My sponsored post today from Travelsupermarket.com takes us to the Turkish Riviera, encompassing a picturesque coastline, popular holiday resorts and ancient historical sites, for a relaxing holiday in the sun with something to please everyone.

The Turkish Riviera is a popular tourist destination in south-western Turkey. The region enjoys a temperate climate all through the summer, and has a number of popular tourist resorts, including Dalaman, Turgetreis and Antalya, as well as more traditional market towns such as Bodrum.

Coastline near Bodrum, Turkey

The Turkish Riviera has a vast and varied landscape – from miles of picturesque coastline to lush forests further inland. The area is served by three main airports at Dalaman, Bodrum-Milas and Antalya, which can be reached from a number of UK airports.

Indeed, many who visit the region choose to explore the region as part of their holidays in Turkey by boat, giving you the opportunity to visit a number of beautiful beaches, picturesque islands and ancient ruins along the way.

The famous Blue Cruise is one of the best ways to see some of the main sights along what is known as the Turquoise Coast, thanks largely to the clear blue waters of the Aegean Sea. There are also day trips available by boat over to the island of Rhodes, where you can shop and explore in this ancient city.

Bodrum castle in Turkey

The city of Antalya is one of the most popular destinations in the region, described by many as the ‘gateway to the Turkish Riviera’ and has a number beach resorts and one of the largest concentrations of five-star hotels anywhere in the world.

The port town of Bodrum is famous for its ancient architecture – including the ruins of the Mausoleum of Mausolos and Bodrum Castle, which overlooks the main marina – and as being base for a wide variety of excursions and water sports, including yachting and coastal cruises.

Indeed, taking a boat tour during your visit can be one of the best ways to view many of the main sights and relax on white sandy beaches along the way. Further inland there are opportunities to take tours of ancient ruins, as well as indulging in a relaxing massage at many of the Turkish baths around the region.

Marmaris in Turkey

Bodrum is a popular draw for those who are looking to experience a bustling marketplace and pick up a bargain. The town plays host to weekly markets, which range from clothing markets to food markets which allow you to sample the local produce – including freshly picked olives and a wide range of spices.

The coastal city of Marmaris has grown as a resort in recent years, with travelsupermarket.com describing it as having “evolved from the sleepy fishing village of decades ago, into a bustling cosmopolitan resort”, and remains one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turkish Riviera.

With picturesque beaches and mountainous regions surrounding the town, giving those who like outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking and scuba diving the opportunity to explore and enjoy all that the resort has to offer.

Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia

The varied terrain means there is plenty to suit all kinds of visitors – whether you’re looking to take a walk around ancient areas such as Cappadocia or simply relax on the beach, there’s something for everyone in this vast and varied region of Turkey.

Thanks to travelsupermarket.com for their tips to help get the most from your holiday in Turkey - it must be time to start planning your summer holiday!

Photo credits: Coastline near Bodrum Turkey by  bazylek100, Bodrum castle in Turkey by bazylek100,   Marmaris in Turkey by Eladesor’s, Fairy Chimneys in Cappadocia by  Alaskan Dude on flickr.

More Travel article on Turkey

5 reasons to stay in Goreme in Cappadocia
Visit the Kozak mountains on a day trip from Dikili, Turkey
Places to visit in Turkey recommended by Sedef

Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

 Powered by Max Banner Ads 

My guest post today features the town of Goreme in the heart of Cappadocia’s ‘Fairy Chimney’ country. Liz from Travelogged tells us more about the area and why you should use Goreme as your base when you visit.

Fairy Chimneys in Goreme, Cappadocia

Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia

If you’re planning a trip to Turkey, chances are people will encourage you to visit Cappadocia to see the unique landscape of “fairy chimneys”, colorful rock formations and caves. But as you begin your research, you’ll quickly learn that Cappadocia is a region so you’ll have to choose a specific town to stay in. Popular choices are Goreme, Uchisar and Urgup. This past June, I decided to stay in Goreme, and I would highly recommend it for these reasons.

1. You don’t need a car

The best reason to stay in Goreme is that you don’t need a car if you stay there. This is particularly important if you are arriving by plane, as the main airport is in Kayseri, which is over an hour away. Our flight from Istanbul arrived at night and the last thing we would have wanted to do would be to get lost trying to find Goreme in the dark. We arranged a pickup from our hotel at 10 euros per person, and the whole transfer went quite smoothly.

