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[doggyji]

I'm interested in visiting Turkey this summer. Would you care to share your travel stories if you've been there? Thanks.

[the_beaver]

[Woland]

I lived there for seven years. Great place. Lots to do. PM me.

[Gamecock]

I once flew into Antalya, then worked my way up the western coast to Istanbul. Truly a fantastic experience. I was traveling alone, didn't speak any Turkish, and found Turkey to be one of the few countries in the world where it was hard to find English speakers (German is a common second language). Yet, even with alot of pantomime and charades, I found the Turks to be some of the most warm and hospitable people on the planet.

[brento1138]

I'm thinking about going too. So.... stories anyone? Links to good sites?

If we go in the summer, will we die from the heat?

[Woland]

I lived for six years in Ankara, one year in Eskisehir. I have visited Istanbul often, as well as Antalya, Mugla/Izmir (south Aegean coast), Konya, Kayseri, Trabzon, Adana, and other places in between, including many visits to Cappadocia. I have not traveled extensively in eastern Turkey, but do have connections there.

There is literally tons to do, with a huge amount of variation. Do you want to hike, visit ruins (Greek, Ottoman, Hittite, Phrygian?), be in an urban area, lie on the beach, etc? I can talk about all of these, but it would take a lot of time. If people give me a sense of what you are interested in most, I can talk about that in a focused way. I'm glad to help, but just don't want to write and write aimlessly.

BTW, for just a little taste, here's an article from the NYTimes today on what to do in 36 hours in Istanbul. Overpriced, but a number of their recommendations are good, especially the dusk boat ride across the Bosporus and Cariye.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/05/06/travel/06hours.html?8dpc

Just a few quick comments: The two musts of a trip to Turkey are Istanbul and Cappadocia. You can cover a lot of ground in 3/4 days in Istanbul, but a week would be better. I went there multiple times a year for seven years and still haven't exhausted it. Cappadocia is great for hikers and history buffs. Whatever you do, don't book your hotel room in Nevsehir (too boring) or Kayseri (too far from the action); aim for Goreme, Urgup, Uchisar, or Avanos. Again, a minimum of three or four days will be needed to do a basic job of seeing the area; a week is better. I've made a dozen plus trips there and still haven't seen all of it.

If you have to go to the beach, know that the Med beaches will be very hot and humid in July and August, but the water is great. There are places that are packed with tourists, Germans in Antalya, Russians in Alanya. There are also hidden pocket beaches and other, less perfect beaches, that are nice and less crowded. I like the Aegean coast better - cooler, with fewer tourists (except Bodrum and Kusadasi).

Ask for more info, either here or by pm.

[doggyji]

Thanks for the input, Woland. I plan to visit Turkey next month. I'll be flying from Toronto to Istanbul. The trip will probably be a week or 10 days long. I know one person who lives in Iskenderun near Antakya at the southern tip of the country but she'll be away for a while so I can't discuss with her now. I sure want to visit Iskenderun to see the friend and Antakya (Antioch). The checkpoints I've come up with so far are Istanbul, Ankara, Capadocia, Iskederun (beaches there) and Antakya. As I can get lots of general info from the internet, It'd be cool if I can hear your personal anecdotes, stories, safety issues, what to be careful about in cultural aspects, etc. Oh, btw, I heard some news about political tumults happening in Turkey right now. Would it affect tourists by any way? Any advice will be appreciated. Tesekkur ederim.

[Woland]

doggyji,

Sorry about being so late in responding.

I wouldn't worry about the political situation, unless you happen to wander into a MHP rally somewhere in the hinterlands. That could be problematic. Really, the political struggles going on now shouldn't effect your visit at all.

With only 7 to 10 days, you can't do all the things you planned. You're also going to be dependent on internal flight schedules to get around, because bus trips to where you want to get to will take too long in that time frame. I assume that you want to spend a considerable chunk of time with your friend. And if that's the case, you may be able to only do Istanbul, Antakya, and Iskenderun in the time you have. The plan I've written approaches the problem that way.

I would fly into Istanbul and spend three days there. Then on day four, I would fly to Antakya, spending that day and the next there. I would see if I could find an overnight bus to Iskenderun, arriving there the morning of day six to spend three days there. On day nine, I would get a bus to Adana, from where I would fly to Istanbul and make my flight home.

Okay, in Istanbul, I recommend the Side Pension on Utangac Sokak (www.sidehotel.com.tr). Great value for money; friendly, English-speaking service; and a location just minutes from all the major sites in Sultanahmet, the historic district of the city. If that is too pricey for you, you can find cheaper in the area, even next door, at the Park Hotel. But you'll stepping down far in comfort.

In Istanbul, here are the places I think are must sees:

Aya Sofya - for a thousand years, the most magnificent building in the world. Truly amazing. I would hope that they have finished the restoration work on the dome by now and have taken down the scaffolding which disrupts the sense of space in the building.

Cariye Church - near the ancient walls that surround the old city. Best preserved mosaics and frescoes in the city. The restaurant at the hotel nearby serves meals based on menus from a Sultan's son's sunnet (circumcision) celebration. Priced accordingly, but may be worth a splurge.

