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Hi there everyone,
In a few weeks, I will be going to Turkey! Woo vacation! The travel plan is:
Cesme for 3 days
Izmir for 4 days
Overnight bus to Istanbul
Istanbul for 5 days
While in Cesme/Izmir we will for sure go to Ephesus. While in Istanbul we will visit all the "tourist" places (Grand Bazaar, Palace, Blue Mosque, boating on the Bosporus, etc). However, we have some free time while in Izmir, particularly. What should we do? Any suggestions for places to eat? What are some major cultural things I should be aware of? (I am bringing a scarf for visiting the mosques yes I am a woman I will have to cover my head.) Any other travel tips/advice?
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I really want to recommend going to cappadocia and riding the air balloon. That was an awesome experience (minus the waking up early part). But I guess that will be hard to arrange when you are going there without being part of a tourist group (which I'm assuming you aren't).
Unless thing have changed since 2009 (when I visited Turkey), I don't think you have to cover your head. None of the female tourists that I went with or seen did it without any trouble. Many Turks themselves didn't do it, though that was mainly in urban areas. Rural places, people tend to be more conservative, but it's not like they expect foreign tourists to do it.
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On May 29 2013 23:14 don_kyuhote wrote:
I really want to recommend going to cappadocia and riding the air balloon. That was an awesome experience (minus the waking up early part). But I guess that will be hard to arrange when you are going there without being part of a tourist group (which I'm assuming you aren't).
Unless thing have changed since 2009 (when I visited Turkey), I don't think you have to cover your head. None of the female tourists that I went with or seen did it without any trouble. Many Turks themselves didn't do it, though that was mainly in urban areas. Rural places, people tend to be more conservative, but it's not like they expect foreign tourists to do it.
these kind of baloon rides? http://www.news.com.au/world-news/balloon-crash-in-turkey-kills-1/story-fndir2ev-1226647241536
funny thing is: I started typing into google (couldn't remember the exact date) 'cappadocia baloon ride acci' and it autocompleted to accidentS
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May sound weird, but you can save a ton of money if you haggle properly at the Bazaar. Never go with the first offer, especially since you're a tourist, and they'll try to rip you off at first. If it doesn't work out, there are plenty more stores
Have fun!
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On May 29 2013 23:36 Rimstalker wrote:Show nested quote +On May 29 2013 23:14 don_kyuhote wrote:
I really want to recommend going to cappadocia and riding the air balloon. That was an awesome experience (minus the waking up early part). But I guess that will be hard to arrange when you are going there without being part of a tourist group (which I'm assuming you aren't).
Unless thing have changed since 2009 (when I visited Turkey), I don't think you have to cover your head. None of the female tourists that I went with or seen did it without any trouble. Many Turks themselves didn't do it, though that was mainly in urban areas. Rural places, people tend to be more conservative, but it's not like they expect foreign tourists to do it. these kind of baloon rides? http://www.news.com.au/world-news/balloon-crash-in-turkey-kills-1/story-fndir2ev-1226647241536funny thing is: I started typing into google (couldn't remember the exact date) 'cappadocia baloon ride acci' and it autocompleted to accidentS
haha, yup, those are the ones. Do count yourself unlucky if that happens to you though.
Speaking of Brazillians, the week I went to Turkey in 2009, an airplane going from Brazil to France (or was it the other way around?) crashed in the atlantic ocean. Scared the crap out of me of riding air planes.
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I second Cappadocia if you have the opportunity. I didn't do the air balloon but from the ground it was pretty spectacular.
Likewise I don't recall seeing any tourist women wearing head covers in mosques so don't worry too much about that (this was 10 years ago, mind you).
Unfortunately I can't give any more advice for Izmir (make sure you do Ephesus) as the group I was with spent the majority of our spare time sailing the Mediterranean and visiting the little coves, bays and islands around Fethiye and Göcek.
