done with the tickets, let's search for the right hotel. As it is one of the most difficult task, I went through all the list to get the best in term of the price, location and fascilities.

5. The accommodation cost are much cheaper because I was flying there with two friends and we could divide the cost accordingly.

6. All the accommodation bookings were made through Booking.com, only Hotel Artic at Bursa was booked through Agoda.

7. Prepare all the basic medications such as panadol, panadol extend, strepsils/difflam, flu medicine, yoko-yoko and others which you deemed its necessary

8. Saliva/nasal test kits are quite pricey in Dubai (36 AED) and Istanbul (100 lira), around RM 30-40. Just bring a lot of them from Malaysia 

9. As for food, just bring any food that you might crave for while being there. You don't need much as there are plenty of halal restaurant in Turkey.

10. Changed only 2000 lira in cash, as I've decided to use my debit/credit card in Turkey. If you changed your money in Turkey it is quite profitable compared to changing it back in Malaysia. Do not forget to set international withdraw before take off.

11. If you have made a complete itinerary, it is advisable to email it to the Malaysia Embassy complete with your name and passport number. Just to ease the process if anything happens.

At Ayder Yaylasi

Firtina Valley. There's plenty of bridges along the road

Zilkale.

View from Cimen Apart, Camlihemsin.

Loacated right beside the river. What a view

In Camlihemsin it is full of tea plantation.

On the way to Trabzon Castle

Sufi whirling at Tasavvuf Vakfi, Bursa.

Cumalikizik, Bursa. A village since the Ottoman Empire, around 700 years ago.

TRABZON & RIZE

1. Once reached IST, straightaway hop on a bus to SAW as the day after we wanted to go to Trabzon from SAW. The hotel is also quite near to SAW and provided free shuttle service 

2. Better to check in online through website for the Pegasus ticket. We've tried to check in through the kiosk in SAW sadly the machine wasn't working and we were unable to scan our passports. So, to avoid all the hassle of queueing better for you to check in online.

3. You could find rental cars at the Trabzon Airport. Do go through all the counters and compare the prices. At that moment, we decided to rent a car from Wish Car Rental as it is 1225 lira for 5 days. A Kia Picanto covered with insurance and unlimited KM. If you want to book a car earlier from Malaysia you could try Elitcar Rental. 

4. The fuel price in Turkey is quite expensive, around 16 lira/liter. For a full tank we paid RM 148 for 500km. It is enough because as we returned the car the fuel balance could go for another 66km

5. The road to Uzungol/Ayder were pleasant and nothing to be worried of.

6. Uzungol was so beautiful and peaceful. You have to visit or spend a little bit of time at Kom Cafe as the view was amazing. Strolling around the lake/masjid as there are a plenty of cafe. You could even enjoy fresh fish from the lake. Last but not least my first experience of watching snowfall at Uzungol was astonishing.

7. Ayder and Camlihemsin is in one way as if you want to reach Ayder you have to go through Camlihemsin first. The vibe in Ayder truly feels like in Switz as Camlihemsin were peaceful and full of tea plantation.

BURSA & ISTANBUL

1. Before taking a cab, you sould ask wether the driver uses a meter or not to avoid being scammed.

2. If you wanted to go to any destination you could use Google Maps or Moovit. It is quite helpful as all the details such as what bus/tram/ferry you have to take is all in the application.

3. Sufi whirling (sufi meditation) at Tasavvuf Vakfi Bursa is free, starts at 9pm every day except Saturday, starts at 10.30- 11.00pm

4. Silk scarf in Kozahan is quite cheap. But, we bought some souvenirs at Oriental Sal Gift Shop (Gulhane Station) which also the hotspot for Malaysian to shop.

5. You must buy Bursa kart & Istanbul kart card if you are using the public transport. Available at all stations.

6. Alhamdulillah, managed to perform solat Subuh jemaah in Ulucami Bursa and at Ayasofia Cami in Istanbul.

7. Unique experience where we get to try turkish/hammam bath at Sultan Suleyman Hamman, around Sultanahmet.

8. If you faced any difficulties, do not be afraid to ask the locals for help. 

Want to know more? Checkout @nizarlatif17 on instagram!

Arnavutkoy.

Galata Bridge

Balat/Fener

Hagia Sophia after Subuh.

Source and credit to Nizar Latif