Turkish Wonder

A lot of people head to Turkey for an all-inclusive beach stay, and rightly so. In the summer, Turkey has great, predictable weather, fantastic beach locations, and affordable food and drink. However, if that is your only reason to visit Turkey, then you are seriously missing a trick because this country has so much more to offer than nice beaches.

When I embarked on my small group tour of Turkey I knew that the trip would include history, culture, nature and food but I was still amazed at how much the country surprised me with its authenticity. Starting in Istanbul I arrived at the hotel start point at the crack of dawn and with time to kill before the scheduled tour start time what better way to see a city come alive than to run its streets? From the Galata tower which provides mesmerising views across the city, crossing over the Galata bridge to the Ferry terminal and along a gorgeous walking route which follows the Bosphorus you can easily see why the city was fought over for thousands of years. At six in the morning, I watched groups of locals fish and take an early morning swim in the Bosphorus before the rush hour hit and the hustle and bustle of commuters, shoppers and tourists took to the streets.

Upon joining the small group tour I was treated to three of the highlights of Istanbul – First stop was the blue mosque, a mind-blowing example of architecture. Second, the grand bazaar which although slightly worrying when you inevitably become lost is a great way to soak up Turkish culture; and third – kebabs. Turkish kebabs are not to be compared to whatever rubbish you get served at two in the morning outside your local nightclub. Turkish kebabs in Turkey are at the next level. Simply the thought of one now is making my mouth water.

On the next day, we headed to Gallipoli, a place I had heard of but admittedly knew very little about. Without wanting to write a history lesson, I now understand why coming to Turkey and visiting the memorial sites in Gallipoli is so important. The battles at Gallipoli were integral in the making of modern Turkey, and while the day is sombre and tragic, it is not a wasted day but rather a meaningful one. Taking a ferry across the strait I officially crossed from Europe to Asia and landed in the very trendy town of Canakkale. With a gorgeous water front filled with restaurants and bars, it’s a perfect place to watch the sunset as well as take a picture with a famous movie prop – the Trojan horse from the 2004 epic. Our next day led us to the archaeological site of Troy, although I must stress that if you watch the movie and then expect any form of similarity you will be sorely disappointed. The site itself is impressive in that it holds such a wealth of history stretching as far back as the bronze age.

If history and old architecture are your thing as it is mine, visiting Troy is but a precursor for your visit to Ephesus. The temple of Hadrian, the theatre of Ephesus and of course the iconic library of Celsus are some of the highlights of my walk around this amazing historical site. A quick bite to eat at a delicious local restaurant – and I must stress ‘local’ because one of the benefits of taking a small group trip is how you contribute to local hotels and restaurants instead of big international brands. Next up was a surprisingly comfortable overnight sleeper train from Izmir to Konya. With my private sink and fridge, it‘s not super luxury but it is comfortable, clean and pleasant. I then woke up well rested from the rocking of the train to find myself in Konya and while nice to visit the grand local mosque and sample some of the local food, the main attraction was reaching Cappadocia wow what a place. From the fascinating, twisting tunnels of the Kaymakli Underground City to the mesmerizing shades of orange and red at Sunset Point (viewed at sunset), Cappadocia is a gorgeous place - but perhaps the most memorable experience I had while there was watching a performance of the whirling Dervish. This captivating performance combines culture, religion and physics and should not be missed if ever you find yourself in Cappadocia. Unfortunately for myself, the morning I was due to take a balloon ride to view the landscape, a supposed must-do in Cappadocia, the weather was too windy – a lesson perhaps in not taking everything for granted, but a reason to come back to this amazing part of Turkey.

Simply put, Turkey is awesome, with so much more to offer than beaches. Come to Turkey for the amazing food, culture, history, landscapes and people, genuinely some of the friendliest and easy-going people I have met while travelling.