Turkey – Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Turkey is a stunningly beautiful, diverse country full of fascinating history, culture and hospitable, lovely people.   The country is very unique and represents many contradictions- it’s ancient, yet modern; it’s eastern, yet western; and it’s secular, yet religious.

I traveled Turkey for 3 weeks as a solo female traveler and it quickly became one of my favorite countries and Istanbul became one of my favorite cities.  I also visited Ephesus, Pamukkale, Olympos, Cappadocia and I went sailing along the turquoise coast.  Turkey has so much to offer and I’d go back in a heartbeat.

 

GETTING IN 

 

YOU WILL LIKELY NEED A VISA

In most cases, an E-visa can easily be obtained online and it can be anywhere from $20-60US+, depending on where you’re from.

 

WHEN TO GO

 

DIVERSE LANDSCAPE ALSO MEANS DIVERSE WEATHER

Turkey has many weather extremes and it can definitely get cold in the winter and very hot in the summer.  The best time to visit is during the spring and fall, but if you want sailing and the beach, visit in the hot, dry summer.

I visited Cappadocia at the beginning of October, which was around 20C during the day, but nearly freezing in the mornings and evenings at 4C.  This was a very unwelcome shock that I was unprepared for, after arriving very early in the morning on a night bus and wearing sandals, as I had just been in the Turkish Mediterranean, where it was 30C+.

BE AWARE OF IMPORTANT ISLAMIC HOLIDAYS 

It’s highly recommended to research the dates of the important Islamic holidays before you plan your trip, otherwise it could effect your trip.  I learned this the hard way when I arrived in Morocco on the first day of Eid al-Adha, the second biggest Islamic holiday.  Turkey is secular, so you would notice it a lot less in the big cities, but you would notice it more in the smaller towns.  Ramadan is the biggest Islamic holiday where Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for a whole month.

 

THE COUNTRY

 

ISTANBUL IS ONE OF THE GREATEST CITIES IN THE WORLD

And it quickly became one of my favorite cities in the world.  You’re spoiled for choice with things to see and do, it has great culture that’s quite literally east meets west, as it sits in both Europe and Asia, and it’s unique and unlike anywhere else.  I love how anything goes in Istanbul– it has the traditional ladies wearing hijabs (only the face showing) and niqabs (only the eyes showing) all the way to the girls wearing miniskirts and crop tops at the nightclubs.

TURKEY’S LANDSCAPE IS VERY DIVERSE

The Mediterranean and the Black Sea, beaches, mountains and skiing, the beautifully strange limestone formations of Pamukkale, and the unusual and unique fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.  The list goes on.

TURKEY IS LIKE A GIANT OPEN AIR MUSEUM

All over the country, everywhere you go, there are ancient ruins everywhere like it’s no big deal.  You can walk around any city or town in Turkey and stumble upon loads of ancient ruins.  Coming from Canada, this concept is completely foreign and awesome to me, and it is a big deal.

THE ROOFTOP TERRACES ARE RAD

It’s quite normal for houses, restaurants, hotels and hostels to have rooftop terraces with views of the city.

The view from my hostel’s rooftop in Istanbul:

LEAVE EXTRA ROOM IN YOUR LUGGAGE FOR TURKISH TREASURES

The shopping, treasures and textiles in the markets in Turkey are UNREAL.  It’s of my favorite places for textiles and treasures out of the 65+ countries I’ve visited.  I would love to go back to Turkey with an empty suitcase to load up on beautiful things.

BOOK YOUR HOT AIR BALLOON IN CAPPADOCIA IN ADVANCE

I booked mine once I arrived in Turkey for when I’d arrive in Cappadocia a few weeks later.  But you may want to book further in advance if you’re there during high season (I was there in early October).

THE TURKISH ARMY IS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL ARMIES IN THE WORLD

And they pride themselves on this.  The Turkish army traces its origin back to the Ottoman Empire.   Turkey is located in the centre of the Caucasus, the Middle East and the Balkans, which are some of the most unstable regions in the world.  6-12 months of army service is compulsory for males between 20 – 41 years of age.

 

THE PEOPLE AND THE CULTURE

 

TURKEY IS KNOWN FOR ITS WORLD CLASS HOSPITALITY

You will have offers to enjoy a tea or coffee with shopkeepers and maybe even receive an invite for a meal.  I was lucky to experience both.  The dinner invite was from one of the Turkish employees from my hostel in Istanbul.  I went over to his family’s home for dinner and it was one of my favorite experiences.  A few years later and I still keep in touch with his family.

