michelle

Hello, I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays! I am planning a trip to Turkey & Greece (fully aware of the war issues associated with this part of the world; I have weighed the pros and cons and have decided to go for it) and would welcome any advice as to which are the best parts to visit; at what time of the year; what sites are not to be missed (off the beaten track as well please); what is the best mode of transportation within each Country, and who and what are the best dive centers and places to dive? My boyfriend and I are very adventurous and love hot climates (but not so hot that it is unbearable)I have surfed many websites but feel that a lot of the information for "where to go and what to see" are biased and more advertising than anything else. Any advice/help you could give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Happy New Year!

fiona

If your are truely adventurous just fly into Athens , go to the port(Pireaus), chose an island and take it from there!!!There are numerous islands you can see from there.One definite is Hydra, it is the most picturesque island you will have ever seen!Spetse is where to go for a lively atmosphere. Poros is another pretty place( although we found it quite expensive- lots of private yachts moor there) But it is so easy to get from one island to another you can't go wrong. You must also take at least one day in Athens. Also ,from Athens ,some places to visit on the mainland are Epidavros, Mystras and Mycenae.From Athens you could fly to Rhodes- you must see the old town there and also Lindos is a "don't miss".From Rhodes you can get a ferry to Turkey. ( you could possibly get a ferry to Rhodes from Athens but I'm not too sure) By the way, you can also take a ferry from Rhodes to Kos,its worth a day trip.Although I have been to turkey once it was not really a sight seeing holiday,more a "chill out". It WAS planned as sightseeing but we went in July and it was just too hot for us!!!!Hopefully someone else can help you there!!Happy to help with any other queries you have!!

Dina

Matt's Greek Travel website,<BR>http://www.greektravel.com/<BR>is very informative, with a description of each island and travel advice about each. Using this info we chose Sifnos.<BR><BR>The Greek part of my photo-travelogue, which you might find useful,is on the pages: <BR>(Italy to Greece)www.costumegoddess.com/adriatic.htm<BR>(Athens)<BR>www.costumegoddess.com/athens.htm<BR>(Sifnos)<BR>www.costumegoddess.com/sifnos.htm

michelle

Thanks Fiona and Dina for your advice. I checked out your photos Dina; looks like you had a lot of fun! Anyone else have some suggestions?

Patrick

How much time do you have? Last summer we spent 18 days in Turkey, followed by four weeks in Greece, staying on seven islands plus Athens. It was all great fun, but I have to say we enjoyed Turkey as much or more than Greece. Istanbul is just so . . .well, foreign and exciting. The central part of Turkey, Cappodocia in particular,is unique -- our stay at the small cave hotel Esbelli Evi was perhaps a highlight of the entire trip. The towns along the south coast of Turkey are like I always pictured Greece to be, but surprisingly most of the Greek isles are so dry, barren, and rocky as opposed to the lush green of the Turkish coast. There are truly wonderful diving excursions off the coast of Turkey and you can join one of the small gullets which look like miniature pirate ships for a 3 to 7 day cruise at incredible bargain prices. A few of those boats even carry diving equipment so you can dive along the way.<BR>Ephesus is truly one of the greatest archeology sites in the world, so if you are at all into history, you would certainly enjoy it.<BR><BR> Although Santorini still must rank as the most spectacular (at least in views and the location)of the Greek islands and we did enjoy it, our favorite island was Crete -- so much to see and do there. We rented a car and spent a week there, loving it all. We found Samos rather quiet and remote and very interesting, and Simi an absolute delight -- very little tourism except for the day trips over from Rhodes. Strolling the harbour at night and eating at their wonderful restaurants was truly memorable. There is actually very little diving in Greece as it is forbidden in most areas, but you'll need to check with a good dive website regarding that. I do dive, but didn't do any in either Turkey or Greece, we just seemed to busy. <BR><BR>In terms of transportation, most of the islands are best reached by ferry or hydrofoil and there is seldom much need for a car, although we did find ourselves doing a two day jeep rental on both Kos and Rhodes, a one day jeep rental on Mykonos, and certainly enjoyed our car for our full week on Crete. Car rentals, even the daily jeep rentals were surprinsingly inexpensive, we thought. Most hotels will set you up with a local service at super rates. In Rhodes we met the guy with the jeep under a big tree just outside the old city gates. We signed the papers, paid him cash (about 60 dollars for two days) and then returned the car by leaving it at a prespecified public parking area with the keys under the floor mat. He insisted it would be fine and it was. A much different way of doing business there.<BR><BR>We were in Turkey in late May and in Greece for most of June and couldn't have been happier with the timing. Turkey had incredible bargains including the 5 star Rennaissance resort outside Antalya for $99 a night for two, including spectacular buffet breakfasts and dinners. Greece, though I'm sure is always crowded in summer was apparently much better in June than it would have been in July and August, and although hot was not unbearable. The nights were spectacular with pleasant ocean breezes. We are from Florida, however, so maybe we are just used to the hotter weather.<BR><BR>You will love Greece and Turkey whatever you decide.<BR><BR>

