Turkey Travel Guide

Turkey

If you are looking for a holiday destination that can provide you more than one option in spending you vacation then Turkey is the place to go. Choose Turkey and you will have the opportunity to enjoy sunny beaches, yachting, hiking, mountaineering, and spa in specialized resorts.

Turkey – Geography

Turkey is located on two continents, Asia and Europe, and has borders with no less than eight countries, Greece and Bulgaria in the north-west, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan in the north-east, Iran in the east and Iraq and Syria in the south.

Due to its various landscapes, even if the country is situated in a temperate climate we can find important differences in the weather conditions from one territory to another. Hence the coastal regions offer milder climates and as we go towards the Anatolian plateau the continental influences are felt with high temperatures in summer, little rain and cold winters with lots of snow. The highest peaks in Turkey are two inactive volcanoes Mt. Erciyes 3917m and Mt. Ağri or Ararat 5137m.

There are also lots of marvelous islands in all three seas that Turkey has access to; most of them are in the Marmara region like Burgazada and Fener Island, in the Aegean like Bozcaada and Salih Ada Island, in the Black Sea like Giresun Island and the fewest are in the Mediterranean like Kekova and Gemiler Island.

As a result of these influences the best time of the year to go on a holiday here is from mid-June to mid-September, spring and autumn being the best times to travel.

Historically Turkey is what remained from the Ottoman Empire, which used to control for about six hundred years important parts from three continents; south-east Europe, Middle East and North Africa.

Turkey – Flora and Fauna

The country’s flora is characteristic to each region from the maquis forests in the temperate coastal areas, to the olives, cotton and tobacco grown on the Mediterranean and Aegean coasts and finally to the pines and alpine flora met in the mountains.

There are about 39 national parks in Turkey among which Munzur Valley, Baskomutan, Göreme and others, that are preserving endemic plants, rare animal species, all of them real natural and geological treasures.

The fauna is represented by over 80.000 species of wild animals, the most representative being the Anatolia leopard, many bird species found in the “Bird Paradise” from Lake Manias National Park, monk seals and different turtle species from the coastal region.

Turkey – Tips for tourists

If you decide to choose Turkey for your next vacation you need to know that a visa is required and it can be obtained by contacting personally a Turkish Consulate. The currency is the Turkish Lira and the maximum amount that can be brought at arrival is the equivalent of $5000 in local currency.

We must say that accommodation is not a problem whether you decide for a warm sandy resort or an isolated mountain retreat; Turkey is famous for its friendly people and the high standard of tourism services that will once again impress you.

Turkey – Transport

You can reach Turkey using one of the many airlines, boat companies, by bus, train or by car and within the country you can travel using the rent-a-car services. The transport infrastructure is well developed especially in the tourist areas with modern roads, ports, and airports. The most important airports are in the main cities like Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Istanbul etc. and the main ports are again Antalya, Istanbul, Iskenderun, Kusadasi and more.

Turkey – Resorts

Turkey is the dream for any holidaymaker, especially if you like spending your vacation on a sunny beach. You can choose among a variety of different beach landscapes form the rocky “swimming” beaches like the Kas Rock beach to the golden sandy ones in Antalya, from the narrow ones located in Butterfly Valley and surrounded by abundant vegetation to the wider ones but without any shade from Patara.

Representative resorts of the Turkish seaside are the all inclusive ones that offer you everything from accommodation, food, drink, entertainment, child care and many more.

One of these resorts is the Marmaris Blue Bays four star hotel offering flawless services. The hotel has 210 rooms, a spa center, swimming pool and both tradition and international cuisine. If you do not enjoy the idea of staying in a hotel you can always choose among the many first class bungalows offering just as much comfort.

For the adventurers there are many mountain retreats or relaxing country farms turned into cozy inns, offering tourists lots of outdoor activities like mountain biking, horse riding and more.

Turkey – Cuisine

Turkish cuisine is full of influences from the Asian and Mediterranean to the European ones. They are famous for the kebab, baklava, yoghurt sauces, and coffee. The lamb meat is basic in Turkish cuisine, as well as eggplants, rice, diary products, pastry, fish and herbs.

In all traditional restaurants one can taste the many types of Kebab consisting in lamb meat grilled on charcoal, the Dolma which is grape leaves stuffed with rice and spices, the Turkish Delight named there Lokum.

In the coastal sides there are some particular dishes with fish and seafood like the Hamsili Pilav, a combination of rice and fish from the Black Sea.

If you are not convinced yet by the variety and simplicity of the Turkish cuisine you should try the coffee, famous for its special flavor, one of the best in the world.

As a final idea, imagine Turkey with its opening to three seas, with the bazaars full of sound, color, and life, exotic spices, the spectacular mountains with their snow covered peaks and crystal clear lakes and be sure that it is a destination fit for everyone.