Turkey???

1,336 Views | 15 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by HollywoodBQ
Aggiefan#1
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As a history buff, someone who really likes Turkish foods and Orthodox Christina I would love to see Turkey.
Any one familiar?
Safe? Best time to go?

Found several hotels around the Hogia Sophia.

Thanks,

Brent C. Harriman
SoundWave Audio Video
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Josepi
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4 years ago, I flew into Istanbul, and drove all the way to Georgia(and beyond).

That being said, I would be nervous going to Turkey today. I'm not saying you shouldn't go, but it's not as safe toady as it was 4 years ago. I know for a fact that my wife wouldn't go today. I have a greater threshold for danger than she does, but I would still be nervous. That being said. It is an amazing city, and Turkish Air is a great airline (If that is who you are flying).

Honestly, we were only there for two days, so I don't really have any recs for hotels or restaurants.

My only advice is to know for sure if you are going during Ramadan. Some people like being there during Ramadan. Others no so much. The locals wont eat or drink during daylight hours, so most restaurants are closed until after dark. We found some that would serve us lunch, as we were obviously not Muslim, but you will have much fewer choices. Beer and wine was also extremely hard to find. Not impossible, but hard. That being said. Ramadan is a big party. The streets were crowded with music, dancing, and people just laying on blankets and enjoying themselves until 3-4am every night. We walked around and had a lot of fun listening to music and talking to people. If you are a light sleeper, it could be a problem. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, definitely plan around it.

I know you probably wont make it there, but the Sumela Monastery in Trabzon is absolutely amazing if you happen to be in that area.







zip04
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On my last deployment we pulled into Marmaris for a few days. It was beautiful. We took a bus to Ephesus, which was great as well. Very cool to see.
texasaggie04
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Istanbul is my favorite city ever, but it was six years ago that I was there. I know I posted a trip report a while back.
I Play With Guns
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Copy/Pasted From Previous Thread

I went in February of 2016 and that was when a lot of the major bombings were happening all around. I never once felt unsafe. We used all modes of transportation as well. Taxis, ubers, private hired drivers and the metro.

Every place I visited had metal detectors, security guards with machine guns and security all around. In the parks I visited, there were police officers with bomb sniffing dogs walking around and openly sniffing people. The parks had also removed their trash cans as a few of the bombs were concealed in the trash cans that went off.

In today's world, a terrorist attack can happen anywhere. Just be extra cautious of your surroundings and you should be fine.

Everybody has mentioned all the hot spots to see and I've got to add to the list....whatever you do, for the love of God, MAKE TIME FOR A TURKISH BATH IN A HAMMAM..........

It's such a unique/relaxing experience after touring the city all day.

The food is amazing and the city is absolutely beautiful. Without a doubt, one of the best in the world. <3
Ag CPA
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Quote:

I went in February of 2016 and that was when a lot of the major bombings were happening all around. I never once felt unsafe.
I'm guessing most bombing victims there didn't feel unsafe up to the point they happened...
Cancelled
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Go to Cappadocia. It's amazing if you like Christian history. You can take a bus. I haven't been to Pamukale in years, but it was cool back then.

I prefer the Aegean to the southern coast. Yalikavac near Bodrum is really nice.

Some of the Hittite stuff around Ankara is very interesting but it's way before Christian/Roman and there's not much left.

The spelling on all these are probably wrong.
AggieLong
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My wife and I are planning a trip to Greece in May and were going to do a 1 day layover in Istanbul on the way home. I really want to go, but my wife was very hesitant after reading the state department travel advisory for Turkey.
Cancelled
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You probably need more than one day in Istanbul.
TexAg75
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I went to Greece last year then spent five days in Istanbul and had a great time. Stayed near Hagia Sofia. There is much to see, but five days was about right. One bad experience with a cab driver, but felt safe and loved the whole
experience. Tourism is off badly so they really need your business.
HollywoodBQ
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Anybody been to Istanbul in 2017?

Safe enough to change planes there with a 5 hour layover?
Josepi
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Yes
AGC
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These recs are all spot on. My wife and I went there in 2011 or 2012 and were discussing our trip the other day. We started on the south in Mersin since we had a friend there and hit up tarsus while we were in the area. She said she wouldn't go back today as they were very dependent on Syrian tourists in that part of the country and tarsus is a small city with Christian landmarks as very minor features. She'd be worried about how much we stood out now, given that erdogans base is more rural and fundamentalist so it fits the bill.

Kapyadokya is definitely a cool spot if you're comfortable driving (traffic laws? they don't really have any, plus with LPG tanks in the trunks you may see a few burned out cars on the side of the road, somewhat risky if you get rearended) or taking a bus. We happened to get caught in the biggest snowstorm since the 60s going to Istanbul from there and were lucky? enough to have a bus driver determined to get there (saw 40 car pileups abandoned to be sorted out later, some other passenger buses overturned on the road, full parking lots at every gas station as people avoided the weather).

Istanbul was cool. Stay near the Haggia Sophia and blue mosque and it'll be easy to find liquor stores. istiklal is the big shopping street with plenty of great restaurants and it leads to taksim square, where all of the protests happened a few years ago. It's a very important landmark in the city and you can get your Starbucks fix if you're truly desperate for murica.

I would say, I feel comfortable going to Istanbul because they need the tourism and are accustomed to foreigners. The smaller towns I'd be a little more leery of, not because of overt violence but more mistrust and lack of ability to communicate. The country is a mixture of first and third world. They'll kill each other over goats in some parts.
I Play With Guns
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Was just there a few weeks ago and had zero issues.

If you have access to the lounge, 5 hours will go my very quickly!!
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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HollywoodBQ said:

Anybody been to Istanbul in 2017?

Safe enough to change planes there with a 5 hour layover?
About the Istanbul airport: I've been in and out of it into the city a few times. The location at the airport where the attack happened a few years ago is exactly the place where I thought, "this is a really vulnerable location."

Just to get inside the door at the airport, everyone has to go through a metal detector and every bag has to be x-rayed. There is a big atrium where people have to wait in long lines for this process. That is where the attack happened and that is where I always have my head on a swivel when going through Ataturk airport.

Once you're past that checkpoint, the facility is actually really nice. The Istanbul Turkish airlines lounge is the greatest thing EVER. We scheduled an extended layover on an inbound segment once just so we could use the napping and shower facilities. Wife and I proceeded to wake up, get cleaned up, eat, and then have drinks and shoot pool while we waited for our next flight.

One other great feature if you're business class: there is a passport control line that leads directly into the Turkish Airlines lounge. Line is always really short (unlike the hoi polloi line, which is always incredibly long and made worse by the throngs of families headed east laden with carts fill of saran wrapped suitcases.

You're golden since you don't have to leave the airport. Just find the Turkish Airlines lounge and enjoy the best layover of your life.
Noblemen06
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I lived in Turkey from 2009-2011. If you feel up to it, go! Turkey is an amazing country with great people.

Must see:
Istanbul (at least three days, imo...you can spend a week there and not see everything worth seeing)
Cappadoccia (hot air balloon ride at sunrise is spectacular)
Ephesus
Ankara
Black Sea region
HollywoodBQ
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Thanks for the replies. I'm not the traveler in this scenario but, your information has definitely helped.
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