Looking forward to sharing with you how my first trip was after the pandemic began . You have probably seen some details on my Instagram, but I made a point of making a complete post to tell you about this “new” experience.
Like the page of Aonde Casar on Facebook!
I confess that when I was invited by KM Events to a famtour in Istanbul and Cappadocia , I was a little apprehensive about how this route and all the security issues would be. And today, after all, I can only say that the tourism market is more than prepared to welcome everyone in the new times. It was exciting to see the care of each piece of this gear working.
Starting with Turkish Airlines, which was perfect throughout the flight . Both on the way and on the way back, the professionals all wearing a mask, the boarding extremely organized, without queues, without proximity … I can’t thank you for having made my entire journey safely, nor for the MA-RA-VI- LHO-SOS by Versace! LOL! At the hotel and on the tours, professionalism was the same. You saw that the concern for the health of the guest was even greater than for their health. You don’t even have to worry about protecting yourself, they protect you all the time. But this subject of hospitality, I will leave for the next posts, which I will talk about each place I stayed.
Returning to the trip, it was a wonderful day with incredible professionals and friends. I was the Brazilian representative, and great names from the USA, the Philippines, Malta, Lebanon, Peru, Pakistan and Germany traveled with me. The purpose of the trip was a complete immersion of destinations for weddings. And I can say, with the growth of elopement wedding in the Brazilian taste , Istanbul and Cappadocia are breathtaking scenarios. Just think of the pictures you will have in the valley of the balloons.
On the first night we had quite a surprise! At the invitation, a gala dinner at the beautiful Esma Sultan Mansion , a historic place that hosts weddings and events, with editors from major publications in the world, such as Turkish Hello, Martha Stewart, Dogan Media… However, minutes before, we learned about the illustrious presence : Princess Zeynep Osman (wife of the last dynast of the Turkish-Ottoman Empire); the daughter of Sultan Naciye (daughter of our last Ottoman emperor and the nephew of the wife of our founder Ataturk), and the niece of the queen of Afghanistan, Princess Soreya.To give you an idea, they NEVER attend the same event. It was rare and extremely important. It was awesome! Even on the first day, a little earlier, there was a gastronomic experience with Turkish cuisine of Latin style, ideal for our weddings, with the famous Chef İsmet Saz. And then there was a luxurious yacht tour of the Bosphorus!
On the second day we visited some of the trendiest hotels for weddings, such as the Shangri-La Hotel, Six Senses Mansions and Six Senses Kocatas Mansions, which I will talk about shortly. We even stayed at Shangri-La Bosphorus, and I have no words to thank you for all the love and care. The hotel itself is already wonderful. But the service makes it even better. Halfway there, a tour of Turkish culture, which is beautiful and I already knew it. Finally, to end the day, a dinner at Çıragan Palace Kempinski, one of the most beautiful events venues in the city, and where I stayed 2 years ago, on one of my trips through Turkey.
On the third day , it was time to say goodbye to beautiful Istanbul and embark for Cappadocia, where we stayed at the Argo In Hotel. We visited several historical scenarios, from art to culture. For those who don’t know, Cappadocia was one of the first wine producing regions, and we had a tasting of wines traditionally produced in a historic chapel at Argos In Hotel before enjoying our dinner.
The next day , it was time for more tours of Cappadocia. As it is winter there, unfortunately we are unable to take flight on the balloon. I already took the tour and it is a must. For me, the most perfect way to really get to know Cappadocia. These are scenes that remain in memory forever. We also enjoyed the day underground, visiting the underground cities of Kaymakli. We ended this first part of the trip with a delicious dinner at Lil’a Restaurant at the Museum Hotel , bringing the best recipes of Turkish cuisine, along with those special traditional flavors, almost forgotten. I already knew the hotel and the restaurant, and I made a point of enjoying it again, as they are spectacular.
I, as I extended a few days to get to know more wedding venues in Istanbul, started my fifth day of travel by having lunch at the Four Seasons Bosphorus, where I have stayed at other times and always recommend. The hotel’s event team is incredible. Then I went on to the old town to Hürrem Sultan Hamam, where I had a delicious dinner at the Isyoko restaurant (Asisn) at the Raffles hotel in the center of Zorlu – which is worth booking a night. The food is from the gods, and the hotel is beautiful.
On the penultimate day, I set aside more time for the grandiose JW Marriott, which has one of the most coveted rooftops for events in the region, and Hotel W , which has one of the most desired suites, the same one that singer Rihanna stayed with when visiting Istanbul. And they are really very special and prepared for weddings. To end the trip, a delicious lunch at the Ritz, which I am passionate about!
Long and intense journey, right? I wanted to make this panorama to show the next posts and the next subjects that we will talk about here on the blog. There’s a lot of cool stuff for me to share with you, wait for me!
And it is worth mentioning here that all of us participating in the Fam Trip “Luxury Turkey Experience” took the C-19 PCR test before embarking there and on the way home and we also used masks and alcohol gel all the time (including the entire KM Events team) ) 😷🧴
Any questions, just leave a comment here on the blog or on Instagram.
To the next,
Simone
(Fotos: S&S Visual Maker e Divulgação)
