This is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Turkey. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2005:1450 RealTravel members http://realtravel.com/images/logo-for-feeds.jpg (c) 2006 RealTravel.com 2008-02-28T12:30:48Z 340148http://www.feedburner.comThis is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Turkey. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2006-10-16:2560935 2006-10-16T08:26:30Z 2008-02-28T12:30:48Z Tony G http://realtravel.com/member-m2480513-tony_g.html <p><em>"The journey immediately began badly, with the driver reversing the van into the path of a passing truck"</em></p> <p>a entry by Tony G from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>So there we were, in ancient Sultanahmet, with its unfamiliar smells and sounds, and that exotic skyline of domes and minarets silhouetted against the evening sky. Immediately in front of us was the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia and, right across the road from where the bus had stopped, the famed travellers meeting place, the Pudding Shop on Divan Yolu. At last we felt like we were really in the East. But, after three days and nights on the (not so Magic) bus from Amsterdam I was exhausted and seriously cranky. Even so, it felt exciting to be in Turkey.</p><p>We avoided the rush to the ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j2560935.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_p7NJZrPF8-jfYvB-ff40WNg.OTk_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/p7NJZrPF8-jfYvB-ff40WNg.OTk_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_p7NJZrPF8-jfYvB-ff40WNg.OTk_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=p7NJZrPF8-jfYvB-ff40WNg.OTk_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j2560935.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j2560935.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-07-16:5059578 2007-07-16T14:24:43Z 2007-12-27T09:35:20Z Michael & Erin http://realtravel.com/member-m4007884-michael__erin.html <p>a entry by Michael &amp; Erin from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/olympos-turkey-reviews-hotels-d779116.html">Olympos, Turkey.</a></p> <p>We arrived in Olympos with much anticipation to stay in the famed tree houses. I, Michael, was still recovering from a running belly, and we were tired of traveling on buses for the previous 2 nights. It saved us money on hotels, but was somewhat uncomfortable, especially with diarrhea! We got a room in a tree house in the morning, pooh poohing the suggestion that we get a cabin with AC. We wanted a tree house, up in the sky. The tree houses turned out to be spider infested shacks on stilts, about 4 feet above the ground. It served as a pretty good oven as I lay in it recovering during a ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/olympos-journals-j5059578.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_apnsqC4aH27265fwZMperMLEXc4_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/apnsqC4aH27265fwZMperMLEXc4_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_apnsqC4aH27265fwZMperMLEXc4_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=apnsqC4aH27265fwZMperMLEXc4_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Folympos-journals-j5059578.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/olympos-journals-j5059578.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-19:6217027 2007-12-19T15:08:47Z 2007-12-19T16:27:26Z Trace & Simon http://realtravel.com/member-m5407794-trace__simon.html <p>a entry by Trace &amp; Simon from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ayvalik-turkey-reviews-hotels-d607709.html">Ayvalik, Turkey.</a></p> <p>Ayvalik is an old Greek Ottoman village set around a small sheltered bay looking toward the Greek island of Lesvos. The guidebook sold it as 'crumbling charm' which sounded appealing and was certainly true (the 'crumbling' part anyway)...I think we wondered whether it was such a great idea after all when our taxi bumped it's way through potholed cobbled streets past row after row of houses in varying states of falling down.</p><p>Luckily enough, our accommodation seemed to be standing with 4 walls AND a roof, so we settled in fairly quickly and headed in to town to check out the weekly ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ayvalik-journals-j6217027.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_xvkLxbK3xsT5Fa.QDNPlp2k6m5w_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/xvkLxbK3xsT5Fa.QDNPlp2k6m5w_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_xvkLxbK3xsT5Fa.QDNPlp2k6m5w_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=xvkLxbK3xsT5Fa.QDNPlp2k6m5w_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fayvalik-journals-j6217027.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ayvalik-journals-j6217027.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-11:6174504 2007-12-11T14:56:42Z 2007-12-19T15:32:08Z Trace & Simon http://realtravel.com/member-m5407794-trace__simon.html <p>a entry by Trace &amp; Simon from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/canakkale-canakkale-reviews-hotels-d1294461.html">Canakkale, Canakkale.