TOP 10 BEST BEACHES

Discover Turkey, home of best beaches

TURKEY’S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

Do you think that you know all the best beaches in Turkey? Turkey has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. White sandy beaches stretch along the coastline of Turkey. Find out what the best beaches in Turkey are as chosen by the travel experts.

MEDITERRANEAN

Patara: Patara is the longest beach in the Mediterranean, and was hailed by The Sunday Times as the best beach in the world. Accommodations are limited, loungers and umbrellas are available to rent, and it is backed by ancient ruins.

Cleopatra: Alanya is one of the biggest resorts found in Turkey, and Cleopatra’s Beach is splendid and very popular. The beach and resort offer great accommodations, facilities and things to do.

Kaputas: Kaputas is a small stunning beach. A fine pebble and shingle beach has clear, impossibly turquoise water. The beach is quite popular among visitors to the region due to its untouched natural beauty.

NORTH AEGEAN

Alacati: Alacati is one of the most upmarket locales on the Aegean coast. It is popular for its fine sandy beaches, mineral springs and unique wind conditions, making it a popular centre for kite-surfing, sailing and windsurfing.

Ilica: Ilica is one of the most impressive beaches in Turkey, with its fine and white sand. Ilica is still a popular centre for thermal treatments.

Pamucak: Most of the Pamucak Beach is public, but on the south side there are some resorts. The water is pretty choppy, and there aren’t any life guards, so be careful.

SOUTH AEGEAN

Iztuzu: Iztuzu is a national conservation area, nesting place for turtles, surrounded by pine covered hills. There is a lot of beach, and the water is warm and shallow. Nearby, there are some cliff tombs you can explore as well.

Oludeniz: Oludeniz is Turkey’s most famous beach, and therefore in peak seasons, is the most crowded. There are good hotels to stay at, very good bars, water sports available, scuba diving and is surrounded with resorts.

Icmeler: Icmeler is surrounded on three sides by pine forests. If you enjoy water sports such as water skiing and diving, then Icmeler is the place for you, that is a huge plus. Take a boat trip to a nearby island, savor fresh seafood in a beachside cafe, or just soak up the sun.

Altinkum: Altinkum literally means Golden Sand an appropriate description of the beautiful beach. Popular with families it has a range of accommodation and plenty of restaurants and bars for entertainment.

TOP 5 WINERY EXPERIENCES

Discover Turkey, home of winery experiences

TURKEY’S TOP 5 WINERY EXPERIENCES

Experience Turkey’s most promising winery areas. Taste lots of different type of wines produced by other wineries located in the same region or visit the vineyards and wine production centers.

WINE TASTING TOURS

Turkey has a great potential for wine tourism. You can visit wine production centers and get detailed information on the process of production. Thrace and Izmir are some of the best wine destinations in Turkey.

You absolutely must join the wine tasting tours to explore the unusual wine tourism areas. Enjoy a glass of wine while as the sun sets over Turkey.

TOP 5 WINERY EXPERIENCES

Istanbul: Istanbul was one of greatest wine cities of the world in Byzantine times with different wines that were carried to the city from Aegean Islands, Thrace and Anatolia. The situation has not changed that much though. Still best wines of Turkey are found in Istanbul and this great variety comes from different parts of the country.

Cappadocia: You can go to a vineyard where are planted different black and white grape varieties, also you can receive information about both modern and traditional viticulture practices in Cappadocia, you can make a sunset tasting in the vineyard with medaled wines of the region, you can visit one of the rock carved wineries and wine cellars of Cappadocia, you can get information from wine specialists.
Izmir:Just over half of all Turkish wine comes from the Aegean Region of Turkey. Izmir is the capital of the Aegean Region, there are plenty of producers, large and small. You will find a number of excellent vineyards, never too far away from the city’s natural and historical wonders.

Sirince Village: Sirince is very attractive and it is famous for its homemade wines and its traditional architecture. If you find yourself on the Aegean coast of Turkey then be sure to take a visit to Sirince. It is a small village in the mountains and it is perfect for seeing natural Turkey. All through the village are shops where you can put your wine tasting skills to the test.

