Oh, this is going to be a big one. In June 2015, I spent a whole month traveling in Turkey from west to east, from Istanbul to Kars. During that month, I was able to experience a wide range of landscapes and attractions, from the cave city of Cappadocia to the tropical beaches of the Mediterranean Sea, and even the Armenian ruins in the east. It's all here, and I can show you that there is more to Turkey than Istanbul. Follow me, and I'll show you the REAL Turkey!
Istanbul
Napoleon once said, "If the world were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital." I can see why. Istanbul lies between 2 continents, Europe and Asia, and you can literally cross from one to another in 20 minutes.
Even though there were not many notable attractions on the Asian side of Istanbul, I found it to be one of the best places to get away from tourists and experience the real Istanbul. With the help of my Turkish friend, Tulu, I had one of the most delicious and cheap local foods here (and it's not just kebabs!).
Ephesus
From Istanbul, I took an overnight bus to Selcuk and used it as a base to explore Ephesus and Pamukkale. Ephesus is only a 45-minute walk away from the city center, and I spent half a day exploring the area. One of the impressive structures in Ephesus was this amphitheater, the biggest of its kind in Anatolia.
Pamukkale
Pamukkale is an ancient tourist city that dates back thousands of years to the ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine eras. This is one of the amphitheatres in the ancient city of Hierapolis.
Pamukkale contains hot springs and the famous travertines, which are terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. People believe that the water will make them young and beautiful. Let's see if my feet become younger. :)
Fethiye
Fethiye is a port city, popular among vacation-goers and yacht owners. It is also a great starting place for hikers who are planning to embark on the Lycian Way walk. I met all kinds of different travelers here.
Lying within the vicinity of the city is the Fethiye Pillars Tomb, carved on the side of a mountain. I accidentally stumbled upon this place while trying to find a good spot for sunset.
With the view of the mountain range as a backdrop and the city of Fethiye stretching as far as the eyes could see, there is no doubt that this place is the PERFECT spot for a sunset.
Butterfly Valley, Faralya
From Fethiye, I took a bus to Oludeniz in the morning and boarded a cruise to the Butterfly Valley to hike up the cliff. What I did not know was that I wasn't supposed to climb with my full backpack. It was incredibly dangerous since it involved a narrow path, several steep sections that required climbing with ropes, and a very scary cliff.
I eventually hugged the mountain as I made my way to the top. At one point, I was so reliant on my footing that if one thing went wrong, I would have slipped and fallen to my glorious death. Please, for the sake of your life, don't climb this with your backpack.
I survived, though, and I was glad to find a guesthouse at the top. At first, I planned to camp in Kabak, but the Butterfly Valley was so beautiful that I decided to stay here for a night. Three nights later, and I was still there in the Butterfly Valley. It was that beautiful!
George's Guesthouse provided me with a tent and a sleeping mat for free. All I needed to pay for were the breakfast and dinner.
The best thing about camping is that you can choose where you sleep. I got the best seat in the valley with a view of the ocean and sunset.
I met the most interesting people here in Faralya. These people were attempting the Lycian Way walk, one of the best long-distance walks in the world, and they had the best stories to tell. The trail would take them along the coast from Fethiye to Antalya, a whopping 540km in distance, and people who do this kind of thing are usually more optimistic and humble than most people, and I love hanging out with them.
Kabak
At the guesthouse the night before, Kat, Elissa, and I formed a little group where we hiked parts of the coastal trail from Faralya to Kabak and to Paradise Beach.
Believe it or not, we got lost the minute we stepped out of the Guesthouse. We walked in circles in a campground for 15 minutes before we were able to find our way back to the trail.
We arrived at Kabak beach in less than 3 hours. We were promised a quiet, peaceful beach (according to Wikitravel), but that was not the case. There were way too many tourists jamming to their loud music, lying on the beach, and tanning themselves. We had to walk a little further to find a quiet spot so we could relax and rest from the hike.
While we were heading back to Faralya via a minibus, I had an epiphany. The reason why Kabak has become so touristy is because of the accessibility of roads. Any beaches that have some kind of road access will always attract more people.
