Cresset Travel Blog |

CAT | Turkey Travel

Jun/10

1

Turkish Diversity

Today we are going to talk about Eastern Anatolia and the part of the country, which borders the Black Sea.

Erzurum

The most eastern – not geographically, but by the spirit – part of the country. It's Anatolian plateau, stretching out under the scorching air of Asia Minor at a height of almost two miles above the sea level. Erzurum is one of the largest provinces of Turkey, which has left its mark on the mentality of the inhabitants of this region. They are rightfully proud of their land. To begin with, Erzurum is the cradle of Islamic Turkey. It was here where the Seljuk Turks first settled and later the Ottomans did the same before the conquest of Constantinople. They’ve settled permanently! Eastern Anatolia is literally filled up with mosques, caravanserais and fortresses. One of the oldest mosques was built in Erzurum in 12 (!) century. This is one of the oldest mosques of Turkey and the whole world.

Well, the second attraction of Erzurum, except for its remarkable architecture, is the nature of the region. Here are a few ski resorts and one of them, Palandöken, is the most beautiful in Europe. And its slopes, – according to experts – are the steepest and longest. Erzurum is also famous for such natural reserves as Tortum Lake (and its waterfall), a huge 13th century bridge, built by the Seljuks, and the fortress Oltu.

Aegean region

One of the ironies is that this is a country with and without sea at the same time… the sea is very small. The reason is simple. The coastline of Turkey is very ragged and uneven. Therefore, there are very few areas in Turkey with large sea area. One of them is the Aegean region. One of the most beautiful regions in Turkey, it is also very well developed industrially. It has a lot of factories of manufacturing, food, machine industry… This is not the only reason that makes this area attractive for tourists. It has a beautiful coastline, so many lovers of yachting often come here.

İzmir

It is not just Turkey; it is a part of world history and culture! Many thousands of years ago here was born a man who defined with his art the whole world literature. Izmir is the birthplace of Homer! By the way, the story of this region does not start with Homer, these places were chosen by the ancient Hittites. After the Hittites Alexander of Macedon was delighted with its beautiful natural surroundings. He ordered to build a fort near the present Izmir (it is preserved till now!). There are many monuments of Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. Today Izmir is one of the tourist capitals of the country (there are dozens of them in Turkey).

Marmara region

This area, adjacent to the Marmara Sea, consists of 11 provinces. The most famous in the world of tourism is Yalova region, but others also deserve travelers’ attention. The number of these provinces includes Istanbul! Yalova is known as an amazing source of hot mineral water, near which they’ve built luxurious Ottoman pavilions and palaces…

This article is presented by turkeytps.com – directory of Istanbul hotels.

· ·

Turkey is a unique country that lies along two continents. One side of Turkey is part of Europe, while the rest is geographically situated in West Asia, (also called the Middle East). Many languages are spoken in Turkey, such as: Greek, Armenian, Kurdish, Arabic and their official language, Turkish. A holiday in Turkey is the best way to see some beautiful sites and learn a great deal of history about Western Europe.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Travelers that come from Western Europe are not required to have a visa, except those coming from the UK. It is still possible to travel to Turkey by means of a train from Europe, albeit it is not very practical. This is done by those who are driven by the romantic notion of traveling by train, made famous by the movie, The Orient Express.

Arriving by plane is the fastest way to get to Turkey, and the most practical. Taxi services are widely available outside of the airports to welcome tourists.

It is a delight to travel around Turkey by bus. The buses offer accommodation equipped with air-conditioning and a great crew that attends to the needs of the passengers. They also offer food and drink, in addition to rest stops at restaurants every couple of hours or so.

Visitors who plan to drive while visiting this country should be very careful while on the road. Road accident rates are high in Turkey, especially since their roads are often left in poor condition.

Things to do in Turkey:

  • Turkey offers a great cuisine derived from Arabic and Mediterranean style. These dishes often contain meat such as lamb, which is a staple meat in turkey. A lot of spices are also used in their dishes. Turkish coffee is a very popular drink that must be sampled while visiting.
  • Travelers who are planning to go to Turkey during winter can take advantage of the numerous ski centers that are available. Rafting and yachting are also popular activities there, perfect during the summer and fall season.
  • Tourists who want to absorb the culture and get better acquainted with Turkey’s history can visit some of their famous landmarks such as: Topkapi Palace, Ayasofya Museum, Mt Nemrut tours and the ancient City of Troy.
  • Turkey is also famous for their diverse wildlife. It is one of only a few countries in the world that has preserved their ecological equilibrium. Many rare species here are protected by the government.

