Turkey 2011
a multi-city tour
by Natalie Ross
Share- Sunday, June 5, 2011
-
ŞEBNEM HOTEL (31:00:00)
The friendliest hotel in all of Istanbul! Great views and breakfast on the rooftop terrace. Garden room was lovely. Much cheaper than the Four Seasons across the road. -
- Monday, June 6, 2011
-
Blue Mosque (11:33 pm)
Our first stop of the morning - the Blue Mosque is very tourist friendly and free. Although a working mosque with prayers 5 times a day, visitors are allowed in the entire time. They just ask that you stand towards the back and refrain from photo taking. You get to carry your shoes in a plastic bag. It's called the Blue Mosque for the tile work on the interior - not the wrap-around skirt you're given if not suitably attired! -
- Tuesday, June 7, 2011
-
What else can I say - but AMAZING! Have waited so long to visit and am was enraptured the entire time. The cavernous space, mosaics and domes were awe inspiring. A must-do while in Istanbul and worth every bit of those 20 turkish liras! -
-
Havaalanı Mh., Galata Sk, 34230 Istanbul (9:09 am)
A great way to wind down our first full day in Istanbul with a walk along the seaside, ending with the arrival at the Galata bridge for a beer and a balik emek (fish sandwich). The ferries are incredibly busy with passengers and cars waiting to go onto other destinations further down the Bospherous. -
- Wednesday, June 8, 2011
-
Kapalı Çarşı (4:40 am)
Ahhh - A trip to Istanbul is not complete without a visit to the Grand Bazaar. Yes it was a big tourist trap - but there were so many pretty things to look at. Luckily all souvenir shopping has to happen at the end of our trip. Loved the lanterns and the ismik tiles! -
- Thursday, June 9, 2011
-
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (10:00 am)Cankurtaran Mh., 34122 Istanbul, Turkey | 0212 512 5474
We started the morning off with a bit of art and culture with a visit to the Museum of Turkish and Islamic art. Lots of artefacts to look at and a kilim exhibition to admire. I think I would like to come back as a kilim weaver! -
-
Istanbul Museum of Modern Art (11:30 am)Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi, Liman Isletmeleri Sahasi 305, Antrepo No: 4, Istanbul, Turkey | 0212 334 7300
Thursday is free entrance day to Istanbul Modern - so we made good use of it. No cameras were allowed inside - but there were a few interesting and inspiring installations. -
-
Istiklal Caddesi, Istanbul (12:30 am)
After we finally located the Furnicular entrance from the tram, we headed up one of the hills of Istanbul to Taksim Square - the centre of Istanbul and the shopping district. We headed off down the hill to find lunch, off a side alley. Kept heading down until we bumped into a feature of the Istanbulite skyline - the Galata tower and a couple gypsies. -
-
Üsküdar, Istanbul (30:30:00)
Rather than joining a sunset tour, we struck out on our own with the ferries of the Bospherous. Thought we'd touch foot on Asia, so hopped off at Uskudar for a stroll and a bite for dinner. The ferry trip back saw the lights of Istanbul. -
- Saturday, June 11, 2011
-
Çanakkale/Çanakkale Province (5:00 pm)
We arrived in Canakkale after a relatively comfortable 6 hour bus trip from Istanbul - just in time for a sunset stroll along the promenade. On the way, we saw the wooden horse from the movie, Troy. The lovely sunset was rounded off with a refreshing beverage. -
- Sunday, June 12, 2011
-
Gallipoli/Çanakkale Province (13:00 pm)
We had an amazing day with our guide Murad, who took us all over the Gallipoli pennisula to show us the terrain the anzacs occupied. We were incredibly lucky to be able to view the landing beaches via boat, and then to visit the cemeteries and memorials - both anzac and turkish. Not sure how meaningful it was for the Canadians on the tour - but it was certainly a memorable day for us. -
- Monday, June 13, 2011
-
After a few days of sight seeing, it was time to relax at Ilica near Cesme. Known for its windy weather - it didn't disappoint. We thought it was a bit like the Noosa of Turkey. We did take a trip into Cesme for a late lunch, and then back in our first dolmus. You've gotta love a castle built by a man who had a lion as a pet! -
- Thursday, June 16, 2011
-
A lovely spot! Also the place where the big cruise ships come in for a stop in Turkey. Lots of tourists, places for eating and of course - souvenir shops. We stayed in the beautiful Villa Konak, which is on a hilly street just out of reach of Irish pub/tattoo parlour street. Another town with a castle to visit, but also Friday markets and beaches. -
- Saturday, June 18, 2011
-
Not so many tourists find themselves at Millipark, in the National Park - but we did! There was another sandy beach earlier in our journey that was quite popular with the locals, but we stayed on the dolmus till we got to the end. The view included a greek isle and turquoise water lapping at the pebbly shore. Luckily Nat brought her beach shoes - which haven't had an outing since Trogir, Croatia. -
- Sunday, June 19, 2011
-
We ventured out by dolmus to see Ephesus, a roman city that was mostly built during the 1st and 2nd century. The two theatres and the library were stunning. There were many tourists tramping down the aptly named Marble Street - for it is made of marble! -
- Monday, June 20, 2011
-