Thrace: The very sunny, quite humid and often breezy climate of northwest Turkey is ideal for wine making. You can visit both new and established boutique wineries or a larger well established wineries in Thrace. The closeness of Thrace wineries to Istanbul makes them an easily integrated option into the busy travel industry in the area. During your Thrace visit, most likely you will be impressed by the charm of vineyards in the region.

BEST PLACES FOR DIVING

Discover Turkey, home of best diving places

TURKEY’S BEST DIVING PLACES

A great variety of fish species, coral reefs, wrecks and all other underwater beauties are waiting to welcome diving lovers at diving destinations. Here are the best diving destinations in Turkey with turquoise crystal waters.

MARMARA SEA

Saros is a favourite spot for divers due to its proximity to Istanbul, and full of submerged ruins. Gokceada and Bozcaada islands have good tourist facilities, interesting plant life, sea creatures and submerged ruins.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA

Antalya is the world famous tourist region, has the highest number of diving schools in the country, containing many contrasting dive sites. Kemer is one of the most popular diving areas in the region. Tekirova, the surrounding islands have a wonderful array of sea life including huge thornback rays, and are also a good location for cavern diving.

Kas is probably top of all the Turkish dive sites, due to the range, frequency and quality of the dives. The seas around Kalkan are suited to experienced divers, with species of sea life. Patara has coral and sea sponges with lively and colourful sights.

The clear waters of Mersin have many interesting dive sites including the sunken cargo ship at the western cape of Dana Island. There is a submerged island northwest of Sancak Bay, with large ancient oil jars made Mersin a popular dive resort. Most of the dive sites are situated around the coastline of the Tasucu.

AEGEAN SEA

The area around Datca has wonderful diving opportunities with many sharks, dolphins and Mediterranean seals. There are 52 diving points and a large selection of ancient underwater ruins around the area of Marmaris.

Bodrum is known for its great diving opportunities with great depths, colourful sea sponges and caverns. Orak Island is a diving haven with beautiful rock formations in the shallow area. Big Bango is one of the symbol diving points of the region, with a maximum depth of 4 meters. Small Bango is about 200 m from the Big Bango. Kargi Island is about one and a half hours sail from Bodrum. Kocek Island is a sea mile away from the island of Kargi in the direction of Bodrum and has small rocky islets.

Gulf of Gokova has an unbelievably beautiful underwater topography for those who like wall diving.

According to rumour, the area around Ayvalik is the location of the lost city of Atlantis but what is known is the unique diving options especially off Gunes Island, Yuvarlak Island and Kerbela Rocks. The most popular area is the waters off Kiz Island with fascinating underwater fauna from a depth of 19m.

TOP 10 SKI RESORTS

Discover Turkey, home of best ski resorts

TURKEY’S TOP 10 SKI RESORTS

The list of the largest ski resorts in Turkey is based on figures from the Turkish Ski Federation. All the Turkish ski resorts belove have in recent years developed excellent facilities. All resorts are family friendly.

ULUDAG

Uludag Ski Resort is the oldest and most popular alpine village in Turkey, situated 36 km away from Bursa. The ski area lies between 1800-2500 m and the best season from December to April. The total lenght of ski tracks is about 20 km, and the longest one is about 2 km.

PALANDOKEN

Palandoken Ski Resort in Erzurum is one of Turkey’s largest ski areas and considered by many the best, with good hotels, good conditions, good facilities, and Colorado-type powder. The ski area is at an altitude of 3185 m covered with snow for 4-5 months during winter.

KATALKAYA

Kartalkaya Ski Resort is 40 km away from Bolu in the Black Sea Region. The ski area is at an altitude of 1850-2200 m. The best season for skiing is from late December and late March.

ERCIYES

Erciyes Ski Resort is one of Turkey’s oldest ski resorts. The ski resort is at Mount Erciyes, approximately 3915 m the highest summit of Anatolia, and located 25 km away from Kayseri.

SARIKAMIS

Sarikamis Ski Resort is 50 km away from Kars. The best season for skiing from December to April, and the track length is 1200 m, height is 2100 m. The powder is good, but hotels are few and fairly basic.

