What has made you seriously consider Turkey as your next destination?

Destinations Turkey
1

Turkey keeps appearing on travel lists, social feeds, and dinner conversations - and yet for many people it stays in that “maybe someday” category without ever quite tipping over into an “I’m going” decision.

Whether it’s the food, the history, the coastline, the hot-air balloons, or simply a feeling you can’t fully explain, something has a way of nudging Turkey back into your thoughts. What was that thing for you - and has it been enough to make you start planning? :backhand_index_pointing_down:

1 Like
2

Been to Turkey a few times, not currently on my ‘hit list’.

1p_mosque
1p_mosque293×246 17 KB

:globe_showing_europe_africa: Michel.

3

The hot air balloons - yes it may be overly touristy but I want to ride in one above Cappadocia so bad!

4

Oh, the Hot Air Balloons in Cappadocia. :+1:

:globe_showing_europe_africa: Michel.

5

I’ve been to Turkey twice, and it is one of my favorites! It’s absolutely one of the best countries that I have ever visited. The second time, my wife and I stayed for an entire month, and we went all over, not just to the most popular places.

The selling point that people need to know: Turkey offers everything. It’s got amazing history, historical sites, ancient ruins, stuff from the middle ages, and so forth. It also has natural beauty with large open wilderness areas, gorgeous beaches and coastlines with clear blue water, hiking (Lycian Way, for example), unique places like Cappadocia, and so forth. It also has a terrific culture with music, dancing, theater, and other activities that attract visitors. It also has amazing food, which is becoming more of a priority with travelers in general when they choose a destination.

Also, until recently, Turkey was super cheap. Prices have gone up and now it’s just “pretty good” compared to other European countries, but it’s not really expensive, either.

I think there are a few main things that keeps it off of people’s bucket list:

  • First is that it’s in the Middle East, and many travelers consider that to be a quick “No” when deciding. For some it’s the risk of nearby war, for others it might be a little bit of racism, and so forth. Personally, I think it’s very safe, but these are the reasons other people have given over conversations I’ve had with them.
  • Second is the chaos. The markets are crowded, and the shopkeepers can get a bit pushy, especially in the touristy areas. These types of things make travelers talk to other travelers, then it gets a little bit of a bad reputation.
  • Third, the “negotiating” part of it. Unlike in western countries, sometimes you need to negotiate for things in Turkey, and that makes many travelers feel like they are getting a little scammed or getting a bad price on something. This could be everything from street food to booking a multi-day tour with a local travel agent to a taxi ride. These experiences sometimes leave travelers with a negative feeling, and it hurts the whole tourism industry in countries where this is common. Personally I like it, but you have to know what you’re getting into ahead of time or you’ll find yourself annoyed. And being annoyed while on vacation is not something most people want.

All of that being said, I think Turkey is awesome and everyone should go!

6

As a Ugandan who’s done with college, I realized I haven’t traveled the world at all and the only place I get information about other countries is via social media. Turkey having bilateral relationship with my country motivates me a lot to one day travel there and appreciate the beautiful scenery, holiday activities and the cold weather.

7

And from there you can can cross the bridge from Asia and discover more of Europe.

1p_sancta
1p_sancta356×267 18.8 KB

Happy Travels.

:globe_showing_europe_africa: Michel..

8

We went to Istanbul for a few days, need to see more!