</a></p> <p>Being ın this part of the world we had to visıt the war memorials at Gallipoli and the ancient site at Troy.</p><p>Firstly however we had to get there and if you were paying attention in our last blog you will know that leaving Istanbul was not as easy as we had imagined. In fact you might find the logistical difficulties of getting from one place to another is a recurring theme while we are in Turkey!!</p><p>So twenty four hours later than expected we dragged ourselves back down to the ferry port and this tıme the timetables didn't lie and there was, as scheduled, a ferry. The one and a half ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/canakkale-journals-j6174504.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_UCccd25RPniBlQye4wOufIcTMVA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/UCccd25RPniBlQye4wOufIcTMVA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_UCccd25RPniBlQye4wOufIcTMVA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=UCccd25RPniBlQye4wOufIcTMVA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fcanakkale-journals-j6174504.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/canakkale-journals-j6174504.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-12-11:6174034 2007-12-11T13:28:46Z 2007-12-11T14:01:07Z Trace & Simon http://realtravel.com/member-m5407794-trace__simon.html <p>a entry by Trace &amp; Simon from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>We arrıved at the 'alternatıve aırport' ın Istanbul (don't you just love budget aırlınes?) whıch ıs somewhere out East ın the Asıan sıde of the city. After dabblıng wıth the ıdea of catchıng a taxı ın to town we decıded to 'rough ıt' wıth everyone else from our plane and catch the local bus ın.</p><p>Istanbul ıs a HUGE cıty. We drove along a motorway for about an hour through suburb after suburb crammed full of multı-story apartment blocks. No houses, semı-detached or terraced housıng here, just a huge sprawlıng mass of humanıty. There are apparently 15 mıllıon people lıvıng ın Istanbul ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j6174034.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_B2Wfk9QqPkZkNr.3iacTqfSbPnA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/B2Wfk9QqPkZkNr.3iacTqfSbPnA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_B2Wfk9QqPkZkNr.3iacTqfSbPnA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=B2Wfk9QqPkZkNr.3iacTqfSbPnA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j6174034.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j6174034.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-06:5942872 2007-11-06T21:16:16Z 2007-12-11T02:25:43Z John and Erin http://realtravel.com/member-m4646064-john_and_erin.html <p>a entry by John and Erin from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>Yet another overnight bus in two days was draining. Istanbul’s bus station was a hectic nightmare. We were not to catch a free shuttle in to Sultanhamet but after close to an hour of waiting we decided to catch the train and then a tram. It was peak hour traffic so this was a nightmare. The train was full, Evrim and I were the only females in our carriage and the next. We got our fare share of stares. The tricky part was trying to get on a tram this took over half an hour. We were all tired when we finally made it to the tourist strip. Erin was getting frustrated with the locals ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5942872.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_d3prXgarzgk4Q1xq8ltqu5zL5h4_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/d3prXgarzgk4Q1xq8ltqu5zL5h4_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_d3prXgarzgk4Q1xq8ltqu5zL5h4_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=d3prXgarzgk4Q1xq8ltqu5zL5h4_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j5942872.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5942872.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-13:5992374 2007-11-13T14:07:59Z 2007-11-13T14:07:59Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>By Dan</p><p>As a matter of convenience more than anything, we saved Istanbul for the end of our time in Turkey. I hesitate to say that it’s leaving the best for last, but it is certainly leaving something huge for the end. We have given ourselves five nights here, and as those five nights wind down, we feel that we have barely scratched the surface of this fascinating city.</p><p>Christina, in her role as Minister of Tourism, once again shone in her hotel selection. In my role as Minister of Finance, I’ve got to grumble a little that it isn’t in the budget, but we’ve really enjoyed the ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5992374.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_.KtIft2qwHLnkpIhEYP.33N7w80_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/.KtIft2qwHLnkpIhEYP.33N7w80_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_.KtIft2qwHLnkpIhEYP.33N7w80_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=.KtIft2qwHLnkpIhEYP.33N7w80_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j5992374.