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this is fantastic! efforts definately appaluded!!!

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Good Trip review about Eastern Turkey

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2216033

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Lovely mini trip review from forum member Cheznmal.Edirne Kırkpınar Greased Wrestling Festival.July 2012.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2224586

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I have a friend that gave us great advice on visiting turkey and i would like to share it i think it better than alot of things you read now a days

I am glad to hear you are going to Turkey. You won't regret it as I loved Turkey. People are great, food's great and heaps of things to see and experience. The following is what I think you should do.

Istanbul

Lots of places to stay. But staying around Sultanahmed area would be best as it is very central to everything and most likely your hotel would have view of the Bosphorus. If you stay on Akbiyik Cadessi on Sultanahmed, the whole area is really nice as it used to be an old Roman settlement area. So buildings and the look of the place is very European, while having a grandiose view of the Blue Mosque. There's heaps of cafe and bars here. Although I didn't try any of it so can't comment.

Make sure you Visit all the places in Istanbul. Especially the Grand Bazaar, the spice bazaar, the mosque near the bazaar, Istanbul University, Haghia Sophia, The Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern and Topkapi Palace.

Try all the sweets and deserts in Istanbul. With particular emphasis on Turkish Delights. Don't buy those that are Pre packed. Get those that are fresh from the sweets shop that are everywhere in Istanbul. They sell it in logs and slice on the spot what you want. They sell it by weight. It's fresh and good. There's many scattered around the city and I have tried a handful of them. Each shop seem to have a take on how Turkish delights should taste like. They're all good so can't really make a recommendation. Also try the layered pastry with icing sugar and puffs with stuffed cheese and spinach. Very fresh and nice.

Tophane Park is also very nice place to chill and watch the Turkish people's everyday life. Buy some kebabs for lunch and take it to the park for a picnic. Just relax and enjoy the green lung of the city. Down from the park at the edge of the hill next to Topkapi palace, there's a cafe which serves up giant spuds stuffed with Turkish salads. It's good! Order some traditional Turkish tea (called Cay in Turkish) or coffee, traditional Turkish ice cream to go with it and sit back and enjoy the view. The view from this cafe is the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Fantastic place to spend the afternoon and do people watching, while enjoying the view of the sea with numerous cruise ships and ferries sailing up and down the Bosphorus.

Take the cruise up the Bosphorus. Don't do the tourist one. Not worth it. Just do it yourself with public transport. Walk or take a tram to Sirkeci station. Ask for the ferry to Uskudar. Uskudar is the Asian side of Istanbul. The fare should cost you TL 2 per person. Board the ferry, sit back and enjoy your own tailored cruise up the Golden Horn. Once you reach Uskudar, get off, spend some time around the pier. The kebab stalls serves up pretty good kebabs. Especially stall number 2 from the right hand side as you get off the ferry. After you have taken in the sights and watched traditional Turkish shoe shining, take the ferry to Kabatas. This should also cost you TL 2 per person. Board the ferry, and enjoy the cruise up the Bosphorus. Kabatas is back to the European side of Istanbul, but it is the Northern side where it's famous landmark is the Galata Tower. The highest structure in Istanbul that can also be seen from the Sultanahmed (Old city) of Istanbul. From Kabatas pier, walk towards Dolmanche Palace. Spend some time there as it used to be one of the many palaces used by the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire. After this, walk back to Kabatas tram station, take the funicular tram up to Taksim. When you reach Taksim, take in the sights and walk towards Istikial Cardessi, which is the main shopping strip of Istanbul. Interesting walk down the street to see the blend of new and old styled shopping. There's also a lot of cafes, bars and restaurants tucked away along the main street in alleyways. Some are even between building. These places that you should visit for ambience but Not necessarily for food.

After you walk till the end of the street, you'll reach Galata Tower. It is up to you if you want to go up. Views from the top is amazing though. So I'd recommend you to do it. From here, walk down to Sishane and look for the Culinary Institute of Istanbul. Have a meal here. It's good value for money. I had the sampler menu of the day, which works out to be 5 course meal with 5 wine pairings for TL 60. Address is Mesrutiyet Caddesi 59 | Tepebaşı, Istanbul 34437, Turkey. Phone number if you want to make a reservation is +90 0212 251 22 14.