The Mosaic Museum (behind the Blue Mosque); Very small; it'll only take a half hour to tour. The museum has been build in situ over the remains of the mosaic-tiled walkway used by the Byzantine emperors. It was too delicate to move when they found it, so they had to build the museum over it. Good preparation for the much richer mosaic museum in Antakya.

Yerebatan Sarnici - the ancient cistern that supplied water to the sity. Today, it's a cool place to visit on a hot day. There are concerts there some evenings. Don't miss walking all the way back to see the medusas. This place is kitty corner from Aya Sofya, and will also take only 30 minutes or so to visit.

Sulemaniye Mosque - better than the Blue Mosque, which is overrated. A space to rival Aya Sofya, nice park-like grounds around it, with the tombs of Suleyman the Magnificent, the greatest Sultan, his wife Roxalana, and their son, Selim the Sot, who began the Empire on its downward track. Eat at one of the kuru fasulye (white beans in tomato sauce) places across from the mosque; many have been there 100 years. Cheaper and more authentic than anything on Divan Yolu in the touristy part of Sultanahmet. And very filling. Watch the kids play soccer in the streets around the mosque. Probably my favorite place in Istanbul.

I'm not a huge fan of Kapali Carsi (the covered bazaar), but it's worth a brief wander just to say that you've been there.

Istiklal Caddesi - the old Rue de la Pera, the main street of the European quarter. Now one of the great streets in the world. Get up in the morning one day and walk along the trolley tracks down the hill to the Bosporus. Cross the Galata Bridge over the Golden Horn on foot, looking at all the fishermen there. On the other side, go through the underpass to Tunel, the funicular railroad, that will take you one stop, halfway up the hill. Get out, turn right, and you're on Istiklal Caddesi. Walk up hill along it (it's almost completely pedestrianized) and see the whole of Turkey walk along the street towards you. Steven Kinzer has suggested that randomly selecting people there and making them the parliament would lead immediately to better government. There are nice cafes all over the area (especially in side streets off Istiklal) to stop and have a quick coffee or meal in. At the other end of the street is Taksim Meydani, the main square of the city. If you're there around sunset, go up to the bar at the top of the Marmara Hotel, get an overpriced drink, and watch the how the city lights up as darkness falls.

There's so much more there - take a boat across the Bosporus; have a fish sandwich at the docks in Eminonu, where the Galata bridge starts; walk along the wall from Cariye Church to Tekfiye Saray, the ruins of a Byzantine palace, and beyond that, through the gate, and find the tombs of the sahebe, witnesses to the life of Mohammed; walk back along the Golden Horn and see the Bulgarian church, made completely of wrought iron, and floated down the Danube and across the Black Sea to Istanbul. Go up the Bosporus to Ortakoy in the evening to see the little neighborhood there light up and turn active. If you're really into it, go further north, to Bebek, and find the world's narrowest ice cream parlor. (I have walked along the embankment from Taksim to Bebek; you can do it in two hours.) And while you are there, you might as well have a look at Rumeli hisar, which Mehmet the Conqueror built to close the strait and seal the fate of Byzantium. And more, more, more.

I advised flying from Istanbul to Antakya and Adana to Istanbul. That'll take 2 hours; a bus would take two days. There's no way around it. Turkish Air has reasonably priced flights every day - probably about $90-100. There are other airlines, offering fewer flights, but cheaper, like Onur or Fly or Atlas. Shop around.

I did recommend a bus from Antakya to Iskenderun and from Iskenderun to Adana. I don't know which bus companies are operating out there. The quality won't be as good as one of the top three companies which operate in western Turkey, but should be okay. On any bus there will be a person whose job it is to bring snacks around, give you water or tea or coffee if you want it, and keep things pleasant. Smoking is now illegal on Turkish busses, except for the driver, so you may want to sit back away from the driver. Your seatmate will be male; men are never seated next to women they don't know. Seats are assigned when you but the ticket.

I said you might want to take an overnight bus to Iskenderun, a common thing in Turkey traveling between cities, and a day bus to Adana, which would let you see some of the countryside. You need to work it out in terms of schedule. I don't know the timings in those parts of Turkey.

I hope this helps some; if you have any more questions, go ahead and ask. I'll try to be quicker in answering.

[princess]

I visited Istanbul twice. It is one of my favorite cities and the most beautiful city I've ever seen. The mosques, the Islamic calls to prayer from the minarets, the food...lovely. Like I said, Istanbul is the most beautiful city I have ever seen. That may change when I visit Europe though, especially Paris.

[doggyji]

Wow, Woland, thank you very very much, sir. I can confirm my vacation schedule next tuesday. I'll have to do some negotiation to get a longer time. Hopefully two weeks in July, please! I'll check everything you said with links again. I immensely appreciate your advice.

