TURKEY TRAVEL
INFORMATION
 This
is a huge country scattered with stunning ancient artifacts and
populated by some of the friendliest people on earth. Flowers
seem to burst from every crevice, the sun shines endlessly [other
than in winter!], transport
systems are efficient and the beer's good and readily available.
Scenery ranges from dull to mind-boggling, beaches are fair,
prices are low and shopping is excellent, especially leather
ware in Istanbul. Driving is surprisingly safe, apart from mad
Istanbul taxi drivers and night driving.
Downside:
-
There have been a few Islamic
fundamentalist incidents though they are rare and not [yet]
targeting tourists.
 -
The language is a difficult Asiatic tongue and many Turks don't
speak a lingua franca like English so communication is not easy
outside resort areas.
-
The ubiquitous pine trees and profuse flowers are not going to
be enjoyed by hay fever sufferers.
- The lovely local people can be 'economical' with the truth.
-
Small sites of big interest, i.e. most of them, cannot contain
the seething herds of package tourists. And it's not going to
get any better...
-
Distances between major sights are considerable.
-
Turkish wine is a disaster.
Climate:
 Best:
April- June, Sept- Nov. For water sports June - Sept. For the
eastern part June - Sept.
Worst:
Dec-March [cool and damp], Ramadan [Muslim fasting month, Sept 1
- Sept 29 2008; August 22 - September 21, 2009; August 11-
September 10, 2010. There's always a lively feast day, Idd al-Fitr,
at the end of Ramadan]
Turkey's main attractions:
-
Istanbul. A lovely, relaxed, interesting,
comfortable city encircled by water. See
Online Ephesus Travel Guide.
-
Cappadocia.
A seriously weird and wonderful area of fairy chimneys. Calm,
pastoral, inexpensive and spectacular, but a distance from
anywhere.
- Nemrut Dagi.
A superb mountain top scattered with huge decapitated heads [in
stone, need I say.], but a long way to travel. Cold, so best
July/Aug and self drive.
- Bursa.
A 2,000 year old city - still in use, housing many fine
buildings and a famous natural mineral bath.
- Pergamum.
Also over 2,000 years old, but only ruins now, in the usual
Greco-Roman style. Nice and less crowded than
Ephesus,
but miscible unless you're that way inclined. The same goes for
Aphrodisias,
Didyma
and Priene.
- Pamukkale
is a bit of a hike from anywhere, and is a shadow of its former
glory but steadily being improved.
- Ephesus
is an extensive, very well-preserved typically Roman ruin
complex about 3km from the agreeable little town of Selçuk (Selcuk),
but small and overcrowded.
- The Aegean/Mediterranean coast.
Lots of beaches and ruins between
Izmir and
Alanya, the package tours are spreading like the plague.
- Bodrum
is crowded but still attractive, especially the Kumbahce Bay
side. Lots of pedestrian streets and good restaurants. Good base
for boat trips. Small beach, big discos.
- Dalyan,
by the river, is small, relaxed and quiet, with great views over
the water to some Lycian tombs and pleasant boat trips to Turtle
beach or the nearby mud baths. Too many bugs but the birdlife is
terrific.
- Olu Deniz.
Great [shingle] beach, lively town, beautiful setting.
- Patara.
Small town, superb sandy beach, dunes, some old ruins.
- Kalkan.
Hill/harbour town, quaint but unfocussed, unlike Kas, further
down the road. Small beach and marina.
- Kas.
Uncrowded, pretty and tranquil, with nice little beaches nearby.
The coastal road there is gorgeous and it's also a good base for
boat trips. Something of a traveler hangout.
- Antalya.
On the central Mediterranean coast with pebble beaches, Antalya
is large and historic and not far from the dedicated beach towns
of Side and Alanya.
-
Ankara.
Turkey's capital has nothing much to recommend it, except
perhaps the Museum of Anatolian Civilization.
- Fethiye.
Good access to surrounding beaches and ancient sites but the
town is very short of character.
- Marmaris,
Kusadasi and Alanya. Beach resorts of the package kind that are
mainly good for bad tattoos, good chip butties and cafés showing
soccer replays, but if that's your travel scene then this will
do you fine.
Activities:
- Walking/hiking:
particularly good in Cappadocia and the Kackar Mountains near
the Black Sea. A long distance walk, The Lycian Way, is
signposted from Olu Deniz to near Antalya, takes up to a month.
- Mountain biking:
bikes are widely for rent, and are especially sensational in
Cappadocia.
- Motorcycling:
scooters often for rent, but don't hesitate to bring your own
bike. There are lovely coast and Cappadocia roads in reasonable
condition, with acceptably safe drivers - though not at night.
Petrol is expensive.
- Boat trips:
long and short trips with varying qualities of guide.
particularly famous are the 'Blue Voyages' traveling from ports
like Bodrum, Marmaris, Alanya.
- Water sports:
skiing, scuba diving from Marmaris, Bodrum, Cesme.
- Han gliding/Paragliding:
especially at Olu Deniz.
- Turkish Festivals:
- Ramadan:
a religious month of daytime fasting when people and services
can be erratic.
- Kurban Bayrami:
a four day religious festival during which many facilities will
be closed and resorts crowded. Sometime between February and
April.
Kirkpinar Oiled Wrestling, mid-June, Edirne.
Istanbul International Festival of Arts, late June - mid July,
world class music, dance++
Republic Day, Oct, speeches and parades.
- Insurance
Do not travel without comprehensive medical insurance (including
cover for medical repatriation), as private medical treatment is
very expensive. You should check any exclusions, and that your
policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. The
European Health Insurance Card (EHIC),
which concerns free medical treatment in
EU
countries, is not valid in Turkey.
- Money
ATMs are widely available in major cities and tourist areas.
Local currency can also be obtained from banks and exchange
bureaus, known as DOVIZ in Turkish.
- Visas
If you stay in Turkey longer than your visa allows, you will be
liable to pay a substantial fine upon departure. This varies
according to how long you have overstayed. From the moment you
have overstayed your visa the minimum fine is 98.40 TL, rising
incrementally each day to 193.20 TL for an overstay of one
month. If you stay longer than one month the fine increases
substantially.
- Passport validity
Your passport should be valid for at least six months on entry
into Turkey and have at least three months' validity on the date
you are exiting Turkey. If you hold a Travel Document it must be
valid for at least one year on entry into Turkey.
- Traveling with children
If a parent travels on his/her own with a dual national Turkish
child, written permission from the Turkish parent, certified by
a notary, must be shown to the immigration authorities if
requested upon departure, otherwise the child will not be
permitted to leave Turkey. |
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