When we got to Goreme that night, we were able to walk from our hotel into the town and had our choice of restaurants. The whole place is compact, so as long as your hotel is truly located in Goreme, you will be able to walk to town and therefore go to the restaurants, bars and shops without any problems. You can also walk to the Open Air Museum  and go for a hike in Love Valley – more on those later.

The town on Goreme in Cappadocia

2. The town is a real place

As we were walking around deciding where to eat, we saw males aged 8 to 88 sitting outside and playing backgammon. It’s not a big town, but there must have been well over 100 people there. Goreme is a touristy place, as is that whole area of Cappadocia, but plenty of people live their lives there and aren’t simply dropping in to look at the rock formations (like we were).

Painted Church in Goreme

3. You can stay in a cave hotel

There are a variety of accommodations in Goreme, ranging from backpacker to luxury. If possible, choose one of the cave hotels. That’s right, you can stay in a hotel where the rooms are carved out of a rock, just like the traditional homes of the area. We enjoyed Sultan Cave Suites , which has the same owners as the better known Kelebek Hotel. Staying in a cave might not be for the claustrophobic, as the room goes deep into the rock and there aren’t many windows. (Although we did have a small skylight, which was pretty cool.) As a desert area, Cappadocia is subject to extreme temperatures but the rock does an excellent job as insulation. Our room didn’t have air conditioning (and this American traveler loves her air conditioning) and despite the hot weather it remained comfortable. I wouldn’t want to take up cave living permanently, but spending a few nights in the cave is a cool experience.

3. The Open Air Museum is in Goreme

If you stay in Goreme, you can walk the approximately 2km to the Open Air Museum. (No matter where you stay in Cappadocia, you don’t want to miss this UNESCO attraction.) The Open Air Museum is actually a former Christian religious complex with nunneries, churches, houses, dining rooms, kitchens and more that was built — or, in this case, carved — between the 10th and 13th centuries and has long since been abandoned. The highlight is the Painted Churches, which refer to the well-preserved medieval frescoes adorning the interiors of some of the churches.

Rock Church in Goreme, Cappadocia

5. Visit Love Valley from Goreme

When you’re surrounded by so much natural beauty, you just want to get there and walk around it. Most hikes require some form of transportation, but you can do a short hike in Love Valley, which is on the way to the Open Air Museum. (Take the path off the main road by the Cappadocia Tourist Hotel.) It’s a great area to see the “Fairy Chimneys,” which are rock formations that look like well, fair chimneys, or elongated mushrooms or something else entirely if you have a dirty mind. As you rise slightly in elevation, you get good sweeping views of the whole area. Chances are good that, like us, you’ll have this whole area to yourselves.

Thanks for this guest post to Liz Borod Wright at Travelogged,  the travel blog that will all take you over the world, from the beaches to the slopes, from ancient ruins to modern architecture.

Travel Resources

Kelebek Hotel in Goreme
Sultan Cave Suites in Goreme
Cappadocia Information
Travelogged – Exploring the Painted Churches at the Open Air Museum
Travelogged – Greetings from Goreme, the heartland of Cappodocia

Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

 Powered by Max Banner Ads 

Blue Mosque at dawn

I recently took a trip to Istanbul, Turkey. I’m a huge history buff, and love sightseeing, so you can imagine why I was so excited to go to such a gorgeous place, full of history, life, culture and energy. Istanbul used to be the capital city of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire and has a great artistic and cultural scene.

So, it’s not hard to understand why it was selected to be one of Europe’s capitals of culture next year.
Turkey is a pretty good deal for travelers these days, given the strength of the Euro or Pound against the Turkish Lira. 1 Euro is worth about two Turkish liras, and 1 pound is worth 2.34 Turkish Liras, so what you save on touring around, food, transport and other expenses, you can spend on a great hotel .

Egyptian Obelisk at the Hippodrome

I chose the Ritz-Carlton Istanbul , which I’d say is one of the best hotels in Turkey  as well as being conveniently close to all of Istanbul’s historic sites and cultural attractions. Because of its height, we were afforded some spectacular views of the city including some of the more interesting sites (palaces and mosques as well as the Bosphorus Straits).