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5992374.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-13:5992178 2007-11-13T13:37:01Z 2007-11-13T13:37:01Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>By Grayson</p><p>We arrived in Istanbul on the 9th of November. The next day, we started out by going to the Blue Mosque. We were going to go first to the Aya Sofia, but a Turkish carpet salesman told us that the Blue Mosque closed at 11 for prayers. There are a lot of haggling shopkeepers all over Istanbul. They say, “You have been looking for my shop?” and we reply, “No thank you. We already bought a carpet” or, “No thank you, we already bought lunch”. Many of these sellers are actually very nice, and just want to do business. I think of them as businessmen who are not rich. They wear ties, ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5992178.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_8lKigYwkaYkY6HNkSEeDzNBa9NQ_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/8lKigYwkaYkY6HNkSEeDzNBa9NQ_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_8lKigYwkaYkY6HNkSEeDzNBa9NQ_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=8lKigYwkaYkY6HNkSEeDzNBa9NQ_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j5992178.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5992178.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-11:5976586 2007-11-11T15:42:20Z 2007-11-11T15:42:20Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/urgup-turkey-reviews-hotels-d76715.html">Urgup, Turkey.</a></p> <p>By Christina</p><p>Wednesday the 7th of November found us on our first domestic flight in Turkey, on Turkish Airlines from Istanbul to Kayseri and, other than Abby learning how to say “barf bag” in yet another language, the flight was relatively uneventful. Kayseri is smack dab in the middle of Turkey. The only reason one goes there, is it is the gateway to some of the most magical topography in the world. Dan and I had both been admiring pictures of Cappadocia for years, and to say we were jazzed to be there is a major understatement.</p><p>Things started out great, really great. I had chosen ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/urgup-journals-j5976586.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_4Fm3PcHBvhJWJDvBsvMWrlrCewM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/4Fm3PcHBvhJWJDvBsvMWrlrCewM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_4Fm3PcHBvhJWJDvBsvMWrlrCewM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=4Fm3PcHBvhJWJDvBsvMWrlrCewM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Furgup-journals-j5976586.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/urgup-journals-j5976586.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-08:5956477 2007-11-08T20:23:27Z 2007-11-08T20:23:27Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/canakkale-canakkale-reviews-hotels-d1294461.html">Canakkale, Canakkale.</a></p> <p>By Dan</p><p>Leaving the sleepy fishing village of Assos on November 5, we drove another 100 km. or so north and east to the town of Canakkale, which is on the southern side of the Dardanelles. For those of you who were asleep on that day in geography class, the Dardanelles are the narrow straits that separate Europe from Asia, and connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. (Istanbul and the Bosphorus, 300 km. to the east, are the other narrow spot separating the two continents.) So, all commerce going from the Med up towards Russia and Central Asia runs through this narrow stretch of water, ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/canakkale-journals-j5956477.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_-hZpXOK2Z-o.rHUiDpxt.qK.7TA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/-hZpXOK2Z-o.rHUiDpxt.qK.7TA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_-hZpXOK2Z-o.rHUiDpxt.qK.7TA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=-hZpXOK2Z-o.rHUiDpxt.qK.7TA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fcanakkale-journals-j5956477.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/canakkale-journals-j5956477.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-08:5956266 2007-11-08T18:16:06Z 2007-11-08T18:16:06Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a review of Esbelli Evi, a place to stay in <a href="http://realtravel.com/goreme-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15849.html">Goreme, Turkey</a>.</p> <p>The Esbelli Evi is a cave hotel located in Urgup, not Goreme (the Real Travel website did not offer Urgup as a city!). This place is beautiful and cozy as can be. We thoroughly enjoyed the proprietor who provided a host of information, the room which was so beautifully decorated, and the breakfast which was wonderful. If you are going to Cappadocia, Turkey, you must stay here!</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/goreme-reviews-b5956266.html">[Read full review]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_J8W54ZGeW1OuqOFbWfpeuQwDoVc_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/J8W54ZGeW1OuqOFbWfpeuQwDoVc_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_J8W54ZGeW1OuqOFbWfpeuQwDoVc_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=J8W54ZGeW1OuqOFbWfpeuQwDoVc_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgoreme-reviews-b5956266.