ILGAZ

Ilgaz Ski Resort lies 40 km from Kastamonu, and have an altitude of 2850 m. The skiing season runs between December and April. The ski runs are between 1800-2000 m altitude.

SAKLIKENT

Saklikent Ski Resort is 50 km west of Antalya, in the Beydag mountain range, with an altitude of 2550 m. The altitude for the skiing areas is between 2000-2400 m, with a snow depth 1 m and a short season.

ELMADAG

Elmadag Ski Resort is a few kilometres southeast of Ankara, on the northern slopes of Elmadag between the altitudes of 1500-1850 m. The area is treeless and covered with alpine meadows. The season runs between January and March.

KARTEPE

Kartepe Ski Resort in Kocaeli is a good beginner’s and intermediate skiers’ hill with three chair lifts and a 1700 m summit.

BOZDAG

Bozdag is 110 km away from southeast of Izmir. The skiing season runs between December to March. The ski areas are at an altitude of between 1700–2157 m and the northern slopes are suitable for alpine discipline.

TOP 10 BLUE VOYAGE ROUTES

Discover Turkey, home of blue voyage routes

TURKEY’S TOP 10 BLUE VOYAGE ROUTES

The most popular of the many blue voyage routes in Turkey, legendary voyages on the sea of civilizations. Blue voyage routes and destinations, natural wonders, ancient cities and blue voyage opportunities.

AEGEAN COAST

Bodrum – Gokova: Bodrum is called as the land of eternal blue. This route covers an amazing color mixture of blue and green on an endless calm water of the Aegean shores, from Bodrum to Gokova.

Bodrum – Marmaris: This route covers unexplored heavens as starting from Bodrum and travels around Hisaronu and Marmaris.

Marmaris – Knidos: The heavely mystique and peaceful bays of Marmaris, the ancient Knidos is phenomenon and worth to see. Marmaris is an important tourism center of the Aegean Region as well as being one of the largest yachting centers of the region.

Marmaris – Fethiye: Fethiye and Marmaris the heavenly coasts that conjuncts Aegean and Mediterranean Sea together. This blue voyage route has lots of special coves which are also indispensable stops for the blue voyager.

Fethiye – Oludeniz: This route maybe the most breath taking natural wonders along the way. Fethiye is located in a cove inside the Fethiye Bay, open to the north and surround by the pine trees behind, where small and large islets are sprinkled around.

Fethiye – Kekova: This route is another experience of human being with mother nature. Kekova is a heaven an on earth where the nature unites with the history and turquoise waters are surrounded with thousands of coves.
Fethiye – Ekincik: This route gives an opportunity to discover beautiful nature of Fethiye and Oludeniz. Described as a paradise the God has bestowed upon the world, Oludeniz is a tourism center owned by the world with its fame overflowing abroad.

MEDITERRANEAN COAST

Kemer – Kekova: This route has a tectonic earth shape. Kemer is a holiday area of rare beauty where the sea, beach, sun and history go hand in hand, presenting and unmatched beauty to the all visitors with its historical places.

Antalya – Kas: This route which covers Kemer has a naturally rich destination. Kas is another protected harbour where you can spend the night, 15 km. away from Kalkan.

TURKEY – GREECE

Marmaris – Greek Islands – Bodrum: This route is one of the most popular blue voyage routes from Turkey to the Greek islands.

Bodrum – Greek Islands : This route is the other popular route from Turkey to the Greek islands.

Learn about Wine

Turkey’s vineyards have been most famous for producing dried fruit but an increasing amount of modern (that is to say, cool-fermented) wine is also made. There are vineyards in many very different parts of Turkey. In the distinctly European soils and climate west of Istanbul, the countryside, and wines, could be extremely similar to those of eastern Greece and southern Bulgaria, although there has generally been under-investment in modernising wineries in Turkey. The vineyards on the Aegean coast around Izmir produce some of Turkey’s best whites, some of them sweet and almost as classical as the remains and tourist sites in this part of the world. The vines planted in Anatolia in the eastern interior of Turkey have to cope with extremely cold winters and very dry summers but with their ancient grape varieties and proximity to the Euphrates, they may hold many clues about the origins of viticulture itself. Emir and Narince seem the most promising white wine varieties while Kalecik Karasi, Karalahna and especially Öküzgözü can clearly make reds with strong and distinct characters. Nevertheless, international vine varieties have been in considerable demand.

