Tourist First: Turkey: Wonderful Place for a Vacation

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Turkey: Wonderful Place for a Vacation

My wife, Jane, and I just returned from a trip to Turkey. From our modern boutique hotel in Istanbul to a cave hotel in Cappadocia, to four nights on a gulet (traditional Turkish sailing yacht) traveling among ruins-filled islands off the Mediterranean coast, we had a wonderful time. A lot of Americans who visit Turkey do it as part of a tour. Invariably, they wish they had more time in one spot or another. We planned our trip ourselves with the help of Fodor's Turkey guidebook and the Internet. We didn't see everything -- but we saw much of what is unique to Turkey. Among the trip's many pleasant surprises was the friendliness we encounted everywhere. Turks seem to like foreigners and like to talk about their culture and country. The food, especially the seafood in Istanbul and on the coast, was also a revelation. There's much more than kebabs to be had -- though they're good, too. Try the fish sandwiches (about $2) from the floating fish grillers at the foot of the Galata Bridge. Grilled octopus salad, smoked eggplant and other treats are widely offered as mezzes -- appetizers or small plates.

2 comments:

AnonymousJuly 28, 2010 at 12:12 PM
My girlfriend and I will have a two-day stopover in Istanbul in November. What will the weather be like? What are the turkish baths like and is there one that you recommend? Thanks.
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Steve BaileyJuly 28, 2010 at 12:42 PM
It's likely to be chilly and rainy during your visit. As your visit there gets closer, check Yahoo weather (http://weather.yahoo.com/turkey/istanbul/%EF%BF%BDstanbul-2344116/) for a detailed forecast.
As for the Turkish baths, which are called hamams, the two best-known ones are near the Hagia Sophia. Cagaloglu Hamami (http://www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr/) is one of the "1,000 Places To See Before You Die," and has had a lot of famous customers. The other is Cemberlitas Hamam (http://www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr/hamam_english.htm). My wife and I went to both. Each charged 95 Turkish lira (about $60) for the deluxe program -- heat, body scrub and massage. At Cagaloglu, the massage part was incorporated into the scrub. At Cemberlitas, an oil massage in another room followed the bath/scrub portion. Both are beautiful places with separate facilities for men and women. At each, the men wear towels for the whole process. At Cemberlitas, women are given panties to wear; at Cagaloglu, women are nude. At both, everything takes place in large rooms with other people. My wife and I agreed that we much prefered Cemberlitas -- the body scrub was better and the massage felt like a real massage. Cagaloglu does give you a souvenir, though: the rough silk mitt that was used to scrub you.
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Argentine Patagonia

They are called what they look like: Mexican hats. They occur naturally in the highlands above the town of El Calafate. The water in the distance is glacier-fed Lago Argentino. An hour's drive east of El Calafate, near the headwaters of the lake, visitors can hike on the Perito Moreno glacier and take a boat ride among icebergs that have fallen off the several glaciers in the Parque Nacional des Glaciares. El Calafate is basically a summer (Nov. to Feb.) tourist town, and there are a number of hotels at all price points. We stayed at Esplendor El Calafate, a very stylish hotel with a full restaurant and bar. The South American picker-upper drink mate is available at breakfast. The hotel is an uphill walk from the commercial area, but that's not much of a drawback. Click on the photo to visit the Esplendor online.

Dominica

Probably the greenest island in the Caribbean, in terms of color and ecological awareness, is Dominica, just north of Martinique. It was named by Columbus, who sailed past it on a Sunday. The island nation is one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, but it is rich in friendly people and natural attractions, including a boiling lake, hot and cold waterfalls, a parrot jungle and hill after hill of dense green jungle. There is also a cable-car ride through the jungle canopy (http://www.natureisland.com/AerialTram.html). I wrote about Dominica years ago, and much of that article is still relevant: http://www.nytimes.com/1997/10/26/travel/winter-in-the-sun-an-island-where-less-is-more.html?scp=2&sq= Unfortunately, one of the hotels I mentioned, Petit Coulibri, has since closed. Fortunately, there's still a wonderful eco-resort called Papillote Wilderness Retreat http://www.papillote.dm/), four acres of lush gardens, hot-spring-heated soaking pools and modest cottage rooms.

Palm Springs

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Pompeii

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St. Vincent

This is one of the "rooms" at Petit Byahaut, an isolated (access by boat only) eco-resort on St. Vincent, the largest island in the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Bequia, mentioned above in this column, is one of the Grenadines. The photo above is of the living deck and doesn't show a relatively enclosed area that had a real bed. Did you notice I said "had"? That's because the place has closed. To read about the property in its heyday, click on the image for a New York Times article I wrote. The article has a link to a slide show with more images of the resort.