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/goreme-reviews-b5956266.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-08:5951904 2007-11-08T06:25:01Z 2007-11-08T06:25:01Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/selcuk-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15899.html">Selcuk, Turkey.</a></p> <p>By Dan</p><p>Leaving the hot water experience at Pamukkale, our next stop was Selcuk. (Turkish pronunciation and spelling results in the town being pronounced Sel-choock.) Selcuk became one of our favorite towns in Turkey: it’s small, manageable, clean, full of friendly people, and next to some of the most awesome archaeological stuff in the world.</p><p>Those of you who have been to a wedding or two will be familiar with the popular reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (Sorry, my Bible seems to be out of reach, so I can’t give you the psalm citation.) After Jesus was crucified, John ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/selcuk-journals-j5951904.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_w4zuw-jPj-E2aNZ-Ol.OUraqwmA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/w4zuw-jPj-E2aNZ-Ol.OUraqwmA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_w4zuw-jPj-E2aNZ-Ol.OUraqwmA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=w4zuw-jPj-E2aNZ-Ol.OUraqwmA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fselcuk-journals-j5951904.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/selcuk-journals-j5951904.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-07:5949727 2007-11-07T20:48:37Z 2007-11-07T20:48:37Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/pamukkale-denizli-reviews-hotels-d1203903.html">Pamukkale, Denizli.</a></p> <p>By Dan</p><p>After six nights in Turkey, it felt a little weird to be striking out on our first real foray into Turkey proper. Somehow, a quick run to Fethiye, 3 nights on the gulet, and then the Olympos and Antalya stops had seemed too easy. (OK, maybe the passage of time has dulled the memory of some of our early misadventures!)</p><p>We had booked a car for a week, planning to work our way up to Istanbul. I’ll confess to some serious butterflies in my stomach (the size of helicopters) as we took a cab to the Antalya airport on November 1 to pick up the car. Unlike in France, where I could ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/pamukkale-journals-j5949727.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_ZUe-cXi43op.4s2cXyaN9Rn0jv8_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/ZUe-cXi43op.4s2cXyaN9Rn0jv8_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_ZUe-cXi43op.4s2cXyaN9Rn0jv8_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=ZUe-cXi43op.4s2cXyaN9Rn0jv8_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fpamukkale-journals-j5949727.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/pamukkale-journals-j5949727.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-07:5949337 2007-11-07T20:04:19Z 2007-11-07T20:04:19Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/antalya-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15804.html">Antalya, Turkey.</a></p> <p>Bathing</p><p>By Christina</p><p>Part I – Antalya</p><p>Late in the afternoon of our first day in Antalya, we trundled down the street to the local hamam (Turkish bath), where folks have been sweating out their sorrows for more than 700 years. We were all very excited about the opportunity to use the sauna, receive a body peel (intense scrub) and soap massage. The place did not disappoint. It has recently been refinished but still contains the beautiful architecture and design of the original building. The rooms are heated using hot water in pipes beneath the floor (a Roman invention, as we ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/antalya-journals-j5949337.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_5n9CM-1Aosz.t69uNRu.v0uKSDA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/5n9CM-1Aosz.t69uNRu.v0uKSDA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_5n9CM-1Aosz.t69uNRu.v0uKSDA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=5n9CM-1Aosz.t69uNRu.v0uKSDA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fantalya-journals-j5949337.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/antalya-journals-j5949337.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-10-29:5869285 2007-10-29T09:47:12Z 2007-11-07T14:56:05Z John and Erin http://realtravel.com/member-m4646064-john_and_erin.html <p>a entry by John and Erin from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/pamukkale-denizli-reviews-hotels-d1203903.html">Pamukkale, Denizli.</a></p> <p>We arrived in Denizli mid afternoon, the town was much larger than we had envisioned. We were a little frazzled at first but once off the bus a guy approached us and helped us onto a local domuş (pronounced Domush), minibus in Turkish to make our way to Pamukkale, meaning Cotton Castle in Turkish. Interesting enough his guy turned out to be a part owner of the hotel we had booked and he had been waiting for us to arrive so he could help us.