TURKEY IS A SECULAR STATE WITH A MUSLIM POPULATION

This means that religion and the state are separate, and that most cities in Turkey are very liberal and give people a choice on how they decide to practice Islam.

YOU’LL HEAR THE CALL TO PRAYER 5X PER DAY, EVERYDAY, EVERYWHERE IN TURKEY

Which indicates that it’s time to pray.  Some travelers find the call to prayer annoying, which I find so sad because, while even though I’m not at all a religious person, I think it sounds so beautiful and it’s one of my favorite things in the world.  I actually miss it.  You’re going to hear the call to prayer five times a day whether you like it or not, so you might as well try to appreciate it.  If your accommodation is near a mosque, you’ll need earplugs because the first call to prayer is at dawn.

REMOVE YOUR SHOES BEFORE ENTERING A MOSQUE OR HOME

Feet are also considered unclean and they should never be pointed at anyone.

VISITING A HAMMAM (TURKISH BATH) IS STILL A MAJOR PART OF TURKISH CULTURE

It’s a place for cleansing and relaxing.  There are separate sections for men and women.  See more on visiting a hammam here.

SO IS ENJOYING HOOKAH (NARGILE) 

Smoking flavored tobacco is an essential part of Turkish culture and it’s a great way to socialize and relax.  Many cafés and lounges offer it so you can sit back, smoke and relax while you sip on a cup of Turkish coffee or tea.

TURKS ARE MASSIVE FOOTBALL FANS

The sport has been played since the late 1800s, during the Ottoman Empire.  Since then, football has been going strong as a part of Turkish culture.

BYOTP (BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER) 

Everywhere.  And hand sanitizer.  Many toilets don’t provide toilet paper.  And most charge a small fee to use the facilities, so it’s good to have small change on you.  You’ll also have to get used to squat toilets sometimes.

 

WHAT TO WEAR

 

DRESS CONSERVATIVELY

Turkey’s east meets west culture means the cities and coastal towns can be quite cosmopolitan and relaxed, while the rural communities retain their old customs and traditions.  Wherever you travel in Turkey, you should be aware of the proper dress etiquette, especially as a female traveler.  It’s not required to cover up (unless you’re in a religious place), but you’ll feel more comfortable and attract slightly less attention if you do.  A good rule to follow is to cover your shoulders, chest and knees, and avoid tight clothes.

However, anything goes, more or less, on the coast and in Istanbul.

YOU MUST COVER UP WHILE VISITING MOSQUES

This includes men as well, as shoulders and knees need to be covered.  In the mosques, cloaks will be provided for women to cover up.

 

MONEY AND COSTS

 

CARRY CASH

Cash is used for almost all transactions, unless you’re at an upscale hotel or restaurant, or paying for a tour.  I think I only used my credit card once while I was in Turkey.  And bring Euros with you as your backup currency and for larger cash transactions, which are often listed in Euros.

GET YOUR BARGAIN ON 

Turkey operates on bargaining.  Get an idea of how much things should cost and bargain fairly.  A few extra coins is nothing to you, but everything to a vendor.

 

COMMUNICATION

 

MOST PEOPLE YOU’LL ENCOUNTER AS A TOURIST WILL SPEAK ENGLISH

So communication is easy.

THE TURKISH LANGUAGE HAS MANY SIMILAR WORDS TO ENGLISH

In the 1920s, a language reform simplified the vocabulary and moved Turkish from the Arabic script to the Latin alphabet, which means you’ll be able to read and understand some Turkish.  For example, doktor is doctor; ekstra is extra; fotoğraf is photograph; kahve is coffee; kamera is camera; servis is service; taksi is taxi; and so on.  You’ll recognize a lot of words in Turkish are very similar to English (you can see more here), so you’ll be speaking Turkish before you know it 🙂

 

GETTING AROUND

 

TURKEY IS WELL CONNECTED WITH BUSES AND CHEAP FLIGHTS

If you don’t fly, you can expect a lot of overnight buses because Turkey is a massive country.

TURKISH AIR WAS VOTED THE BEST AIRLINE IN EUROPE FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS

Everyone who has enjoyed Turkish Air’s lounge in Istanbul’s Atatürk airport raves about how it’s one of the best lounges in the world (a luxury I have yet to experience), so try visit if you can!

THE FOOD AND DRINKS

TURKISH FOOD IS AMAZING!

Good food is important and Turkish food is deliciously amazing!  It’s a tasty mix of Mediterranean, Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan.

