BARRY

I was in Istanbul last December and it was a great trip(my 2nd} but it was COLD...so I thought I woud go to the south starting at Bodrum and head toward Dalaman .Last time I did this by Gulet and want to know what is the best way to do it in Dec..Mostly for sightseeing and shopping...I certainly would go back to Istanbul for 4-5 days and then home. I wam plannig 12-14 days and I am open for other suggestions..I love Turkey,the warm people ,the food and the fun shopping.

sinan

H Barry,

I would say that you may not have GULET (Boat) tour from Bodrum to DALAMAN in DECEMBER but If I were you I use land.

Stay in Bodrum 2 days and visit some touristic places like ancient theatre, Castle (Don't miss the undeground museum of Bodrum) and MAUSOLEUM which is the second WONDERS OF THE WORLD in Turkey.

I don't know what type of shopping are going to do BUT on the way to Marmaris you will pass MUGLA just stop there and go to OLD MUGLA eplore yourself.

I always stay in AKYAKA (GOCEK) small town before marmaris. If you like some night life go and stay in Marmaris. After marmaris or AKYAKA (1 night) you MUST visit KAUNOS, MUD BATH and DALYAN. If you stay more then 1 day you may have DAILY BOAT tour from Marmaris to Marmaris and CLOPATRA ISLAND (Sidir Island) maybe not for swim but there is small ruin there.
DON'T FORGET to see the OLU DENIZ next FETHIYE (I don't have Turkish alphabet in my computer but "O , U" has 2 DOT on top and "I" has 1 dot on top so DON'T CONFUSE if you look at the map.
There are many places after DALAMAN AIRPORT so I sugget you go beyong DALAMAN AIRPORT. like fethiye Oludeniz Termessos SunkenCity, HidenCity and more,

Have a nice trip in Turkey

Sinan Akdneniz
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BARRY

Thanks for your quick and detailed reply...It was also suggested that I might want to go directly to Anatalya for a week(better weather) and then head back to Istanbul for 3-4 days before going home. Is it be too much to start at Antalya and heading toward Bodrum by car,using your itinerary and then flying back to Istanbul ..Is that too much for 12 plus days....I love shopping for small antiqure rugs,fabrics and jewelry for a gallery i plan on starting next year

sinan

Hi Barry,

Of course if you fly to Antalya from Istanbul then rent a car drive to Bodrum on the shore of Medi would be great for you. In this case you have to stop over 1 night in Antalya to visit Perge Side and Aspendos ruins and the Antalya Museum which are MUST SEE LIST. then second day you may drive to Kalkan or Kas (choose one of the town) on the way kalkan you can visit some ruins.If you stay 2 nights in oen of the town you may have BOAT TOUR to sunkencity (of course if the weather nice) then drive to Fethiye and follow the itinery I wrote before.

You can find many RUG shops everhwhere in Turkey and I am sure you can find many antique BUT the price would be higher then you expected so if you can find some reasonable place like small town Assos and some Bergama you may get really good price.

To find antique jewelry there are some places in Istanbul around Tepebasi and Galatasaray and some place in COVERED MARKET But you have to becarefull about the price. I recommend you again to find some small town in the North of Turkey not the south of Turkey.

Sinan Akdeniz
[email protected]

rhkkmk

on both of my turkish trips i flew from istambul to izmir and rented a car there and then drove south and then east and then back to izmir...it was easy and fun...

Matisse

Barry,

I am planning a 4 day trip to Istanbul (flying from Paris) at the end of December. How cold is "COLD"? Was it damp also?

I will probably be staying at Hotel Erboy which is in Sirkeci. I chose this one because I want to be close to the old city, and to Beyoglu where I've heard the better restaurants and nightlife are. Any comments?

sinan

Hi Mattise,

Sirkeci is not in the center of old Istanbul. Yes it is in the center of COMMERCIAL but not History. So if you want to stay in the center of history you should stay in SULTANAHMET if you want nightlife you should stay in TAKSIM.

Sinan Akdeniz
[email protected]

sandi

Regularly scheduled Gulet trips end in October and then only if the weather is still warm. The year we were in Turkey it was cold just about everywhere and the Gulet trips ended mid-September.

While weather is a bit warmer in Antalya - days being in the 60s, the nites are chilly.

You just have to be prepared with variable weather wherever you travel these days (unless you definitely know it will be hot).

But a car would be best and during that time of year the roads aren't nearly as crowded as during the summer months.

Enjoy your holiday.

BARRY

Matisse...Last Dec(12/20-12/30) it was NYC cold 30s and windy and damp but we had a great time and next time iwe will be prepared for anything....I agree with Sinan that a small in Sultanahmet makes the beat sense.I stayed a block away from the Arasta Bazaar at the Hotel Sarnic and it was reasonable with a friendly helpful staff and a nice inclusive breakfast...I think it was in the $50-60 range...Their are many small restaurants nearby and it is in walking distance to many sights...

Matisse

So Sinan and Barry, you're saying that if I stay in Sirkeci I'll be too far from the major sites in Sultanahmet? How long will it take to walk?
I don't want to stay in Taksim, but I would like to go there to eat in the evenings. I thought that if I stayed in Sirkeci, I would be in between Taksim and Sultanhamnet which would be a good compromise.

I'm confused!

sinan

Hi Matisse

From Sirkeci to Sultanahmet takes 20 minutes on food. Did you choose this hotel because of the price? And I have to tell you this Hotel is not close to Taksim or Beyoglu.

Sinan Akdeniz
[email protected]

CharlieB

Matisse - Istanbul is easy to navigate. If your hotel is in Sirkeci you should check and see if it is near a tram stop. If so, you are only around 10 minutes from all the sites in Sutanahmet all for about 20 cents. Don't sweat it - just have fun in the most magical city in Europe!