A reviewer’s guide to writing your Turkey travel memoir

It has been many years since I first traveled excitedly along the Black Sea coast of Turkey. Being English, the stories I had heard about the continual rain (which creates ideal conditions for tea to grow) did not put me off. Nor did the marathon bus ride, which in those days took nearly 17 hours. I relished the opportunity to sit back and let the coastal scenery pass me by. The journey did not disappoint. Today the route is much quicker, as the Karadeniz Highway has blasted its way through mountains that plunge almost vertically into the sea. As airfares have tumbled, it can be cheaper, and undoubtedly quicker, to fly, missing out the coastal scenery completely.

İstanbul bucket list Sunday: Kumkapı to İstiklal Caddesi

Last week I wrote about what I would choose to do if, for some unforeseen reason, I was faced with the unpalatable notion that I had just one last weekend to spend in a city which has become a part of my working life — I am currently updating an İstanbul travel guide — as well as somewhere I visit regularly for pleasure.

Oh, like a bucket list, you mean,” was the reaction of a friend when I told him of the idea. Well, permanent exile, not imminent demise, was what I had in mind, but I know what he meant. So having spent a “final” Saturday gadding up the Golden Horn by boat, tramping through the backstreets of Fener and Faith to end up gazing down over the Galata Bridge from a favored café in the shadow of the Süleymaniye Camii, here’s my “bucket-list” Sunday.

The three Ks: Kaş, Kaleköy and Kastellorizo

Ask Turks to name their favorite holiday resort and most will plump immediately for Bodrum. Ask an expat the same question and most will chorus Kaş, which is interesting given that while Bodrum is readily accessible by air, getting to Kaş involves flying to Antalya or Dalaman and then enduring a fairly grueling onward journey. But perhaps that’s exactly why it remains top of the holiday hot list. It would be lying to claim that Kaş hasn’t grown over the last decade or to suggest that it’s still filled with lovely old houses, but the fact remains that its mountainous backdrop has prevented too much sprawl, while the distance from the airports has worked to keep rapacious tour companies at bay.

Poyrazlar: a must see!

Lake Poyrazlar, located two hours away from İstanbul and three-and-a-half hours from Ankara, is ready to welcome visitors with all the beautiful scenery and enjoyable activities it has to offer. The lake, a protected area, is particularly popular among those going out for a picnic over the weekend. It is a wonderful getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life — a sanctuary of peace. This lake, whose water is drinkable, is surrounded with pine, oak, plum, fig and mulberry trees. Those who come here for a picnic or a day away from the city can enjoy the fresh plums right off the tree branches in addition to seeing many wild birds. And the marvelous water lilies on top of the lake make the visit to this location even more worthwhile.