I would recommend trying to visit a Turkish carpet/rug shop at some point, most shopkeepers are very friendly and offer you a seat and a hot apple tea while they flourish their carpets around you (and give you a history of carpet weaving techniques and styles).
On the note of shopping, make sure you never agree to a price straight away, always haggle with the shop keepers (unless its a generic retail product/supermarket, obviously). It's an enjoyable dialogue (especially when you can't speak the language) and I'd bet most people would rather haggle with you than take their original asking price.
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Nice, I think you'll have a fun vacation! I spent 10 days in Turkey this March, here are a couple tips:
Istanbul is an amazing city and you'll have a hard time running out of things to do. Make sure to try out some Nargileh (hookah) cafes, and smoke hookah while drinking apple tea and playing backgammon  challenge one of the guys working the cafe to a game of backgammon and see how prideful the Turks are about their backgammon skills!
When choosing a place to eat, find a place away from the touristy areas as they tend to serve lower quality food at higher prices. Make sure to get a fish sandwich at one of the restaurants under the pier ($3 USD!!!). Also try Kumpir which is basically a baked potato on crack. Try to go to a football game (if they are still in season), as that was the most memorable experience for me. Insane atmosphere. Just go, I won't give you too many details or it might ruin the various surprises in store
If you are looking to stay in hostels, I highly recommend Bahaus hostel. Rooftop bar/lounge overlooks the Asia/Europe divide, and the guys working the hostel are great (tell Manuel he's awesome if you stay there). I recommend NOT staying in Taksim square even though that is where most of the bars and clubs are at because it is further from most of the interesting tourist spots and while the bar/club scene in Turkey exceeded my expectations (especially in a Muslim country), it still isn't anything all that special compared to elsewhere in Europe.
Izmir itself was, unfortunately, nothing special and borderline depressing. It might have been lame because I was there in March when few tourists are there, but it didn't seem like the city had any special character, and strangely was full of empty hotels (dozens and dozens) and there wasn't a single hostel I could find to stay at and was stuck in an empty, depressing, expensive hotel lol.
Ephesus was spectacular and well worth the trip. The town next to Ephesus, Selçuk, was quite charming. I would actually recommend skipping Izmir entirely and going straight to Selçuk to spend a night there instead if you can. However, talk to people who know more about what Izmir is like during the summer -- maybe it lights up when the weather is warm.
I didn't make it to Capadoccia but heard from many people that it's an amazing experience. If you have the time, my recommendation is to spend as much time as possible doing the touristy activities in Turkey and to try to fit that into your trip as well.
Overall I would rate Turkey 10/10 in terms of touristy activities, 5/10 in terms of "Soaking in the atmosphere" with no plans, and 6/10 in terms of nightlife, if that helps you plan your trip a bit.
Edit: wow, I just read your plan again and see you plan to spend 4 nights in Izmir. DO NOT do this. Take at least 3 of those nights and go to Capadoccia instead.
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Hey,
as I am writing, I am still in Kemer, a citiy close to Antalya. We were 3days in Istanbul(from saturday to monday 1,5weeks ago) and visited all the things you mentioned. My tip would be to just take the ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul and enjoy the great view instead of booking a boat trip.
Furthermore, I went jogging in the mornings around the ancient "wall" next to the coast and it was amazing, though you should go early ~8.30am, else it becomes to hot.
Just enjoy, and if u have some free time go for a water-skiing trip.
greetings
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Probably the major cultural thing you should be aware of is the outrageous amount of pickpockets in any crowded place in Istanbul - so please just wear your money and passport under your clothes, not in your pocket. Other than that, Turkey is a surprisingly secular country, in a lively contact with the western world, so you don't really have to be afraid of that. The only custom that I know throws Americans off is the strict rule to remove you shoes before entering a private home, should you be invited into one which is not really likely with your itinerary.