Another port-city, Bodrum is slightly more classy and therefore expensive and consequently filled with package tourists parading various shades of vermillion, Had a great time exploring the castle and relaxing in and around the pool with our furry friends at the Agean Gate. Finished the stay off with a night of fine dining above the city. In retrospect, we should've ordered the lamb in amphora!!! -
- Friday, June 24, 2011
-
We popped over to Rhodes, a heritage-listed town, in Greece for a couple of days. Home was a lovely self-contained apartment in the old quarter. As neither of us have a motorcycle license, we saw the beaches by quad bike. Were very impressed with the blue-flag beaches - a greek initiative to keep the coastline and water pristine. -
- Tuesday, June 28, 2011
-
We highly-recommend this if you are after a fabulous way of seeing the Turquoise Coast! With the excellent food, stunning views, clear water, entertaining company and icy-cold beers up to the Aussie standard - there is never a dull moment. An absolute highlight! -
- Monday, June 27, 2011
-
Fethiye was a great place to regain our 'land legs' - the bathroom kept swaying for a day or two after the cruise. After a picturesque walk along the harbour, a must-do is the fish market, where you can buy your fish and then take it to one of the surrounding restaurants and have them cook it for you! We caught up with co-cruisers at the Car Cemetry for a drink or two, and went back again to watch the victorious Reds the next day. -
- Saturday, July 2, 2011
-
The park at Oludeniz is quite lovely, we paid our money and walked though and found the glimpses of beach quite peaceful, with the odd paraglider descending 1960m from Mt Baba. When we arrived at the Blue Lagoon, it was quite a bit busier - obviously the secret is out. The drive from Fethiye was interesting - who knew that Little Britain was on the way?!? -
- Sunday, July 3, 2011
-
Around the corner from Oludeniz, is Kaya or Levissi as it was formerly known. An abandoned village of over 2000 stone houses, the previous tenants who mostly orthodox christians left this idyllic place for Greece after WWI and the Turkish war of independence. Although it is protected from development, visitors scramble around the stone streets and houses. There are a couple of churches and chapels still intact. There is even a house, exactly as it was left - who knew they had beer umbrellas back then! -
- Monday, July 4, 2011
-
Kas is a beautiful harbour town, nestled between the mountains that form the Lycian way and the Mediterranean Sea. Although there are European holiday units dotting the hills further up, the centre of town by the harbour has more of a quaint village feel - perfect for shopping!. Our favourite place for sunsets was the picnic table behind the ma-and-pa run drink/snack stand opposite the Jendarma headquarters (military). Such a lovely place to chill out. -
-
The best way to see a Lycian sunken city up close is by sea kayak - so off we went, via the island where the Lycians built their ships. After lunch we enjoyed the view of the sound from the top of Simenia Castle. -
- Thursday, July 14, 2011
-
Cirali is a quiet little village on the coast between Kas and Antalya.- a great place to get away from the crowds. It sits in the shade of Mt Olympos, which you can walk up (about a kilometre of stairs and tracks) to see the Chimaera flames which have been burning since ancient times - of course the best time is at dusk. The flames are caused by a mystery gas that ignites upon contact with oxygen. Some people were happy to watch the flames while others used them to cook a snag or two! -
- Friday, July 8, 2011
-
A 3km walk along the beach from Cirali will bring you to the site of the ancient city - Olympos. We enjoyed walking through the shaded ruins with running streams providing a soundtrack - the best and most relaxing experience we've had exploring ruins. Archaeologists are still working at piecing together buildings on the other side of the river. -
-
It was incredibly hot during our visit to Antalya - hence the photos of the beach! We stayed in the old city, or Kaleici which can be entered by Hadrian's Gate - specially built for the emperor's visit a few years back. It was delightful to stroll around the cobble-stoned streets - more comfortable after the sun had set. The Antalya Muze is an excellent museum to visit - especially considering the archaeological work in the area. -
- Tuesday, July 12, 2011
-
The Cappadocian landscape is stunning - like a moon scape or something out of a fairytale! Amazing what volcanic ash and a millennia of erosion can do.The best way to see it - is of course from a dawn balloon ride, and then hiking through the valleys and visiting the open air museum. It was also quite fun to explore the living spaces and churches that were carved into soft rock. We based ourselves in the town of Goreme, where you can expect hotel rooms in fairy chimneys. Another worthwhile trip is out to the underground cities, used by people throughout all time to hide from invaders - often staying underground for 2-3 months at a time. Cappadocia - so much to see both above and under the ground! -
- total distance: 961 miles (1.547 km)
Travelers
-
Natalie RossPhnom Penh, Cambodia
Followers
-
Travel On The DollarLos Angeles, CA, USA -
Ioanna PrangiouKarditsa 431 00, Greece
Main Location
-
TurkeyCountry | 1 follower
Related Maps
-
2011-2012 Turkey
Mar 3, 2012 | 193 views -
Aegean Highlights / DRK-15 (8 Days/7 Nights)
Mar 1, 2013 | 70 views -
Istanbul, Turkey, May 2011
Apr 19, 2011 | 335 views
don't have an iphone?
use mobile.tripline.net
use mobile.tripline.net