Popular dishes:

• pide – it’s like a pizza boat!  It’s delicious boat-shaped baked dough filled with many different ingredients like meat, cheese veggies or eggs.
• köfte – meatballs
• grilled vegetables
• kebab – grilled meat on a stick
• meze – collection of appetizer dishes
• dolma – stuffed vegetables
• börek – baked phyllo pastry filled with ground meat, cheese or spinach and cheese.  A dish you’ll find all over the Balkans.

Popular street food:

• döner – lamb, beef, or chicken cooked on a spinning rotisserie and served in a pita with vegetables and sauces
• gözleme – Turkish pancake
• simit – Turkish bagel
• lahmacun – Turkish pizza

Dessert:

• baklava
• rice pudding
• dondurma – Turkish ice cream
• lokum – Turkish delight.  It’s unreal and an absolute must.  Proper Turkish delight consists of chopped dates and nuts, and it’s often flavored with rosewater and sometimes chocolate.  And it’s quite beautiful to look at too.

Drinks:

• Turkish coffee – famous, strong and often flavored with cardamom
• çaj – black tea
• ayran – a cold yogurt drink, which you’ll find in most Balkan countries.  It’s proper, unsweetened yogurt, meaning it’s sour, so you’ll either love it or hate it.  I grew to like it.
• rakı – Turkey’s national spirit, which is similar to ouzo and sambuca (licorice flavor).
• fresh squeezed orange and pomegranate juices

THE BREAD IS PARTICULARLY DELICIOUS

I don’t care if you don’t eat bread at home.  You’re in Turkey and Turkish bread is ridiculously delicious and it needs to be eaten and appreciated.  I ordered hummus and pita in Istanbul and I ended up not eating the hummus, not because the hummus wasn’t good, but because the bread was so good that I didn’t want anything getting in the way of the taste of the delicious bread.

TURKISH COFFEE IS A BIG DEAL

It’s famous because of the special brewing technique, how it’s served, the stronger taste and the social culture that accompanies it.  The coffee is prepared in a cezve, a special copper pot, and sugar is added while brewing (never after), along with cardamom.  It’s served in a small cup with thick foam at the top, while the fine grains settle at the bottom (which can later be used for fortune telling).

SO IS ÇAJ

Pronounced “chai”, which is black tea.  While Turkey is known for its coffee, tea is actually their #1.  Having tea is a huge part of Turkish culture and an essential ritual in day-to-day social life in Turkey.  Çaj is traditionally taken with sugar, but never milk.  As a tourist, you’ll also come across apple tea, which is basically hot apple juice, but tasty nonetheless.  To turn down an offer for tea is considered rude.

DON’T DRINK THE TAP WATER

DRINK RAKI INSTEAD

Which is Turkey’s national spirit and it’s similar to ouzo and sambuca, meaning it’s licorice flavored.

 

SAFETY

 

Overall, Turkey is safe enough if you’re aware of your surroundings, guard your things from pickpockets, and educate yourself on the popular scams.   The most common scam is overpriced taxis, which is the most common scam in the world.  If you’re a man, beware of the popular scams in Istanbul, like the “Let’s Have a Drink/Nightclub” scam.  For more details on this scam, as well as other scams and how to avoid them, see here.

 

SOLO FEMALE TRAVELERS

 

I traveled around Turkey for 3 weeks, as a solo, blonde, western female.  As a solo female traveler, the creep factor is there.  It’s recommended to dress more conservatively, where appropriate.  Gropings in crowds are not uncommon, but this is a common issue all over the world.  If this happens to you, don’t be afraid to yell at the man to shame him.  But despite some annoyances, harassment, and inappropriate experiences, Turkey is still one of my favourite countries, so the good far outweighs the bad.

 

LGBT TRAVELERS

 

THE LGBT COMMUNITY IS LEGAL, BUT THEY DON’T HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS NON-LGBT PEOPLE

LGBT people still face discrimination, harassment and even violence and there aren’t yet any laws to protect them.

 

 

MORE REASONS TO TRAVEL TO TURKEY

 

8 Things I Love About Turkey

18 Pictures That Will Make You Want To Travel to Turkey

What To Know Before You Go To The Middle East

Cappadocia – Turkey’s Magical Land of Fairy Chimneys

Ephesus – Turkey’s Ancient City

Pamukkale – Turkey’s Cotton Castle

Olympos – Treehouses, Ancient Ruins and Beaches in Turkey

Sailing Turkey’s Turquoise Coast