Speaking of your itinerary, it is really up to you what you like, but Turkey is an incredible diverse and fascinating country and spending all the time in big cities in the Mediterrean means you are gonna miss most of this. If I would ever be going there again, I would just pick a random are with some minor sights to have a rough outline where to go and let the fun flow - but seeing as this is your fist time, Capadocia is really a great option, particularly if you go also somewhere besides Goreme.
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Good advice so far thanks! I will check our Capadocia for sure.
The reason we are in Izmir for 4 days is the people we are traveling with have family there. We were planning to do probably day trips from the region - I have heard there are some good vineyards nearby?
Also, does anyone know how complicated it is to visit the Greek islands from Turkey? Our Turkish friends can't go (sadly but oh well) but since I'm an American I could ...
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anyone got any thoughts now that there are riots going on?
I really don't want to cancel this trip. Plan is to leave on the 15th, arrive on the 16th. Will things have calmed down by then?
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I recommend you talk to Jibba. He knows all sorts of things about Turkey, and would more than likely be your best source of information.
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United States22883 Posts
Sorry, I have no idea what it'll be like with the protests. I know Gezi/Taksim has been very peaceful and nice the last few days (the protests have comprised of things like huge yoga classes, concerts, story telling) but you never really know what'll happen on short notice. Laserist probably has more up to date info than me.
I think most of the tourist-y things will be absolutely fine. Those are over in Sultanahmet, which is mostly filled with tourists (including many Turkish tourists.) Sultanahmet is part of a much bigger district called Fatih, but the protests in Fatih are far west of the tourist areas and I think are just people banging pots and pans, no police intervention.
My favorite places were the Archaeology Museum (absolutely amazing, you must go) and the Islamic Art Museum. The Islamic Art museum is next to the hippodrome but it might have weird hours so check ahead of time. There's also a very beautiful park right next to the Archaeology Museum (Gulhane Park.)
You can bring a scarf for the Blue Mosque. None of my Istanbullite friends do so don't feel too much pressure. They run active services but it's mostly just a tourist site. Be prepared for the... foot odor. I believe they've finished repairing Süleymaniye Mosque so that would definitely be worth checking out. IMO, it's more wondrous than the Blue Mosque, but it was always under construction the last few years.
Check out the Grand Bazaar but try not to get talked into buying too much.  It's mostly just about the experience, but I think it's mostly kitsch stuff. Haggling can be fun though. I like the Spice Bazaar a bit more (in Eminonu) and behind it is an actual bazaar where locals shop.
If you just like walking, there's a fort in Fatih called Yedikule that's built upon Emperor Theodosian's city gate, and is near the old Roman walls. This is a more local area though, so it's a bit harder to get to and there will be less english speakers. The payoff is you get to see a lot of the history of the city and more of the underbelly, not just the polished bits.
The rest of Istanbul (after you cross over the first bridge from Sultanahmet to Karakoy) is a bit more up in the air, depending on the protests. Belgrade forest is beautiful to wander around, and Rumeli Hisari (the old fort) is a lot of fun to climb around if you're not afraid of heights and the weather is good. There's some nice fish shops in Karakoy as well as a world famous Baklava shop (Gulluoglu) that's sort of like the Godiva of baklava. Not the absolute best (that's in Antep) but very high quality at any of their shops. The Sabanci Museum has a lot of beautiful and interesting pieces.
There's some very, very nice private wine stores near Taksim, but they're sort of hard to find. In fact, everything in Taksim is kind of hard to find. It's great for exploring, but hard to recommend something in particular unless you absolutely know the way, because it's so easy to get lost there. Babylon is a nice club for concerts and there's lots and lots of nightlife. I liked Mavi Cafe but that's because of the awesome air conditioning. D: Keep in mind there's also a Mavi clothing store, so that's what people will probably associate with it if you ask. Assuming the protests aren't still going on, my suggestion is to just remember which direction towards the Meydan (main square), but wander around freely. There's all sorts of hole-in-the-wall bars with live music or swing dance clubs, etc.
