Turkey in 2010 – Tours for first-timers

by Annie Scott on

Turkey is a gorgeous destination for travelers of all ages and incomes. If the fabulous weather doesn’t sell you, the history will — it was once the seat of the Byzantine, Roman and Ottoman Empires. The trouble is, there’s so much to do in Turkey, it’s hard to know how exactly to plan a trip, especially on your first visit. Fortunately, there’s this thing called a guided tour (wink wink). Here are three great Turkey tours for 2010:

European Tours — Classical Turkey
This tour includes major sites in Istanbul, Ankara, and the ancient city of Ephesus’ Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as well as Cappadocia’s Kaymakli Undergound City. This is perfect for people who are into history and architecture, and who like to stay in four and five star hotels. Ten days, $945 per person for double occupancy, airfare not included.

Key Tours — Deluxe Glories of Turkey
This 15-day, budget-friendly tour covers sites in Istanbul, Canakkale, Kusadasi, Pamukkale, Antalya, Konya, Cappadocia, Ankara, Gallipoli and the Dardenelles. Thirteen breakfasts and 11 dinners are included, as are the various transfer and admission fees, all for around $100 per day. Fifteen days, $1,499 per person for double occupancy, airfare from New York included.

Turkey at Its Best — Private Tour of Western Turkey in Winter
(no link, call 949-719-2800)
This ultra-luxe package features sites in Istanbul, Gallipoli, Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Antalya, and visits to Aphrodisias, Hierapolis and the Aegean coast. Private vehicles, English-speaking guides, transfers, taxes, service and entrance fees are all included, as well as three dinners and all accommodations (four and five star hotels). This trip is only available through March 2010. Ten days, $2,985 per person for double occupancy, airfare not included.

Hope that helps! Safe travels, and here are some links to more great Turkey content on Gadling:

The Abercrombie & Kent online sale starts now!

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You looking to go to Botswana next year? Or, maybe Chile? Now’s the time to book your trip. Abercrombie & Kent, which sends its guests on the road in style, is starting its rare online-only sale now. The discounts start at 5 percent off the itineraries’ usual prices. Every half hour, another 5 percent is chopped off. Six hours from now, any trips that are left will be discounted 60 percent. Patience can be rewarded, but greed can leave you stuck at home.

So, if you’re looking for the chance to travel well beyond your means, this is it. This is only the third online deal A&K has offered this year … which is the first year it’s done it at all. So, click with caution, but don’t sit too long.

A&K’s deals are on trips to Eastern Europe, East Africa, Chile, Galapagos, Egypt, Peru, Botswana/Zambia, Jordan and Turkey.

Get ready for the next A&K online sale

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Get ready for another hot online sale from upscale travel provider Abercrombie & Kent. The rules haven’t changed: you still have to book online, and the discount structure’s the same. Starting at 10 AM (EST) on December 10, 2009, nine itineraries will go on sale at a 5 percent discount. Then, every half hour, the price will drop another 5 percent. By the end of the event at 4 PM, the trips will hit the maximum discount of 60 percent. That’s a hell of a bargain … if there are any trips left by then. Inventory is limited, so sitting on your mouse means rolling the dice. It’s just like the deal run back in February.

This time around, the itineraries being offered are: Eastern Europe, East Africa, Chile, Galapagos, Egypt, Peru, Botswana/Zambia, Jordan and Turkey.

Cycling the Silk Road

by Kraig Becker on

Cycling tours have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially amongst adventure travelers who are looking to explore the world from the seat of their bikes. One of the leaders in organizing these kinds of adventure cycling trips has always been Tour d’Afrique Ltd, the creative minds behind such epic rides as their namesake Tour d’Afrique and the Vuelta Sudamericana. The company has even launched a website called DreamTours that allows us to design and plan our own cycling adventures, leaving all the logistics to their travel experts.

As if that wasn’t enough to keep us happily peddling our way around the globe, the Tour d’Afrique team is busily preparing for another long distance ride for 2010 that will cover the entire Silk Road, starting in Istanbul, Turkey and ending in Xi’an, China. The ride will cover more than 6650 miles over 16 weeks time, crossing through Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, as riders follow one of the most famous and important trade routes of all time, a route that was also explored by such historical figures as Alexander the Great, Marco Polo, and Genghis Khan.

Some of the highlights of the journey will include passing through an amazing variety of landscapes, from including snow capped mountains and desolate open plains. Travelers will get the opportunity to camp below sea level in the arid deserts of the Xinjiang Province in western China, while also ascending to dizzying heights as they climb along the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, which rises well above 15,000 feet, offering a challenge for both the heart and the legs. The ancient cities of Samarqand, Bukhara, and Merv will be stops along the way as well, offering refuge from the road and a chance to explore marketplaces that have been bustling with shoppers for centuries.







All told, this cycling tour will put riders in the saddle for a total of 92 days, covering an average of roughly 70 miles per day. There will also be 22 rest days, and one day of travel by ferry across the Caspian Sea, bringing the total number of days on the Silk Road to 114. That’s quite a commitment for any traveler, but fortunately the route is broken down into seven stages, so even if you can’t make the full ride, you can still have the opportunity to experience part of the adventure by riding one of those sections instead. The cost for the full trip is €8500, but the company is currently running an early-bird special that cuts €400 from the price when you book the trip before November 15th. Pricing for the individual stages can be found on this web page near the bottom.

The Silk Route Tour is an amazing cycling tour that combines culture, history, and adventure into one spectacular trip that is sure to be a life altering experience. The ride gets underway on May 22nd of next year, so get training now and prepare to join in on this once in a lifetime experience

Istanbul’s hammams becoming more popular

by Sean McLachlan on

In Ottoman times they were the daily ritual of the wealthy and middle class. Hammams were a place to unwind and socialize while getting clean. But in the twentieth century with the rise of internal plumbing and changing attitudes, the traditional hammam declined. Many decayed or were converted to other uses.

Now hammams are becoming popular again. Turks are once again interested in their Ottoman past, and with the recent death of the last heir to the Ottoman throne, that nostalgia will probably increase. Cagaloglu, built in Istanbul in 1741, is on sale for $16 million. Another one in Istanbul’s Aya Kepi neighborhood, dating to the 16th century and built by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan, is on sale cheap for $3 million, but needs extensive remodeling. At the moment it’s being used to store lumber! Hopefully someone will buy this historic building and reopen it as a hammam. There’s also been a spate of new building, with hammams appearing in shopping malls and hotels.

While the big historic ones in Istanbul are impressive, going to a small-town hammam in Cappadocia was one of the more memorable experiences of my month in Turkey. It was so small, in fact, that they didn’t have separate men’s and women’s sections. Men and women went on different days. The smaller crowd made the whole experience more relaxing and the tellak (masseur) sure knew his business. As I lay on a warm stone bench he squashed me into the rock, kneading my muscles until tension fled in terror. The best feeling was when he stopped! It was only then that I realized how relaxed I was.

Lounging around a hammam is a great way to spend a couple of hours. So if you’re headed to Turkey, try a hammam. The small-town ones are more sedate and less expensive, but the big popular ones in Istanbul need support too.