Elissa and I decided to tag along with Kat on a quest to find the "Paradise beach", a beach that not many tourists have set foot on. Kat works at the guesthouse as a guide, so she knows all the hidden gems around the area.
The trail started from Kabak, and due to the disappointment we had the day before, we were more determined than most people to find Paradise Beach.
We finally found it! The Paradise beach was completely unoccupied! We swam there for a few hours, hopped on a speedboat to the Pirate Bay nearby, and headed back to Faralya.
Cappadocia
Since I overstayed in Faralya more than I planned to, I decided to hop on the next night bus to Cappadocia and hit the ground running by hiking the Red Rose Valley.
The trail took me through some of the most alien-looking landscapes. It almost felt like I was walking on Tatooine!
The next morning, I decided to go on a hot air balloon ride and witnessed one of the best sunrises ever in Goreme, Cappadocia. Hundreds of balloons competing to rise above the ground were quite a sight to behold.
After the balloon ride, a few friends from the hostel and I went hiking in Pigeon Valley. However, I didn't see any pigeons.
Along the way, we passed the Uçhisar castle, and since it is the highest point in Cappadocia, we decided to hike to the top.
After a day of hiking in Pigeon Valley, Uçhisar Castle, and Love Valley, we decided to take it easy the next day and embarked on the "Green tour". It was a tour that allowed us to see all the sights in Southern Cappadocia that are not accessible via public transport, including the famous cave city.
Our next stop was the Selime Monastery, where George Lucas based his design of the Star Wars Tatooine set that he built in the States. I don't know about you, but I see Rampart from Heroes of Might and Magic 3 instead. Did anyone notice the mountain on the right? No? Okay...
Mt Nemrut
Now, this was where it got interesting. Most people never go further than Cappadocia, and because of that, I decided to go further. I had to catch a plane from Ankara to Adiyaman (due to my scheduled meeting with my friend in Istanbul) and paid a fortune for a transfer to Karadut, the village at the foot of Mt Nemrut.
From the village, it was a 3-hour walk one way to the summit, and there were no shades to be seen along the way. I was extremely dehydrated by the time I arrived at the summit. The road was also not as exciting after a while, but the statues of gods at the summit made it all worthwhile.
The heads were scattered around the summit, overseeing the stunning mountains that surrounded the area.
Van
Ramadan started when I was in Van, and the further I went east, the more difficult it was for me to find food. Van was the most difficult of all, and I ended up living on cookies and crackers for the next two days. Thankfully, there is a beautiful Armenian cathedral situated in the middle of Lake Van, so it was not as bad.
I took a dolmus from Van city to Akdamar port and got on the island via a public ferry. Upon arriving, I went straight to the only hill on the island to capture the cathedral from the top. The cathedral of the Holy Cross was nice and all, but I prefer seeing it from afar with a backdrop of the mountains.
After I returned from the island, I took another Dolmus to the Citadel to watch the sunset. Since the Citadel entrance was already closed by the time I arrived, I had to be a little creative to enter the Citadel without going through the entrance.
While I was trying to find a way in, I saw an open side gate. I looked left and right, made sure that no one was looking, and slid myself in. I walked along the side of the citadel from the bottom until I reached the west tip of the mountain and climbed up to the top to see the sunset. By the way, you did not hear this from me! :)
Kars
I went to Trabzon before heading to Kars, but I forgot to take a photo of myself there, so I apologize. From Trabzon, I took a night bus to Kars and went on a day tour to Ani. Ani is a ruined medieval Armenian city near the border of Armenia and Turkey. This place was definitely one of the highlights of my trip in the east.
I spent a total of 3 hours in Ani alone. The site was full of Armenian architecture, vast valleys, and beautiful Silk Road trails that you could explore.
It is also a site of structures built in impossible places. This is the remnant of an Armenian church, built on the side of a cliff. The Armenian architecture was a refreshing change from all the Roman ruins I'd seen on my trip.
In Ani, there was a trail called the Silk Road that would take me through the valley. I was intrigued to give it a go, but since I was on a 3-hour schedule, I decided not to... until one Turkish couple approached me and told me that I should at least go down to see this amazing structure in the valley. I am easily persuaded when it comes to something like this, so I went. It was freaking awesome!