The natural landscape of this country is a treasure. Visitors can go on hiking trips to
partake in this wonderful outdoors experience.

There are so many wonderful things to see and do here. I hope this travel guide to Turkey has opened up this destination as a travel possibility. Many people take their holiday in Turkey to provide much needed rest and relaxation. So, if you are looking for something completely different and exotic, look no further than the only country in the world that lies on two continents.

Find the best deal in Turkey for your holiday and enjoy our 76% discount on published rates. Visit  Turkey Hotels and Resorts

· · · · · · ·

Turkey is a major tourist attraction with its sunny Aegean and Mediterrenean coastline and unique landscapes, such as Cappadocia and Pamukkale. More than 20 million people visit this beautiful and interesting country every year. Here Turkey For You provides tips and guidelines for travelers to Turkey…

Beaches in Turkey

Turkey, the name conjures up images of stately palaces, grand mosques, exquisitely woven carpets, hamams or Turkish baths where you are pampered with aromatic oils and scents and exotic belly dancers. Beaches are usually the last things on your mind when on a visit to Turkey.

For the uninitiated, Turkey, being surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the south, the Black Sea on the north and the Aegean Sea in the west, happens to be dotted with breathtakingly beautiful beaches.

Beaches in Turkey tend to be underrated. But given the beach activities available, the picturesque beauty, the historical treasure troves that they are and the wide ranging accommodation packages, the Turkish Beaches can give any Acapulco or South Beach, a run for their money.

Mediterrenean Sea Beaches in Turkey

The long Mediterrenean coastline of Turkey host many clear and sandy beaches. Here, we will take a quick peek at the most famous ones including the Patara, Oludeniz, Olimpos, Alanya, Side, Calis, Anamur and Kemer beaches.

Patara Beach

The Patara Beach, situated 75 km south of Fethiye, is undoubtedly the crème la crème of the Turkish beaches. It is a secluded beach, ideal for the solitude seekers and those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. The beach will remain this way for the proximity of the Patara archaeological ruin places restrictions on the construction of edifices, which in turn would keep encroachments of urban civilization at bay. This sandy strip, running for 20 km has another claim to fame as the birthplace of Santa Claus.

The visitors to this beach can stay in the low-end hotels and inns in the Patara village, lying 3.5 km south of the coastal highway. These hotels charge as low as US$25 or sometimes even less for a double-bedded room. However, accommodation is not plentiful and you should make enquiries before landing here. The beach is quite barren when it comes to greenery or shrubbery and you should come prepared to get tanned on a day out in the Patara Beach.

So, if you desire to engage in little bit of soul-searching while lounging on the soft sands, with the sound of the waves lapping on the shore and not a soul in sight, then Patara Beach is the place to head.

Oludeniz Beach

8.5 km south of Fethiye, nestled amidst the mountains, is Turkey`s most popular beach, Oludeniz. This beautiful beach has the look and feel of any Hawaiian or Florida beach with the plethora of beach activities available and the perennial horde of sun and surf addicts thronging the waterfront.

The Oludeniz beach packs in one of the most amazing and breathtaking landscapes in Turkey. The beach is backed by a tract of plain land and beyond it rise the mountains. These mountains constitute the launch pad for the Paragliders and the tandem gliders. On the western end of the beach is a quiet lagoon. The soaring mountains, which form the backdrop to the Oludeniz beach, shelter this lagoon from the fierce lashings of tropical storms.

Accommodation options abound in this area. There are a huge number of hotels, inns and eating joints in the plains behind the beach as well as in the hill towns of Ovacik and Hisaronu.

Olimpos Beach

In the southern part of the country, 79 km southwest of Antalya lies the most eclectic of all Turkish beaches, Olimpos.

The Olimpos beach, apart from the sun and the sands, is also a witness to history and novelty like the pine forest situated at the back of the beach, which houses the ruins of ancient marble temples. This forest sports both a primeval look with Chimera, a natural fire that has been burning incessantly for centuries and a quirky look with hotels mounted on treetops.