</p><p>The domuş was very busy with locals of all ages. John and I shared our fair share of stares. The driver knew where to drop us off and there on the on ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/pamukkale-journals-j5869285.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_FUKYldPrHAhG.AlJWSOPip5kGaw_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/FUKYldPrHAhG.AlJWSOPip5kGaw_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_FUKYldPrHAhG.AlJWSOPip5kGaw_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=FUKYldPrHAhG.AlJWSOPip5kGaw_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fpamukkale-journals-j5869285.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/pamukkale-journals-j5869285.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-05:5934869 2007-11-05T16:36:03Z 2007-11-05T20:56:58Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/olympos-turkey-reviews-hotels-d779116.html">Olympos, Turkey.</a></p> <p>By Christina</p><p>One of my favorite people on the gulet was an Australian guy named Phil, who was touring around Turkey with his lovely wife Sharon. I liked him from the very first morning, when he and I found ourselves loitering around the kitchen area waiting for the water to boil for coffee. That led to a long discussion on coffee and food generally, two of my favorite subjects. We both lamented the fact that “coffee” in Turkey is of the Nescafe variety, and laughed that there we were, waiting with baited breath for our Nescafes. He did also tell me where to find the Starbucks in Istanbul ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/olympos-journals-j5934869.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_NxeAjL4U6ZoHVqYudJTRtjeh-qA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/NxeAjL4U6ZoHVqYudJTRtjeh-qA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_NxeAjL4U6ZoHVqYudJTRtjeh-qA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=NxeAjL4U6ZoHVqYudJTRtjeh-qA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Folympos-journals-j5934869.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/olympos-journals-j5934869.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-11-04:5925781 2007-11-04T16:16:01Z 2007-11-04T16:16:01Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/kas-antalya-reviews-hotels-d2068912.html">Kas, Antalya.</a></p> <p>By Christina</p><p>For those of you who don’t know, a mullet is a groovy hairstyle (short on top, long at the back) that enjoys great popularity the world over. Apparently, this popularity extends to Turkey, because the captain of our gulet had a mullet. And, for those of you who don’t know, a “gulet” is a wooden yacht used for cruising the western Mediterranean (west to east, in our case) in Turkey on a “blue voyage”. But, I will get to our boat trip in a moment.</p><p>We awoke in our lovely Fethiye hotel primed and pumped for breakfast since the prior evening’s meal had left us wanting. ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/kas-journals-j5925781.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_fK6QUoE8GqNl.Z097yyUr2LyfNs_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/fK6QUoE8GqNl.Z097yyUr2LyfNs_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_fK6QUoE8GqNl.Z097yyUr2LyfNs_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=fK6QUoE8GqNl.Z097yyUr2LyfNs_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fkas-journals-j5925781.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/kas-journals-j5925781.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-10-29:5869447 2007-10-29T09:58:35Z 2007-11-03T20:15:13Z mroc2103 http://realtravel.com/member-m4835229-mroc2103.html <p>a entry by mroc2103 from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>We traveled for ages on the train through the suburbs of Istanbul before finally reaching the centre. All of the houses were covered in flags because it was a national public holiday on the Monday. We finally got to the main train station and stumbled out with all our stuff. We headed out the front of the station with everything to get on a tram to the hotel. That was easier said than done as all the trams in Istanbul are jam packed all of the time. I'm not sure why they don't just have more trams. But then again the government doesn't even know the exact population of Istanbul so they clearly ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5869447.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_Gu0JtP08ewPBEQPJTrSGv7j1zz4_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/Gu0JtP08ewPBEQPJTrSGv7j1zz4_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_Gu0JtP08ewPBEQPJTrSGv7j1zz4_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=Gu0JtP08ewPBEQPJTrSGv7j1zz4_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j5869447.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5869447.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-10-31:5895076 2007-10-31T20:18:56Z 2007-10-31T20:18:56Z Four Explore http://realtravel.com/member-m5199332-four_explore.html <p>a entry by Four Explore from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/fethiye-mugla-reviews-hotels-d1296750.html">Fethiye, Mugla.