Second post of my trip to Turkey (Istanbul - Ephesus - Pamukkale - Kapadokya). First of all, how to get there? We traveled with Pamukkale bus company from Istanbul to Selçuk for 92 TL per person on a night bus. It is not the most comfy way of traveling but you get to sleep and move at the same time which was quite convenient for us since we wanted to optimize our traveling time to explore as much as possible.

We arrived to Selçuk very very early in the morning. After breakfast at a café near the bus station, we took a dolmus to the ruins of Ephesus (between 3-5 TL) and were at the entrance at the opening time. Getting there early is a good idea, it is magical to see the place without any visitors around. The entrance is 40 TL and if you are not hiring a guide, get an audioguide for 15 TL (you can share one for two if you have a spare set of headphones). The site of Ephesus is quite outstanding, I had never seen such a well conserved site.  It was originally next to the sea and became wealthy due to trade activity.

After lunch, we visited the Ephesus museum (ticket was 10 TL). I felt extremely lucky since we were basically the only ones visiting! We took a short walk through the city, drank some Sahlep (like milk + cinnamon). In the evening we took another bus with the company Kamil Koç  to get to Denizli which cost 30 TL per person. From there we took a dolmus to Pammukale and stayed at the Bellamaritimo hotel, highly recommendable! The room was nice and comfy, and breakfast super delicious! 

The following morning we visited the Pamukkale and the hierapolis (ticket 35 TL). Our impression? Well, Pammukale is shown in pictures with crystal clear water everywhere over white structures. It is actually quite dry respect to what you see in advertisements. However, it is still breathtaking. The archeological site was built just above the “cotton castle” in 180 BCE. It was the summer destination of wealthy romans.