The lovely Olimpos beach is definitely not short on character and when visiting the place, staying in a tree-house camp should definitely be on the cards. There are various types of such aerial homes, offering different levels of comfort and luxury. However, the best accommodation in these parts is the Olimpos Lodge.

Alanya Beach

The Alanya beach, bordering a town of the same name, lies 115 km to the east of Antalya. The beach is very popular among both local and foreign tourists by dint of its endless stretches of sand, the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the rich heritage of the Alanya town, which was once the seat of the Seljuk Turks.

Summer is the peak tourist season whence, many tourists board an inexpensive flight to Antalya and then take a bus to Analya. Many hotels have sprung up in the beach area and accommodation need not be a headache.

Side Beach

The Side beach in Antalya, in the southern part of Turkey, spans 2 km of virgin beaches with gleaming white sands and warm sunny weather. Not only this, the beach has multi-faceted attractions like Roman and Greek ruins and numerous seafront eateries offering varied cuisines. At the Side beach, there is something to suit every palette.

Accommodation is also multifarious here. From cheap inns to opulent hotels, there is a place to stay for one and all, from the one on a shoestring budget to the one rolling in money.

Kemer Beach

The Kemer Beach in Antalya is poles apart in character from the Side or the Olimpos beaches. The Kemer beach has neither a historical lineage nor does it possess unique natural settings. Its piece de resistance is its modern and manicured seaside resort.

There are two kinds of beaches here, a pebbly one and a sandy one near the yacht marina and Yoruk Parki.

Around Kemer has grown a resort town whose principal revenue comes from tourism. For devoid of any other outlets for pleasure, tourists come here to have a beach blast.

Other Mediterrenean Beaches in Turkey

Near the Fethiye Bay is the Calis beach with its miles of sands. However, the buzz of activity is in the bay area with provisions for yachting.

Anamur, the southernmost town snuggled in between Antalya and Adana is a lesser known and thereby less-frequented beach, southeast of the town center.

This beach town boasts of a gigantic fortress, The Fortress of Mamure and an abandoned Byzantine town, and not to speak of the refreshingly secluded beachfront.

Accommodation can be had in the many hotels and inns, which populate the place.

Far from the madding crowds and tucked away 13 km away from Dalyan, is the Iztuzu Beach. Virtually in the middle of nowhere, this beach can very well be your own haven of peace, where you can enjoy a communion with your self, while soaking up the bounties of nature.

Aegean Sea Beaches in Turkey

For the cleanliness brigade, the ideal choice would be the Pamucak Beach, 7 km west of Ephesus. The soft spongy sands slowly elevate in the southern fringes of the beach to Kusadasi, the Aqua Fantasy Water Park.

The beach itself is always abuzz with activity with the Aegean Sea waves whipping up the sands and blurring the waters.

There are quite a few big hotel resorts like the Richmond, which have come up on the southern side of the beach, where you can put up.

In Ephesus itself, is the Kusadasi beach, which of late, has become popular with the tourists. Its proximity to the Ephesus remains attracts both historical tourists as well as the conventional beach public.

Black Sea Beaches in Turkey

Turkey`s northern fringes also have its share of beaches that open out into the Black Sea. One of the most popular ones is the beach in Sinop, which houses a slice of Turkish history.

Sinop beach is a secluded spot with the chilly waters of the Black Sea lapping up against its shores. If cavorting in the waters is not your idea of fun, then you can visit the mediaeval walled city of Sinop.

The city of Sinop still houses the Alaettin Mosque which dates way back to 1267 and its seminary, the remains of the Balatlar Kilisesi which is actually a Roman Temple turned into a Byzantine Church and the few bits and pieces that are left of the Temple of Serapis. The town also has the ruins of the Cezayirli Ali Pasha Mosque, which was built in 1297.

The Black Sea beaches do not attract many tourists because of their frigid waters. So they are actually the ideal ones to visit when in search of some peace and tranquility.

Other Important Beaches in Turkey

The Kizkalesi beach in Silifke is a small non-descript beach. But the pride of this place is the Maiden`s Castle that towers from the sea 150 meters from the eastern Mediterranean shores. On the shores, is the Korykos Castle.

