Anyone been to Turkey

Turkey is awesome. As all have said, super friendly people and great food. Ephesus will be stinking hot in June ( it was 32 when I was there a month ago) and there are no water stops inside the city, so take lots of water and a hat (no shade either).

Pretty much everything is up for bartering there, so dont be shy to haggle. One of my fav exchanges while I was there went something like

shop guy: '50 lira'
me: 'but its fake'
shop guy: 'yes but its a good fake, 50 lira'

Also, I've heard the Dalyan mud baths are a waste of time.

If you have some time, you should try check these guys out : http://www.beforelunch.com/
They were completely out of this world amazing. Stopped at all the 'out of the way' bays and coves (away from the tourist hotspots), fresh meals cooked for you each day on the boat etc. Just lazy days in the sun, swimming in crystal waters. I had the time of my life.
 
Grand Bazaar, trip up the Bosphorus on the ferry. Mind the drivers! Declare EVERYTHING of value when you enter, have a list of all cameras and computers with their serial numbers and get Customs to stamp it. (Got stopped for 3 hours crossing from Turkey to Greece by car since Turkish customs read bar-code number on camera as the serial number and would not let me pass until someone who could understand English arrived)
 
I was on a cruise of the Mediterannean some years ago and we made a stop at Kusadasi in Turkey. Was bascially to allow people a spot of shopping - rugs, coffee and sweets were on most people's lists.
 
I went there back in 2000 with my high school, we only stayed in hostels and school halls but it was one of the best countries I've ever been to. However their bazaars and fleamarkets sells the biggest load of crap ever. Everything is fake.
 
So far it's just Istanbul and Cappadocia. Not sure whether to take a flight or bus though.
 
I went to Turkey in Nov-Dec 2010. It was great fun and would recommend it to anyone.

I had a bit of an unorthodox itinerary for a winter holiday, but I’m not in the least bit sorry. Here’s the low-down maybe someone can pick up some ideas from this.
  • I chose an Egyptair flight with a 16 hour stopover in Cairo and did a day tour of Cairo. Visas for South Africans are free, so I thought why not. I’m not sure if Cairo is such a good idea these days though.
  • Spent 7 nights in Istanbul. Some highlights:
    - Blue mosque; see at least this one. Any other mosques are a bit samey though.
    - Hagia Sophia; must see. Check out for the Viking graffiti. :)
    - Topkapi Palace; nice, but not worth the money IMHO.
    - Grand Bazaar; great experience. Just keep your bearings – I got lost looking for a shop that I saw only minutes earlier.
    - Galata Tower; MUST SEE. Go to the top, the view is superb.
    - Istanbul Archaeology Museum; the best history museum I’ve been to. If you like history you shouldn’t miss this.
    - Egyptian spice bazaar; completely different feel than the Grand bazaar. Worth a look, just to see the interesting things they sell there.
    - Basilica Cistern; another cool place to visit. Make sure you’ve got your low-light camera skills up to date. Also, if you wanna skip this and still want to see some Istanbul underground, go to Nakkas carpet shop in Nakilbent Sokak. They have a small cistern under the shop which is free to visit and usually has some nice display on. We saw some photographer’s exhibit when we went there.
    - Misc; best doner kebab place – just off Divan Yolu Cd in Bab-I Ali Cd, across from the Constantine pillar, when heading to the Grand Bazaar.
    - Misc; guy selling rice-filled mussels next to the shore at night – this was an awesome find. 1 lira gets you 2 mussels, but the more you buy the more he just gives away. When you exit Sultanahmet from Akasakal Cd (to Kennedy Cd) he used to be next to the park where some people play football at night.
  • We then took the train (the slow moving [~70km/h] Dogu Express) all 1500km East to the small city of Kars. This is a two day train trip but you really get to see the landscapes and more rural areas of Turkey. I would most definitely not advise doing this train trip alone, companionship is a must.
  • The people of Kars are the friendliest people I’ve met in Turkey and best of all; they don’t try and sell **** to you all the time. Some highlights;
    - Ruins of Ani; 30km outside Kars. To see buildings still standing that were built in 5AD has an allure of its own.
  • We then took a flight to Trabzon. This Black Sea town has a population that feels seemingly younger. Although Istanbul is a really cool city, I (for some odd reason) miss Trabzon the most. Highlights;
    - Sumela Monastery; if you ever get the chance to see this place, GO. 400AD monastery built into a cliff face.
    - Lake Uzungol; lake in the mountains. The bus trip to there is quite scenic.
  • Finally flew back to Istanbul and back to South Africa.
Take at least a day (maybe two) to just wander the streets of Istanbul. We felt really safe there and sometimes strolled till almost midnight. Also, drink as much tea at as many places as possible.