Susan

Michelle, you're going to have a wonderful trip! My husband and I spent 3 weeks in Greece and Turkey last year (September 2000). I had been to Greece years ago and enjoyed, but the highlight was probably Turkey. We had 2 weeks in Greece. I wanted to chose islands that were very different from one another. We started in Rhodes which I loved - we stayed in a little hotel on the outskirts of the old city. It was a great location. Then we had a week in Turkey (more about that later). After Turkey, we flew to Santorini. Yes, it is beautiful, but I agree with Patrick. It definitely was not my favourite. I wish I had gone there 25 years ago - it's very very touristy now. We then finished up our island vacation on Naxos, which I had visited 25 years ago. I still love Naxos - I guess it has a special place in my heart. All 3 islands are very different from one another. On my previous trip, I also saw Crete, Paros and Ios (I was young then, what can I say? It wouldn't be my choice now!) We finished our trip in Athens, which many people don't like, but we did. We had only 2 nights there and wished we had booked less time on Santorini and more time in Athens. <BR><BR>Now, Turkey. Turkey is wonderful. We live in Canada - I'm Canadian but my husband is American. We had been warned by people (usually Americans) that Turkey might not be safe for Americans. We hadn't really made plans to go there - we just decided to play it by ear. With only a week, we obviously didn't see a lot - we took the ferry from Rhodes to Marmaris, about a 45 minute trip. We then hopped a bus to Fethiye, which is south of Marmaris, on the coast. It's a nice little area. Some nice beaches (Olu Deniz is near there) and a 400 year old Turkish bath, which we visited. We hadn't booked a hotel there, but found one very easily (at that time it was about about $20 USD which included breakfast and taxes). Not luxurious, but comfortable and clean. We then took a bus further south to Kalkan, which I loved. It's a picturesque seaside town - sure there are tourists, but it's charming. Some good restaurants and we made some interesting trips from there. It was really wonderful. Patara, which is a very long beach with some small ruins, is close to Kalkan. Another town nearby is Kas, which some people prefer, but I thought Kalkan was much prettier. Buses were very easy for travelling and we didn't even consider renting a car. (We did rent cars on Santorini and Naxos - well worth it, I thought.) <BR><BR>We had hoped to go back to Turkey September 2002, but we're postponing the trip. September 11 really wasn't a factor in our decision. Unfortunately the airfare is quite expensive and we had to buy a new car this year! I think 2002 might be the year to see Nova Scotia and PEI, 2 provinces that we haven't visited before. But we'll definitely go back to Turkey and see more. <BR><BR>I think September is a good time to visit. The water in the Mediterranean and Agean has warmed up over the summer. It's still hot, but not deadly. (Apparently it got up to 42 degrees C in Kalkan in July.) There are still tourists, but it's not nearly as busy as it would be in July or August. That's when I would go again. <BR><BR>Good luck with your planning!

smg

I want to help you by giving some useful address...<BR><BR>www.silkroadhotels.com<BR>www.istanbulshotels.com

linda

Patrick and Susan, Thank you for your descriptions. Could you each provide more particulars regarding towns and hotels?<BR><BR>Patrick, I am especially curious about the towns in southern Turkey and also about the price range and accommodation details on your boat trip. Would my father -with bad knees, but otherwise in good shape- have an easy time? Do I remember correctly from an earlier post that you went to Bodrum(sp)? Was your hotel in Istanbul the Sultanamet Palace?<BR><BR>I will not be going until early May of 2004, but think about this trip often.<BR><BR>Thank you.<BR><BR>linda

