The last time Tay Kewei and Alfred Sim had a couple getaway was two years ago, before their son, nicknamed Shen Momo, was born. “We really enjoyed our alone time on this trip,” the 35-year-old local songstress tells us. “But we also missed our son dearly ’cos this is the first time we’ve been away for so long since he was born.”

Now, here's the thing. You don’t have to be a parent to know that if you’re presented with a rare opportunity to travel and take a break from parenting, you make the most of it. And, boy, did the husband-and-wife duo do that on their recent Turkey jaunt, where they travelled in style on a 13-day holiday that took them to Istanbul, Bodrum, Pamukkale, Ephesus and Cappadocia. And from the looks of it, the itinerary was nothing short of amazing. It was, after all, Kewei’s first trip as Chief Luxury Officer (CLO) of Luxury Escapes, a travel company that’s all about the VIP treatment on holiday, including organising luxury small group tours, like Kewei and Alfred’s Turkey adventure. Which meant that all the off-duty parents had to do was to kick back and enjoy themselves… and Instagram up a storm, because that’s what a CLO does, okay?

Scroll on for Kewei’s pointers on how to have the best time in Turkey.

“It’s been a while since I travelled on a tour,” Kewei admits. “Initially, I was skeptical about travelling on a group tour. But when I understood that Luxury Escapes operated a small, intimate luxury group tour of like-minded luxury-oriented travellers, I was excited. I really loved this tour to Turkey because it included a little bit of everything. We explored the fascinating geology at Pamukkale and Cappadocia, had the chance to appreciate history at the ancient city of Ephesus, taste amazing Mediterranean food.”

Kewei in Ephesus.

“We were very privileged to have an experienced local guide arranged by Luxury Escapes who knew the best spots to take photos. In Pamukkale, our guide took us to a secret spot to watch the sunset, and the view was magnificent. The guide even brought along some wine and cups for us to drink while we watched the sunset! The ancient Greek-Roman theatres at Ephesus and Pamukkale also make really good spots to take OOTDs. I would recommend using a wide-angle lens or GoPro if you have one, so you don’t miss out on the spectacular views.

Kewei and Alfred in the ancient city of Ephesus.

“We had some free-and-easy days, and for those, I'd plan the places I wanted to visit, and we also engaged a local photographer to capture the best moments from our Turkey tour.”

“Not only did we stay in luxury hotels, we also stayed in quaint locally-owned cottages with farm-to-table cooking classes! We spent four nights at the Shangri-La Bosphorus, and the experience was just incredible. I was also pleasantly surprised by Argos Hotel (above) at Cappadocia which was a luxury cave hotel that completely blew my mind. It was definitely one of the most unique places that you could find a luxury hotel in. It was also the most romantic place on the trip. We woke up early to the views of hot air balloons taking off at sunrise from our hotel, and it was a truly magical experience for us.”

Who wouldn’t wanna wake up to this view?

The couple whipping up a storm at a farm-to-table cooking class.

“I had a home-cooked meal in Cappadocia, and it was a really unique dining experience and a great way to get to know a local. It was also heartening to know that Luxury Escapes helped to support local Turkish women who chose not to sell their cave homes by arranging small groups of people to dine at their homes. The lady who hosted us showed us around her home and treated us to local delicacies that were absolutely delicious.”

There's nothing quite as comforting as home-cooked food.

“We spent a great amount of time at the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul picking up spices and teas because my husband loves to cook. We also bought a lot of Turkish Delight made from honey instead of sugar from Hazer Baba to share with our family and friends.”

“On our first free and easy day, we headed to brunch street and picked one of the many similar looking restaurants (Cakmak Kahvalti Salonu) to try their typical Turkish menemen (scrambled eggs with spicy sausage and cheese), a platter of tomatoes, olives and cheese as well as a fried bagel with clotted cream and honey. We fell in love instantly with the food and basically had the same breakfast every day for the rest of the trip.”

“Never eat the Turkish Baklava in one mouthful because it will be dripping in syrup and cloyingly sweet that way. Instead, savour it in small portions with Turkish tea (similar to our teh-o) for the best experience. Finally, Turkish coffee is thick, intense, and not meant to be finished. The remnants of ground coffee are meant to be there at the bottom of the cup so drink it without stirring!”

More info about Luxury Escapes at https://luxuryescapes.com/sg.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Tay Kewei