[Woland]

With two weeks available, I'd suggest a different itinerary:

Arrive in Istanbul and still do three days there. But, now, instead of flying to Antakya, I'd suggest taking the overnight train to Ankara. Get a sleeper berth and have a good night's rest so you'll be ready to go. In Ankara in the morning, visit the hisar (fortress), the only site worth seeing in Ankara. [Old guy rant starts here: Of course, they've ruined it by restoring it. Back when I arrived in Ankara, the hisar was a crumbling heap. It was dangerous. You could fall to your death if the rock crumbled wrong while you sccrambled around the top without guardrails. Now there's a trendy cafe up there. It has been sanitized and made to look like it was built last week. Too bad: Rant over]

In the afternoon, get yourself out to the bus station (ASTI) and get a seat on a Nevtur bus to Goreme (Cappadocia). (You may need to make this reservation in Istanbul; ask your hotel there for help. I'm not sure if Nevtur has an Istanbul office. I think they do. They will try to talk you into taking the bus all the way, but don't. The train is worth it.) Make sure your ticket is to Goreme, not Nevsehir (aka Boring Town; where fools stay in Cappadocia). You'll go to Nevsehir anyway, but a ticket to Goreme means they have to put you on a service bus over to the village. The whole trip should take 4.5 to 5 hours. At the bus station in Goreme the local pensions have put together a housing cooperative where you can stop in and get a fair price on a place to stay for the night. If you want to book in advance, I can recommend either Ottoman House (http://www.ottomanhouse.com.tr/index.html), where I usually stayed there until it closed in an ownership dispute (and has now reopened with an indoor pool; at E22 for a single, a bargain all around) or Kelebek Pension (http://www.kelebekhotel.com/classic/classic.php), a place many friends have liked. If you really have to sleep in a fairy chimney, this is place. Warning: It's not that big a thrill to sleep in a fairy chimney.

Take at least three days in Cappadocia. On your first full day, take a tour of the region; it'll help you decide what you want to do with the rest of your time. A good tour should include: the open-air museum in Goreme, Uchisar, an underground city (most likely Derinkuyu, but I like Ozkonak better), either Ihlara or Soganli valleys, valley of the fairy chimneys (hopefully around sunset; if you get a good day, you can watch the area across the river change color as dusk falls). Sadly, it may also automatically include a visit to a rug shop, pottery shop (in Avanos), or winery, where they may try to sell you to much stuff at a bad price. Ask if the tour includes that suff and try to avoid it if you can. Any tour will have more, but those things are essential, I think. Most may also include Cavusin and/or Zelve. Cavusin is cool, but they usually don't give you enough time to explore it. Still, it's close enough to Goreme to get there another day if you really want to. Zelve has lost some of its charm since the first valley has been closed (due to collapses of the rock faces there) (I know how to get into the first valley by the back way, but it involves some hiking to get there.)

The other days in Cappadocia are really for you to decide what you want to do. It is a great place for hiking. I recommend Pigeon Valley, over to Uchisar or the Valley of Swords near Goreme, if you aren't much of a hiker. You can also just wander around Goreme looking for hidden churches that are in the area. If you are a hiker, try the Red Valley. You'll need to walk or a get a ride up near Ortahisar to start and it will let you out near Cavusin, with a walk back to Goreme at the end of the day (or you can try to hitch on the road; people will pick you up). If you hike the Red Valley, take water. In July, it'll be hot out there, and there's no stores around until you get to Cavusin.

One other must in Cappadocia is to try the local wine. Some of it is not available elsewhere. It is has an odd, slightly sour taste, which is attributed to the special fertilizer used on the vines there (pigeon guano), but I'd attribute it more to the sandy soil and the type of grapes. It's good, though, especially the red.

Getting out of Cappadocia adn moving on involves a choice. You could bus back to Ankara and fly to Anktakya from there, and do as I wrote about earlier. Or, you could take a bus down to Antalya and then work your way along the Med coast to Iskenderun, taking in Aspendos and Side on the way. If you go to Antalya, you must find a way to get to Termessos. If you have to rent a car, do it. Just one of the great sites to see - the ruined theater sitting high up on a cliff, with the wall of another cliff as backdrop. If I had to choose between Termessos and Aspendos, I'd take Termessos any day. Aspendos has the only completely preserved theater, but lacks the grandeur of the location of Termessos.

I won't say more. You'll have to figure where you want to stop along the Med and how much time you have and want to spend with your friend. You may decide to skip Antakya, if it'll take too mcuh time. (Or go into it the day before you leave, hit the mosaic museum, and fly out to Istanbul from there.) I do think you'll have to fly back to Istanbul and will have to plan for that.

One cool thing about Anktakya - most people there speak Arabic as their first language. The Hatay, the region it is in, was part of the French mandate. The story is that the French handed it over to the Turks in exchange for Turkish neutrality in WWII. In Syria, all official maps still include it as part of Syria (along with Lebanon).

[ariellowen]

I am clearly in the minority here, very interesting history; however, it was in Turkey that it finally dawned on me that I don't care for Mediterranean culture, (this after years of reading with awe about Greece and Rome and the Ottomans, Phoenicians, Jews, Egypt, etcetera). Not to mention, Turkish women are pretty close to being the worlds ugliest women --forget secularism, God damn, cover up those faces!

[princess]

[Woland]

Depends on the you and the woman, as everywhere. I've gone out with some Turkish women I thought were damn fine.

[doggyji]