#Turkey2017: AllDayWifi Pocket Wifi Review

Starting with our Japan trip, I've gotten into the habit of renting pocket wifi so I'd remain connected wherever I go. Partly for work, so my colleagues can reach me anytime and just so I'm still online for my parents not to wonder where I'm at HEHEHEHE

And of course, so my navigator won't get lost :)

So as soon as our visa was approved, I looked online for wifi options in Turkey and the best (in my opinion) was AllDayWifi vs. getting a sim card:

For more than 7 days, the rental will be at 6$ a day (or 22 AED) plus shipping fee of 9$. You can get them to deliver to your hotel and pick-up once your rental period ends. Coverage was excellent as well, and getting one was really a good decision since not all hotels in Turkey has fast wifi connection and there's no free wifi at the airport -_- you'd have to buy something to get a passcode.

With the kit, you'll get everything below including a manual and a plastic courier envelope that you can put everything in to get it packed for pick-up.

They delivered mine to my hotel in Cappadocia, then my pick-up point was set at Istanbul. You can set these while booking your device online. They will send an email as soon as device has been delivered, along with the name of the person who received it at your hotel.

AND I got an additional 10% off from a coupon code from a blogger on twitter! So to pay it forward since I won't be returning to Turkey before my own promo code expires on 2018, here's my code for you to enjoy (only for first 3 users):

6D83B2AE

In case your pick-up point changes, just inform them via email or twitter . They're very responsive and will accommodate your request provided that you give them reasonable notice.

Have fun on your trip! :)

Pag-Ibig Online Payment for OFWs

Back in 2015, I bought a unit in Tandang Sora, QC just so I can diversify my investments. It's a mid-rise condo complex called The Avenue which is perfect for families or professionals working in the area, plus it has an in-house pool and gym if in case I turn it into an Airbnb unit.

Also, what drew me was that they offer Pag-Ibig financing as well, which will be ideal later on when the unit is ready to be rented. However, I was not up to date with my pag-ibig payments since coming here to UAE and I keep on forgetting to update it whenever I come home which totally led to a full year -_- time flew so fast! #gurangproblems

Anyway, good thing they accept online monthly payments now! Although with a convenience fee (which is just a small amount really), you can update your Pag-Ibig payments without having to go to an exchange or banking facility as long as you have a credit or debit card on hand.

You can go to the site below and enter your particulars:

Then, check your records here (click on the image), although I think payments will be posted at least 24 hours after online transactions:

#Turkey2017: Travel Budget & Itinerary

The blogs I was mostly following for my ideal itinerary all mentioned either a minimum of 5 or 8K AED per person so we were hesitant to go because it's almost the budget we're planning on for our grand European trip. However, after much research and colleague interviews, this is what we ended up spending in total for 2 for our 9 day Turkey odyssey:

Note: Not including the international and domestic air tickets and visa fees because we paid for all these in advance, along with 1 day of of accommodation free at The Cappadocia Hotel courtesy of my miles ^^ #creditcardperks #travelwisely #beprepared #prebookingislife. If air tickets and visa fee included, it will be a total of only 5,530.38 TL for 2 or 5,287.32 AED.

You can still reduce your own costs if you book your hotels in advance, and sign up for promo fares in budget carriers like Pegasus Airlines. Our domestic flights actually cost us only 29.99 TL each for Istanbul to Kayseri and Izmir to Istanbul per way versus booking them at the last minute for almost 200TL. And make sure to buy your air tickets ahead of time and apply for your visa at least 30 days prior to your stay to avoid rebooking fees. ^^

Also, we didn't do the hot balloon tour or paragliding because these kept getting cancelled due to bad weather. We mostly spent our money on entrance fees, food and souvenirs. Pero you know what, this is actually the first time we were able to follow our scheduled itinerary with the bus transfers and everything so sulit narin :) sooo proud of us both ~ we're really learning with each escapade on how to be more adventurous and how to use our strengths effectively (he's my navigator and I'm the planner)! Japan was a bust, Taiwan & El Nido were trial runs and now in Turkey - it's a success :) I love it!!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I patterned our itinerary on Lady's from Lady and her Sweet Escapes so the one I'll be sharing is much like hers, only customized for a 9 day trip:

Day 1: Dubai - Istanbul, Istanbul - Cappadocia

04:05 - Flight from Dubai to Istanbul via Pegasus Airlines
08:10 - Arrival in Sabiha Gokcen Airport
14:35 - Flight from Istanbul to Kayseri via Pegasus Airlines
15:50 - Arrival in Kayseri Airport
16:00 - Airport shuttle to The Cappadocia Hotel
20:00 - Early dinner in Urgup town center

- When I was booking our cave hotel (for free courtesy of my Dubai First miles) I didn't read up on exactly where our hotel was located. Turned out it was located in Urgup which was quite a distance from Goreme so we were unable to hike up to Sunset Point before our tour. Not bad though, because we were able to see their historical caves up close.

Day 2: Cappadocia Historical Tour + Bus to Pamukkale

Green Tour from Angelo's tours (arranged by The Cappadocia Hotel)

09:00 Hotel pick-up and check-out
17:30 Drop-off at bus station
18:00 Early dinner at Sadaf Restaurant
20:00 Night bus to Pamukkale

Day 3: Pamukkale!

05:00 Arrival in Pamukkale town
07:00 Check in at Bellamaritimo Hotel
08:00 Breakfast
09:00 Rest
13:00 Lunch
17:00 Pamukkale Natural Park (free)
20:00 Dinner

Day 4: Pamukkale + Heirapolis DIY Tour

07:00 Complimentary breakfast at Bellamaritimo Hotel
09:30 The Cotton Castle / Pamukkale
11:00 Exploring Heriapolis
19:00 Dinner

Day 5: Pamukkale - Selcuk

09:30 Breakfast
12:00 Hotel check-out
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Karahayit
16:45 Dolmus (minivan) to Izmir Bus station
20:00 Arrival at Selcuk and check in at Nicea Hotel
20:45 Dinner

- I was getting homesick by this time ^^ HAHA this was the longest tour I've been on.

Day 6: Selcuk DIY Walking Tour

08:00 Breakfast
10:00 Basilica of St John
11:00 Isabey Mosque
12:00 Temple of Artemis
14:00 Walk to Ephesus
16:30 shuttle to Selcuk center and early dinner
17:30 Rest
20:30 Selcuk market and train station

Day 7: Selcuk to Istanbul

05:30 Hotel check out
06:00 Train from Selcuk to Izmir Airport
11:15 flight to Istanbul
12:20 Arrival at Sabiha Gokcen Airport
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Airport shuttle to Taksim and Uber to Senatus Hotel
19:00 Whirling Dervish Show at Hodjapasha Cultural Center (70TL/person)
20:00 Dinner

Day 8: Old Sultanahmet Walking Tour

08:00 Complimentary breakfast at Senatus Hotel
10:00 Topkapi Palace
13:00 Sultanahmet Square
13:30 Istanbul Archaeological Museum
14:30 Hagia Irene
15:30 Hagia Sophia
16:00 Early dinner
17:00 Bosphorus Cruise (12TL/person)
20:30 back to Hotel

Day 9: Last Full day in Istanbul

10:30 Sultanahmet Square (again!)
11:00 Souvenir shopping
14:00 Uber to Taksim
14:30 Shuttle to Sabiha Gokcen Airport
21:30 Flight from Istanbul to Dubai via Pegasus Airlines

After 6 flight hours to Dubai, another 2 hours to Abu Dhabi and 1.45 more to Al Ain, I was back to work! Haggard bes! Running on caffeine! 

Oh well, hope you'll have fun in your trip as much as we did ~ No fighting with your travel buddy when homesickness strikes! HEHEHE

Post-Travel Accounting Woes

Having travelled to 2 countries in a year, along with sponsoring my family's trip to the UAE is taking a serious toll on my spreadsheet and budgeting skillzzzz -_-

Gotta find out a way to resolve my 2017 negatives so it won't have a big impact on my 2018-19 projections.

DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE DISCIPLINE

#Turkey2017: Istanbul

After what felt like a month, we're finally heading to Istanbul!

QUICK FACTS:

• Historically known as Constantinople, Istanbul is the most populous city in Turkey and the country's economic, cultural, and historic center. 
• Name was derived from the Medieval Greek phrase "εἰς τὴν Πόλιν" (pronounced [is tim ˈbolin]), which means "to the city" and is how Constantinople was referred to by the local Greeks.
• A transcontinental city in Eurasia, straddling the Bosphorus strait (which separates Europe and Asia) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Wikipedia

Since we'll be staying in Old Sultanahmet/ Fatih for our last 3 days, we knew we won't be using the trams, trains, etc. that much since everything was within walking distance. 

