Izmir or Kusadasi
 

Whoops - sometimes I think this iPad has a mind of its own!

As I started to type a minute ago, we are planning to take a cruise with Norwegian Jade this August or September. Depending on which actual date we choose, the ship visits either Izmir or Kusadasi.

Can anyone please offer any details about either or both, that might help us to choose which option to take?

Do either stop have areas around the port that are interesting, or are we better off taking a tour to somewhere nearby. Neither of us has travelled to Turkey before, or has any Turkish language skills.

Many thanks, Di

I've been to both - Izmir (once called Smyrna) is a large,
bustling, very middle-eastern city with an authentic bazaar
and a redeveloped waterfront. Terrible traffic jams. lol.

Kusadasi is a resort type town with the usual touristic
things to do plus its the port for the Samos, Greece
ferries. You can easily get a tour to Ephesus and that's
probably where most of your cruisemates will be going...
it's well worth your while to read up on Ephesus and then
go and marvel at the Greek ruins.

Ephesus, (actually a Roman Ruin although the original city was built earlier) Saint John's basilica, Virgin Mary's Retreat and Selcuk museum (which will hopefully be renovated by the time you arrive) are terrific sites to visit and within 20 miles of Kusadasi.

It is recommended that you arrange for a private tour for yourself or with a few friends rather than take the ship's tour.

It is further recommended that you make sure that the guide does not take you to visit any jewelry, carpet, leather production facilities or outlets on the route.

If interested in shopping, try the Selcuk pedestrianized streets and negotiate prices. Kusadasi is one of the biggest tourist traps.

A good restaurant is that of Hotel Bella, across from Saint John's Basilica, where you can have some very regional dishes.

Izmir is, as Immimi wisely wrote above, too much of a large city. Although with some historic attractions, none as significant as any single one of those near Kusadasi.

Thanks to both of you for that feedback. I had the impression that Kusadasi would be the better option, as there's only a couple of the Norwegian cruises that stop there this season.

Thanks also for the warning about retail outlets - I do remember tour groups being lined up at other such places, and at the time I thought that's not how I want to spend my time.

Is there much English spoken in Turkey? I have problems with eating some food ingredients, and am wondering how best to communicate this, particularly in the countries where neither of us have any inkling of the language or text on signage. Di

You should not have any problem with the Turkish equivalents of any food ingredients which do not agree with you, especially if you keep a written note of their names with you when you go to a restaurant.

Just to prepare you ;

- Turkish food will include black pepper, tomatoes, olive oil or sunflower seed oil or margarine and onions.

- High likelihood of thyme, parsley, dill, mint, red chili pepper flakes, white flour, sheep, goat, cow cheeses and garlic.

- likelihood of sumac, eggs (whites, yolk or both), lemon, vinegars.

- we do not usually cook with well known allergy triggers like oranges, strawberries.

- Fish restaurants are usually separate locations.

- Crustaceans and octopus, calamari come as separate meals.

Thanks oc - my problem with many meals is not the fresh ingredients, but the artificial preservatives that are in many sauces, etc.

That's one of the reasons for travelling through this Adriatic region by ship - it's really only lunches that won't be eaten on board, and that's easily covered by fresh fruit and the like.

We travel to experience different cultures, but unfortunately not their cuisines so much! Di

You will most probably not have any meals offered at Kusadasi, and definitely not in Selcuk which have any artificial preservatives.

Turkey and especially Aegean Turkey is a veggy paradise where you have not only cultivated but many wild greens which adorn tables.

Definitely try the restaurant of hotel Bella for things like wild radish greens, thistles, sorrel, etc. The tomatoes you will have will be the best you have ever tasted and so will the peaches be.

Try the Turkish eggplant dishes which are miles better than anything available in the United States.

Except in the major steak restaurants in Istanbul, no one uses MSG, and other preservatives only occur in salami and sausages.

All sauces in Turkey are always freshly made. We do not buy ready prepared sauces in jars at all. Salads have olive oil with either vinegar or lemon, or sometimes pomegranate sours.