Of the big companies that have so far dominated the Turkish wine scene, Kavaklidere seemed first to embrace top quality wine production with considerable vineyard investments (there has been a gap between growers and producers for some time). Particularly interesting smaller producers include Büyülübağ, Corvus and Sevilen although competent winemaking is increasingly rapidly, even if the wines are relatively expensive.

Emir

One of Turkey’s most important white wine grapes, along with Narince. Emir produces light, delicate wines which are best drunk young.

Narince

Important Turkish variety grown for both wine and table grapes. As a wine it tends to be fruitier and fuller in body than Emir, with which it may be blended.

Öküzgözü

Variety widely planted in Turkey, producing bright, juicy reds which are often blended with another local variety, Boğazkere.

Kalecik Karasi

Turkish variety making soft, fruity, medium-bodied reds for early drinking.

8 products for less stressful travelling

The most experienced travel gurus know that the key to smart travelling is efficiency. Packing lightweight, compact items that help you navigate your travel experience is best. While everyone knows to pack climate-appropriate clothing, toiletries, and necessary electronics, there are certain items that every seasoned traveller would benefit from owning. Having these items on hand eliminates some of the stress associated with travelling under-prepared.

Traveller

KIKKERKAND’S UNIVERSAL TRAVEL ADAPTER
The Swiss army knife of power adapters, Kikkerland’s Universal Travel Adapter works with power outlets in 150 different countries. Power adapters are a must-have when traveling so you don’t ruin your electronics with foreign wattage. The Kikkerland adapter packs to a slim, compact piece that can easily fit in your purse or backpack. It folds down to three-fourths of an inch, smaller than any other adapter available.
PALOMAR’S CRUMPLED CITY MAPS
Regular maps are not only susceptible to wear and tear, but can be a pain to fold back up. Crumpled City Maps are designed to be wadded up and stored in a pouch. They’re durable, easy to read, and completely water-proof. Crumpled Maps are available for 31 different major cities in the United States and abroad. Not only does the map contain an index of all the typical monuments, museums, art galleries, parks, and historical places, but each map also lists 10 different “SoulSites.” Palomar’s website defines “SoulSites” as “places that are chosen to excite you.”
TIMBERLAND’S RADLER TRAIL CAMP SHOE
Shoes often take up a lot of bulk in your bag when packing, with their hard rubber soles. A good tennis shoe is a staple for any travel that involves moderate amounts of walking. The Radler Trail Camp shoe is a water-repellent, fleece-lined shoe that literally zips up into itself to take up minimal amounts of space in your luggage. Designed for both men and women, it has substantial traction for hiking on all kinds of terrain. Its looks sleek, like your average tennis shoe, and comes in black, light green, red, and alpine blue.
INDUSTRIAL FACILITY’S JETLAG ALARM CLOCK
Designed by Sam Hecht with Industrial Facility, the Jetlag Alarm Clock is a tiny, traveler’s alarm clock with a simplistic interface displaying the current time alongside the time the alarm is set to go off. For a jetlagged traveler, the display is incredibly easy to decipher, and requires no manual to comprehend. I.D. Magazinenamed the Jetlag Alarm Clock as the “Best Travel Product of 2008.” It comes in red, black, and off-white and is about the size of your palm.
DOWNY WRINKLE RELEASER SPRAY
If you’re traveling with clothing that is susceptible to wrinkling, cramming it into a suitcase pretty much guarantees that your clothes will be completely unwearable by the time you reach your destination. You may be in luck if you’re staying in a hotel with an iron and ironing board, but when camping, staying at youth hostels, or just in a rush, Downy Wrinkle Releaser Spray can get the wrinkles out without having to take an iron to the garment. Simply spray the clothing directly, tug from the top and bottom so that the garment is taut, and smooth it out. Within minutes, your clothing will be wrinkle-free and ready to wear.
POINT IT: TRAVELER’S LANGUAGE KIT
The Point It: Traveler’s Language Kit was created by Dieter Graf and is a three-by-five inch booklet containing 1,200 photos generated from the author’s own experiences in 100 different countries. The photos contain busy spreads of everything from foods to camera equipment to bug spray, helping the traveler communicate simply by pointing to the item if they don’t speak the country’s native language. Point It is easier to use than a foreign language dictionary, and the images are completely universal for easy interpretation.
THE BALANZZA DIGITAL LUGGAGE SCALE
The Balanzza Digital Luggage Scale is about the size of a walkie-talkie and serves as a scale for your luggage. After you clip it onto the luggage strap and lift from the scale’s handle, the digital display will show your bag’s weight. This takes the guesswork out of traveling with potentially overweight luggage, especially now that airports charge for overweight bags so easily. The scale can weigh up to 100 pounds and will easily fit in with your luggage. It is easy to use and comes with a one-year warranty.
PHOTOJOJO IPHONE LENSES
The iPhone can take some seriously high-quality photos, compared to most point-and-shoot cameras on the market, and it’s extremely portable for use on any vacation. Now Photojojo has developed a set of tiny, professional-grade lenses for your iPhone, enhancing the quality of your cellphone photographs even further. The Fisheye, Telephoto, and Macro/Wide Angle lenses are each sold separately or in a bundle for $49. They work just as well for Android phones and iPads, or any other product with a similar camera function. The Macro/Wide Angle lens comes as a combo, enabling you to take both close-up shots and full-frame shots.

