Amasya was our 'off the beaten track' stop near the Black Sea, before returning to Istanbul. Restored Ottoman houses line Amasya's river, and rock mountains tower alongside with tombs carved into the rockfaces. The river is still dotted with a few old waterwheels, giving Amasya even more of a quaint feel. The city is popular with Turkish tourists, but most other travellers don't make it to Amasya, so it feels more local than Turkey's 'must see' destinations.Staying in one of the Ottoman houses along the river was a fantastic way to appreciate Amasya's rich history. We enjoyed a friendly welcome and a delicious home-cooked dinner at our B&B. Our room had big wooden windows that opened onto the river and a retro-fitted bathroom tucked into a closet, as the rooms were not originally built with bathrooms. In Amasya we relaxed and wandered along the picturesque riverfront and climbed up to the tombs.
Leaving Amasya for Istanbul is an ~11 hour bus journey, so we found a cheap Turkish Air flight to save some time. We'd thought the airport was nearby, but in Amasya we learnt it was about 40km further than we thought and there wasn't a direct bus connection. So we caught a local 'leave when it's full' bus to Merzifon, the closest town to the airport, and had a great time enjoying incredibly cheap kebaps and cakes in a town completely untouched by tourism. We'd been advised by our bus driver to take a taxi to the airport and we amusingly arrived at the terminal at the same time as the local aiport bus from Merzifon and the Turkish Air shuttle from Amasya. Although those would have been easier options if we'd known about them, we were glad for our fun detour to Merzifon.
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