The Bodrum Peninsula houses many lovely beaches like the grainy and pebbly Ortakent Yalisi, the Turgutreis and the Gümüslük beaches.

Before Going to the Beach

When visiting the beaches it is never a wise policy to throw caution to the winds. This is all the more true when visiting Turkish beaches.

Turkish beaches usually do not have lifeguards and some beaches have riptide and undertow conditions. So it is better that you have company while venturing out into the sea. It is also essential to be prepared in advance for any untoward incident.

· · · · · ·

Cresset-Travel.Com is managed by highly experienced professionals. Company started its operations in March 31st, 2006 under the name of CRESSET TRAVEL. The company has already started its associate offices in different parts of Asia, Africa, Middle East, America and Europe.

Since then, millions of satisfied tourists from over 200 countries around the world have used cresset-travel.com for their hotel reservation and holiday trips. Now, cresset-travel.com is one of the worlds most popular Travel and Tourism Portal which provides wide variety of services to our valuable clients worldwide.

The founders of the company are dedicated to provide quality customer experience in travel and tourism. They are all motivated by the belief that great experiences build great companies.

We at cresset-travel.com are proud of our reputation for excellence: a reputation based on our commitment to always exceed client’s expectation.

Cresset-Travel.com is dedicated to provide travelers with the most comprehensive collection of hotel information and services worldwide. We assist travelers in the process of making informed decisions about where to stay.

Our Objectives:

  • To bring wide selection of products and services in the field of travel and tourism.
  • To satisfy the needs and travel requirements of both leisure and business travelers.
  • To keep qualified staff to make sure that all arrangements and special requests are fulfilled to the expectations of our clients.
  • To maintain sustainable growth and profit for the company.

The Travel division of CRESSET TRAVEL is in the business of handling both domestic and incoming tourist traffic in Pakistan & out of Pakistan. CRESSET TRAVEL, with offices in all major cities of Pakistan, has to its advantage a reasonable ground handling infrastructure available from within its Group companies thereby reducing its reliance on outside services. The staff at Five Star Travels has been associated with the travel and tourism industry for many years and is fully qualified and competent to handle tours projects of any magnitude.

Our Services:

We provide the following wide range of services to our valuable clients worldwide:

  • Hotel, Resort and Apartments Reservation
  • Conference, Meeting and Banquet Booking
  • Group Incentives
  • Meet and Greet Assistance
  • Excursions such as: Sightseeing, Holidays, Safaris, Trekking, Adventure Trips, Water Sports, Cruises, Golfing worldwide.

So we are proud to say that CRESSET TRAVEL is “One stop Travel Shop” catering all travel related services.

Our vision is to be recognized as a leading provider of quality travel and tourism related services worldwide.

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Cresset-Travel.Com pleased to announce the launch of its comprehensive online hotel directories. We aimed at both business and leisure travelers; our hotel guide offers the big selection of hotel rooms in all the major & small cities in Turkey. We also give the opportunity to Book any Turkey hotels very quickly & on much discounted price, easily at affordable way online.

Combining professional design elements with easy navigability, the website’s prime highlight is an easy and affordable Turkey Hotels Reservation Service Online. Cresset-travel.com gives travelers a chance for holistic travel planning and booking experience. You only need to select the Turkey Hotels From the list of many hotels as per your budget. We give you the discounted price up to 50 to 60 % discount on all Hotels in Turkey.

Our hotels directory is  giving customers a quick and easy way of Booking Hotels in Turkey. Turkey Hotel directory offer some of the best discounted room rates for top Istanbul Hotels, Izmir Hotels, Ankara Hotels, Alanya Hotels, Adana Hotels, Antalya Hotels, Bodrum Hotels, Bolu Hotels, Cappadocia Hotels, Konya Hotels, Marmaris Hotels, Pamukkale Hotels, Trabzon Hotels, and hotels from other cities.

We are currently working on further developments of its hotel directories, such as, more personalization functionality that will allow the user to manage their bookings fully on this hotel guide. Users will review, and share their thoughts through the personalized area, hence making this hotel guide their one stop shop for all hotel needs.

For more information please visit the Cresset-travel.com, The Best Traveler Guide Turkey Hotels and Resorts

· · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Older posts >>