SAW Airport to Taksim: We took the Havabus which was just outside the airport exit. You can pay by cash (15TL/person) once you're onboard.

Taksim to Senatus Hotel - Special Class: There was an elaborate post about this from most of the blogs I read but since we were unable to buy an Istanbulkart after going to the bus stop to Sultanahmet, we just opted to go by Uber. UberXL has a discount for first-time users, just type in the promocode GMAP for 15TL off the standard fare. Ended up paying only 13TL (12.83 TL)  for a ride in a Mercedes-Benz Vito through crazy traffic.

You can also use rayshelc2ue to get discounts on your Uber ride!

Leather seats! CLAZZYYY

our cozy room in Senatus Hotel

I didn't want to waste our first day in the city just lounging in the hotel so I booked tickets to a whirling dervish ceremony in Hodjapasha Cultural Center. It's a mystical side of Islam that I really wanted to see and understand so I reserved our seats in advance and surprised the fiancee. Some might say that it's really boring but it's a religious ceremony, not a variety show.

After the ceremony, we ate simits again for dinner and walked in the square for a few minutes admiring the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. Seriously, I just can't get over my love for simits! Specially for simit with Nutella - omnomnommmm!

The square was really beautiful at night and with the weather, it's the perfect time to just lounge at the square and have a little tête-à-tête about everything and nothing.

For the following day, we prepared for another DIY walking tour: we started off at Topkapi Palace, where we bought our museum pass (see below) for 85TL per person. It's really a cost-efficient move since it will let you bypass lines and gives you free access to the following for 5 days:

• Hagia Sophia Museum
• Hagia Irene
• Topkapı Palace Museum and *Harem Apartments, 
• İstanbul Archaeological Museums, 
• İstanbul Mosaic Museum, 
• Museum of Turkish and İslamic Arts, 
• Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam, 
• Chora Museum, 
• Galata Mevlevi House Museum, 
• Yıldız Palace, 
• Rumeli Hisar Museum, 
• Fethiye Museum

We might be using it for a day only, but it makes perfect sense to just buy the pass because:

1) We can skip lines,

2) Separate access is worth more than the pass! For ex. Topkapi Palace + Harem access is 50 TL, Hagia Sophia for 40 TL, Hagia Irene 20TL and Istanbul Archaeological Museum 20TL, over-all is already 130TL and that's just only 4 out of the 12 sights. You can only use the pass once to enter but since you get discounts for some establishments as well on top of the above advantages, getting one is definitely a steal! It's definitely worth your liras if you wanna save time as well as money.

Here's the breakfast spread on our first official day, YAMEEEEH (#spotthesimit)

First on the itinerary was the Topkapi Palace (+Harem Apartments) which was so huge that it took like half of our day just to see everything!

But my favorite out of all was the Istanbul Archaeological Museum where for 20TL (if you don't have the museum pass), you can see priceless historical artifacts from ancient civilizations! My inner archaeologist was revived from her early demise (from our visits in Ephesus and Heriapolis in Pamukkale) just to die again here, in this haven of artifacts, antiquities and sarcophagi.

We were pretty much wiped out around 5, with the history and cultural overload, we stopped by Gülhane Park to rest before going to the Bosphorus bridge.

And there we saw a 1 hour Bosphorus Cruise Tour for only 12TL! Siyempre go agad kami! Barya! 12TL! Mayaman kami! Chos :P

Onboard, we waited for at least 45 minutes for the boat to fill-up pero ok na rin! Sulit and 

What a way to end a tiring but fun day :) cruising through the Bosphorus with the man you're about to spend the rest of your life with ❤ ang keeeesooo! Cheret! Pero honglomeeeg! You really have to bundle up because the wind will definitely get you shookt.

#Turkey2017: Selçuk DIY Walking Tour

3 hours by Pamukkale bus, we reached Selçuk otogar by 8PM. On our original itinerary, we should've booked an earlier bus (9 AM) so we could've visited Şirince but we were still groggy after the overnight trip while buying our bus tickets that we had to be flexible.

