Going to Turkey for 8 days. Look to spend the bulk of it in Istanbul but I want to hit up Ephesus. there's likely a plane or bus for trips outside Istanbul but, I haven't done a lick of planning so I want to hear from clutch brehs of their experience and suggestions.
Just got back from Turkey two weeks ago and it was great. I was in Istanbul, Cappadocia, Ephesus / Selcuk, Aphrodisias and Pamukkale and had a great time in all of those areas. I would highly recommend Cappadocia. It is unlike anywhere else in the world with both incredible geography and history. If you're going though in late November bring warm clothes as they get snow there in the winter. Getting around Turkey is fairly easy with cheap flights. Be careful with Pegasus Air though as they can be sketchy with cancelled and delayed flights. Turkish Air isn't much more expensive, more reliable and has better service. As far as safety I didn't have too many issues. The day we arrived there were two bombings in Ankara and the day before we left there was a mysterious hanging death in Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. That said we never felt threatened and Turkey felt safer than a lot of countries I've been too. Obviously avoid anywhere near the Syrian and Iraqi border. As a foreigner avoid any protests. I saw one in Istanbul but stayed more than a block away from it. Syrian and other refugees wasn't much of an issue for us traveling. Saw a few people in Istanbul who claimed to be Syrian refugees who were begging or selling stuff on the street. Otherwise didnt' see any in other parts. I was told that Bodrum on the SW corner is the main taking off point for Syrians. That is also one of the main coastal holiday and resort towns so may want to avoid that. The only things to mainly watch out for are typical tourist things like petty crime and people constantly try to sell you stuff. Watch out in Istanbul for people who come up out of the blue to talk to you. In most cases they are trying to get you to their rug store to give you a hard sell. If you haven't done it I recommend getting the Lonely Planet guide that has lots of good info including what to watch out for.
I'm pretty busy with work but will try to check back if you want more info. Otherwise feel free to message me with any specific questions.
A good friend of mine was a travel director there. Anybody remember Zena the Warrior Princess? He spent the summer with her and her husband taking them all over Turkey. He had a set of 1 week tours, depending on what people wanted to see. His name is Gurkan Ozer, and I'm sure he would be glad to help you. Mention my name (Mark Wurden). Here is his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/gurkan.k.ozer?fref=ts From my trip there, you definitely want to spend some time in Istanbul. We went down to Bodrum, which is highly recommended. You can take a cruise on a small boat (30 ft), which goes out into the Med. Make sure it stops at The Aquarium. Bodrum has a medieval castle that was built during the Crusades, and must be seen...including the dungeon. It also has the world's largest disco, which is all outdoors. And you can ride a camel at camel beach. Bodrum isn't far from Ephesus, and you should visit Pamukkale and Cappadocia (we didn't, and I regret it).
Oh, the bus trips are cool (that's how we went down to Bodrum from Ankara). They are more like a plane, and have stewardesses and everything. BUT the trips will take longer than you think. Once you leave the freeways, you'll be on narrow two lane roads, and you get stuck behind trucks, tractors, goats, etc. There is a cool fish market at the end of the Bosphorus straight, at the entrance to the Black Sea. The short boat trip there is worth it, and cool to look out at the Black Sea. You also need to go to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. It's been there for...thousands of years? The Hagia Sophia is a must see as well. Standing next to, and in, a building that is almost 2,000 years old is just incredible.
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I'm not sure how long ago you went but the roads in Turkey were very good and very modern. We rented a car and drove Izmir to Selcuk and then to Pamukkale. Turkey has been economically developing for the last decade and a lot of what we saw looked very new particularly in the second tier and smaller cities inland. We did a Bosphorus cruise that was supposed to go to the Black Sea. One of the few disappointments I had was the even though we were supposed to go to the Black Sea never did and stopped a small town a couple of kilometers from the Black Sea. There was a nice fish market there and the town was a big stop so I'm guessing it was the same place you went but Black Sea it was not.
Thanks for the tips judoka and bigdog. Seems like eight days is not enough. From your advices I'll look to swing by Ephesus and capadoccia. Fill out any remaining time in Istanbul. Are there any service you guys can recommend? I was going to find them online. I'll be heading back to the states a little before thanksgiving. I've been doing a crazy Euro trip that's becoming a marathon. I hear Turkish baths are world famous.
Get in touch with my friend...he'll hook you up with some. If you want me to reach out to him for you, send me your email. But he would be glad to help.
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I was in Cyprus a few weeks ago. I don't know if you'd have time to get over there, but it was a nice place to visit. The Turkish and Greek sides are very distinct, as you'd imagine. Flights only go into Larnaca and, given the animosity between the Cypriots and Turks, there may not be anything direct from Turkey. But, if you want to visit at a good time to use the Euro, eat some meze and drink cheap, delicious wine, Cyprus is nearby!
For the Bosphorus cruise booked that through the hotel and don't remember the name of it. As I said though was pretty disappointed that it didn't actually go to the Black Sea as billed. We had a half day tour in Capadoccia that was done Turkish Heritage Travel. That was pretty decent. Some of my friends also booked their Capadoccia hot air balloon ride through them too. One thing to watch out for is that most of the services' prices are in Euros and not Turkish Lira. Most of the time though we just traveled on our own. I brought along The Lonely Planet guide for Turkey and that was very helpful in determining what sites to see.
when exactly are you going? in the south, kas is nice. one of my favorite places in istanbul is belgrade forest/park. you can also make a visit to the asian side for a slightly different feel of the city. the bosphorus cruises have a lot to see, but i would wait till you get there to book it for a day when you're sure the weather will be good.