Susan

Linda, a good website for Kalkan is www.kalkan.org.tr or www.kalkanturkey.com. We really liked that town a lot. We stayed at the Daphne Pansiyon, which is run by a Turkish German couple. They have 2 wonderful restaurants where we ate several dinners. The pension was very inexpensive (about $30 CAD / night) for a large room, basic, but very comfortable. That also included breakfast. Both websites give you a lot of information on the town and what's around there. <BR><BR>Friends of ours stayed at the Hotel Pirat. They had gotten a package from Italy - very reasonable cost. The Pirat is a proper hotel and their package included meals which they were happy with. (It's not the way they usually travel, but they were worn out from looking after elderly family in Italy - they just needed a break.) <BR><BR>I can't remember the name of the hotel in Fethiye. We also had one night in Olu Deniz - the hotel was called Blue Sky, I think. It seemed to be popular with British tour groups. It was small hotel, quite comfortable and fine for a night or 2. <BR><BR>

carol

There is no war in Greece or Turkey. When we were there last May, there was a lot of difficulty in the middle east; this doesn't affect these countries farther north. The Kurdish wars are over.<BR><BR>I agree with others, Istanbul is my favourite city in the world (it used to be Rome). It is beatifully green, safe, clean and full of visual wonders. My best memory is of the birds flying in the lights over the minarets of the blue mosque at night while listening to a Kiwi opera star (fellow tourist) sing a Puccini aria in the Sultan Hotel pub roof top lounge(not to be confused by the Sultan pub near the Blue Mosque, a rip-off joint in spite of what Lonely Planet says).<BR><BR>We spent 2.5 days in Athens, about 1.5 days too many. We also went to Santorini, and if you can do with little night life, stay in Ia... it has more character. Rhodes is great, a nice climate after desert-like Santorini, and stay in the old town. After the ferry ride from hell to Santorini, we flew everywhere, at about $90 US each.<BR><BR>In Turkey we went to Marmaris, then flew to Istanbul for 6 days, then flew to Kayseri for a two-day package tour in Cappadocia. We were told to miss Pammikale (you can't see the good stuff any more) and we missed Ephesus as we know we are not into ruins. We have heard that Antalya is great but we were out of time.<BR><BR>In May, we never booked a hotel room or flight more than two days before, and in Istanbul, we blew into town without a reservation. Turkey is very cheap. We could afford a better hotel than usual, even in Istanbul.

Patrick

Actually we didn't do one of the boat trips, but kind of wished we had. It was actually possible to walk along the harbour in Marmaris in May and book one on the spot. Even two people could charter one for a week with a two or three man crew for a total of about $1500, including all meals. Bodrum was our favorite town on the coast, gleaming white and scattered on the hills like a true "Greek" village. We stayed there at the Antique Teatro Hotel, a cluster of little villas with a beautiful private pool where they served dinner poolside at nights. Quite spectacular. One of the most expensive places we stayed, but easily worth every penny. I think it was about $150 a night. We also really enjoyed Dalyan, where you can take a little boat trip on the river to see the famous hillside tombs, stop for a mudbath if you want, or go out to the beach area. We stayed at a wonderful little place (we didn't even prebood) with separate little wood ottoman style bungalows, a great pool area, and an outdoor dining room. They had their own boat and did the trip for us on the river. If you are interested I'll look it up for you.

Jen

Hi Michelle.I am an American who lived in Istanbul for a few months last year and in all honesty can say that it is the best country I have ever been to. Leave your prejudices behind because Turkey has the most hospitable people I have ever encountered in all of my travels. Plus you can plan your trip for really cheat. If you don't want weather that is "too hot", I suggest that you do not go in July-August as it can get incredibly hot particularly in central turkey and southern turkey. If you want to beat all the tourists, your best best is late May. The must see places are: Istanbul (obviously), Efes (one of the seven wonders of the world), Kusadasi, cappadocia, Bodrum (if you like the party scene). Check out my boyfriend and I's website where we have listed all the great places in Turkey...www.geocities.com/turkishpersonaltours. If I can help you with anything else let me know. Enjoy Turkey (and Greece)!