We really enjoyed the Turkish-style décor, and at the hotel’s spa, you can visit an authentic Turkish hamam , which is all part of the Istanbul experience. You can pick up local soaps at the Grand Bazaar and try them out. When you’re finished at the hamam, you’ll feel relaxed, refreshed, clean (and possibly shiny, depending on the soap you use!).

There are so many interesting things to experience in Istanbul but here are some of the must-sees;

The Blue Mosque  has spectacular interior wall-coverings of more than 20,000 blue Iznik tiles, and was commissioned by Sulten Ahmet I in the 17th century. The mosque was considered ostentatious in its time because the six minarets were considered to be trying to outdo the minarets in Mecca itself, so the Sultan had to overcome objections by paying for a seventh minaret to be built in Mecca.

Lanterns in the Grand Bazaar

The Hippodrome was the center of Istanbul during the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires and a stadium holding 100,000 people once stood here with the chariot racing track where now the road runs round. You can still see the beautifully carved stone Egyptian Obelisk, Serpentine column which was shipped from Delphi and the column of Constantine along the length of the Hippodrome.

You’ll also need to spend an afternoon at the Grand Bazaar , which is a covered market full of gorgeous clothes, Turkish carpets and all sorts of odds and end. The bazaar is divided into different sections depending on the type of goods being sold with gold and silver at one end, carpets in the heart of the bazaar and leather and clothes at the other side. This is the place to drink a cup of mint tea offered by the vendors while you hone your bargaining skills, always remembering that the skill is mainly on their side.

Blue Iznik tiles at Topkapi Palace

Lastly, don’t leave town without touring the Topaki Palace  built in the 15th century by Mehmet II after his conquest of Constantinople. The Palace is a complex of buildings, courtyards and gardens which once housed government offices as well as the Sultan’s private apartments and the Harem where his wives, concubines and family lived. There are many wonderful collections of gold and silver in the treasury, ornate Imperial costumes as well as beautiful ceramics and manuscripts. Don’t forget to book your separate tour of the Harem apartments as soon as you arrive, as places are limited and get booked up early.

If you’re looking for some other great Istanbul hotels  you could try:

The Sofa Hotel and Residences : which is perfect if you’re in the mood for a small hotel with a modern look – ideal if you’re traveling for business.

Ciragan Palace Kempinski , which works well for a romantic getaway, as this hotel is in an imperial palace and is right on the water.

A’jia Hotel, which is a tiny hotel (only 15 rooms in a mansion), great for honeymoons or weddings given how intimate it is and how close it is to the water.

Ritz Carlton Hotel Istanbul

Ajia Hotel Istanbul

Note from Heather: If I was having a second honeymoon (with my first and only husband of course) I’d pick the A’jia Hotel -the setting looks so romantic. When I was in Istanbul visiting a girlfriend who was teaching out there, we always used to wander through the Ciragan palace and use the loos, pretending that we were staying there! Even if you’re not staying there you can treat yourself to their wonderful Sunday brunch buffet.

Photo credits: Kiwicollection, Birdfarm, Enderzero, Oberazzi, Michael Tinkler

You may also enjoy
Visit the Kosak mountains in Turkey
Places to visit in Turkey recommended by Sedef
My Travels on a plate – beautiful souvenirs to bring home

Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

 Powered by Max Banner Ads 

My Guest post today will take you into the beautiful Kozak mountains near the Aegean coast of Turkey, where Sharon Egin runs a holiday villa in the resort of Dikili, a favourite with Turkish holiday makers. Sharon shares her experiences of  authentic Turkish culture and warm hospitality.

Pine forests in the Kosak mountains

Nothing could have prepared me for my first visit to the Kozak mountains which are situated just off of Bergama on my trip to Dikili in Turkey. I was stunned by its natural beauty as I drove around the gentle curves of the pine clad mountain. This place was lush and green with natural springs and giant rocks scattered all around.  From time time we would past a shepherd herding his sheep or goats and were greeted with a wave and a smile on every occasion.

Kozak women sorting pinenuts

As you drive higher and higher into Kozak you pass the first of villages which continue all the way up and down again the other side. The inhabitants still retain their traditional tribal Turkish culture. The mountain air, organic food and spring water mean a long and healthy life for the locals is not uncommon. In the main the people live of the land and a large part of their economy is the produce from the pine nut trees. These are extracted by hand by the village women in the Autumn. Livestock and crops are another source of income and sadly also the giant rocks, which are now being dismantled for use as pavements in the surrounding towns and cities.