5 days and 4 nights should pretty much cover Istanbul. If you need additional places to eat, try the following:

1. Ciya Sofrasi. Guneslibache Sokak 43, Kadikoy, Istanbul. +216 330 3190
2. Amedros. I cannot recall the address, but it is on off the main street in Sultanahmed. Past the Basilica Cistern.

All public transport in Turkey cost TL 2 to any destination on the same line. Once you change line or exit the station, you need to pay another TL 2 per person to get back in. From the airport you can take the train to the city. Will cost you TL 4 and you need to change to the metro at Zeytinburnu Station, and should take 45 minutes to get to the city. It gets really busy on the Metro. So choice is yours if you want to take taxi or the airport shuttle. Otherwise arrange for Airport transfer from your hotel.

The rest of your journey

If you want you should do in the following order:
Istanbul- Goreme (Cappadocia, via flight to Kayseri or Nevsehir. Note that Pegasus(Kayseri) flies from Sabin Gokcen airport and Turkish airlines (Nevsehir) flies from Ataturk Airport. The former is on the east side of Istanbul and the latter is on West. Nevsehir is 30 mins away from Goreme while Kayseri is 10 mins)

From Cappadocia - Denizli (Pamukkale)- Selcuk (Ephesus)- Bodrum- Kos (via ferry)- Bodrum- Izmir- Pergamon (should visit)- Troy (optional although I don't think it's worth the journey)- Canakkale- Istanbul. This is how your trip should be so that you do not waste time on buses.

Alternatively, you can also do Bodrum- Rhodes- Marmaris instead of Kos.

Ok. Let me know how you go. Once you have decided, I will give you recommendations on which restaurants and foods you should try. Please check out www.Ferrybot.gov.tr and www.danae.gr for ferry schedules. Please note that if you plan to go to the Greek Islands in the Dodecanese, do check on the ferry schedules. The Greek side doesn't sail everyday. So you may have troubles coming back once you go.

You can't get Liras in Malaysia. So change EUR. It's cheap now at 3.88 to MYR. Then when you get there, change some Liras in the airport. Enough to get you to the city. Then change more in the money changer street en route to the Grand Bazaar. Those outside Cemberlitas metro station has the best rates in the whole city through my experience. You can also change money in Post offices. Post office is called PTT there. It's yellow and blue label stores. Banks and post office charge a 4% commission while money changers don't. The exchange rate should be EUR 1 to TL 2.25. and 1 TL to MYR 1.78.

That's all for now. Good night.

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Wow!10,000 hits on this thread.I hope it is providing travellers with lot's of help.I would also like to repeat my request to TT users.
If you have found this web site useful and the members have provided you with helpful,useful advice PLEASE repay that by posting up a review of your trip.Even if you travelled a well trodden route it doesn't matter,everyone's trip is different and it ensures that info is kept up to date.
If you've been this year already then get typing :) If you've still to come then don't forget about TT when you get back home.Thorntree can only be as good as we all make it.
Happy travels!

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For all of you who plan on travelling in SOUTHEASTERN TURKEY (highly recommended)' there is an excellent and detailed on-line guide that you should not miss reading! It includes hard to find information on not only the major cities in this region but also "really off the beaten track" spots you would never hear about. You can down load and print any part of it. Hope the link works:
http://www.mesopotamia-ita.com/Another_Look.pdf

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Actually it also covers EASTERN TURKEY. The link works but it took a while on my iPad anyway...600+ pages in color. Enjoy and then go! We did this spring and the area and people are so fantastic that we have to go back!

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1for2, thank you for this link! I have about 5 weeks before I am on my way and this will be my guidebook :)

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I have a trip coming up transiting via Istanbul, arriving at 10 am on a Sunday and departing at 7pm. Would like to do a half day tour in the city before the next flight. Any ideas? This forum seems to be most up to date with such detail, I feel like I was there.
Leov305- enjoyed your Turkey tips! What's the traffic like on a Sunday?

