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Lured by the untouched east and the trek north, travelling in Turkey for three months was harder than I thought. Here are some top tips on how to travel to Turkey and some of the best places to visit.
With Turkey one of the greatest Empires of all time, a ‘cradle of civilisation’ and whose history of Ottoman rule spans centuries, its resulting meld of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures is a huge attraction for any curious traveller. Being the largest landmass in the entire region, located right in the middle of Europe and Asia, travel in Turkey would be no easy or rapid feat, and I knew that from the onset.
Not one to reside in Turkey resort towns, choosing a relaxing beach break on the West coast wasn’t on my agenda, nor was I going to end it at the central area of Cappadocia. A considerable part of what makes up Turkey also lies in the Kurdistan region – which to locals is also referred to as South Turkey, Southern Anatolia or, “why do you want to go there?” – and the mountainous North.
It was the lure of the untouched eastern plains and the off-beat valleys of the north that kept me in the country for nearly three months.
Yet leaving Turkey was like finally breaking up with someone you’ve had long-standing emotional issues with. Being able to articulate my thoughts after visiting Turkey hasn’t been an easy task. Nothing extreme or life-threatening happened; instead, I was hit by a multitude of cultural setbacks that came in waves.
Catching my breath momentarily, I would then be swept right back into the current that somehow keeps people in the country, before the next onslaught of mixed thoughts began.
Travel to Turkey: A Guide to the Reality of Modern-Day Tourism
Article Contents
Travel to Turkey – How to Solve the Problem of Westernisation
Turkey first lures you with its rich history, from tales of Biblical times to the arrival of the Romans and the Byzantine Empire to the dominance and enormous growth of the Ottomans. It’s always been a place of takeover, turbulence and significant change.
You’ll find it in ancient ruins, churches and opulent mosques. You’ll feel it within the walls of the magnificent structures and wrapped in the bustle of cultural custom. Turkey tourism puts these wonders on a grand show.
Its more recent power struggle, which saw the formation of a ‘modern republic’ after WW1 under the revolutionary Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, marked Turkey as different from its emerging Arab nation peers. It became a fast-modernising and more secular Muslim country.
Turkey became a more conservative and relaxed hub of Islam than anywhere else in the Middle East. Because of this, Turkey is safe to travel to and considered the safest country in the region.
Yet, my issue as a westerner travelling in Turkey is not about safety (because I never, ever felt that threatened) but about outlook and perception.
The East/West tug of war here is apparent, making the country a mish-mash of ideals – where the West coast emits a European sheen and the East shifts to a more conservative society.
Travelling Turkey – The West
I spent a month living in Istanbul – a city that should be visited. There are beautiful, fun and cultural things to see and do in Istanbul, like the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern underground water system, and simple pleasures like visiting a Turkish Hamam or crossing the Bosphorus on a ferry to reach the more local and vibrant ‘Asia Side’.
The shoreline of Istanbul, Turkey’s capital city, seen from the Bosporus River
A fellow blogger and migrant showed me the ropes, the great places to eat breakfast, and the cool bars to hang out in at night where obscure bands would play. Some days were glorious, indulgent and bewildering.
Istanbul was a city of juxtapositions, of Middle Eastern exquisiteness and edgy modernity.
Visit Turkey for cultural highlights, including the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul
Inside the Hagia Sophia
Visiting the Sultanahmet Blue Mosque in Istanbul
Eating a street food fish sandwich – a famous snack in Istanbul
Local living in Istanbul when travelling to Turkey
Yet, an undercurrent runs parallel to its charm, its buzzing local life and the infectious nature of its people who show you the community spirit and the city’s hidden beauty and rich history.
When spending a long time in Istanbul, you begin to get sucked into its complicated persona. The political hotbed of unrest like the Istanbul May Day riots I got caught up in, the (now annual) Gezi protests or the fight against any form of tragedy, such as the SOMA mining deaths.
Taksim Square, Istanbul
Beyond a short travel spell in Turkey, you’ll soon see the other side of people not getting their way when all you once saw was the consistent hospitality the Turks pride themselves on. Cheeky hassle no longer becomes a joke, the emergence of a political protest becomes a part of your planning, and you feel more distant to locals than you did when you first arrived.
“You can’t learn to love Istanbul until you have learnt to hate it,” said my friend with honesty.
Turkey Travel – The South
I headed South to Gallipoli and the ruins of Troy, using Çanakkale as my base. It was a sweet little town without much to do except wander, shop and eat (as in the case with many Turkish towns). Yet it’s so small that out of the high season of Anzac Day, any foreign woman stands out.
Anzac Cove in Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula
My friend and I were photographed on mobile phones, with stares and giggles and catcalls, and when alone, I was followed to my guesthouse in a one-hour strategic operation that started when I was eating lunch at a family-run café. It was horrifically scary, and my guesthouse owner said it was ‘normal’.