Most of the Pinoys we came with were heading straight to Kusadasi but we preferred to just stay in Selcuk so we won't have to pay for transport or tours just to visit everything.

Quick facts: 

- central town of Selçuk district, İzmir Province in Turkey

- original Greek name, Agios Theologos (Άγιος Θεολόγος), referred to John the Theologian

- In the 14th century, it was the capital of the Emirate of Aydin

- Under the Ottoman Empire, it was known as Ayasoluk. In 1914, it was renamed Selçuk after the Seljuk Turks who first led incursions into the region in the 12th century Wikipedia

We booked a room in Nicea Hotel, just a few minutes away from the bus station. See below map for directions. I chose this hotel because of its proximity to the otogar (bus station), landmarks, and most importantly, the train station (Selcuk Gari) for our flight to Istanbul.

Staff at the hotel were very nice and the breakfast spread was same as Bellamaritimo's. They even gave us a free map for our DIY tour! :) Now we have an idea how much to spend at each stop HEHEHE

First stop: St. John's Basilica on the historical Ayasoluk Hill. Truly worth the hike for only 10L each!

We also went to Isabey Mosque but I didn't have a headcover so we chose not to enter, it's only a few minutes walk down the hill from St. John's Basilica. Most of the sights were really close together, except for Efes (Ephesus) and House of Virgin Mary (which looked close to Efes on the map but really, it's not).

Since everything was so close, we chose to walk instead of availing of the 150TL/person tour offered by the hotel, which included transportation and lunch. However, only the basilica and Ephesus had entrance fees so we decided to skip it because after all - we were doing everything DIY already.

Temple of Artemis

what the 3km walk to Efes looked like

Ephesus Stadium

and this.... is what I live for (Library of Celsus)

It was quiteeeeee a walk, which could've been done by a 3TL dolmus that we didn't know earlier HEHEHE good thing a kabayan enlightened us after we reached the entrance. You can take the dolmus from the bus station and back, you just have to wait though, because it only passes by every 20 minutes. You can take the bus to Pamucak (Beach) from the entrance as well.

After a whole day of walking, we had a few hours' rest and off we went in search for the train station because we'll be taking the 6:47 AM one to Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport the following day. Looking below there's no train at that time but trust me, there is ;) (You can look at their website as well though). The station was at least 5-8 mins. walk from the hotel, and you don't have to reserve your seat. Just buy your 5TL ticket on the day of your trip, along with fresh hot simits and coffee, and you're good to go.

The train is just in front of the ticket office, no need to cross to the other side.

CAN IT BE DONE AS A DAYTRIP?

Personally, no. Technically we only had a day to explore the city and we didn't have enough time nor energy (#gurangproblems) to cover everything in just 1 day. We were wiped out after Ephesus and it was only like 4PM. If you're not in much of a hurry, I do suggest at least 2 days to dedicate here so you can soak everything in properly.

#Turkey2017: What to Wear in Autumn (Late November)

A day before the trip, I was searching on what we need to wear because it's the first time we'll be travelling in late November, and we kept on seeing #firstsnow posts on instagram so we pretty much panicked --

To those who think autumn can't get any colder than winter in UAE, you're in for a surprise so make sure to prep!

Good thing UAE had a major sale that weekend, and Columbia Sportswear saved us from death by autumn cold. Everything was insulated and the boots are waterproof although you still need additional layers if you're not doing thermals as your base. We brought plenty of leggings, thick scarves and pants to be safe +  extra sweaters and a puffer jacket from Muji which we eventually lost in Istanbul *facepalm*

Should've bought the red puffer one from Columbia for 2++ AED hayyst (thought Columbia was more expensive, turns out ~~ not).

The best part was, even though my footwear looked like it was kiddie boots on display, it looked so snazzy when I tried it on and it was so comfy! I liked it so much I wore it pretty much everywhere. It's more comfortable than sneakers/ rubber shoes and it's not slippery (tried and tested at Selime Monastery).

Okkk how should I tell my boss I want to wear it to the office?

#Turkey2017: Pamukkale to Selcuk by Bus

Since we checked out at exactly 11AM, we thought we can still have our 5PM bus tickets changed to 1PM so we'd have an early start to Selcuk but it's either early morning or late afternoon only. I think this is because the tour company has to contract a dolmus to Denizli for an additional 3TL per person, on top of the 32TL bus ticket.