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Welcome to the forum Kairitu :) We are trying to keep this thread just for trip reviews rather than general questions.Try posting up again on the forum with a new thread.There is a better chance of it being seen by more people that way too.

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Thanks especially to Sarikanarya and Hobbittr for all your help on Thorn Tree.

We spent 3 weeks in Turkey in late June/July. I read many postings from both of you and planned our holiday accordingly. We had been to Istanbul and Izmir previously so were interested in visiting different places this time. One of our children lives in Izmir, so we spent one week based there, doing day trips, meeting friends.

We also wanted time at the sea and chose Oludeniz and Kas. Got to Oludeniz just ahead of the summer crowd (late June). It is very beautiful and we were glad we saw it before the busy season. (plenty of tourists there even the last week of June) After Oludeniz we went to Kas. (Hobbittr's recommendation from the forum) GREAT choice!! Chose to stay at the Kekova Hotel near the bus station because of the great reviews. It was every bit as good, if not better than some of the 4 and 5 star hotels we have stayed in before in Turkey and Greece. Not on the sea, but extremely clean, friendly and helpful. Enjoyed Big Pebble beach, and did a day trip with Captain Ergon. So glad we were not on one of the crowded tour boats!! There were just 7 of us and we had a very peaceful and enjoyable day. Captain Ergon grilled a perfect fish lunch and we enjoyed snorkeling during different stops. Would like to do Kas, Kekova hotel and boat trip with Captain Ergon again!!

After Kas took a dolmus to Antalya for an overnight visit there to see the historic part of the city. The drive was beautiful. Next day, off to Pamukkale/Laodicea.
We read that Pamukkale was not like the brochures which is true, but we are glad we made a quick stop to see it - that was enough.

Toward the end of our trip we planned 3 nights in Chios, Greece at a small hotel we knew of there. (ferry from Cesme, Turkey) It was delightful. We rented a car and had fun exploring the windy roads and beautiful beaches on the south part of the island.

With the exception of the car rental in Chios, we used public transport the entire trip (bus, metro, dolmus) We had no problem getting around, Turkey is very easy to travel in.

Thanks to all who have posted in Thorn Tree.

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This is fantastically helpful - thank you! In researching for my upcoming trip to Turkey, I came across this photo series, which has gotten me even more excited for all the discoveries I will make on my own: http://www.smart-urban-stage.com/blog/change-of-view/istanbul-stockholm/ I think it's a nice accompaniment to this guide, too. Thanks again!

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Istanbul - 10 - most excellent city. Stayed at Antique Hostel a couple nights and also a hostel across the street named Yakamov or something similar. Both were fine. Antique has awesome terrace you can hang out on with free computers... Both are in Sultanahmet. I would say to anyone stay in Sultanahmet as it is in old town and extremely close to most sites you will want to see.

Cappodocia - 9 - Had single room at Ufuk Hotel, 40 TL. I think it better to stay in Goreme than the other main city that starts with U... Rent a bike and ride to Zerve or whatever the name, go counterclockwise as scenery is better that direction and return from there... Underground city is good.

Antalya - 5 - didn't stay there long, nice mountain backdrop, but not special in my opinion.

Phaselis - 6 - stayed at Sundance Camp. Pretty, scenic area. More laid back than Olympus, smaller ruins though. Might be hard to get to on bus, I had bike.

Olympus - 7 - I didn't think much of the scene. Was a croded one lane with tons of places on top of each other. However the ruins were nice. The beach scene was crowded but good if you are into that. I prefer quiet beaches... Did a tour of the chimarea which are cool.

Boat tour out of Olympus - 7 - nice to be out on water. Stops at cool little town on island, underwater ruins are pretty weak.

Campsite in Demre - 2 - Not a good campsite, high grass, hot, mosquitos...

Kas - 7 - Easy little town to spend time in, not a big place, not a whole lot to do, but comfortable.

