Our Terrific Tour of Turkey
A Journey Around Turkey’s Must See Destinations
Turkey is one of those countries that has everything — ancient ruins, colourful bazaars, turquoise coastlines, dramatic landscapes, Oh and food that makes you want to stay forever. Whether you’re drawn by history, beaches, culture, or adventure, Turkey delivers it all in one unforgettable package.
I was fortunate enough to spend three months touring Turkey, and alongside everything else, what stands out most in our memories is the warmth of the people. Of course it can vary a little from place to place, but generally the more off the beaten track and authentic the destination, the more welcoming the people. There was a great warmth and genuine interest from everyone we met, eager to know where we were from and where we were going, followed by reams of recommendations to add to the list!
If you’d like to know more about visiting Turkey, shout out for a chat, or browse my portal here. Always Happy to help!
Here’s a look at some of our most stand out memories of Turkey.
Cappadocia: So Much More Than Hot Air Balloons
Our time in Cappadocia was incredible from start to finish. Cappadocia is an amazing region in central Turkey that sits on a high plateau with a dramatic, unearthly landscape. It’s known around the world for its hot-air balloons—and there’s no question why. It truly is a spectacular experience. But there’s so much more to this area than just the balloons. Here are my recommendations:
Stay in a cave hotel — the full Cappadocia experience.
Hot-air balloon ride at sunrise — the classic Cappadocia moment and so much more than I expected.
Take tour of Love, Red or Rose Valleys —Choose to Hike, Cycle, Horse ride or Quadbike, or just do it all !
Tour Underground cities — (Derinkuyu or Kaymaklı) vast multi-level cities carved into the earth.
Visit Göreme Open-Air Museum — Cave churches with well-preserved frescoes.
Take a Traditional Turkish bath (hamam) — To relax after a day of exploring.
Follow this link and hit the Things To Do tab on my booking portal for more…..
Konya: Home of The Whirling Dervishes
We found the whirling performance, Sema, absolutely mesmerising. This spiritual ceremony recognized by UNESCO, symbolizes a mystical journey of the soul to divine love and perfection. The dervishes wear black cloaks symbolizing death, which they cast off to reveal white robes symbolizing resurrection. Their tall, conical brown hats represent tombstones, a reminder of the death of the ego. It’s a serious commitment to become a Whirling Dervish, requiring a minimum of a year of daily practice and a lifetime of refinement. What we found most remarkable, was the ability of such a large number of “not so young men”, to spin for long periods of time without falling over!
Pamukkale: Travatine Terraces and The Ancient City of Hierapolis
We visited off season when the town of Pamukkale (meaning Cotton Castle in Turkish) was very quiet, but as these two UNESCO world heritage sites are so popular, we were at the entrance and raring to go at opening time. Opting to enter from the bottom gates in town, rather than take the shuttle bus up to the main entrance, we removed our socks and shoes as instructed to avoid contamination and walk the length of the pools. We definitely made the right choice, as we had this surreal landscape to ourselves most of the way up. The top levels looking over a pristine background are a dream for Instagrammers, but saying that, it’s a vast area so plenty of room for your own snaps without extreme poses intruding.
From the top of the Terraces, we made our way over to the entrance of Hierapolis and from obviously too little research, we were surprised that these two UNESCO world heritage sites were actually combined in one entry ticket! We spent many hours here, mesmerised by the vastness and stunning position of this ancient city.
Returning to the terraces, as the crowds were leaving, we sat quietly awaiting sunset before making our way back down to town. It really was spectacular and worth the wait. What we hadn’t banked on, was the dramatic drop in temperature after sunset with the walk down on the calcium carbonate terraces in bare feet. It was like walking on ice cold marble – painful!
Izmir: A Vibrant City on Turkeys Aegean Coast
The third largest city in Turkey, after Istanbul and Ancora and apparently the most European. With 4 million people, It’s a super vibrant, diverse and happy place. After many weeks of mostly quiet calm, our visit to the massive bazaar was really exciting and a bit overwhelming. It was like an assault on the senses and I turned into a meerkat on speed. With the luxury of time, we were able to leave and return to make the most of it, after a wander along the lovely sea front. Izmir’s Kulturepark was also great visit with its impressive sculptures, beautiful gardens and a good old fashioned fun fair where we rode the big for ages!
Izmir is a great place for trying foods; from street vendors selling charcoaled corn on the cob, roasted chestnuts, muscles and the most delicious cake we’ve ever tasted, to our first “Full Turkish” breakfast ! There’s an amazing array of eateries in every blink of your eye, meaning a few days might be quite enough for those who lack self control
Istanbul: Where Asia and Europe Meet In Harmony
Istanbul really warrants a whole blog of it’s own, so I’ll keep this brief. We spent ten days here and unusually for a city visit, would jump at any opportunity to return….. that’s how wonderful it is! The Bosphorus Strait running through Istanbul, separates Europe and Asia by only a short ferry trip and offers stunning views from the water as well as either side. We took a few Private Walking Tours, seeing and learning about places we would otherwise have missed. With a vast array of attractions and experiences to enjoy, you really should allow some time to just “feel Istanbul”, and to observe the exciting spectacle of daily life.
Top Must Do’s In Istanbul:
Visit The Grand Bazaar — One of the worlds oldest covered markets with 4000 stalls. Where bartering is part of the fun!
Cruise The Bosphorus — Take a dinner cruise with spectacular views over both sides of the city while relaxing after a busy days exploring.
The Spice Bazaar — One of the most colourful bazaars of Istanbul offering spices, Turkish delights, caviar, dried nuts, and more.
Basilica Cistern — A beautiful 6th century underground water reservoir built to supply water to the city of what was Constantinople.
Take a guided Tour — Alternative tours take you below the surface and show you something a bit different, I always do a few.
Take a Traditional Turkish bath (hamam) — A must have treat at least once
- Istanbul over The Boshorus
Usually while touring any particular country for long periods of time, no matter how much I’ve enjoyed it, I’m ready to move on, mostly just for the sake of newness. Not so with Turkey, I’d happily have continued for another three months had we not been restricted. Turkey gave us masses of everything you’d want; adventure, culture, history, nature, beauty and lots of love. It’s right at the top of my “must return to” countries, and I have a strong feeling, it won’t be long before we do!
If you’d like to know more about visiting Turkey, shout out for a chat, or browse my portal here. Always Happy to help!
