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]
I Love Istanbul and Here Are Five Reasons Why
A huge welcome from The Turkish Travel Blog to Ricky Carbis who has submitted this post on the reasons why he loves Istanbul. Istanbul has for a long time, been the heart and soul of Turkey. Boasting more than 12 million official residents, the … [More]
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 … [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 … [Read More...]
Is it Safe to Travel to Turkey?
Update May 2013 After the recent bombing in Reyhanli, many people are asking if it is still safe to come to Turkey for their holidays? My answer is still the same. Most holiday resorts and destinations that receive tourism are far away from the Syrian border where this bomb happened. I am on the … [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]
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]
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 … [Continued]
Return to Esentepe Panoramic Viewpoint
In my opinion, the Panoramic Viewpoint of Esentepe, Goreme is a tacky, touristic spider web. Tourism agencies regularly visit it while taking customers on excursions around Cappadocia. It is marketed as a toilet stop; place for refreshments and of … [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]
Kayseri – Readers Question
A while ago, I wrote about my trip to Kayseri and the other day I received an email from a reader asking me about life there. If you missed my last posts, then Kayseri is a large city close to the Cappadocia region of Turkey. We stopped there for a … [Continued]
Uzumlu and Traditional Turkish Life. A Photo Post
Here is the problem with the village of Uzumlu which is in the South west of Turkey near Fethiye. It lacks energy. The people are old, the houses are crumbling and even the animals did not look that healthy. Where were the young people? Where … [Continued]
Temple Of Apollo in Didyma, Turkey
The Temple Of Apollo in Didyma, Turkey is a major landmark for the surrounding touristic resorts of Altinkum and Didim. It is on the Aegean coast and receives thousands of travelers and tourists every year. In historic times the area was referred … [Continued]
A Panoramic View from Sanliurfa Castle
I was looking forward to touring Sanliurfa castle. Believed to have been constructed in 814 AD, I could see it from my hotel room standing majestically at the top of the hill. The week before, I had thoroughly enjoyed visiting the exhibitions of … [Continued]
An Exotic Honeymoon in the Magical City of Istanbul
As newly-weds hunt across the globe for honeymoon destinations that offer breathtaking scenery and romantic culture, few know of the hidden eccentricities that Istanbul holds. A fruitful and lengthy history of four separate empires (Roman, Byzantine, … [Continued]
Altinkum Resort Information
Altinkum is a small and clicky holiday resort on the Aegean coast of Turkey. It has attracted much negative press because of expats who have been swindled out of life savings by unqualified property dealers who saw quick cash to be made during a … [Continued]
Hasankeyf : An Ancient City in Batman, Turkey
The drive to Hasankeyf was short yet memorable. We had left Mardin and were in the countryside, sometimes passing nomadic tribesman herding their sheep. The sky was dark grey and threatening to pour with rain. In a way, it reflected the gloomly mood … [Continued]
The Coppersmith Bazaar of Gaziantep
While the West of Turkey makes every effort to keep up to date with international trends and practices, the same cannot be said of the south east. Now this is not necessary a bad thing because in the big and bustling city of Gaziantep, selected areas … [Continued]
Kusadasi – Not Quite The Jewel Of Turkey
I have been meaning to write this post about Kusadasi for quite a while but other ideas have popped into my mind and it was pushed on a back burner. You see, Kusadasi is a place in Turkey that I neither love nor hate. It does not excite me but … [Continued]
Savsat Sahara National Park
Most of my travel plans go smoothly. On the odd occasion though, I do get it wrong and I end up traveling too fast. This means I miss out on some intriguing destinations of which one was Savsat Sahara National park. Located in the North-east region … [Continued]
Traveling around Turkey on a Budget: Tips to Save Money
Turkey has changed dramatically in the last ten years. It is no longer the cheap destination it used to be. For visitors on a budget, this causes problems, especially when they compare the cost of travel in Turkey with other countries. If you aware … [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]