Kayakoy - 6 - Ghost town by Fethiye, may have name slightly wrong. Sort of a weird attraction, not really that special but kind of cool in its own way. I would not classify as can't miss. I camped at Art Camp which I don't believe is public place but it was a very nice camp, kind of cross between summer camp, family camp, hippy camp, but its for groups not a regular campsite. Anyway, I am giving them a shout out I suppose and saying it is nice there...although that doesn't help any travelers per say...

Oludeniz - 6 - Mountain backdrop is what makes it. The lagoon is not special. The place is really a scene for the most part which will appeal to some people. I took a boat tour. I would advise taking a smaller boat rather bigger, they give the option. Big boat held 200 people so you are bunched up with strangers and lotion and such... Avoid the boat named Valcom 4 or something similar. It smells right from boarding and is a crowded people mover...

Kabak - 9 - Kabak is a good natural place. The valley area is kind of a young persons scene. I stayed up on top at place called Mommas. That might be the only place to stay up top, not much going on up there, but in my opinion far superior. Kabak great to look out out on and you can hike along the coast....

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Faralya - 10 - Stayed at George House which I would say is a perfect place perched out over Butterfly Valley. Good food and pool. You can hike down to valley and up to waterfall...

Selcuk - 7 - The city itself is really comfortable and small. I was surprised how sedate it was being gateway to Ephesus. Stayed at Barin Pension or something like that. Old house with character. 40 TL. Good place.

Ephesus - 9 - Awesome site. Definitely worth seeing.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis - 6 - Did it as daytrip from Selcuk. Cleopatras pool is not that cool and I am not convinced they didnt just thrown some marble pillars in there... Lots of tourists. White rocks and pools are noteworthy but if you were to miss them it wouldnt be the end of the world, you can get the idea from the picture. The Hierapolis ruins make it a more worthwhile tour...

Bursa - 6 - Some sites to see, big mosque, caravan, market. Great views from clocktower area. I went up tram to the mountain but was foggy and nothing special, although I do believe there are places on that mountain to explore with more time. Lot of green space up there.... Very manageable city, small-ish. Friendly people.

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Thanks to everyone here who helped make our trip such a great adventure! Can't wait to return!

Partial Turkey Trip Review

Travel dates were from April13-May 29 2012 and we wish we had had another week. We forgot to factor in our age when planning...ha! We travelled by public bus most of the time and also flew with Onur Air, Pegasus and Turkish Air. Places visited included Istanbul, Selçuk, Priene, Kayaköy, Kaş, Myra, Çirali, Olympos, Antalya, Hatay, Antep, Urfa, daytrip to Harran, Göbleke Tepe and other nearby sights, Mardin, Midyat, Hasankeyf, Diyarbakır, Aktamar İsland, Van, Dogubayazet, Kars, Ani, Kemaliye, Arapgir, Chemisgezek, Malatya, Mt. Nemrut and back to İstanbul. What a stunning country!

Normally, we book pensions a day or two ahead of our arrival but for this trip we booked most of our accommodations way ahead of time through Booking.com. Never have used any service like that before but everything worked out fine although we were in mostly hotels. The farther east we went, the fewer places there were to stay and the higher the prices were. You also got a lot less for your money than you would in the more touristic parts of Turkey. Another downside to booking ahead was not being able to more spontaneous with our travel. But having never been to the southeast or east before, we were more comfortable knowing we had a place waiting for us. At 62 and 75, we didn’t really want to have to search around or end up without a private bathroom.

Hatay: Flew in with Pegasus to the tiny airport. Good airline and a lot cheaper than Turkish Air. A really interesting and friendly town. The mosaic museum is a definite must see even if it doesn’t offer the stunning swagger of a display building that Antep’s new museum does. It’s actually easier to take better pictures of the mosaics here and you can see them up close. This is the place for eating the city of Antakya in Hatay is known for the best Künefe in Turkey. What distinguishes Antakya’s künefe from others is the daily made fresh, elastic cheese that is only made in Hatay region. Don’t miss it.
Wandering the streets, we passed by a shop and met a printer who usually spends his time printing wedding invitations etc. For us, however, he proudly named and practiced every single verb tense that exists in English, all with the same sentence. So cute. And then he insisted on having his brother drive us to St. Paul’s. We never did get to finish seeing the mosque we were trying to visit but..
Stayed at the Liwan Hotel (about 63 Euros) which has a great central location, fantastic buffet breakfast and excellent staff. The street is a little shabby still but many buildings are being renovated and it will soon be awesome. Took the bus to Antep.

