Weekending: Bodrum/Greece

by Meg Nesterov on


As an expat in Istanbul, I am very fortunate to have awesome opportunities for short trips around Europe and the Middle East. My previous weekend jaunt was to Beirut, Lebanon. Though the current 90+ degree weather is ruling out a lot of domestic travel for now, for my next getaway, I made like the locals and headed south to the beach.

The place: Bodrum, Turkey

The Bodrum peninsula fancies itself the Turkish Riviera, though the town proper feels a bit more like the Jersey Shore, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Bodrum coast (like the Jersey Shore) has great beaches and fun nightlife, though it lacks the sophistication of other European beach towns and the coastline is getting more developed each season. Still, there’s charm left in Bodrum town, beautiful castle and harbor views, and easy boat access to more secluded spots in Turkey and even Greece. Big and boutique resorts with private beaches (many of them jetties) line the sea though you may have to rent a car or rely on taxis and dolmuses (minibuses) to get around. As we wanted to stay in a walkable area with restaurants nearby, we chose the Su Hotel in town, on a quiet street close to the harbor, with a good-sized pool and friendly service.
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  • Water is the big draw to Bodrum, though the town itself has only a few small strips of beach, with most of the beach clubs and resorts in neighboring towns like Bitez and Gümbet. The few town beaches are small but serviceable, as well as convenient and most often free, though you may be obliged to buy a drink from one of the adjoining cafes. If you’re after the wide, sandy beach experience, you’re better off in a resort outside of town or taking day trips.
  • Hop on a boat and be in Greece in an hour. From the ferry, you can walk to a beach where 5 euro will get you two chairs, some bottled water, and an umbrella. Pleasant Kos Town doesn’t have a wealth of tourist attractions, but does remind you how NOT European Turkey is, if only for the good wine, availability of pork, and sensible city planning. Alternatively, boat trips are offered all over town to nearby islands and coves in Turkey.

Downgrades

  • While sometimes it’s pleasant to visit a foreigner-friendly city where English is widely spoken and familiar foods are available, after seeing the third cafe in a row serving a full English breakfast, Bodrum’s popularity with Brits and Australians becomes overwhelming and almost demoralizing. I happened to be in town during the England-Germany World Cup match, and the English loss could be heard up and down the streets. On the plus side, a nice book market on Cumhuriyet Caddesi towards the east end sells English books for as little as 5 TL.
  • You don’t come to Bodrum for sightseeing, but the main attractions can still be a little disappointing. The Castle of St. Peter holds the Museum of Underwater Archaeology (admittedly, I hoped it would actually BE underwater) and while the views from the castle are spectacular and several of the exhibits are interesting, the highlights (the cool-sounding Glass Shipwreck and remains of a Carian princess) are only open Tuesday – Friday. Imagine if New York’s Met Museum closed the Temple of Dendur on weekends or the Louvre limited days to see the Mona Lisa?! Likewise, the Mausoleum might have once been one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, but not much of it remains.

Getting there

Bodrum is an hour flight from Istanbul, with sporadic direct flights from continental Europe in season. The airport is 60 kilometers from town and a pricey 90 TL taxi ride, but a shuttle bus connects with domestic flights for 17 TL. If you have early or late flights, be sure to factor in the round-trip taxi fare to the cost of your travel. Ferries depart for Kos (also Rhodes) in the morning and return late afternoon for around 55 TL.

Make it a week

Get your bearings in Bodrum town and then sail a gulet yacht for a cruise along the Aegean. Booking a cabin will cost from 400 euro per person including meals (but not alcohol), crew, fuel, and taxes for a week, chartering the whole yacht can run thousands of euro but can work for a group of friends or family. Do your homework and shop around; Turkey Travel Planner is a good primer.

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – Austin Mann @ the World Cup (part 2)

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 26 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Are you ready for some (ahem) football? In part two of travel photographer Austin Mann’s trip to the 2010 World Cup, we bring you a look at the intensity and passion of the world’s biggest sporting event.

Watch as Austin navigates his way through the games and experiences how far people will go to show their passion for soccer; including sleeping in tents, dressing in outlandish costumes, & of course mastering the vuvuzela.

If you missed part one of Austin’s World Cup series, check it out here, otherwise click on below for part two!

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
What are some of Austin’s essentials as a travel photographer?
– Surefire G2 LED flashlight
– Garmin 60CSX GPS
– Pac-Safe lock
– Canon 5D MKII & Canon 16-35 f/2.8 II
– Gitzo 15141T Mountaineering Series Tripod


Host: Austin Mann
Edited by: Jordan Bellamy

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – Austin Mann @ the World Cup (part 1)

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 26 – Click above to watch video after the jump

For everyone out there that wanted to make the trek to South Africa’s 2010 World Cup, but couldn’t – we have a fun series of segments this week.

A few days before the games began, a good friend of mine, travel photographer Austin Mann told me that he was booking a last minute flight to South Africa to meet up with friends that had spare game tickets. I asked him to document his travels, share some of his essential equipment as a photographer, and bring us back a piece of his World Cup experience right here on Travel Talk.

We’ve broken it up into two episodes, so stay tuned for the second installment to see some of the games in action!

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
What are some Austin’s essentials as a travel photographer?
– Surefire G2 LED flashlight
– Garmin 60CSX GPS
– Pac-Safe lock
– Canon 5D MKII & Canon 16-35 f/2.8 II
– Gitzo 15141T Mountaineering Series Tripod


Host: Austin Mann
Edited by: Jordan Bellamy
Music By: Josh Ritter

World Cup hangover: North Korea team grilled

by Tom Johansmeyer on


The North Korean World Cup soccer team never had a chance in South Africa, but that didn’t make the trip home any easier. At the beginning of July, they faced a “grand debate” because they let down the regime in the “ideological struggle” to put the ball into the net a lot during the tournament. More than 400 government officials, students and journalists watched the spectacle, though I have this sneaking suspicion that none really enjoyed it.

Responsibility for the loss fell to the coach, and the team members were allegedly compelled to point their blame in his direction. He was punished for having betrayed Kim Jong-sun, Kim Jong-il‘s son and rumoured next top dog of North Korea. The coach was fired and reportedly made to become a builder – he was also tossed from the Workers’ Party of Korea.

Apparently, just getting to the World Cup for the first time since 1966 wasn’t good enough, and I’m guessing that the next coach will take note of this.

It could have been a lot worse, though. Past coaches who didn’t measure up were sent to prison camps, according to South Korean intelligence sources.

Meanwhile, travel plans made the difference for two of the team’s players. Jong Tae-se and An Yong-hak, both born in Japan, were able to avoid the humiliating public display by dashing off directly to Japan following the World Cup tournament. If they had middle seats the whole way, I’m sure they weren’t complaining.

British bear hits the beach

by Meg Nesterov on

The British have given us so much in the way of comedy; from Monty Python to The Office to the newly ubiquitous Russell Brand, funny is their best export. What else would you expect from a country so often bereft of sunshine? Now comes a delightful series of short videos from the BBC starring the hard-drinking, hapless Misery Bear, an English (but Made in China) stuffed teddy bear who never seems to catch a break. In the latest installment, Misery Bear goes on a seaside holiday to Brighton, England. Sad but familiar hilarity ensues as dodges seagulls, gets sick after riding a roller coaster, and tries to free some of his fellow bears from a claw vending machine. All that’s missing is a rotund man chasing after some scantily-clad women.This isn’t M. Bear’s first trip out, previous episodes have sent him to London and South Africa for the World Cup.