Backpack vs Suitcase

Backpack vs Suitcase…

If you have an opinion on this it will usually be a strong one. People who travel with backpacks see it as a badge of honour, a way of earning the travel experience you are about to have. People that love their backpack have a hard time not travelling with it, like it is somehow cheating by opting for a case with wheels.

I do think that as we age, the lustre of the backpack does fade. Having to pop your pack up on your knee in preparation for the heavy swing up onto your shoulder starts to really feel like a chore and the draw of a wheelie case becomes more and more inviting.

There are times when a rolling suitcase is truly the way to go, such as resort holidays which include airport transfers or cruising, the convenience of rolling your case around and it standing on it’s own during check in and while waiting for transfers make it the best option.

A backpack on the other hand cannot be beaten on uneven terrain such as cobblestones or sand, also many tour companies in Africa insist on soft bags/backpacks for ease of packing into overland trucks. For trekking tours in areas like Nepal a backpack is best but tours in other countries such as Egypt, Israel and Morocco a suitcase is probably more suitable.

It is much easier to navigate stairs with a pack, but much easier to walk long distances with a suitcase. Now you can get hybrid bags which function as both a soft backpack with a frame and the added convenience of wheels, could this be the way of the future? A way for people to pass their fear of moving from their adventurous ‘backpacking years’ and into their holiday years. These bags allow you the pride of wearing your backpack, with the hidden extra of opting for your wheels on tiring days or smooth ground.

Some people will always be backpack people, a few weeks ago I saw a very happy couple in what looked like there 70’s navigating an Italian train station proudly toting their aged and very travelled backpacks, I guess for some people, donning their pack at the beginning of the trip will always be part of their travel experiences.

Turkey – The Blue Mosque

Warning: Blue Wow-factor Inside!

Istanbul began as the city of Byzantium in 667 BC under the ancient Greeks. Later called Constantinople, it became the imperial seat of the Roman Empire. Then, for over 1,000 years, it was the capital of the Greek-speaking Roman-operated Byzantine Empire.

Constantinople was captured by the Ottoman Turks, and became the Ottoman Empire’s capital from 1453 until 1922. Following the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, it took 7 more years for the city to be renamed Istanbul.

After losing all his wars with Persia, Sultan Ahmed-the-1st wanted to boost everybody’s morale by building an imperial Mosque. Earlier rulers had paid for their mosques with the loot of war, but Sultan Ahmed had never been victorious, so he took his money out of the treasury. This caused anger among lawyers and other highflyers in his Empire.