Antep: Don’t know exactly why but the place just didn’t thrill us. Could have been the rain showers, the crummy bathroom at the pension...don’t know why. We did love the stunning mosaic museum and the mosaics themselves. Tried to walk but it was somewhat confusing and difficult to reach so we gladly accepted a lift rom the nice couple who offered to drive us there. Only the first museum building was open and boy did the set the standard for a “life-like’ museum. All the glorious treasures were set up as if they were still in the old Roman villas when they were found. Beyond comparison!!
Stayed at the Asude Konak Hotel which is an old Ottoman house. Our room was beautiful except for the step-down and stinky bathroom. Great location though, near mosque, citadel, bazaar and the main streets leading to the baklava shops!

Urfa: Absolutely stunning ! The special atmosphere here felt "holy" no matter what your beliefs. Some tour books say you won't miss much if you skip Urfa but I totally disagree. It should not be missed! The entire area near Abraham's pool, the gardens, the mosques, the Citadel, the restaurants...all made for a drop-dead gorgeous, relaxing and welcoming oasis. Will definitely return there. We got invited to join in on a yummy picnic by a group of women in the garden area. Turns out they were from Diyarbakir but just the same...then there was the 50 something Turkish couple smoking a nargile pipe at one of the restaurants near the second pool that bought a tray full of simits and had the simit boy deliver some of them to us too.
The bazaars are amazing! Authentic as can be with tons of real people...everyday natives...doing their shopping, browsing, hanging around or eating. Yes, some tourists in the bazaar but not "an Istanbul" scene at all. So many friendly, friendly people who loved posing for pictures or just chatting.
We took the complete Harran-Göbleke Tepe day trip offered by the Aslan Guest House owner. Our driver was crazy Yusef who had the 3 of us singing the refrains of folk songs with him in the car. The sights were amazing but we wish Yuself had also acted like more of a tour guide as we had expected that.
Stayed at the Manici with a balcony view of the Kale. Great breakfast buffet, comfortable place, good service and music and a Whirling Dervish show on the weekend. 60 Euros a night

Mardin: Fantastic ! Another must see! An authentic ancient city practically built into the hillside with spell-binding views of the plains of Mesopotamia. Lots of steep, winding walks, great architecture and few tourists. Had a wonderful, top-rate meal at Ceris Murat Konagi on the main street and it’s really worth the splurge. What fun!
Stayed at the Kasr-i Abbas Hotel (only about 5 rooms, 65 Euros) in the heart of the old city and loved it! What a real treat! The building was 1000 years old and our room looked and felt like an ancient stone palace. The donkey braying and rooster calls added lots of atmosphere! The owners were wonderful and service and breakfast excellent. They picked us up at the bus station and carried our luggage as we followed them through the veggie market and twisting alleyways. We used their driver to go to the Saffron Monastery and elsewhere. Will stay here again!

Midyat: We preferred Mardin over Midyat by a long shot. Stayed at the Kasr-i Nehroz which we didn’t really care for..At 80 euro a night they wanted to charge 10 TLira extra for a glass of orange juice! Ate at the Gelüşke Hanı and paid a fortune for a meal we really didn’t order. They kept bringing samples of things although we said we didn’t want a big meal and even though I cancelled my meal, they brought it anyway and we were stuck.
Took the bus to Hasankeyf, which was quite an amazing site. We climbed all over the caves and citadel with no guides. Ate at one of the little places over the Tigris,the Yolgegen Hani. Great food and atmosphere. The owner said he would lose everything with the upcoming flooding and would probably not be compensated for the loss. Can’t believe they will still flood such a treasure. Bus to Diyarbakir.
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