First time in turkey for a latin girl...
Mar 28th, 2008, 08:13 PM
#2
What to expect? Lots (and lots) of very persistent carpet salesmen! (Practice saying no and/or just ignoring people.) And be very wary of rip-off taxi-drivers in Istanbul. Make sure they turn the meter on, have a map in your hand, and pay attention to the route. Better still, walk and take public transport.
Where are you going? Turkey is a great destination.
Where are you going? Turkey is a great destination.
Mar 29th, 2008, 06:36 PM
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I love Turkey. The people are very hospitable.
The food is great. Sometimes the water is a bit dodgy. It's not a "don't eat raw vegetables" place, but stay away from tap water, even to brush your teeth. Bring some immodium. I travelled there on business about half a dozen times a few years ago, and even my Turkish colleague (who hadn't lived there for 5 years) ended up with tummy trouble on 3 of the trips, as did one of my other colleagues. (Both ate and drank everything. I avoided tap water and salads, except in higher-end restaurants.
Istanbul is a good place to do some clothes shopping, particularly if you are a bit curvy (but not heavy) and are under 5'7". There are some interesting retail chains and designers whose designs fit well with the kind of styles you'd see in Europe or North America - but look different enough from what you'd find at home to make them worth buying. Shopping malls often stay open late - to 10 pm or so, so you can go sightseeing during the day, have a nap, and then go shopping. In Istanbul, check out the very upscale Kanyon Mall (which you can reach by subway from Taksim Square) for window shopping, and then go buy things at the other mall (have forgotten the name) almost across the street.
Women in Istanbul and Ankara somehow manage to navigate the hilly and sometimes twisted streets while wearing vertiginously high heels. I don't know how they do it, because some of the streets and sidewalks, even in upscale neighbourhoods, are often in disrepair. Pack heels if you like for going out at night, but be careful - and take good walking shoes for daytime.
You might enjoy reading "Tales from Expat Harem", a collection of non-fiction writing by women who have lived in Turkey.
The food is great. Sometimes the water is a bit dodgy. It's not a "don't eat raw vegetables" place, but stay away from tap water, even to brush your teeth. Bring some immodium. I travelled there on business about half a dozen times a few years ago, and even my Turkish colleague (who hadn't lived there for 5 years) ended up with tummy trouble on 3 of the trips, as did one of my other colleagues. (Both ate and drank everything. I avoided tap water and salads, except in higher-end restaurants.
Istanbul is a good place to do some clothes shopping, particularly if you are a bit curvy (but not heavy) and are under 5'7". There are some interesting retail chains and designers whose designs fit well with the kind of styles you'd see in Europe or North America - but look different enough from what you'd find at home to make them worth buying. Shopping malls often stay open late - to 10 pm or so, so you can go sightseeing during the day, have a nap, and then go shopping. In Istanbul, check out the very upscale Kanyon Mall (which you can reach by subway from Taksim Square) for window shopping, and then go buy things at the other mall (have forgotten the name) almost across the street.
Women in Istanbul and Ankara somehow manage to navigate the hilly and sometimes twisted streets while wearing vertiginously high heels. I don't know how they do it, because some of the streets and sidewalks, even in upscale neighbourhoods, are often in disrepair. Pack heels if you like for going out at night, but be careful - and take good walking shoes for daytime.
You might enjoy reading "Tales from Expat Harem", a collection of non-fiction writing by women who have lived in Turkey.
Jun 10th, 2008, 08:40 AM
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Sorry, I can't remember how much taxis from the airport cost. But I'd like to offer one word of advice about paying your driver. When you get out your money to pay, be very careful and deliberate as you hand over the money and make sure that you make eye contact and have the driver acknowledge receipt of each bill you hand over. It was in Istanbul that I fell for a scam that I'm sure takes place throughout the world - I just happened to experience it in Turkey. I handed a bill to the driver while somewhat preoccupied with collecting my things and getting out of the cab. He said "excuse me, but you've given me a 5, not a 20". Obviously, he'd palmed the bill I'd given him and showed me another, smaller bill. I hadn't paid enough attention when handing over the bill so I couldn't contest his point. It was his word against mine, and he was letting me off in the dark in a torrential downpour on a somewhat isolated stretch of road near some waterside restaurants. It wasn't a place to get in an argument, especially when you don't speak the language.
