Dear Steemit friends :
In this edition of Miss. Delicious, we'll be visiting one of the most well received hotels in the Denizli Province, located in a town known for it's Cotton Castles and a pool visited by Cleopatra herself! The town we're referring to is of course, Pamukkale, the home of the white travertine terraces and the ancient town of Hierapolis.
The white travertine terraces are nicknamed the "Cotton Castle" because of it's puffy white walls resembling cotton. In-fact, they are made from a carbonate material, left by the the flowing water which oozes from deep within the mountains. If you missed the post about these white travertine terraces, you can catch up with my post here
Sometimes over shadowed by the cotton castle, Pamukkale is also home to one of the largest cities from the ancient times - Hierapolis. Most of the city now lays in ruins, but a surprising portion of it remains identifiable. The large ancient city was built around the travertine terraces because they were regarded as a natural miracle of the Pergamon Kingdom.Please check my post about Hierapolis- here - if you missed it.
Last but not least, for Spa lovers, the Antique Pool where Cleopatra once bathed, now the permanent home to the ruins of a nearby temple where sacred baths can be taken in the luke warm calcium rich natural water. Please take a look at my post about that here.
With so many interesting places to visit, I recommend staying in the small village town just below the travertine terraces. Why? Because you will want to visit this place more than once, and travelling from Denizli means setting off earlier, and also leaving the site earlier too. Avoiding the crowds and midday heat means arriving at the terraces for around 8am. Much later than that and then you are battling for space and will definitely have very few opportunities to take pictures without hundreds of people in the background.
That is why, I chose to stay at the Venus Suite-Hotel. It's located right in the center of the village, and is less than 1km to the terraces. Not only this, they offer a free shuttle service every 30 minutes!
The lobby is a very clean and vegetative open space. One of the understated things I appreciate are the marble floor tiles. They keep the place cool which is something you come to underestimate time and time again. Especially when faced with the scorching temperatures of Turkey in summer.
They also have a lovely mini-pool. It's almost like a mansion house with a private pool. Very homely feeling and feels very private.
I quickly realised whilst I was in Turkey that I really need to book hotels with swimming pools during summer visits. There is simply no other way to cool down from the blistering heat bar taking a cold shower.
Here is the view of the main building together with the pool.
Next to the pool and garden, there is a pavilion which is full of splendid Turkish folk pattern pillows, cushions and carpets. The walls are also decorated with very detailed Turkish style tiles, highlighting the distinctive personality of the local interiors.
The rooms of the hotel are designed and decorated in a modern yet romantic style. Turkish folk elements are littered throughout, for instance the wooden balconies, the Turkish ceramic tiles etc. I was very lucky to have had my room upgraded to a suite because of the availability. That means a bigger room as well as a balcony.
As you can see, the suites are fairly large in size and have lovely natural lighting. The floors are marble, and are very clean. Just above the desk, you will find a TV, and a much needed air conditioner.
This is the bathroom which sadly doesn't have a bath tub. Never the less, i'm not much of a bath kind of person and the shower works very well. One thing I should stress is that the whole place is spotless. One of the cleanest hotels I've ever stayed in!
This is the wooden balcony which overlooks the panoramic view of the plains at the front of the hotel. I really enjoyed sitting out here, feeling the fresh holiday winds, seeing the mountains in the distance, shaded from the stifling sun, and enjoying the Turkish countryside feel. Little did I know that the view of the town and the hotel would be even more beautiful from the terraces above.
This is the view of the garden and the pool from the corridor.
If you look closer, you can see the white travertine terraces in the distance!
This is another pavilion. A seating area for people waiting to dine. This room was characterised by the gorgeous velvet sofas, beautiful hanging lamps, intricately decorated ceramic plates and tiles on the walls.
There was even a fine example of a Turkish rug hanging on one of the walls. I loved the atmosphere of this room, even more so because it was empty and I could enjoy it with just me and Tania!
Food from Venus
Owing to the small size of the Pamukkale village, there are very few alternatives for food and even lodging. Because of that, our main meals of the day will be be at the hotel's restaurant. As you can see, the dining area a wooden lodge, with colourful tapestry, Turkish chandeliers, and wall paintings made from ceramics.
In the corner, there is even a bed which I assume is just a traditional resting area.
The Menu
Despite having little to no alternatives in the area, meaning little competition, Venus has prided itself as a high quality family run hotel serving authentic delicious home cooked Turkish cuisine. Most of the time, when my family cooks me dinner, it's usually very delicious because they want the best for you, and that is why places pride themselves on home-cooked recipes, you get the same kind of attention to detail, as well as surprise secret family recipes.
What also surprised me about the menu was that the dishes were translated to Chinese! This is the first and only time I have come across a menu in Turkey that has Chinese translations.
First up, we have the Chicken Salad. May I say, this is the most meaty Chicken salad I have ever tasted in my life and I actually really like it prepared this way! Succulent strips of grilled chicken caught my sense of smell immediately, and almost simultaneously, my stomach started yearning to be fed.
Chicken Ottoman Kebab. Arriving with a sizzle, this dish pervades the entire restaurant with it's rich sauce and pepper garnishing, it was a juicy and yet well tempered dish that was perfectly supplemented by the rice. Often a quality we look for in China when tasting food, is their ability to be consumed alongside rice. In-fact, we like to literally say "rice downing" for a dish that goes well with rice. This dish is one such example.
Beef Steak, a hearty meaty dish with so much inherent flavour in the meat. Steaks are often cooked very rare in the west, and this can lead to quite a chewy yet bloodied texture. My preference is for a tougher texture, teetering on burnt, but ever so not. The verge of being overcooked is a fine line, and the beef in this dish did not cross it. Like a spoiled 00's girl (i'm a 90's kid), I never turn down french fries in a meal!