Çanakkale town
Is Turkey safe to travel to? As a solo female? Someone else living there also said that being watched and followed was a ‘rite of passage’ most foreign women go through in Turkey. I was left outraged and vulnerable, wary of any local who chose to follow me around when in my next stops of Selcuk and Ephesus.
The ancient Roman Library of Celsus at Ephesus
In Antalya, a female friend joined me since when you are in a pair, it makes things easier. Hassle becomes more light-hearted, although it still exists, yet we continued to face local men growing seemingly angry if we didn’t want to go with them to a club or engage in a lengthy conversation.
The Antalya coastline of Southern Turkey
In the hippy chill-out of Olympus, where we met two young and westernised Turks, it soon turned sour when one realised he wasn’t going to get his way that night. Aside from that, we enjoyed the ruins of Termessos and met plenty of locals who wanted nothing more than to engage in smiles and conversation.
Exploring the Termessos Ruins near Olympia in Southern Turkey
The presence of western women complicates things. The influence of European trends complicates things.
In ‘westernised’ areas of Turkey, people are freed of age-old customs and traditions that might typically hold them back, and formality is easily washed over in the hope that something more will come of it. If it doesn’t, it can create tension.
On the other end of the scale, some western women come here and misbehave, even in those small moments like when the ice cream vendor tells you he will drop the price if you kiss him.
Progressive secular Turkey is growing, yet it still grates with underlining Islamic traditions.
The east-west pull of modern-day Turkey travel
It’s a vicious cycle that perpetuates a cycle of harassment and accepts terrible behaviour. While not on any level of sexual assault (a severe crime here), it is incredibly frustrating and off-putting.
Many female friends have told me they would never return to Turkey without a male companion. For the very first time in all of my travels as an independent, strong-willed and confident female, I felt the same.
But I wasn’t going to give up. Turkey has positive attributes.
Travelling in Eastern Turkey
Cappadocia was the cure, a hiking haven in a sea of marshmallow hills and fairy chimney valleys. The vibe was relaxed, the people more relaxed in their interaction and the landscape more varied.
Hiking one of many rocky valleys in Cappadocia Turkey
An early morning balloon flight is a rite of passage in Cappadocia
I then hopped to Gaziantep to begin a 10-day stint through the Kurdistan region. It involved watching an incredible sunrise from Mount Nemrut, experiencing a homestay in Urfa (Sanliurfa), strolling the narrow streets of Mardin overlooking the plains of Syria, and giving support to the small yet historic town Hasenkayf soon to be flooded for the purpose of a dam before visiting the contested ground of Ani, the former ancient capital of Armenia.
The giant stone heads at Mount Nemrut after a sunrise hike
The beautiful Holy fish lake in Urfa
Living locally in Urfa in Eastern Turkey
The view of Syria from Mardin
Visiting the Ruins in Ani in far Eastern Turkey on the border with Armenia
Will I Return to Turkey?
Choosing to end the core part of my trip by hiding away in a wooden hut in the village of Ayder off the Black Sea coast was a soothing but symbolic end, remembering the quote: “Every mountain top is within reach if you just keep climbing.”
The village where I stayed in the Kackar Mountains, Black Sea area of Turkey
Hiking in the Kackar Mountains
I guess that’s how I feel about travel in Turkey. It was a destination I tried to enjoy deeply with all my might, reaching its highest points in elevation and beauty, yet I still found it completely out of reach.
With fond memories, it is not somewhere I would completely give up on or shy people away from visiting. Just know that the reality when you visit Turkey might not live up to the sand-coated dreams of a part of the Middle East whose arms are wider open.
Keep your guard while you keep an open mind.
Things To Know About Travel to Turkey:
Planning a Turkey Trip
Despite my frustrations with other aspects of life, travelling around Turkey is not difficult, given its excellent transport infrastructure. My main go-to sites were Omio and Rome to Rio from which to map out the cheapest and quickest flight routes.
My best source of information in more obscure and remote towns was Wikitravel which gave honest accounts and highlighted the best places for solo female travellers.
I organised my trek in the Kackar mountains through Natura Lodge guesthouse in the Ayder Valley region of Northern Turkey. Prices are negotiable depending on the number of people and the exact route of trekking preferred.
Public Transport in Turkey
I ended up using buses in Turkey to make my way around the entire country using local bus operators and taking one internal flight.
Every town has a bus ticket office, and the leading bus company is called Metro. The majority of tickets cost around 50 Lire ($25). Most ticket offices will organise a transfer to the main bus stations, which takes the hassle out of getting there.
CheckMyBus is also a great planning resource for buses in Turkey.
Don’t want to go solo?
Not everyone wants to deal with the hassles and micro-planning of solo travelling, making small adventure group travel an ideal option. Culture-packed, sight-laden and multi-destination Turkey tours are plentiful, with various options.
Choose from an extensive two-week tours of Turkey that loop the entire country, or ‘best of’ Turkey highlights tours, which you can squeeze into a little as one week.