Finally, (if you smoke) don't leave your packet laying on the table, unless you mind people helping themselves. Apparently it's some kind of offer for people (especially waiters) to take some if they want. :wtf:
 
abzo said:
So far it's just Istanbul and Cappadocia. Not sure whether to take a flight or bus though.
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I found local flights to be quite cheap and efficient. But I can also vouch for bus trips being possibly quite scenic. Check the time of day and maybe even consider taking a train.
 
CR34M3 said:
I found local flights to be quite cheap and efficient. But I can also vouch for bus trips being possibly quite scenic. Check the time of day and maybe even consider taking a train.
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I want to take an overnight bus/train so that I can save a day.
 
abzo said:
I want to take an overnight bus/train so that I can save a day.
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Have a look at the following:
Turkey Travel Planner - very informative site and the people on the forums are quite helpful (haven't checked in a while though).
The Man in Seat 61 - everything you would want to know about rail travel (not just in Turkey). The guy who runs the site is very friendly and helpful.


EDIT: Oh, and by the way; where in Cappadocia are you planning on going?
 
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CR34M3 said:
Have a look at the following:
Turkey Travel Planner - very informative site and the people on the forums are quite helpful (haven't checked in a while though).
The Man in Seat 61 - everything you would want to know about rail travel (not just in Turkey). The guy who runs the site is very friendly and helpful.


EDIT: Oh, and by the way; where in Cappadocia are you planning on going?
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All trains Eastbound from Istanbul are cancelled till 2015 so not sure how to get to Cappadocia now. Probably Goreme.
 
abzo said:
All trains Eastbound from Istanbul are cancelled till 2015 so not sure how to get to Cappadocia now. Probably Goreme.
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Hmm, that does sound a bit crappy.
My best guess would be to take a flight from Izmir (you still want to see Ephesus, right?) to Kayaseri -- one-way on Sun Express is about R600. But I'm sure you can get a better price if you shop around and tweak your dates. It's a 1.5hr flight and Goreme is about 1.5hr drive from Kayaseri.
 
CR34M3 said:
Hmm, that does sound a bit crappy.
My best guess would be to take a flight from Izmir (you still want to see Ephesus, right?) to Kayaseri -- one-way on Sun Express is about R600. But I'm sure you can get a better price if you shop around and tweak your dates. It's a 1.5hr flight and Goreme is about 1.5hr drive from Kayaseri.
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Nope i'm skipping Ephesus entirely. Just Istanbul and Cappadocia. I only have 8 days.
 
abzo said:
Nope i'm skipping Ephesus entirely. Just Istanbul and Cappadocia. I only have 8 days.
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I see. Well you could still check for overnight busses, but keep airtravel in mind -- Andolu Jet and Pegasus Air have an Istanbul (Sabiha Gokcen) - Kayaseri route. You could do a return flight for less than R850 if you tweak a little.

A note: if you decide to use Sabiha Gokcen airport, remember that it's on the outskirts of Istanbul and getting there (from the old city) takes a good hour or so.
 
Contacted the hostel in Istanbul and they said they'll arrange transport to Cappadocia when I get there.

One other thing, are clothes cheap there? I mean from stores like Pep. My laundry hasn't dried and I leave tomorrow. Eek. Thinking of just taking a couple of tee's and buying disposable clothes there.
 
abzo said:
Contacted the hostel in Istanbul and they said they'll arrange transport to Cappadocia when I get there.