</a></p> <p>By Dan</p><p>Since Greece and Turkey aren’t exactly the best of friends, there aren’t a lot of connections between the two countries, but we had done the research and knew about ferries from Rhodes to Marmaris. In fact, we had tickets on one that left Rhodes Town at 4:30 on Friday the 26th. It was about 50 kilometers from Lindos to Rhodes Town, we reckoned, so maybe 45 minutes on the bus, and a 15 minute walk from the bus station to the ferry terminal. So, we thought a 1:30 pm bus would work just fine. Tourist information in Rhodes Town told us that there was a 1 pm and a 2 pm bus. The 2 pm ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/fethiye-journals-j5895076.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_ZIl2WwaswW8W4rpBsLFgnGJxTlo_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/ZIl2WwaswW8W4rpBsLFgnGJxTlo_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_ZIl2WwaswW8W4rpBsLFgnGJxTlo_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=ZIl2WwaswW8W4rpBsLFgnGJxTlo_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Ffethiye-journals-j5895076.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/fethiye-journals-j5895076.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-10-25:5847694 2007-10-25T18:14:11Z 2007-10-26T09:26:41Z Marc & Rose http://realtravel.com/member-m3791304-marc__rose.html <p>a entry by Marc &amp; Rose from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/oludeniz-turkey-reviews-hotels-d793265.html">Oludeniz, Turkey.</a></p> <p>Oludeniz was stiflingly hot and the lagoon looked very enticing with its clear blue seas, but the water was like a tepid bath so wasn’t much reprieve from the heat. We went on a boat cruise round the surrounding area which nice and relaxing. The boat had a slide from the top deck, through the middle and out the side, I would have given it a go but we heard reports there was no water running through it and we didn’t really want plastic burn on our thighs so we jumped off the side instead.</p><p>We also went paragliding in Oludeniz. We drove for an hour or so in an open sided jeep up a dirt road, ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/oludeniz-journals-j5847694.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_loofw8pv7qFHtY5VLb0kbKujNu0_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/loofw8pv7qFHtY5VLb0kbKujNu0_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_loofw8pv7qFHtY5VLb0kbKujNu0_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=loofw8pv7qFHtY5VLb0kbKujNu0_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Foludeniz-journals-j5847694.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/oludeniz-journals-j5847694.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-10-25:5843860 2007-10-25T11:58:09Z 2007-10-26T09:09:36Z Marc & Rose http://realtravel.com/member-m3791304-marc__rose.html <p>a entry by Marc &amp; Rose from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>We arrived at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul round 1.30am and found a shuttle company to take us to the hostel for 50YTL, we discovered the next morning going to the airport only cost 10YTL! Oh well it was early in the morning and all we wanted to do was go to bed so we couldn’t be bothered bargaining. It was almost cold in the air-conditioned bus, something we’d crave almost constantly over the next 40days.</p><p>When we arrived at the hostel we had to face the unpleasant task of leaving behind the air-con. The heat hits you like a wall, you can taste it and feel the mugginess in the air. ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5843860.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_rrZjMwrw2lRvF7hLXMS.xFswYZk_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/rrZjMwrw2lRvF7hLXMS.xFswYZk_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_rrZjMwrw2lRvF7hLXMS.xFswYZk_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=rrZjMwrw2lRvF7hLXMS.xFswYZk_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j5843860.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5843860.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-07-09:5004592 2007-07-09T19:03:02Z 2007-10-09T09:22:16Z Michael & Erin http://realtravel.com/member-m4007884-michael__erin.html <p>a entry by Michael &amp; Erin from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/goreme-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15849.html">Goreme, Turkey.</a></p> <p>We arrived to Goreme, located in the heart of Cappadocia, and were pleasantly surprised by the approach to the village from the dry lumpy landscape. Here there is a valley of the fantastic fairy chimneys (like the HooDoos of the Canadian Rockies). First nature carved these tall pinnacles and then humans carved churches, homes, and restaurants inside them. A great way to beat the heat as they maintain cool temperatures through out summer. Our hotel was built out of the soft tuft, and we kept cool in it.