What's your favorite or least favorite experience?

Best- climbing up from Bergama to the top of the Acropolis one sunny spring day totally unaware of the sights I would see along the way.

Next Best- Walking around Cappadocia and climbing into the cave churches not on the maps on back roads from Goreme for a whole day.

Third Best- Being at the Sacred Fish Ponds of Urfa.

Worst- Grotty hotels and ripoffs in Pammukale and Patara.

Best experience - Probably spending Christmas Eve on the beach in Bodrum, chilling out in the sun with newspapers, just generally watching the world go by and taking in the amazing views of the castle and marina. I know it's a simple one, but I think it really stands out for me.

2nd Best experience - Going very early in the morning to an abandoned village, which is half way up a mountain, walking around the ruins and watching the sun come up over the mountains. Stunning!

Worst experience - Generally being harrassed, groped, or talked about by Turkish men (They never seem to consider I may actually understand Turkish). Obviously not all Turkish men are like this (the one I'm dating certainly isn't!), but it can make me feel very uncomfortable.

Your most memorable experiences are likely to come from your friendship and interaction with the locals. The turks are very warm people who treasure guests, but unfortunately there are always a few bad fruits in a basket such as some deceitful taxi drivers in western Turkey. If you're traveling with your spouse or a male friend, you shall be spared from relentless harassment on the street.

My best experiences are:
1) the hospitality of turkish friends and their wedding parties
2) hot spring hamam bath in Bursa
3) archaeological discoveries in Nemrut - I call it discovery bcos you could encounter many sites along the way. The panoramic views from the mountains are breath-taking,
4) appreciating live traditional music while having narghile and tea in Sultanahmet, Istanbul
5) view of the aegean sea at Bodrum
6) bosphorus cruise
7) shopping for arts and crafts in Istanbul and western Turkey. Bargaining can be exhausting but there are so many beautiful things I coudl hardly resist.

Years ago, I was wandering by myself in Pergamon very early in the day. No other tourists around but I ran into a young Turkish father with a 5 year old daughter walking along enjoying themselves. I've got a box full of the sweet Turkish Delights which I don't plan to eat so I gave it to the little girl. She was reluctant to accept gift from stranger but her father nodded his OK so she took it. We both could not communicate so we just smiled at each other and parted on our way.
On the way out, I met them again and this time the girl ran over to me shyly handed over a bunch of wild flowers she must have picked up after meeting me. Her smile and her father's approving grin really made my day. Whenever I think of Turkey I always think of this incident.
On our travel, we started quite early to get a head start at each site before tourists arrive. We drive long hours so from time to time we stopped at village bakery for a loaf of bread or whatever we could get our hands on before the main meals of the day. Not understanding the complicated currency we always gave the village bakers a handfull of coins for them to take their pick for the price of our purchase. More often than not, we were waved away without having to pay any thing. A loaf of bread is always a gift to travelers.
I always remember Turkey for these little people who are making name for their country in their small, quiet ways.

#4 great stories, love to hear about these pleasant experiences.

And to everyone else, thanks for sharing, these thoughts are just want I'm looking for.
If you have anything else to share, keep them coming, would love to hear as much as possiblel.

So many great experiences - so few 'bad'.

But possibly one of the best was the balloon ride from Goreme. I was lucky enough to win this, so got it free. But it speaks for itself when I say this old miser is actually contemplating spending US$200 on another one when I return.

People are wonderful too. In Goreme, for example; last time I went there I was hailed by guys I'd met two years previously. In spite of the huge numbers of tourists that go there, they're lovely and unspoiled. I was invited to take chai with so many - who had no ulterior motive, like selling me something.

The buses are great. I got on the wrong bus my first time in Turkey and when the mistake was discovered the driver radioed through to a bus returning to the otogar and very helpful people ensured I got on the next bus going my way.

My 'worst' experience [being repeatedly asked for 'sex please missus' through my hotel door at 2.00am by the hotel receptionist who, nevertheless, did not attempt to enter my room ]was not only a 'one-off' - because of it I met a lovely guy from the Turkish Tourist office, who promised me he'd see that fellow was instantly dismissed, and gave me his private email in case of future problems.

BTW - this last one was in Dogubeyazeit, on the Iranian border. I've stayed there before and am quite sure this was a 'one-off'. The guy was a new employee and TTO friend has assured me that my harrasser won't find hotel work there again.

22 days would be plenty for a really lovely trip in turkey. Could do istanbul - ephesus - fethiye, then take a four day boat cruise to olympos (about £100 all in), then get a bus from there to goreme and spend a few days in cappodocia. From there you could either head up to the Black sea coast, to trabzon, and see the sumela monastery and walk in the mountains, then catch the boat back to istanbul, or, from antalya, go east to either van or kars, see the amazing sights of Ani, and then fly back to istanbul. I think that's do-able in 22 days although i may be wrong!
Agreed with all comments re the absence of hassle and abundance of warm hospitality.

Some of the best memories, not in particular order:

- walking down from Sirince to Selcuk (around 12 km) on a warm September afternoon; enjoying the views, chatting with locals and eating mandarines from the trees on the way
- breakfasting in Assos with my boyfriend one Monday morning in April and realizing that we must be the only visitors in the whole village... sooooo romantic and so beautiful :)
- attenting FB - GS football match in Istanbul
- sleeping in the traditional Ottoman house in Safranbolu and then taking a walk out of town and actually smelling safron in the fields (early May)
- visiting Urfa's historical center; especially the ponds
- very early morning, swimming from the shore to the castle in Kizkalesi, climbing to the top and watching the sun go up

The worst experience:
- shopping :))) I always spend way too much money....