Turkey: A Backpackers' Paradise
A Budget Travelers' Turkish Itinerary
Turkey: a vast landmass lined with endless sparkling white stretches of sand. Inland, the crumbling ruins of ancient civilizations dot the landscape… All in all, it's hard to imagine a place that better suits the requirements of the backpacker!
Hostels in Turkey, too, are on the exotic side, whether it's the weird and wonderful cave hostels of Capadoccia to the tree house hostels of Olympos. And, unlike most parts of Western Europe, prices are favorable to the budget traveler.
So big is Turkey, and so full of things to see and do is it that it needs to be broken up into 'bite size' portions. A good first timers' itinerary is to take on the west coast, starting from Istanbul and snaking down before ending up in the gaudy resort town of Bodrum.
Intoxicating Istanbul
Istanbul is a city without comparison. An almost impossibly lively place of swarming bazaars and dense networks of streets that heave with life… Heading from the airport to your Istanbul hostel can be a bewildering experience in and of itself!
Once you've got your bearings, most of the main sights can be found in the city's oldest quarter: the Sultanahmet. Of these, the Covered Bazaar, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the incomparable Hagia Sofia Mosque merit a trip to Turkey themselves.
But there's also another Istanbul: a modern city of chic boutiques, international dining and, especially, a vibrant nightlife. Most of these can be found, side by side, in the newer, northern quarter of Beyoglu (particularly on and around Istikal Cadesi and Taksim Square).
Leaving Istanbul behind, the modern city of Bursa is often regarded as little more than a jump-off point for the gorgeous beaches and breathtaking antiquities of the Aegean Coast. Dig a little deeper, though, and you uncover plenty of fascinating Ottoman architecture, and a bustling, pleasant sort of place.
Moving down the coast
The next stop is Bergama. In addition to the remains of the city of Pergamon, there are a cluster of good sights - most notably its acropolis and the Red Basilica of Kizil Avlu - to detain the backpacker for a night.
Moving down the coast takes you on to Selcuk, and the sprawling remains of Ephesus. The extensive complex is made up of a series of temples, bathhouses, gymnasia and other assorted Greek and Roman structures.
This stretch of coastline also gives you the opportunity to walk a little of the famous Lycian Way, one of the world's great walking routes. Should that get a little exhausting, a day or so stretched out on Patara Beach (with its nearby ancient ruins) should give you time to get your breath back!
On to Antalya
These days the city of Antalya is firmly on the Turkish backpacking circuit. And spend a night or two in an Antalya hostel and it's quite clear why: Set on a hill gazing longingly out on the twinkling blue waters of the Aegean, it's a fine location.
Slightly drab modern developments make it at least a little hard to imagine Ataturk describing the city as "without doubt, the most beautiful place on earth". But it's got an attractive old quarter, a busy harbor and good access to the ruins of Perge, Aspendos and Termessos.
What really makes Antalya so attractive to the backpacker, though, are the tree house hostels of Olympos that lie nearby and make up something of a backpacking resort. After a few days hanging out in Olympos, exploring the ruins and lying on the beach looking out for Loggerhead Turtles, reluctantly, it's on to Bodrum and the plane home.
As you take off, casting your eyes out of the plane at the country below, it's hard not to feel a great sense of only having tapped the surface. Stretching away eastwards lie the weird landscapes of Cappadocia, Nemrut Dagi, the Palace of Isak Pasa Sarayi, the Churches of the Georgian Valley…
Out to the east are any number of Turkey's glittering storehouse of stunning monuments and attractions. Out to the east lies opportunity… Out to the east lies the rest of Turkey, begging to be explored.