Kozak Grandmother

The Kozak plateau is also famous for its carpet weaving tradition and the high quality wool on wool carpets they produce.

We were visiting the village of a family friend and upon our arrival the children were the first thing I noticed. They gathered all around clearly delighted to see us and made the most of the opportunity to practice some English. We moved on to the house of our friend and were given tea and börek,  a type of Turkish pastie served with a tomato and onion salad and some bread to scoop it up and a side dish of  pine nuts fried in butter.  It was simple but really delicious and our host explained that all of it was produced in the village even the butter which was made from hand milked cows.

Kozak Mosque

We ate in the traditional way on the floor cross-legged with a large tablecloth over our legs to catch the fallen crumbs. After lunch I was taken to see the rest of the village and was fed and watered numerous times. Although fit to burst at the end of my trip the hospitality I encountered left me feeling humble and grateful to have experienced this day and with a deeper insight into the values and culture of rural Turkey.

Sharon Egin runs a holiday villa in the Turkish holiday resort of Dikili – find out more about Dikili and local places to visit at www.villahanorah.co.uk  situated the stunning undiscovered North Aegean region of Turkey as featured on www.yourholidaymatters.com

 Powered by Max Banner Ads 

If you’re travelling in Turkey and would like some recommendations from a local, then this post is for you.

Last week we were visited by Sedef and Valentin who contacted us through the travel networking site, Hospitality club - read about our Bollywood nights at the One Stop Thali cafe in Bristol. Among the conversation on places we’d travelled and enjoyed, I asked Sedef (whose name means Mother of Pearl) for some recommendations of places she’d recommend visiting in Turkey, and these were her suggestions.

Ölüdeniz
Sedef visited Ölüdeniz, which is 12km from Fethiye is in the South-west of Turkey , in 2005. Ölüdeniz (which means Dead sea) is a sheltered lagoon which is well known for the clarity and calmness of the water. The waters of the bay which are part of the national park, are very salty and as calm as a mirror. The bay is surrounded by high mountains, making it an ideal place for Paragliding and the annual Ölüdeniz air games are held every October. Take a look at this video about Paragliding at Ölüdeniz by Railabay.

Near the lagoon is the beach resort where you can find hotels, cafes and watersports like banana boats and scuba diving.  To get there you need to drive from Fethiye on a very windy road through the mountains, or come by boat. The nearest airport is Dalaman airport which is 45 min drive from Ölüdeniz. I gather that the resort that adjoins the lagoon has become very busy with many new hotels springing up, so if you want to get further away from the bustle try Sedef’s next recommendation;

Butterfly Valley
Butterfly valley (kelebekler vadisi) is a small beach and valley that can only be reached by boat from Oludeniz, or by a scramble down the mountain path that’s not for the fainthearted.  Boats run from Ölüdeniz three times a day so you can take a day trip or bring your tent and camp behind the beach by the small cafe. This is laid-back haven for the independent traveller or backpacker, where you can swim and relax. The narrow gorge stretches behind the beach with beautiful scenery for treking and you can walk to view a 350m high waterfall. The valley is named after the many different varieties of butterflies that appear between June and September.

Sadef’s final recommendation is a little off the normal tourist trail in Eastern Turkey that she is hoping to visit when she next goes home for a holiday.

Mardin
Mardin is an old fortified city in Eastern Turkey, close to the borders with Syria and Iraq. It’s crowned by the citidel and the flat-roofed sandstone houses are closely built down the hill overlooking the plains of Mesopotamia. The ancient city is known for it’s honey coloured stone carved houses, mosques and monasteries and the narrow alley ways and bazaars. Sedef also told me that the kebab originated from here. The best way to get to this part of Turkey is to take an internal flight from Istanbul to Mardin or use the Turkish bus system.

Have you been to any of these places? If so, do tell me what you thought and add your own recommendations.

Related Posts
Bollywood Nights at the one-stop Thali cafe in Bristol

Back to Travel Blog Home

Thanks to babeltravel,  the aga,  Mete Donmez for their photos on Flickr

 Powered by Max Banner Ads