We are off to Turkey this week and just wondered if anybody has favorite places and memories from there?

I have planned on the run mostly and just want to make sure I don't miss anything special.

After visiting Crete and Rhodes we will take a ferry to Turkey.We will take one of those blue boats ( gulet) for a cruise from Feyith to Olympos ( forgive me if the spelling is incorrect as I do not have my books here) area. Maybe stay a few days in Cirali and then make our way to Cappadocia which I am excited to see.

Then we will go to Istanbul and experience that fully before heading to Ephesus, Pammukale and Sirince and then back to Greece thru Samos.

Am I missing anything essential?

Any suggestions for a good private guide for Ephesus ( especially atuned to a young child who has interest in archeology)? I would love it to be fun and interesting....and reasonably priced.

Lisa, again I did not stay here and used the cruiseship's tour guides. They were both highly educated (as most are in Turkey and Greece, I am told).
We went to Ephesus and also the last home of the Virgin Mary. ( a must see ) just above Ephesus. Then down to the souks right in town. Nice pashminas for gifts. J.

It's been 30 years since I visited Turkey, but just last night the friend I travelled with & I were reminiscing about Goreme, Istanbul & Ankara. A lot of people bypass Turkey's capital, but we both liked it.

After 30 years Turkey is still one of my favourite places . . . Enjoy!

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After 30 years Turkey is still one of my favourite places

I constantly hear comments like this from well traveled people who have been to Turkey, so I am excited to see for myself.

I am really excited to see the fairy chimneys and stay in a cave house in Goreme. NOw they do ballon rides over this fantastic area, but i am not sure if I am brave enough for that with my fear of heights.

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also the last home of the Virgin Mary. ( a must see ) just above Ephesus.

Oops, I forgot to thank you for your input chiaro di luna ( love your name!)and I do appreciate it!

For Istanbul I would visit Topkapi Palace and the Spice Market.

Here is an Istanbul thread in The Rest of Europe.

Turkey has got it's act together with tourism. Lots of cheap tours to lots of places. My favourite was (I think) called Prien. We drove some distance up a winding mountain trail, got out and walked the rest of the route. We walked over some ruins on the top of a hill and down a path through a few trees where we found the outlines of what had been small stone dwellings on both sides of us.

The guide pointed to the end of the path and told us that was where Alexander the Great had his boat moored. Places change over a few millennia. We were now a few hundred feet up looking out over countryside some distance from the sea.

WT...how was your gulet cruise??? I'm looking into one of these for next year. I've been researching online and requested some brochures.

There are sooooo many outfits that offer these and the prices go from E400 - 2000 per week per person....argh!! So any info you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

Ideally we'd like to get together a group large enough to charter the whole thing, but so far only 3 couples are truly interested.

Thanks,

Linda.

Linda.

Did I answer your questions in the thread above? If not ask again, any specifics.

We just loooved it, so I would do it and 3 couples are fine. Get a smaller boat if need be or negotiate a price once there.

They NEED tourists in Turkey, so the prices are low and EVERYTHING is negotiable. Look over the boat well before giving any money.

It is like having your own yacht in paradise. What could be better?