“The city of museums” is a fitting description for the South Eastern, bustling hub of Gaziantep. There are endless amounts of informative exhibitions and galleries on every topic from glass blowing to mosaics to Turkish kitchens. Any museum buff would no doubt be in their element, and normally I would count myself as one of those people however, I have to admit that after a four-day stay in … [Read more...]
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. Many expats did it and still do it now. At first, it was a novelty, but after a while, it became boring and I constantly thought about better things … [Read more...]
Continued from Part one. We head set off from the restaurant and small winding roads lead us to a beach. Upon first glance, I assumed it was like any other beach in Turkey. My swimming costume was underneath my shorts and t-shirt so I simply took them off and went straight into the water. I was very pleasantly surprised, there was no stones just pure sand, the water was see through and very … [Read more...]
Yesterday morning I set off from home and planned to return with hundreds of pictures of camel wrestling. This is a tradition in this area of Turkey and I was eager to find out what all the hype was about. However all good plans had to be abandoned when the heavens opened and the camel wrestling was called off. About Doganbey Having traveled two hours to reach it, I was determined not to … [Read more...]
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 somewhere to sleep. So I shrugged my shoulders in a … [Read more...]
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 course a wonderful landscape view. Located between the small towns of Uchisar and Goreme, what the guides forget to mention is the dozen or so tacky … [Read more...]
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 couple of days while on the way to touring Goreme and all the surrounding areas.It is one of the major cities of Turkey which is often by-passed by … [Read more...]
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 were the vibes that scream optimism for the future? My Thoughts about Uzumlu I went there in search of traditional Turkish life and unspoilt … [Read more...]
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 to as Didyma and even today signs of Greek history are everywhere. This is not the only Temple of Apollo. There are four temples dedicated to Apollo … [Read more...]
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 Gaziantep castle and expected the same. Unfortunately, I was severely disappointed. About Sanliurfa Castle It was a steep climb uphill and for a hard … [Read more...]
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, Latin and Ottoman) permeates throughout the metropolis to offer a rich, layered aesthetic experience in architecture, landscape, music, cuisine, and … [Read more...]
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 property boom. Also a famous American writer visited Altinkum last year and declared that she will never come back because it was not traditional … [Read more...]
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 hanging over Hasankeyf. The Ancient City of Hasankeyf The town is scheduled to be flooded as part of the Gap project to provide Turkey with more … [Read more...]
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 dedicate themselves to traditional trades. The local bazaar is one of them and it was the first time I saw a coppersmith at work. Gaziantep … [Read more...]
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 it does not disappoint me either. I have spent many years both living in the resort and also traveling to it from my home resort of Altinkum. Now I … [Read more...]
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 of Turkey, it is a picture perfect landscape scene and I didn’t even stay the night! Finding Savsat Sahara National Park Due to prices of … [Read more...]
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 Yalikavak in the Bodrum Region of Turkey There is four main streets, windmills, a beach front and a harbor however the vibes that were buzzing around the … [Read more...]
This week’s Sunday Snap is the view from Selime Monastery. This is a place in Cappadocia and you will probably go and see it if you buy one of the many tours sold by excursion shops in Goreme Town. About Selime Monastery The monastery dates back to the 13th century and in true Goreme style, it is basically a sophisticated cave. Meaning the monks carved their home out of the caves and if you … [Read more...]
Having spent a while in the resort of Altinkum, I thought it was time, I made a list of what I think are the best restaurants. I have come to my conclusion based on the ambiance, the staff but most of the quality of the food. I know it is boring when you try a restaurant and their food can be described as ok, but nothing more than that. These restaurants I think, offer food that leaves you with a … [Read more...]
Deyrulzafaran monastery is seldom mentioned in mainstream tourism for Turkey but it is a must see while in the Mardin region. Built in 493AD for Syriac Orthodox (Assyrian) Christians, it is also called Mor Hananyo or Saffron monastery and was the patriarch seat for the church until 1932. I was eager to visit it, so after looking at a map, discovered the monastery was on the outskirts of Mardin … [Read more...]
