BootsnAll Travel Community

I completely agree with your post Sputnik! especially with the friendliness. At times in Istanbul (only in the really touristy areas though) i was getting a big frustrated with all the salespeople and the random guys that'd come up and talk to you when i just wanted to get from point A to point B. But even those guys trying to sell stuff were pretty nice and always helpful if you were lost - even after realising you weren't going to buy.

Overall I think Turkey is one of my favourite places... and I barely scratched the surface is 3 weeks!!

was somebody saying something about Turkey being cheap?? I think we may have underbudgeted, because while it's possible to stay in Turkey for about 25Euro/day, it's hard to actually do a whole lot. Even then, some of the accomodation prices are getting up there - the Saklikent Gorge camp is now 15Euro for a dorm (granted that's half board), but on 25Euro/day that doesn't leave much room for playing. :-(

The Kose pension in Goreme is charging us 5Euro/person/night for a roof hut (no bathroom), but breakfast is not included (meal prices very reasonable though - breakfast for 1-1.5Eu, supper (4 course inc. desert) is 5E. (the food is fantastic, though!)

then factor in lunch, and bottled water, and bus tickets (we were really spoiled in Jordan/Syria!), and there's just not a lot left.

what have other people deemed a reasonable budget for Turkey? (those who would consider themselves backpackers, budget travellers, students, etc)

would those who've been in recent years say that prices have increased? would you still consider 25E a day to be cheap? (I'm also curious about the LPs suggestion that you can get by on 20-30Eu per day if you stick to buses/trains, pensions, and eat out only once a day - in 2 months on the road (starting in Egypt) we have encountered maybe 3 or 4 places where we might have used a kitchen - how are you supposed to eat out only once a day when most places don't have a guest kitchen? I'm starting to wonder if camping gear might not be a bad idea!)

I was in Turkey this past month and I don't think 25E is quite realistic. I haven't been there before this year but I'd say maybe around 40-45 lira a day but to include occasional bus transport is a fairly good low budget gauge. and if you can FIND kitchens available in hostels and pensions than you have a better chance of hitting a bit under that. But most places seemed to have at least breakfast included but no kitchen facilities. The most expensive ticket prices for attractions were the places n istanbul at 10lira a hit, and I think ephesus as well but everything else was 7-3 lira. not horrible I don't think. Let me know if you have anymore turkey questions.
Caroline

It's funny, because €25 is more than 45 lira (it's worth about 50 lira). Our actual budget is 50 lira, though with the exchange rate working in our favour for a change figure we can spend between 55 and 60 per person per day without affecting our results in Canadian dollars from what we'd originally budgetted when we left two months ago.

And it's still not enough to do a lot of things. We find that we're constantly fighting between wanting to do things and not being able to afford it.

I think I'm going to go to Turkey in a few weeks.

Get thee butt to Goreme!

Thanks for all the ideas and information on Turkey. I will definitly be referring to them during my trip. I am leaving for Istanbul on June 19th and am a female traveling on my own. I know it's not HIGHLY recommended to go as a single female, but I wanted to go and no one else could. If anyone else is planning to be there the middle to end of June, please feel free to contact me. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for a single female traveling there, I'd appreciate them. Would you recommend taking the Fez Bus or arranging bus travel independently? Thanks!

I was there on my own throughout may and it was really easy to get around! Fez might be more fun for meeting people and only if its on your route. I met some people using it and it was a pain cause if they wanted to stay at a place longer they had to wait another two or three days not just one to catch the next bus. The regular coach bus system around turkey is really great though and not expensive. Its easy to buy the tickets from info centres at every bus station and they didn't hound me. Let me know a couple places you're going and I can recommend places to stay!
Caroline

I am headed to Turkey in a couple weeks, too. There are a lot of Turkey threads so I'll just add on to this one ... my question is: how spicy is the food there? I am one of those "can't leave home w/o my hot sauce" types ... if there isn't good stuff there I may leave home with a bottle. Thoughts?

In general, it is not spicy at all. And the long, green peppers that they serve on the side of all dishes are sorta wimpy. If you want to liven things up, there is almost always a little saucer of hot red pepper flakes (urfa biber) on the table. For a bit of heat, order the adana kebab.

One thing that Turkey is really good at is pizza (lahmajun or pide) because they use wood-fired ovens and have never heard of frozen dough or canned sauce.

Don't miss out on the ice cream or the rice pudding!

I've read that women traveling in Turkey (especially solo women) should keep their legs and arms covered. Any feedback from those of you who have been about appropriate attire? I'd love to wear shorts & tank tops during the summer, but want to be respectful of their customs. I'd appreciate any sort of feedback....I'm packing this week. Thanks!

What one wears at the beach in Bodrum is very different from what one 'should' wear in Konya (or even Goreme).

Yes, by all means bring along a long-sleeved cotton shirt and long pants and wear them for most occasions away from Istanbul or away from the beach. Topless on the beach may fly in Oludeniz, but it will get you hassled elsewhere.