</p><p>Goreme was a quiet place compared to Istanbul and Ankara, a peaceful village with no ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/goreme-journals-j5004592.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_lHxR9JcPg92crDIwotR3oUXL4ZM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/lHxR9JcPg92crDIwotR3oUXL4ZM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_lHxR9JcPg92crDIwotR3oUXL4ZM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=lHxR9JcPg92crDIwotR3oUXL4ZM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fgoreme-journals-j5004592.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/goreme-journals-j5004592.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-07-09:5004580 2007-07-09T19:01:51Z 2007-10-01T10:04:33Z Michael & Erin http://realtravel.com/member-m4007884-michael__erin.html <p>a entry by Michael &amp; Erin from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/ankara-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15799.html">Ankara, Turkey.</a></p> <p>We finally caught our overnight train to Ankara, and were quite happy to find such nice accommodations. Our conductor took good care of us, after first quizzing us on which US presidents we liked. He explained in broken English: "America good with me, but not so good with other Turkish in this car. On this train you are Canadian." That was fine with us, we had learned on the rigs that you don't enter into talks on politics and religion with strangers when you are trapped with the them for long periods of time.</p><p>Ankara is not such a hot tourist destination, but we had business we had to ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/ankara-journals-j5004580.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_oTBt3qh8QZt5bWx7jDluUJurG1E_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/oTBt3qh8QZt5bWx7jDluUJurG1E_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_oTBt3qh8QZt5bWx7jDluUJurG1E_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=oTBt3qh8QZt5bWx7jDluUJurG1E_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fankara-journals-j5004580.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/ankara-journals-j5004580.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-09-17:5567904 2007-09-17T16:38:04Z 2007-09-17T16:38:04Z Wanderlust Mugfords http://realtravel.com/member-m3996214-wanderlust_mugfords.html <p>a entry by Wanderlust Mugfords from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-turkey-reviews-hotels-d15854.html">Istanbul, Turkey.</a></p> <p>We entered Istanbul amidst rush hour and the endless suburbs were snarling with traffic. It felt like we'd never make it to our hotel but as we cornered into the refurbished and ancient area of Sultanahmet the mass of chaos seemed far away. Being the centre of Istanbul's backpacker and tourist attraction scene, I expected Sultanahmet to be a bustling mess of people but our surprise was welcome and we dotted down quickly before turning around for dinner.</p><p>Today was the end of our tour, another sad time as our family for the last 5 weeks was to disband again. To top off the tour we treated ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5567904.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_5jxDALG87bz9VohnaTZGVIIv9L8_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/5jxDALG87bz9VohnaTZGVIIv9L8_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_5jxDALG87bz9VohnaTZGVIIv9L8_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=5jxDALG87bz9VohnaTZGVIIv9L8_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fistanbul-journals-j5567904.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/istanbul-journals-j5567904.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-09-08:5490304 2007-09-08T15:44:55Z 2007-09-17T16:02:00Z Wanderlust Mugfords http://realtravel.com/member-m3996214-wanderlust_mugfords.html <p>a entry by Wanderlust Mugfords from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/eceabat-canakkale-reviews-hotels-d5490286.html">Eceabat, Canakkale.</a></p> <p>From Ephesus we headed north to firstly take in the ruins of Troy. Most people have heard the legend and have seen Brad Pitt declothed in the movie so I can understand the attraction to this place. However from all reports the ruins were rank and required the expertise of an overpriced guide to even paint a half decent picture of the times. With this information we happily sat on our butts whilst a hardy few flummoxed their way around. That night was the last bush camp and we signed off in style by pulling out the Twister board and tangling ourselves into a complete mess among the forested ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/eceabat-journals-j5490304.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_DVP5ywoKJKgFdI2383fY-9.imWQ_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/DVP5ywoKJKgFdI2383fY-9.imWQ_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_DVP5ywoKJKgFdI2383fY-9.imWQ_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=DVP5ywoKJKgFdI2383fY-9.imWQ_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Feceabat-journals-j5490304.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/eceabat-journals-j5490304.html