View Over Mesopotamian Plains From Mardin
Mardin in the south-east of Turkey is on the edge of an ancient region called Mesopotamia. When I booked into my hotel, the receptionist said they were not busy and had given me the room with the best view of the Mesopotamian plains. I don't care much for hotel room views, preferring to spend most of my time outdoors and only using the hotel as … [More]
Turkish Men & Your Holiday Romance
Turkish Men are once again causing heartache all over the globe. Every year, thousands of foreign women enter Turkey and strike up a holiday romance. For some, the holiday romance does not work out … [More]
Goreme Open Air Museum – Did The Guidebook Lie?
I am a realistic person. I don't expect everything to be perfect or suitable to my tastes. It was the second day of my holiday in Goreme, Cappadocia and everything felt right. The food was delicious, hotel was clean and the people were friendly. That … [More]
Turkish Culture – A Guide to Social Traditions
One thing you will soon realize when visiting Turkey is part of the Turkish culture involves being very sociable. Turkish people love to meet new friends and think nothing of spending half the day talking to a complete stranger while putting the … [More]
Butterfly Valley
I handed my fare over to the taxi boat captain and sat down on the wooden seat bench breathing a great sigh of relief. In retrospect, my plans for that day were not complicated. I just wanted to catch the taxi boat from the beach at Olu Deniz to the … [More]
Grand Bazaar of Istanbul
The Grand bazaar of Istanbul is not your average shopping mall. The shopkeepers are not shy about letting you know that they want your money and will do their best to get it. Sixty streets covered with thousand of shops is not easy going and can be … [More]
A Guide to Tasty Turkish Street Food
For many, a big part of any holiday is the food you eat, the food you remember and the food you would rather forget. In Turkey, street food is a way of life and simply cannot be ignored. Some of your finest meals will be made instantly in front … [More]
The Gorgeous Ayder Plateau of North East Turkey
Sitting on the foothills of the Kaçkar mountains, the gorgeous green Ayder plateau is one place in Turkey that captured my full attention. Numerous Turkish friends had told me about its beauty and simplicity, but I did not realize the plateau would … [More]
Wine Tasting in Sirince
If you ever find yourself on the Aegean coast of Turkey then be sure to take a visit to Sirince. Known throughout Turkey for wine tasting and production. It is a small village in the mountains and it is perfect for seeing natural Turkey. All … [More]
We are Open for Business : Do not Cancel Your Holiday in Turkey
For the past five days, I have woken up to many emails, Facebook messages, and comments on this blog. All of them are asking the same question. Should I cancel my holiday to Turkey? Will my family be safe? The questions are all relating to the … [Continued]
The Colourful Greek Island of Meis
The Greek island of Meis is colourful, quiet and full of bizarre locals. The one reason why I went there was simply because I was not forced into doing it. You see, when I first came to Turkey, visa runs across to any Greek island were a necessity. … [Continued]
Expats in Turkey : Love Them Or Hate Them
A search term on expats lead a reader to my blog this week and it has prompted me to write this post. The search term used to find my blog was “mental health of expats in Turkey”. I was intrigued as to why someone was asking this. Had they been … [Continued]
Yalikavak : Drunk Boat Captains and Windmills
When people ask me for recommendations of where to visit in Turkey, I will add Yalikavak to the list along with Istanbul or Cappadocia. It is strange that I would do this as there is nothing much to the Bodrum resort that stands out. About … [Continued]
20 Black and White Pictures of Turkey
This post is my favorite black and white pictures of Turkey. Readers who have been to my blog before will know that I have an obsession with photo editing programs and I am always taking a photo and manipulating it in any way possible. The latest … [Continued]
Shopping in Turkey : Ten Souvenirs To Buy
When I am travelling around Turkey, I don't normally pick up souvenirs. This is purely because it is easier not to. Carrying them around not only adds weight to the luggage but most of the time, I am also on a budget. The only souvenirs, I take back … [Continued]
Work In Turkey : The Bad News
February 3rd 2013 : Hi Readers, please do not send messages or post comments asking for help to find a job in Turkey. I am not a recruitment centre. Please read the post below on how difficult it is for foreigners to work in Turkey and post a comment … [Continued]
Dolmabahce Palace – The Last Days of the Ottoman Empire
Out of all the sites to see in Istanbul, the most intriguing has to be the grand and impressive Dolmabahce Palace. Home to the last six sultans of the abolished Ottoman Empire; it portrays everything that was right and wrong about their rule and … [Continued]
Eight Things to Do on Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul
Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul is a busy street. Everything happens on there and if you are taking a city break, it is wise to spend at least a day exploring this street and all the side alleys leading off it. On my last two winter visits to Istanbul, … [Continued]
14 Famous Landmarks of Istanbul
Istanbul is a huge city with thousands of landmarks. Most of them are historic buildings dating back hundreds of years, especially to the Byzantine and Ottoman Empire. Some landmarks are more famous than others are, but all serve one common purpose … [Continued]
Galata Tower and a 360-Degree View of Istanbul
Exploring the bustling city of Istanbul is a great experience but to see it from up high is something completely different. In my opinion, the best place to do this is Galata tower, a landmark that dominates the skyline. Six years ago, I went to … [Continued]
The Basilica Cistern of Istanbul and the Heads of Medusa
I walked down 55 stone steps, sensing dampness in the air when I reached the bottom and the Basilica cistern. The only sounds were whispers from tourists and the odd drip of water. A shop stand was in the far left corner and they beckoned me … [Continued]
Ayn-i Zeliha Lake : Myth or Legend?
In the centre of old Urfa, next to the historical pool of Abraham is the Ayn-I Zeliha Lake. Popular with locals at the weekend, they gather to drink tea in the gardens surrounding it. It is nothing spectacular and my main interest was purchasing food … [Continued]
Walking The Ihlara Valley
Ihlara valley in Cappadocia is a place that you will either love or hate. It is a 14Km hike through a gorge that was formed thousands of years ago when there was an earthquake and volcano eruptions one after the other. If you don’t want to … [Continued]
A Man With No Social Boundaries
During my time and travels in Turkey, I have met a lot of people. I count myself as being lucky in life as most of these people have been wonderful human beings. They have given me direction or advice which has proved to be fruitful or they are just … [Continued]
Weird and Funny Search Terms Used to Find My Blog
So I am doing my goal setting regarding The Turkish Travel Blog and I figure that to do this, I have to review past results. While doing so, I happened to stumble across some amusing but weird search terms that were used in Google to find my … [Continued]
Spot The Woman In A Turkish Tea House
There is a Turkish tea house in every town, city and village. It is part of all the establishments that go into making up a community. However it is important not to confuse a Turkish tea house, with a tea garden, but how do you spot the … [Continued]