The country is amazingly diverse, but yes, in general, tank tops and shorts are only appropriate in tourist-cluttered areas and rarely elsewhere. Istanbul is as modern as anywhere but Antalya (for example) is not as hep.

something that I found very useful was the scarf that I bought in Egypt - it's very thin, kind of see-through, and I wear it like a shawl over my tank top; it came in very handy in Goreme because it was quite hot, and walking through town and through the fields where the locals are working, I wanted to be respectful (it was obviously enough, we received a couple of invites for cey (tea) along the way), but it breathes quite nicely and doesn't feel like you're too covered. you can also let it down a bit once you're in the valleys and secluded areas where you are less likely to be seen.

Once we hit the med coast, I bought myself a pair of shorts and tank top, and have been in heaven ever since. Joe's right, though, probably not too appropriate out east unless you have a shawl or something else over it, (though plenty of tourists out there do it anyway). The west/coastal areas seem a lot more liberal (Antakya was almost a shock after Syria - even the locals were wearing sundresses and tanks).

We are currently in Selcuk, and I have to recommend it. haven't been to Ephesus yet, and have been here only a day, but already we're quite enjoyng it. The food appears to be a bit cheaper here than Kas, another big tourist place along the coast, and the hamam was fantastic. 25 Lira each got us the works, and it was sooooo nice. After the beating of a hamam that I received in Aleppo, this was heaven. I recommend it. it's also nice, because it's co-ed, which means that you can go with your significant other, which I thought was nice. I didn't feel at all uncomfortable (though they do have brief women-only hours on Friday for those who would feel more comfortable).
And the food at the ANZ guesthouse - YUM! Despite not being able to finish my steak yesterday because a cat stole it (I'll eventually post the story on the blog), what I did get to enjoy was the best beef I'd had since leaving Canada.

Selcuk is also a decent sized town (23,000) but has a nice flow to it. Easy to go for a stroll, and there are some sights nearby if you just feel like poking about (and storks that nest on the ruins and utility poles).

To sum up, I like Selcuk.

Ah! So you are staying at ANZ? That is my favorite in Selcuk!

Tell more! How are the rooms? The fun? The service?

well, aside from me having become the laughing stock of the place for a few days (see below), it's nice. The owner talks so quickly his own strange brand of Aussie accent, it's hard to understand him. The room is decent, the place is decent, the food is great, lots of lounging around space. if it's your favourite place, I figured you'd know what the place is like?

alright, so here's why I'm a dummy, in case anyone really wants to know:
two nights ago I ordered a really yummy steak for supper; there were 2 cute cats hanging around, and I'm a sucker for cats. I gave the little wankers a couple of fatty scraps, and once as I did so, one of them swiped at my hand to get it and left a nice little gash. While in the room cleaning myself up (totally my fault and I accept full responsibility), one of the little buggars jumped on the chair and stole the remaining steak so fast nobody even really saw it happen. So there. That's the story, there's even a little warning sign now in my honour.

I haven't been back to Turkey since 2001, and, in my experience, stuff changes so fast there that I am cautious in recommending any place in case it has changed dramatically.

Glad to know that Harry is still up to his old tricks.

the only problem that we've discovered is that there is a bar or music venue in the neighbourhood that plays really loud music on weekends - so far Thursday and Friday, and we are expecting tonight also. and the rooms are not well soundproofed at all. was this a problem the last time you were here, or is this a recent turn of events? by really loud, I mean, window closed, ear plugs in, and I could still vaguely hear the bass.

but enough about Turkey, we're off to Greece tomorrow!
see you round the Europe forum! (we'll check in from time to time - there's a very good chance that we will return to Turkey at some point; there's just too much to see, and we kind of regret not having gone east)

PS - there are too many tourists around the Selcuk area!!!

My train leaves for Istanbul at 8pm tonight... I'm stoked!
It sounds to me like there is a real tourist circuit in western Turkey, but eastern Turkey doesnt get much play. Why is this? Surely there have got to be interesting places to see in the east.
Since my next destination after Turkey will be Iran, I will be heading through the east. What are some of the must see sites of the east?

Eastern Turkey IS quite interesting.

YOu can start your tour from Cappadocia, which is well worth a visit, then vist MT Nemrut, or Nemrut Daga, a place with huge stone heads from ancient times.

There aren't a lot of greek and roman ruins in Eastern Turkey, but if you like to study lifestyles, they live life in an old-fashioned and more strict way. Definitely cover arms and legs in Eastern Turkey, though in Istanbul it is optional. There are a few biblical sites in Eastern Turkey as well.

It has amazing mountain views, and you can make the tour of Eastern Turkey an entry point into Iran, which is extremely fascinating, I understand. USA citizens MAY have a hard time getting a visa at this time, of course.

The Train also runs into Eastern Turkey,thence to Iran. I like TUrkish trains. THey cover a lot of ground, are cheap, and reasonably comfortable, IF they get you to your destination.