To while away the time, we went to Karahayit and Pamukkale Natural Park again and returned to the tour company by 4PM. The dolmus took us to the station by 430-445 so we had enough time to board the bus by 5PM.

As soon as you alight from the otogar, go up 1 floor and look for the dock for Pamukkale buses. They usually have signboards on the bus but you can also ask the crew and show your ticket.

We were pretty lucky to score seats near the front, I think it's cause we booked our tickets 2 days in advance hehehe

• Legroom check
• Snacks check
• Coffee check
• Ice cold water cheeeeck

They have entertainment as well, but all programs are in Turkish.

WHERE TO BOOK?

You can book with the tour company that picked you up from the Denizli bus station or you can go to the Pamukkale bus company directly. You can book your tickets in advance again (which we did as soon as we arrived in Pamukkale), for a hassle free trip.

Most of the hotels are just within walking distance of the Selcuk otogar (or bus station) so if you have data or wifi, it won't be hard to get to your hotel even in the evening as it's pretty safe to walk around.

See you in Selcuk!

#Turkey2017: Pamukkale (Travertines, Heriapolis and Karahayit)

Pamukkale (or cotton castle in Turkish) was one of the major reasons why I wanted to go to Turkey. Of all the travel inspo photos on Pinterest, it's the travertines, along with the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the ancient city of Ephesus, that made me book the tickets to Turkey even if I know I'll have some major major creative accounting to do to survive until Christmas.

Because it's the second stop on our tour and I know we'll be haggard by this time, I booked a 2 night stay at Bellamaritimo Hotel for 30 Euros or 140 TL so we'll have enough time to rest. Mr. Halim was even kind enough to accommodate an early check-in for us (we arrived from Cappadocia at around 6AM) without extra charges - to which we'll be eternally grateful because we're all dead on our feet.

Pamukkale Natural Park

After sleeping in for a bit, we decided to go on a walk to get a feel of the place. Locals don't smile as much but all the children and highschoolers (even in Denizli) we see kept on saying hi to us, or konnichiwa or China (the fiance thought maybe because I look Chinese hehe). We did see a handful of kabayans on solo trips as well, mostly from UAE and one from Oman.

Happy kiddies

The following day we began our Pamukkale adventure! Looks like snowww but it's not! Chos.

Ok first of all, lafang muna. Left a stellar review for the hotel on the merits of this spread alone. Winner! (new fave for breakfast: Simit)

Energy loading at 0900H

Well rested and tummies full, we hiked up to the middle entrance and paid 35 TL per person to enter the travertines, which was a 10-15 minute walk from the hotel. Too bad that it was cold and we had to walk barefoot all the way to the top. Our feet was pretty numb halfway and the terrain was quite rough specially in the areas where the water was not flowing ~ but it's definitely worth it to see the landscape.

Before we entered the area, a local who was offering paragliding advised us to just go back in the afternoon so we'd still have energy to see the sunset.

Took us almost 3-4 hours to roam around Heriapolis, including the trek down again the travertines. The day after this tour, we noticed that there's a dolmus or mini bus (3 TL per person, per way) which will bring you to what I think is the main gate if you're not up for the barefoot trek. If you see a dolmus going the Pamukkale-Karahayit area, flag it down (there's a stop in front of the supermarket where a bus goes by every 20 minutes) and ask if it's the right bus to the gate.

On our last day, we went on a dolmus (3TL) to Karahayit or as what Mr. Halim says, a mini Grand Bazaar. There are multiple hot springs and hotels in the area as well, like the one below. Entrance to this is free and in summer, it's usually flocked by tourists to swim in as the thermal waters and mud has healing properties. 

CAN IT BE DONE AS A DAYTRIP?

Yes, it can be if you're coming from Selcuk by train in the early morning. If you're up to do this as a stopover to Selcuk from Cappadocia, you can leave your bags at the bus company - they're pretty cool with it, and just come back in the afternoon to catch the dolmus back to Denizli.

However, if you're doing Aphrodisias, Kaklik Cave and Laodicea, you can do Pamukkale as an overnight trip :) Just coordinate with your hotel for the tours.

Have fun and we hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did!