Suggestions for 7 Days In Turkey in August 2009
Apr 13th, 2009, 09:15 AM
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Suggestions for 7 Days In Turkey in August 2009
My husband and I are in our late 20s and planning our 2nd year wedding anniversary and I was looking to do 7-8 days in Turkey this August. I know this time will be hotter than the average, but we are coming from a very humid Chicago summer anyway (we have also visited other roasting cities like Bangkok at this time, and parts of India in April where it was sweltering).
I need help with some budget friendly itineraries. We prefer charming boutique hotels (clean, A/C - a pool would be a bonus) to the large chain resorts/hotels. I was thinking 3 days in Istanbul and 3 days in Bodrum (or another coastal city) so we can do a mix of city + relaxation. Some itineraries I've noticed include Ephesus in the middle of this route.
Some questions:
1 - Does this sound like a feasible itinerary in our timeframe?
2 - Does anyone recommend a tour group? I've contacted a few online just to compare, and it's coming out to be around $1k pp - without international travel - which seems pretty steep to me. We are not really into organized tours and prefer exploring solo, but given our limited time, I thought the advantage of doing a tour would be to help cut down on time by arranging our accommodations and also domestic travel for us.
3 - What hotels and areas in Istanbul and Bodrum do people recommend to stay in?
I need help with some budget friendly itineraries. We prefer charming boutique hotels (clean, A/C - a pool would be a bonus) to the large chain resorts/hotels. I was thinking 3 days in Istanbul and 3 days in Bodrum (or another coastal city) so we can do a mix of city + relaxation. Some itineraries I've noticed include Ephesus in the middle of this route.
Some questions:
1 - Does this sound like a feasible itinerary in our timeframe?
2 - Does anyone recommend a tour group? I've contacted a few online just to compare, and it's coming out to be around $1k pp - without international travel - which seems pretty steep to me. We are not really into organized tours and prefer exploring solo, but given our limited time, I thought the advantage of doing a tour would be to help cut down on time by arranging our accommodations and also domestic travel for us.
3 - What hotels and areas in Istanbul and Bodrum do people recommend to stay in?
Jun 7th, 2009, 06:42 PM
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Hello - my husband and i are planning a similar trip in October and are curious to find out if anyone has replied to the above email privately...as we are hoping to answer the same questions. We are departing from Chicago oct 1 and returning oct 10. thanks so much!
Annie
Annie
Jun 8th, 2009, 06:15 AM
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In Istanbul, I can highly recommend the Dersaadet Oteli. It's in a great location in Sultanahmet, very cute (but small) charming rooms, good breakfast included. Price is very reasonable for what you get. And the staff really goes above and beyond to make your visit wonderful.
Info and pics from our trip in our Istanbul post at http://patrinadoestheglobe.blogspot.com/
Info and pics from our trip in our Istanbul post at http://patrinadoestheglobe.blogspot.com/
Jun 8th, 2009, 10:44 AM
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Check out turkeytravelplanner.com for more suggestions and also the forums at Tripadvisor.com. Both of these sites were very helpful in planning our trip to Turkey this summer.
For a hotel in Istanbul, there's really very few with pools. They tend to have small rooms but there are some very charming ones in Sultanahmet (which is where I recommend you base yourself). In my research (but, again, check out Tripadvisor), I found Apricot Hotel, Empress Zoe Hotel, Osmanhan, and Erguvan hotel to be good choices. (We're a family so we chose to stay in an Apartment - Sultanahmet Suites).
I would suggest 3 days in Istanbul, then take a domestic flight (the flights are cheap in Turkey but book early). We're using Pegasus http://www.flypgs.de/ to fly from Istanbul to Izmir. From there, you should go to Ephesus (especially if you haven't visited other well preserved Roman ruins). I would suggest you stay in Selcuk for a day. Then, you can do the remaining days you have in Bodrum and fly back to Istanbul. From what I've read though, Bodrum has a very active/noisy nightlife so I'm not sure how "relaxing" that part of your trip will be but Bodrum does sound nice too!
Good luck!
For a hotel in Istanbul, there's really very few with pools. They tend to have small rooms but there are some very charming ones in Sultanahmet (which is where I recommend you base yourself). In my research (but, again, check out Tripadvisor), I found Apricot Hotel, Empress Zoe Hotel, Osmanhan, and Erguvan hotel to be good choices. (We're a family so we chose to stay in an Apartment - Sultanahmet Suites).
I would suggest 3 days in Istanbul, then take a domestic flight (the flights are cheap in Turkey but book early). We're using Pegasus http://www.flypgs.de/ to fly from Istanbul to Izmir. From there, you should go to Ephesus (especially if you haven't visited other well preserved Roman ruins). I would suggest you stay in Selcuk for a day. Then, you can do the remaining days you have in Bodrum and fly back to Istanbul. From what I've read though, Bodrum has a very active/noisy nightlife so I'm not sure how "relaxing" that part of your trip will be but Bodrum does sound nice too!
Good luck!
Jun 22nd, 2009, 04:50 PM
#5
In Bodrum I enjoyed staying at the Su Hotel - www.suhotelbodrum.com. I see that they've done some renovations (didn't think they were needed) so the prices may have gone up some. I flew Onur Air to Istanbul, quite cheaply. I agree that you should try to see Ephesus, which is a wonderfully evocative site, but is likely to be seriously hot in August. For my TR on Bodrum see www.wilhelmswords.com/eur2006