One other thing, are clothes cheap there? I mean from stores like Pep. My laundry hasn't dried and I leave tomorrow. Eek. Thinking of just taking a couple of tee's and buying disposable clothes there.
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Like here, there's expensive and there's cheap places. Ask at the hostel's reception -- I've found the people working at hotels to be very helpful in this regard. Unfortunately I don't have good price estimates for you as I didn't buy much clothes, only this:
- CD shop (Musica equivalent); novelty t-shirts for 10-15TRY
- Bazaar type stall; Nike (fake) sweater of the Trabzonspor soccer club 25TRY
Then there's also the guy in Istanbul that tried to sell me a leather jacket (albeit a very nice one) for 300EUR.
 
Been to Olu Deniz and Antalya, on the coast.
Really beautiful and warm, turquoise, clear ocean. Very relaxed, not too many tourists.
 
Arrived at 17:00 today. Just walked around Sultanahmet for a while. Saw the Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya and a few other places whose names I don't know. Had a doner kebab for dinner and about to watch the footy on the hostel terrace.

Oh and there are alooot of cats in this city and I'm sharing a room with 3 Aussie girls.

Blue Mosque
biPkC.jpg


Aya Sofya
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Cats
h5jm2.jpg


No pics of the Aussie girls, sorry :o
 
On the sightseeing bus. There was a seat open next to me so this lady joins me :

Her : Hi. Where are you from?

Me : Hi. South Africa. Yourself?

Her : Oh I'm reading a book about
Africa. I'm from Denmark.

Me: *thinking maybe it's Cry the Beloved Country or something* What's the book about?

Her : Child trafficking and human rights violations.

Me : :/
Me: *trying to change the subject* Sooo, what is Denmark famous for besides pastries?

Her: we were the first country to legalize porn.

There's no way I can top that.
 
CR34M3 said:
I'm guessing you're back by now.

So, how was it? :D
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Hey. Yes I am back! It was awesome. Sweltering hot though! I have tan lines on my feet from wearing flip-flops.

I loved their ice-cream, dondurma, they serve it from these deep barrels that they're regularly churning, anyone know if that's available locally? Probably not.

In Istanbul, I stayed in Sultanahmet which is fortunately near to all the tourist attractions (Blue Mosque, Ayasofya and other centuries old Mosques & Churches. Ancient places of worship are the predominant attractions in Turkey)

The hop-on hop-off bus (€20 one day/ €30 two day ticket) is a great way to get around and see the sights, especially in that heat. It takes you all the way across to Asia. It also has a free wifi connection, the password doesn't change so if you sit in the park ,which doubles as the bus depot, you can still tap into their network :p A cruise along the Bosphorous (prices vary, took the €8 ride) is another common touristy thing to do in Istanbul.

I took a 9/10 hour overnight bus (€50 return)to Goreme since the trains in that direction are cancelled for a few years. The bus ride was quite pleasant, had a friendly Turkish guy sitting next to me who kept me entertained. Some busses have wifi, this one didn't but it did have a display on each seat with TV and Radio, nothing in English though.

Goreme/Cappadocia is one of the scenic destinations in Turkey, famous for it's rock formations. People lived in caves until around the 1980's. The hostel I stayed at was one of the "cave dwellings". Here it's advisable to do the tours since the sights are too far for you to go to by yourself. The city for the sandpeople in Star Wars was based on this area, they weren't allowed to film there so George Lucas recreated it in Syria.

Oh and be careful of scams, there are quite a few in Turkey. I was targeted for this one http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/details/Safety/SingleMaleScams.html but fortunately I had done my research. Here's what happened :

I was walking alone at night and this guy mumbles somethin walks up to me and says something in Turkish, naturally I go "huh?" to which he asked me in English for a light. I told him that I didn't have one. He kept walking and talking to me. He was very friendly, I didn't make much of it. When i mentioned I was from SA, he told me that he's been there before for his job, apparently he works for IKEA. I told him that we don't have IKEA there but he insisted that we do, that's when I realised that this was an attempted scam. I continued speaking to him and being friendly until he asked me if I want to join him and his friends for drinks at a club. I declined citing that I had an early flight to catch. He insisted but eventually gave up. After I walked away from him, I saw him approach another tourist :)
 
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