My main concern would be whether public transportation is running or not. You can always get a cab, but they'll probably overcharge you (if it's late at night, you won't have an option.) Normally, the buses and tram/subway are everything. In the tourist areas, the tram/subway only follow a single line so you don't have to worry about catching the right subway, just make sure you're going in the right direction. They get more complicated in the residential areas to the west but you're probably not going there. Also, I don't recommend taking the train to/from the airport - I just use a taxi or havas bus if I'm arriving. Buses are very important and if you're using them, plan which ones ahead of time.
For restaurants... Asitane is an amazing restaurant that serves recipes from the old Ottoman Emperor's kitchen, but it's a bit out of the way - might need a cab. I think the restaurants near the Sirkeci tram stop are probably a bit nicer than most of the ones in Sultanahmet, but neither stand out. Ortakoy and Kabatas also have pretty nice food, and a beautiful view. I think there's a flea market every Sunday morning (maybe Saturday?) in Ortakoy. For fancy food, Bebek is probably the best overall area. It's a very, very high class/rich section of the Besiktas district. There's lots of interesting but expensive (relatively for Turkey, probably $20-30 USD meal) restaurants around there, including Friday's and Chili's. D: I wouldn't go to those, but the rest are nice.
Sariyer also has a lot of nice fish restaurants but I can't recommend one in particular. There's a really nice hole-in-the-wall places that sold fried fish sandwiches and calamari, but I don't remember the name. I think it had a fish symbol on a wooden door. If you happen to wander upon the Fish Market (Balik Pazaari) in Taksim while slightly drunk early in the morning, you can get a godly fried mussel sandwich covered in garlic sauce for about $2.
The Asian side is also very beautiful, but there's less to do. There's a very nice shopping district, another fortress (I have very close friends who live right next to it) and a beautiful old train station called Haydarpaşa Terminal. The whole area is called Kadikoy and it's a very lovely area, but there's just not as much to do. You might have to go there to catch a bus or boat or something though. There's a very famous restaurant in Kadikoy called Ciya. I've been there three times, and every time someone in my party has gotten sick. I had food poisoning and was knocked out for a week from it. I don't recommend it. :| In fact, the only times I've gotten sick in Turkey were from fancy restaurants. All the street carts and hole-in-the-walls have never caused any problems.
I've never been out to Cyprus (I think it's mostly gambling and scuba diving) but I did go to Buyukada, literally Big Island. You take a boat from Kadikoy and on the island, you basically just bike around or take a horse ride. I think cars are forbidden on most of the island. There's a few private beaches there and you can jump right in to the Sea of Marmara. There's a few smaller islands nearby that I haven't been to.
Other misc. Istanbul tips: if it gets too hot, find a Starbucks. Once you feel the AC, you'll realize that globalization rules. Turkish Starbucks also serves better food than American Starbucks, imo.
The Füniküler (Funicular) always seems to confuse people. It's just a tram that runs up and down a hill. There's 2 of them and they each only have 2 stops. Somewhere closer to the water (down the hill), and further inland near Taksim (up the hill.) I believe it uses the same tokens as the tram/subway, and it just runs back and forth between those two stops. They're: Karakoy <-----> Taksim and Kabatas <----> Taksim. They don't actually go very far, it's just to save you the incline. It's actually a very nice walk if you've got the energy.
The most common usage will be: 1. Take the tram from Sultanahmet to Karakoy 2. Take Funikuler from Karakoy to Taksim 3. Enjoy Taksim or take bus/subway/taxi from Taksim to anywhere.
Izmir was burned down in the early 20th century so that's why there's not as many historic points as other places in Turkey. Ephesus is incredible, Pammukale is kind of touristy but also beautiful (and there's other ruins nearby). There's really just a ton of day trips you can take from Izmir. It's still a very beautiful city that rests on the water, there's just not that much to do.