Teenage Sultan Ahmed wanted to build a grander and more beautiful Mosque than any in Constantinople, so he had some plans drawn up by his architect. Construction began in 1609, and his Mosque was fully built by 1616.

So keen was Sultan Ahmed to finish his dream Mosque, it is said that he got as muddy as his builders when he sometimes stepped in to speed things up. But, aged just 27, he died just 1 year after his Mosque was completed. He is buried in these sacred grounds.

The Mosque has 6 lovely minarets, but Sultan Ahmed’s 12 spires were a big problem. The world’s largest and holiest Mosque – the Masjid al-Ḥarām in Mecca – also had Islam’s maximum-of-6, so craftsmen were urgently sent to Arabia to add a 7th!

To get the full impact of The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, enter through the middle of the Hippodrome. Once inside the courtyard, you’ll be struck by its vastness, by its amazing dome-work and the hundreds of fine stained glass windows.

The Mosque’s alternative ‘Blue Mosque’ name is puzzling when you view it from the exterior, but inside, the Wow-factor is the over 20,000 patterned and hand-carved Iznik tiles – many in different shades of blue. Some of the tiles have abstract patterning; others are decorated with flowers and trees. It’s no wonder that this interior is thought to be the most beautiful in present-day Istanbul.

Explore Turkey with one of our Turkey tours and see the Blue Mosque for yourself.

Overview of Turkey

One of the leading tourism destinations in the world, Turkey is a land of contradictions and diversity and effortlessly combines the old and the new. Offering warm and gracious local hospitality and world class cuisine, vibrant cities and important ancient sites, beautiful beaches and stunning landscapes, it’s no wonder the country’s tourism industry is growing rapidly year on year. Straddling two continents Turkey is a meeting of East and West as well as the ancient and the modern. Seen as a bridging nation between Asia and Europe, it also touches Africa and holds a unique position as the historical capital of the Ottoman, Roman, Latin and Byzantine Empires.

An exotic melting pot of different cultures and people, the thriving city of Istanbul boasts a dazzling array of attractions. From beautiful historic palaces and mosques to bustling, vibrant and world famous bazaars, there is something for everyone in this enchanting city. The 2010 European Capital of Culture boasts some of the most famous landmarks in the world, including the world famous Blue Mosque with its wonderfully intricate blue tiling and proud minarets. There are countless mosques and palaces to explore but the 14th century Topkapi Palace with its lush gardens and courtyards is another must-see. The exciting bars and nightlife of the city combine with a renowned restaurant scene, offering all manners of top quality global and traditional cuisine, to offer any visitor a multitude of stimulating nights out. If shopping is your thing you could not be better placed – Istanbul is widely regarded as one of the top shopping cities in the world, whether you are seeking intricately crafted souvenirs, rugs, carpets and jewellery or designer label clothes. Do visit the thriving bazaars, don’t forget the world famous intoxicating spice markets and don’t be afraid to haggle, it’s all part of the fun!

Often initially overlooked due to Turkey’s incredible cities and cultural sites, the beaches and resorts are stunning. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday on a beautiful beach lapped with turquoise waters, Turkey couldn’t be better. The southern areas boast nearly 6 months of summertime and the sandy beaches along the Mediterranean and Aegean coastlines with their sparkling turquoise waters are a must-see for any sun, sand and sea worshippers. From large beaches with countless water sports to secluded coves with turtles and sparkling waters, there is a great variety of beautiful resorts for you to choose from and Bodrum and Antalya are especially popular.

Turkey has a wealth of rich history and culture and the country boasts more archaeological sites than anywhere else in the world. From the WWII sites at Gallipoli (ANZAC Day is a particularly poignant time to visit) to the ancient city of Troy, Turkey has probably more key historical and cultural sites that anywhere in the world. The ancient city of Troy lay undiscovered until the mid 19th century and the Roman site of Ephesus is regarded as one of the best preserved ancient cities in the Mediterranean. The beautiful landscape of Cappadocia is a must see for any visitor, a fairytale setting of underground villages and incredible rock formations that capture the imagination like nowhere else.

In short, Turkey is an intoxicating country full of natural splendours, wonderful people, beautiful scenery and incredible food. We highly recommend it for a truly memorable experience.