What a candy time I had on my pleasant Turkish journey! Visiting Turkiye solo on a bunch tour was an exquisite expertise.
Bordering Europe and Asia, Turkiye (previously Turkey) sits in a singular spot between east and west. I assumed I used to be educated about Turkiye earlier than I arrived, however as soon as there I noticed that I knew little or no about this stunning and historic nation. I used to be glad for the chance to fill this information hole in my mind.
My First Impressions of Istanbul
Istanbul is extra trendy in look than I had anticipated for a metropolis with such a protracted historical past. Most giant historic cities, like those present in Western Europe, often have a clearer separation between the traditional and the fashionable.
In Istanbul, I really feel they’ve discovered a strategy to combine trendy and historical collectively so nicely that you just don’t even discover that an historical monument is subsequent to a contemporary construction. I really feel this aesthetic can also be mirrored within the normal inhabitants on a regular basis. As you discover Turkiye solo, you’ll see these wearing very conventional apparel subsequent to those that appear to be they’ve simply stepped off a runway in Paris, however neither seems misplaced on the streets of Istanbul.
Meeting Our Guides
I used to be very lucky to be hosted by Exodus Travels throughout my keep in Turkiye on their premium tour of Istanbul and Cappadocia. As at all times, their premium excursions embody a named skilled native information. For this tour we had been fortunate to have Semih Eser–who has over 30 years of expertise designing and guiding excursions in Turkiye–as our major information.
We had been fortunate to even have a bonus information on our tour as we had been joined by famend National Geographic explorer, filmmaker, photographer, and Chapter Chair of the Explorers Club, George Kourounis. In addition to his unimaginable insights, it was reassuring to have somebody like George alongside who’s equally comfy whereas surrounded by nice white sharks or standing on the crater’s fringe of an exploding volcano. Who wants Bear Grylls when one has George Kourounis?
Put on Your Walking Shoes to Explore the Sights of Turkiye Solo
Our first day didn’t embody any nice white sharks or lively volcanoes as we strolled via the traditional streets of Istanbul, however it did embody many historic monuments that I’ve solely realized about on-line or in common tradition.
Visitors to this nice metropolis ought to observe that there’s a good cause why Istanbul is named the City on Seven Hills, so you should definitely put on comfy footwear when exploring on foot. Walking and public transit are the perfect methods to discover town as site visitors can turn out to be fairly congested in the course of the day.
The Hagia Sophia was initially constructed as a Christian Church within the sixth century, however over time it was transformed right into a mosque, then a museum, and is now a mosque once more. It was an essential monument for each the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. During your go to, do not forget to lookup and admire the dome which is second in measurement solely to the Pantheon in Rome.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, extra generally often called the Blue Mosque, will get its identify not due to the blue dome on the outside, however due to the blue tiles that encircle its inside partitions. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, and was constructed between 1609 and 1616. Unfortunately, throughout my go to it was principally coated in scaffolding as a result of renovations, however what I did see was fairly gorgeous, so I can’t wait to return once more after the renovations are full.
Beneath the streets of Istanbul is the Basilica Cistern. Built in 523 it has stunning columns that make it look cathedral-like, and whilst you might not have visited in individual, any followers of James Bond will acknowledge it from the movie From Russia with Love.
During your go to to the Basilica Cistern, look out for the column that has the upside-down head of Medusa at its base. I don’t know if anybody actually is aware of the rationale for this, please inform me if you happen to do, however I used to be informed the generally accepted principle was that they had been merely reusing constructing supplies from a earlier challenge to construct this one. That is smart to me because the chamber would have been crammed with water and never supposed as a vacationer attraction on the time it was constructed.
The Best Exchange Rates in Istanbul
Starting in 1455, the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is likely one of the oldest purchasing malls on the planet and one of many largest with over 4,000 shops! Visiting is a enjoyable journey, particularly for shopaholics as you’ll discover absolutely anything right here. You ought to positively cut price with the retailers to actually get into the spirit of issues.
Surprisingly, I discovered that the foreign money exchanges within the Grand Bazaar had the perfect charges I’d seen in Istanbul. Unlike most different foreign money exchanges, those within the Grand Bazaar usually had charges similar to what I’d discover on-line and there was no further service cost for the transaction.
Enjoying Home Cooking in a Village House in Cappadocia
A fast flight from Istanbul to Kayseri settled us into the center of Cappadocia the place Exodus organized for us to hitch an area household for a cooking lesson and a house cooked meal. We had been warmly welcomed into the household’s house, which had been renovated to accommodate a cooking college and restaurant for guests.
It was wonderful to have the ability to get to know this household and to get firsthand instruction on how one can put together conventional Turkish delicacies corresponding to börek, dolma, manti, and so many extra! I can’t emphasize how a lot I loved this expertise and the way pretty it was to satisfy this stunning household.
I’m glad Exodus organized this chance for us to instantly assist an area household enterprise right here in Turkiye. This is an instance of a possibility that’s extra simply accessed on a small group tour than when touring independently.
I particularly felt like a member of the household when grandma anointed me with the Turkish identify “Kamil” in order that she might extra simply name me out once I was making culinary missteps. I promise my cooking expertise are higher than what was on show in Cappadocia. If you are touring in Turkiye solo, however don’t have time for a full cooking lesson, simply swing by Cappadocia Home Cooking for a meal to expertise some genuine and scrumptious Turkish consolation meals.
Quick Tips for Enjoying Turkiye Solo
I’ll share extra about my adventures in my subsequent put up. For now, listed here are just a few fast ideas that may make your journey to Turkiye go extra easily.
- Don’t drink the faucet water. While you need to use it to clean your palms or bathe, you’ll need to get bottled water for consuming.
- Don’t settle for the primary worth that you just’re given on the Bazaar or any store the place costs aren’t marked.
- If you see somebody drop one thing, simply inform them that they’ve dropped one thing and don’t choose it up and return it to them. Unfortunately, there are numerous folks seeking to reap the benefits of vacationers, and these synthetic conditions created to interact vacationers usually lead to you being pressured to supply a donation.
- It’s widespread in Istanbul for international males to be focused by locals within the evenings, close to areas with nightlife. Scammers will try and befriend you and invite you to hitch them for drinks at a bar or membership. Whatever you do, don’t be part of them for this drink, as you’ll doubtless end up out lots of or 1000’s of {dollars} after they go away you with the invoice. The invoice may even be accompanied by a number of giant individuals who can be there to encourage you to pay.
Those on an organized tour–just like the one I used to be on with Exodus Travels–will keep away from the extra severe points I discussed above because the scammers don’t method folks with knowledgeable tour information. Your information may even ensure that to tell you of any security considerations do you have to determine to discover by yourself.
Even on a self-guided tour, Turkiye is protected for international vacationers so long as you do the correct analysis and train the identical precautions you’d in any metropolis.
Stay tuned for extra enjoyable as I share tales from this wonderful journey!
Thank you to Exodus Travels for sponsoring my journey on their Walking the Ancient Trails of Cappadocia – Premium Adventure. All experiences and impressions are my very own, and Solo Traveler maintains full editorial management over all content material.
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Last up to date: twenty first September, 2022