I don't recommend Troy. It's a tourist trap these days. It is the right site, but the worst archaeologist in the world and all-around douchenozzle Heinrich Schliemann destroyed it, because he was an idiot and thought Troy was further down than it was. He actually came across the remains and literally destroyed them because he thought it was a different layer.
German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was the first to explore the Mound of Troy in the 1870s. Unfortunately, he had had no formal education in archaeology, and dug an enormous trench “which we still call the Schliemann Trench,” according to Rose, because in the process Schliemann “destroyed a phenomenal amount of material. The trench is basically what's left, along with a Trojan Horse jungle gym.
![[image loading]](http://www.bugbog.com/images/galleries/turkey_pictures/New-Photos/Wooden-Horse-Tory-Troja.jpg)
That's literally just a playhouse.
A day in Bursa would be quite nice. I'm not sure if I would take any of your Istanbul time for it, but it has a lot of beautiful sites and the best kebap in Istanbul, imo. Also, you'll just have to visit Turkey again for Cappadocia.
Sorry for the huge info dump, I didn't see this before. I wouldn't cancel your trip. A lot of the stuff you're doing should be away from the current protests and as they are right now, they're kind of peaceful. That can always change quickly once the riot police arrive, but the people won't give you any trouble. If anything, they'll probably go out of their way to show you how nice things normally are.
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On May 30 2013 00:21 AcrossFiveJulys wrote:Nice, I think you'll have a fun vacation! I spent 10 days in Turkey this March, here are a couple tips: Istanbul is an amazing city and you'll have a hard time running out of things to do. Make sure to try out some Nargileh (hookah) cafes, and smoke hookah while drinking apple tea and playing backgammon challenge one of the guys working the cafe to a game of backgammon and see how prideful the Turks are about their backgammon skills! When choosing a place to eat, find a place away from the touristy areas as they tend to serve lower quality food at higher prices. Make sure to get a fish sandwich at one of the restaurants under the pier ($3 USD!!!). Also try Kumpir which is basically a baked potato on crack. Try to go to a football game (if they are still in season), as that was the most memorable experience for me. Insane atmosphere. Just go, I won't give you too many details or it might ruin the various surprises in store If you are looking to stay in hostels, I highly recommend Bahaus hostel. Rooftop bar/lounge overlooks the Asia/Europe divide, and the guys working the hostel are great (tell Manuel he's awesome if you stay there). I recommend NOT staying in Taksim square even though that is where most of the bars and clubs are at because it is further from most of the interesting tourist spots and while the bar/club scene in Turkey exceeded my expectations (especially in a Muslim country), it still isn't anything all that special compared to elsewhere in Europe. Izmir itself was, unfortunately, nothing special and borderline depressing. It might have been lame because I was there in March when few tourists are there, but it didn't seem like the city had any special character, and strangely was full of empty hotels (dozens and dozens) and there wasn't a single hostel I could find to stay at and was stuck in an empty, depressing, expensive hotel lol. Ephesus was spectacular and well worth the trip. The town next to Ephesus, Selçuk, was quite charming. I would actually recommend skipping Izmir entirely and going straight to Selçuk to spend a night there instead if you can. However, talk to people who know more about what Izmir is like during the summer -- maybe it lights up when the weather is warm. I didn't make it to Capadoccia but heard from many people that it's an amazing experience. If you have the time, my recommendation is to spend as much time as possible doing the touristy activities in Turkey and to try to fit that into your trip as well. Overall I would rate Turkey 10/10 in terms of touristy activities, 5/10 in terms of "Soaking in the atmosphere" with no plans, and 6/10 in terms of nightlife, if that helps you plan your trip a bit. Edit: wow, I just read your plan again and see you plan to spend 4 nights in Izmir. DO NOT do this. Take at least 3 of those nights and go to Capadoccia instead.
Good advices overall especially right on about a soccer match and food. But Taksim is for bars/pubs not clubs. Clubs are near the bosphorus straight, they are huge and very cosy with sick view. So you apparently haven't even seen half of the nightlife there...
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