A long time client shares with us some of her experiences while on the 16 day Treasures of Turkey tour with Insight Vacations.
Last year just after the holidays, I went on a long dreamed trip to Turkey. Too few days in Istanbul (there can never be enough,) but our hotel was an old palace, appropriately lavish if a bit dowdy, and near all the most famous sites. The rooftop restaurant looked out over the great illuminated mosques, Topkapi Palace, and the sea…a breathtaking vista. I fell in love with the endlessly varied tile patterns in and on every building and have stacks of photos to prove it. The Blue Mosque pictured below is known by this name because of blue tiles surrounding the walls on the interior. It’s good we were part of a group, as it is not that easy to get in as mosques a non-Muslim visitor. Prayers are held several times per day so the Mosque closes 90 minutes each time. To enter a mosque, women must wear pants and a head covering which is provided for free, or of course you can bring your own. The intent is not to hide your face, but to cover all of your hair. On our free time, I visited the Underground cistern, several markets, (loved the Spice Market and Silk Bazzar!) and enjoyed a real Turkish massage and bath.
Cappadoccia was a harshly beautiful land of strange eroded formations. The soft volcanic tufa rocks had been hallowed out and used as shelters since prehistoric days. Huge underground cities featured elaborate systems for storage, cooking, animal housing, waste disposal and defense – amazing to visit. Meeting and staying with friendly local families, visiting small villages, school and crafts shops, learning about the Sufis and seeing a whirling dewish ritual in an ancient caravansary gave brief but memorable glimpses of an older world, and its lifestyles and the food and music were special treats along the way. There is an option to take a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia with an independent company. I did not do it, but those that did said it was the most breath-taking view they had ever seen.
Coming to Antalya on the Mediterranean Sea was refreshing and beautiful and the bazaars endlessly fascinating. When I didn’t have any change left to buy a pretty but inexpensive scarf, the street vendor said here its a gift. What are a few dollars to your pleasure? Be well. I was touched by his generosity.
I especially enjoyed visiting old Greek archeological sites, old amphitheaters and temples, with Ephesus the big highlight. The Celsus Library, even in ruins was as magnificent as my father used to describe it.
Our tour guide was wonderful, who made each day interesting and full of adventure. There were some long drives, but he managed to teach us things along the way and was well-organized. We had WiFi on the bus in most areas, although too slow during some of the longer drives, I was able to use my iPad each day. The included meals were great with a large selection at the buffet breakfasts’ eachmorning. We had the chance to taste several Turkish foods including Gozlemes (stuffed pancakes,) Turkish pizza, Kabaps and ice cream, which is made with goat’s milk and not as sweet as ice cream in the U.S. Hotels were all nice. My favorite was the Charisma Hotel in Kusadasi which was beautiful overlooking the Aegean Sea. The Swissotel in Izmir was also wonderful. I would recommend this tour to anyone considering a Turkey tour vacation.