These are oven roasted mushrooms with Cheese. Apparently these mushrooms are handpicked from their garden. I wondered why they tasted extra "natural". Still, the aroma of the mushrooms refuses to leave my memory, it was so strong that the savoury cheese became a necessity to balance the taste.
Brief Interlude after mains
Yogurt with Honey. The yogurt was very viscous, it almost tasted like a kind of jelly. As for the actual taste, the honey served almost as a cover up for the very neutral tasting flavourless yogurt. I would have preferred this dessert without the abundance of honey.
Finally, we have the Rice Pudding. A warm version of an original muller rice pudding, except with natural clotted creme on top!
Check out my short video of the Hotel!
And that wraps up today's edition of Miss. Delicious! Going to Pamukkale will no doubt on the top of the list if you decide to visit Turkey, and thus, I hope this review of the hotel as well as it's food will give you an immediate answer when looking for lodging for your stay. One thing that stands out at Venus Suite-Hotel is the warm homely feeling the owners give you. They will offer you a whatsapp contact as soon as you arrive for any requirements, even if it's for a lift back from the terraces.
After I checked out, I was offered a towel and shower facilities whilst I waited for my transport back to the city. It's little things like that which make a stay that much more pleasant.
Make sure you vote for my post if you liked it, follow me to stay up to date with my adventures, and leave a comment to let me know what you think!
刚刚过去的中秋，阖家团圆的气氛让大家脸上挂着藏不住的幸福笑容，家是一个人最好的栖息港湾，在旅行途中，一个温馨安逸的旅店，是我身体和心灵最舒心的港湾。如果说之前带大家感受的以弗所家庭旅馆是亲切浪漫的，那么今天我想带大家走进的Pamukkale村维纳斯酒店，依山傍水，好像中国的农家乐一样，透过窗口望向对面雪白的棉花堡，内心感受到了返朴归真的开怀。
旅店距离棉花堡景点区只有5分钟车程，酒店负责接送，非常方便。走进旅店，会看到的四周环绕着带游泳池的花园，花园旁边有一个涼亭，里面布置满土耳其民俗图案的枕头，坐垫和地毯，墙上挂着色彩鲜艳的丝绒地毯，凸显了土耳其房屋装饰上的鲜明个性。紧靠着凉亭，还有一个装扮着土耳其地毯和水烟，奥斯曼风格的角落区供大家喝茶乘凉，休息放松，尤其像出去玩累了棉花堡的我，下午坐在花园里打个盹，再美好不过了。我非常喜欢旅店设计了大范围的休息区，为客人着想，周到而贴心。
旅店的房间以现代或浪漫的风格装饰，同意也加进了土耳其的民俗元素，木头护栏的阳台，充满了清新的度假风，楼下清澈的游泳池，远处的树林，山峰，还有那白花花如雪，都尽收眼底，看的我神清气爽，瞬间就没了高温天气所带来的燥热。房间外的走廊，也能看到旅店管理者的专注和用心，好喜欢那些精致的装饰品，墙上挂着用玻璃框裱起来的蝉丝毯，花纹细腻的盘子，伊斯兰特色瓷砖装饰，还有灯架上各式各样的花灯。仔细一看，又觉得旅店管理者不仅很认真的装饰酒店，让旅客们有机会近距离欣赏民俗艺术，体会家一般的温暖，也很有经商头脑，因为这些惹人爱的装饰品，都可以在走廊旁的精品屋买到。做旅店的同时，又做了纪念品和古董店的生意，真是一举两得呢。
其实还不止这些，因为在Pamukkale这个比较偏远的小村里，少有餐厅，所以我们的一日三餐都会放心的交给酒店，因为这家酒店的餐厅，也大概是棉花堡附近最有特色又好吃的餐厅了。走进这间淳朴，充满生活气息的家庭式餐厅，屋顶上画满土耳其民俗花纹的水晶吊灯，砖块墙上五彩缤纷的挂毯，木质顶棚，还有极具当地特色的小床，好像被当作沙发来用，我仿佛是被邀请走入了当地居民的家里，等待他们为我端来亲切可口的土耳其家常菜。餐厅里有不少素食菜肴，也有最有名气的烤肉串，全部是家庭作坊的自制美食，纯天然的食物材料，还真是吸引人呢。
菜单上除了英文和土耳其文，竟然标上了中文，十分让我惊讶，这是唯一一家土耳其的餐厅拥有中文菜单的，可见来这里的中国游客不在少数呢。先上来的鸡肉番茄的蔬菜沙拉，在炎热的夏天吃起来，可真是酸甜可口。铁板鸡肉带着吱吱的烧烤声来到了餐桌，烤肉的香弥漫整个餐厅。烤牛肉块，带上了一整条青椒，薯条，香菜和米饭，有菜有肉的科学搭配，吃起来很健康呢。芝士蘑菇煲非常好吃，芝士的醇香和蘑菇的清香完美搭配。吃到这里，我已经非常饱了，但是对于我来说，吃甜品是第二个胃，所以我还是忍不住点了土耳其传统的特色甜品。蜂蜜酸奶，吃起来清凉酸甜，非常适合夏季解暑吃。米布丁非常特别，好像是用米饭制成，带着布丁的甜，一口接一口简直停不下来呢。今天的土耳其旅店和美食分享就要告于段落了，希望大家享受这份旅行带来的快乐，之后还有更多神秘未知的美丽风景，等着我们一起去欣赏。