Pamukkale is famous for its white terrace pools. In my opinion, Pamukkale was expensive and a rip-off. First off, it was 20 Turkish Lira per person to get in (That is $12 in US money).
Second, the pools weren’t full. If the water with all of the calcium doesn’t flow, the terraces turn black instead of staying white. We walked up from the bottom and it was pretty white all the way up until we reached the top and started to walk around. The pools all around the top were dammed off and black or gray and empty. I heard there are two reasons why. One is that they built a hotel at the top that needed water for its thermal pools (the hotel isn’t there anymore – just the building is standing). And then, a guy we talked to said it was because there wasn’t enough water coming out any more and so they keep changing the path of the water to try and keep it white. Some places thrived and some appeared to not have any water for years. Under your feet, you can hear the water that is supposed to flow to the pools going somewhere else.
Third, there is a big thermal pool at te top where all the water is probably going, and, it costs you another 30 lira if you want to go in there. We did not want to pay to go to the pool that ruined all the terraces. We did not go because people should let Mother Nature flow the way she wanted. All 3 of us were tempted to destroy the dams to fill the pools up again and turn them from black back to white.
My conclusion is that Pamukkale is a big money trap, that looks nothing like the pictures in all the magazines with people frolicking in the pools. The water was at most knee deep in the few pools that are left. It looks cool on the way up and sad at the top.
Here is the bottom:
then, here is the top:
Hi Cooper, remember us from Star Clipper? We are on our way to Egypt tomorrow. Hope your travels are going well.
Hi Steve and Nikki! We loved Oludeniz. Have a great time in Egypt! We are in Istanbul until the 10th. So nice to have met you. Please keep in touch.