The structure was hiddenly built behind a cliff, at the bottom of the valley right by the river. You just have to wonder what the function of the structure was during ancient times.
I named this the Thunder Canyon because it appeared as if thunder had struck the ground and formed the canyon.
This was me overlooking the canyon from a window of one of the Armenian churches along the cliff.
I mean, who the hell built that house on that mountain? They really enjoyed constructing structures in impossible locations.
Even though I had to travel 1600km across Turkey to see Ani, I think it was well worth the effort. It was one of the most beautiful ancient sites I'd seen, surpassing Ephesus and all the structures in Cappadocia. If you are an adventurous type, this place is a no-brainer.
After a whole month of traveling in Turkey from west to east, I can proudly say that I've done a lot more things in Turkey than most people have, and I urge you to give the east a go next time you're in Turkey. Farewell, Turkey.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Want to take your photography game to the next level? Here are some resources to help you upgrade your work and photography gear:
Further Reading for Turkey
Turkey is a country that stands in the middle of Europe and Asia. Empires rose and fell on this land, and in order to see Turkey as a whole, you will have to go farther than just Istanbul.
Here are a selection of articles and travel guides that you might need to further plan your trip to Turkey:
- First time visiting Turkey? Here are the 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Turkey.
- Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Turkey? Check out our One Month Itinerary for Turkey.
- Istanbul is the crown jewel historical city of Turkey and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are a lot of things to do, and you are going to need a complete travel guide to see them all. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Istanbul, Turkey.
- Have a transit flight between IST and SAW airports in Istanbul? Here is a complete guide on How To Get From Sabiha Gokcen To Istanbul Airport And Vice Versa.
- A lot of Roman influence can be seen throughout Turkey. One of the best places to see this is at Ephesus ruins in Selcuk. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Selcuk and Ephesus.
- Pamukkale is home to the ancient travertines of Pamukkale, and it is a place you should definitely visit in Turkey. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Pamukkale, Turkey.
- The southwestern coast of Turkey boasts some of the most stunning beaches, cliffs, and hiking trails in the country, and one of the best places you shouldn't miss is the Butterfly Valley. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey.
- Looking for a nice, quiet place by the beach to relax and do yoga for a few days in Turkey? There is no better place to be than Kabak. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Kabak, Turkey.
- You can't deny it, Cappadocia is one hell of a stunning place to travel to, and there are a ton of things you can do there. From riding a hot air balloon to hiking, here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey.
- Mt. Nemrut and its massive stone statues of gods is one of the most unique places I have ever seen, but it is not the easiest place to visit. To save you the trouble, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Mt. Nemrut and all the information you need to make the journey as I did.
- If you are planning to travel to East Turkey, Van is one of the cities you must stop by. Known for its awesome breakfast and its location by the largest lake in Turkey, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Van, Turkey.
- Visiting Sumela Monastery is one of the highlights of traveling to Eastern Turkey, but due to its remote location, getting there can be tricky. Here is How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Ani, the ancient Armenian City in Kars, is the highlight of Eastern Turkey, but it can be quite tricky to visit unless you know how to do it properly. Here is How to Travel to Ani, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
- Since you are already all the way east, why not cross the border from Turkey to Georgia and make your way to Tbilisi, a vibrant capital city of Georgia? Check out my Georgia Travel Guide to plan your next trip to Georgia.
- For all articles about Turkey, visit the Turkey Travel Guide page.
- Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
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4 Comments
How do you photos so crisp and clear. Who took your photos. Any tips and camera use or apps?
Thank you! I took my photos.. with a tripod :) I've written a post about my camera gear so yo ucan check them out here: http://blog.bucketlistly.com/.../travel-photography-gear...
As a Turkish-born living in the States who finally started to make her way back home every couple of years to explore more, I found your articles to be the most unique and inspiring. I’ve always been mesmerized by Mount Nemrut but it used to be not safe back in the day (80’s and 90’s) so it was not an option but your story makes me want to definitely include it on my next Turkey trip. You’ve seen so much more of my homeland than I have; thank you for sharing great helpful details.
Hey Melis,
Thank you for such a kind words. Mt. Nemrut was amazing and as awesome as I had expected. I really enjoy exploring Turkey especially in the East. I hope you will be able to explore your own country more one day! :)