Turkey
Turkey, the country where Europe and Asia meet; land of contrasts. The perfect place for the adventurer. With Noah's Ark at Mount Ararat, the footsteps of St Paul, the ruins of Troy, the Bosporus between Europe and Asia, the Princes Islands, endless little shops flooded with chaotic bazaars, more than a thousand kilometers of Mediterranean coastline, and the multicultural heritage of once ruling Sultans.
This country with its rare combination of moderate climate, natural variety and historical background, offers splendid opportunities not only for summer but also for winter vacations. In any of both selections, don’t forget to taste their raki and mezes!
With thousands of tourists visiting them every summer, the most popular resorts are Istanbul, Izmir, Bodrum, Marmaris, Cappadocia and Antalya...
Istanbul is decorated with small parks and gardens. Tourist attractions include the Blue Mosque, the only mosque in the world with six minarets; the palace of the Ottoman sultans Topkapi, with its view over the Marmara Sea and the Bosphorus; the St. Sophia, once a Byzantine cathedral, later a mosque and now a museum, and the Byzantine underground cistern supported by 336 Corinthian columns. Across the Golden Horn, up to Pera, is where you’ll be able to find larger hotels.
Izmir is the birthplace of Homer and one the important ports in Turkey. Situated in a curving bay with terraced hillsides around this modern metropolis has only few reminders of old Smyrna, the fourth-century fortress on top of Mountain Pagos a s a result of earthquakes and a great fire. The fortress has an enchanting view of the city and Gulf of Izmir. Cesme is one of the popular resorts in this region. It has beautiful beaches, some thermal springs and a 15th century fortress.
Bodrum, known for its most lively nightlife on the cost of the Aegean Sea, is located on the peninsula between Kusadasi and Marmaris. Now a popular seaside town and birthplace to the father of history Herodotus, once was dominated by the magnificent 15th-century Castle of St Peter.
Not far lies Fethiye and Olu Deniz, a amazing crystal clear lagoon with a beautiful beach, surrounded by pine covered mountains. Protected from rampant commercial development, its status is set to ‘national park’. Famous with spectacular calcified waterfalls and thermal waters used since Roman times for therapeutic purposes, Pamukkale near Denizli also contains the ruins Hierapolis.
Cappadocia is has a spectacular landscape consisting of rock and cones, capped pinnacles and fretted ravines. Since 400 BC Dwellings have been hewn from the soft, volcanic rock, and the cave systems have sheltered generations of settlers. Some villages are still inhabited but most have been evacuated owing to the persistent threat of rock falls. At Goereme and Zelve there are magnificent rock churches with Byzantine frescoes. Villages Ortahisar and Uchisar offer a good view to rock pinnacles and citadels around them. Worth seeing are also the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu and the Ihlara canyon. It is possible to find various hostels and campsites around Cappadocia, but the best hotels are located in the towns of Urgup or Nevsehir. Now a ski resort, the ancient settlements of Karum, Kanes and Fraktin near Kayseri is also a place not to be missed.
The vast Anatolia differs from the rest of the country with a desolate beauty of a landscape, red plains and fertile valleys, waterfalls and lakes, snowcapped peaks and some hidden mosques, palaces and monuments.
It is impossible to stay indifferent to a beauty of nature, enchanted landscapes and the colorful people a vacation in Turkey. You will never forget this holiday.
Turkey photos retreived from Flickr; SHF has no responsibility for the content.
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reviews and insider tips for Turkey
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17 Apr 06
Uzungöl
Uzungöl, when translated to English means Long Lake. It is located in Çaykara a province of Trabzon. Trabzon is a city in Eastern black sea region of Turkey. It does have an international airport so it is easy to go there. The eastern black sea region is flourished with natural beauties and hosts one of the few rain forests on earth. The greenery blends with the blue sea; although it is called black, the sea is very much blue unlike its name. The wide range of trees and flowers are present throughout the year. The region is famous for the vast amount of rainfall it receives, the land is very much fertile and the scenery is spectacular. The villages are scattered around top of mountains and hills to receive sunshine for the longest duration. Most of the houses are still made of wood and unique to the region. The people are very friendly and enjoy seeing foreigners. Main source of income in region is from tea cultivation; and the second source is hazelnuts, as the region raises more than half the hazel nut grown on earth. Maze, beans, pumpkins are grown for self consumption and are not sold. Lately kiwi has been introduced to the region as alternative agricultural product in is doing fine so far.
If I must get back to uzungöl, I can say it is very easy to get there. Take a plane to Trabzon; then drive east towards “Of” (A suburban of Trabzon) and then drive south to Çaykara. Just follow the main road and you should be at uzungöl in less than half an hour. The whole journey from Trabzon to uzungöl shouldn’t take more than 2 hours. 2 hours may not be too short but the scenery along the way is worth spending the time. You will cross many bridges and drive along a river with loads of trees and flowers all around the road. Also you will meet some very nice people if you step out of your car and spend some time to try to talk to them; as English is rarely spoken in the region.
Once you reach the lake; you’ll see that it’s a small lake trapped in a small valley surrounded with high mountains covered with pine trees. If you go in winter or fall, it is most likely to be foggy when you get there. Even in summer you may come across fog. The first thing to capture your attention will be the traditional houses by the river and the lonely mosque right beside the lake. Once you pass the small town center, you will see a number of accommodations to choose from. Most of them are bungalows made from pine trees and some small apartments made from pine trees as well. All accommodations are located beside the lake so all have very nice scenery to enjoy. I must say, when compared to 15 years ago, there is quite a bit of too much accommodation; which sort of spoils the natural beauty of the lake; however, it is still bearable. If you are a nature lover, there is a lot to do once you settle down, but if you are not go back and get a flight to Istanbul.
If you are into nature photography, there are so many things to shoot. You can go higher in the mountains to see the high platoons for daily trips too. You can even go pick up some delicious mushrooms to cook on your bungalow's traditional stove. Be careful though; make sure you don’t pick up the poisonous ones!
Summer is probably the best time to visit the lake; but make sure you bring some sweaters, even a coat to make sure you don’t freeze to death as it can get very cold even in summer. Winters are also a good time to visit if you enjoy heavy snow. Actually every season is a good time to visit; each season has its own unique beauties!
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The Holiday Inn Bursa is surrounded by the Uludag Mountain and a pine forest.
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