Now I'm careful everywhere I go in taxis to count out the individual bills into the driver's hand, so there can be possibility of the driver suggesting that I haven't given him the right payment.
Now I'm careful everywhere I go in taxis to count out the individual bills into the driver's hand, so there can be possibility of the driver suggesting that I haven't given him the right payment.
Dec 15th, 2008, 02:33 PM
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Latin Girl - did you get to Turkey yet? I was going to offer some advice too: its totally safe and if you have darker hair/complexion youll blend in totally! just a few tips:-
dont wear skimpy clothing;
don't wander off by yourself into quiet backstreets and if you do dont linger and try not to look lost - just get back onto a main street;
don't start chatting unnecessarily with men on the street, its okay to walk around at night, but again, stick to main streets where there are other young people and shops;
if you feel uncomfortable, then head to a mosque, or a hotel or bigger shop - always fine in there. Coffee shops in some of the older parts of town can be more popular for older men (just like the traditional british pub!), but look out for places with younger people or women and youll always be fine. Turkish people are really friendly and helpful and you should feel fine.Istanbul is a really easy city to get around and feel safe in.
dont wear skimpy clothing;
don't wander off by yourself into quiet backstreets and if you do dont linger and try not to look lost - just get back onto a main street;
don't start chatting unnecessarily with men on the street, its okay to walk around at night, but again, stick to main streets where there are other young people and shops;
if you feel uncomfortable, then head to a mosque, or a hotel or bigger shop - always fine in there. Coffee shops in some of the older parts of town can be more popular for older men (just like the traditional british pub!), but look out for places with younger people or women and youll always be fine. Turkish people are really friendly and helpful and you should feel fine.Istanbul is a really easy city to get around and feel safe in.
Dec 20th, 2008, 03:29 PM
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I am a woman who has just returned from a solo trip to Turkey. For the benefit of other women traveling alone to that country, here's how to spot a carpet salesman. His approach is almost always to ask, "Hey, are you from the US/Australia/UK?" From there he will schmooze you and engage you in conversation, then invite you to come to his small, family owned business to look at carpets. And of course there's no obligation to buy. The truth is this guy is not a part of the family that owns the business, he's just a guy who was hired to reel in customers.
Whatever you do, do NOT go anywhere with these guys!! The best thing to do is just to walk away and pretend you don't understand English. I'm not kidding, you should give no indication you even see the guy, or much less that you understand anything he is saying. I know this sounds rude, but if you talk to them at all you are encouraging them and they will never go away. If you are in a heavily touristed area such as the Blue Mosque, expect to be approaced by at least 15 carpet salesmen a day.
Except for the carpet salesmen I had no problems in Turkey and I always felt safe.
Whatever you do, do NOT go anywhere with these guys!! The best thing to do is just to walk away and pretend you don't understand English. I'm not kidding, you should give no indication you even see the guy, or much less that you understand anything he is saying. I know this sounds rude, but if you talk to them at all you are encouraging them and they will never go away. If you are in a heavily touristed area such as the Blue Mosque, expect to be approaced by at least 15 carpet salesmen a day.
Except for the carpet salesmen I had no problems in Turkey and I always felt safe.
Dec 21st, 2008, 05:59 AM
#9
Of course, if you have confidence in your ability to say no, no reason you shouldn't go with one of the salesmen for the experience. Last time I was in Istanbul I had some time to kill before prayers ended in the Blue Mosque, and I went with one of the salesmen to his outfit. I got to sit down, drink coffee, and chat while looking at some beautiful carpets. But I already own a Turkish carpet (bought on a previous trip), and had a lot of practice saying "no" in India.
