Travel in Turkey

[omegaet]

Any community members have travel experiencesor suggestionsfrom Turkey to share? We are considering a European tripextension over to Turkey for a week or so and would appreciate any first-hand feed back. There are several very nice hotels in Istanbul which come up for auction periodically at reasonable prices.

[shark485]

Thanks for asking this. I am also eager to visit Turkey in the near future.

If you subscribe to Netflix or Blockbuster, i recommend renting the GlobeTrekker Turkey episode. You get a really nice glimpses of Turkey. The most fascinating in my opinion is the religious architecture, in particular Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque are must see if you visit.

[omegaet]

shark485...thank you, we have actuallyviewed the Globe Trekker episode on PBS featuring Justine Shapiros visit to Turkey. We are presentlytalking with an agency, Artisans of Leisure www.artisansofleisure.com, out of New York that appears to have an excellent reputation for travel in cities outsideof Istanbul. We would like to secure the Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinskipackageduring our time inIstanbul from LL.


Message Edited by omegaet on 02-22-200709:55 AM

[claassenam]

Omegaet, I have spent a total of less than one day in Turkey during a multi-week Medi. cruise, we stopped at the port of Kusadasi and visited Ephesus. If you are into ruins Ephesus is amazing. And that few hours really piqued our interest in Turkey - I have to say it was one of our favorite ports of the entire cruise. The people we met were friendly and wonderful, the food was excellent, and the shopping in that heavily touristed port definitely sucked us in! I can't wait to get to Istanbul and other parts of the country. I don't have many words of wisdom except if you can make it to Ephesus, do go!

[claassenam]

By the way, where else are you traveling while in Europe? We haven't heard much from you in a little while; I'd be interested to hear what you are planning if you are willing to share..

[omegaet]

claassenam wrote:
Omegaet, I have spent a total of less than one day in Turkey during a multi-week Medi. cruise, we stopped at the port of Kusadasi and visited Ephesus. If you are into ruins Ephesus is amazing. And that few hours really piqued our interest in Turkey - I have to say it was one of our favorite ports of the entire cruise. The people we met were friendly and wonderful, the food was excellent, and the shopping in that heavily touristed port definitely sucked us in! I can't wait to get to Istanbul and other parts of the country. I don't have many words of wisdom except if you can make it to Ephesus, do go!




claassenam...for us, history and art are the prime motivators for a trip to Turkey. We are hopeful of including such cities as Cappadocia, Ankara, Izmir, Ephesus, Aphrodisias andPamukkale (if not all, at least some of them). This would be a leisure extension of a business trip to Paris and Reims (both locations, of course,offering some leisureactivities as well).



Anyone having first-hand knowledge and experiences in any of these cities please feel free to share.

[travel2fun]

claassenam & omegaet, I mentioned in another thread several of the interesting sites in and around Istanbul. The city is very congested, difficult to navigate but worth the effort to experience. Anyone having a little more time and interest, should certainly try to travel to the Eastern Anatolia. This region of the country is probably most widely know for Mount Ararat, the alleged site of the Ark. Travel in this region is probably highlighted by theopenness of the area and lack of congestion of modern metropolitan cities. The draw here is history and impressive ruins, dating back well before 100BC. English is generally spoken by younger people, but communication can still be a challenge, if that is your only language. For this reason as well as the need to have informed assistance, I strongly recommend hiring a state certified guide, especially if planning to cover the region by automobile. I based most of my surfacetravel out of Erzurum, easily reached by domestic air carriers out of Istanbul. Safety was never a concern, as the local population are intrigued by Westerners, even if there are language issues from time to time. Hotel are mostlyadequate, not 5 star, and there is always a variety of food in restaurants, given the various civilizations who have lived in and passed through the region throughout history.

[omegaet]

t-2-f...sounds like quite an adventure. Were there other areas of Turkey you visited during this trip? If so, could you elaborate? Regarding personal safety, did you feel comfortable,or were you concerned at any time? Did you notice many other travelers from North America or Northern Europe during your time outside of Istanbul?

[travel2fun]

omegaet, what exactly do you want to know regarding locations outside of Istanbul? I have made three extended trips to Turkey and may possibility be able to answer specific questions.

[obrienkf]

omegaet, you mentioned that you were heading to Reims and wanted suggestions. As you well know, you are heading to the heart of Champagne. If you want to tour a Champagne House, depending on the season, and your schedule, you should book in advance ---



two useful websites: www.maison-champagne.com, which is the 'collective' website offering hotlinks to all the champagne houses. Some offer tours, and tastings, some do not. You can surf to your hearts delight on all the sites and pick your favourite.



My favourite is Veuve Clicquot (its also very close to Taittinger, which also offers tours.) The tour at Veuve Clicquot is superb. An explanation of the history of the widow Clicquot-Ponsardin, an underground walk through the Roman caves (that is fascinating), and a great (but not painfully technical)explanation of the making of Champagne. And, an opportunity to taste (for a price, of course) a few exceptional Grande Dame's .... and the customary trinket shopping.Some tours are longer, also include the vineyard walk and more detailed explanation, if you have time. My last trip,I was pressed for time, so onlytoured the Champagne House and caves.



kind regards