Katie says
She is not rude. I am a Muslim. So I do understand the culture in Turkey. It’s rude to harass women in every culture.
Debra says
Becki,
I appreciate your post and want to validate your experience. ; I recently spent time in Istanbul and also experienced harassment as a solo female traveler. . Like you, I’m an experienced solo traveler, I dressed conservatively and did nothing to provoke the attention., but was verbally harassed relentlessly. I didn’t feel unsafe, but it did sap me of a certain amount of energy. I didn’t read this as a bashing of Turkey, but rather a helpful FYI for female travelers and a commentary on cultural differences and how each culture perceives the other.
Becki says
Thank you, Debra. That was exactly my intention. I’m sorry to hear that you too experienced harassment, and I agree it takes the zing out of a very interesting and culturally rich place. With good friends in Istanbul, I am actually planning to return soon for a few short days to rekindle the things I did like about the city. I feel I also need to do that.
GRAEME DUKE says
I think the difference in opinion about Turkey about harassment is solely due to the fact you are a beautiful blonde women…so you are going to attract a lot of unwanted attention in middle eastern countries.For other less beautiful or exotic women the harassment may be less.So both arguments could be valid in this scenario.Of course, the worst offenders will harass any woman regardless of looks.I lost 600 pounds in an ATM scam in Istanbul so that rather dampened my mood.there….before then for 2 weeks I had a great time so it didn’t totally ruin my experience there (but I was pissed off for 2 weeks after that incident, especially as I watch my pennies)Fortunately, I had a boat to Odessa so didn’t have hang around for a long time afterwards in Istanbul.. Now the feelings are forgotten so I would go back…and be more careful this time! love that you discuss issues and describe negative experiences too.
Becki says
Thank you. It’s hard to say exactly how to find your own voice. You just…have it. Mine is drawn from an inherent love of history and sociology and a passion of analysing and challenging perceptions. It just all came together with this.
My favourite places are Burma, Cambodia and Nepal in Asia; Israel and Palestine in the Middle East; Germany and Greece in Europe. Hard to pick just one.
Laura says
Really honest post! I only traveled in Turkey once, with my mom, so I think that helped with the perception. But I still got hit on and catcalled constantly. I really loved Turkey and want to return but accounts like these make me rethink it.
Rameez Usmani says
[ Sorry for my bad English ]
Nice post… I have read other female solo travelers’ stories to of being sexually harassed and other bad things Turkish men do.
Its sad that most of the men in conservative societies see western women as some sort of prostitute who will offer everything for free. Its a shame… I believe that progress of a nation is not only how much they have invested in infrastructure of country etc….instead the very first step towards progress is to treat fellow human beings (regardless of sex) with respect.
I think this behavior in conservative societies is mostly because of sexual oppression of people by culture/religion.
Stacey says
Great post. I haven’t been to Turkey yet, but as a solo traveller I also get how some countries can just be so frustrating and exhausting that you’re ready to leave regardless of the many good experiences.
Ashley says
Wow! Thanks for your honesty about how brutal the harassment there can be. It is difficult traveling as a solo female in some countries. Thanks for this post letting me know that this is one of them. Safe travels!
Natalie says
Having read many posts on Turkey, I have to say I warmed to your style of writing. You have summed up the country perfectly. Warts and all! I have traveled round Turkey with my ex-husband and the experiences become vastly different once a male presence is there. Am I put off by traveling alone? Not really, I have kind of got used to the hassle now and it just seems to go over my head.
Katie @ The World on my Necklace says
I didn’t have any trouble with the Turkish men although I was travelling with a male friend. Egypt was the one country for me where it was relentless – in Luxor I wanted to explore by myself but as soon as I stepped outside the hotel gates I was swarmed by local men hassling me. I have heard that Morocco can be quite bad for it as well.
Oceana says
Wow great article! Living in England all I seem to hear about Turkey is the English holiday destination sections, which sound like exactly the kinds of places I want to avoid. But I love the way you’ve brought together every corner of the country, really well collected and useful!
Also, your photographs are beautiful!
Eleanor says
I’m so happy you were honest about your experiences in Turkey; I’ve never been but had a similar response to Morocco (as with comments above) and I always feels slightly embarrassed about it. It feels wrong to think you wouldn’t like to go back, but when you are constantly hassled and made to feel uncomfortable (i think this goes for guys as well in this case) it does make it unappealing!
I love your writing by the way, I appreciated how you wove the history so well in to this post.
Ellie
Alexis Kensey says
Loved this post. I spent a month working in Olympos but it was my only real stop in Turkey. After just that stint of time I thought I would really be drawn to explore more of Turkey but in all honesty I was kind of indifferent about the rest. I spent a long period of time in rural morocco so I was imagining most of the country to be more like that and then found it to be extremely modern-esk everywhere. I just couldn’t put my finger on the vibe there.
Dalene says
Unfortunately, you are not the first solo female I’ve heard had problems in western Turkey, which really disheartens me so much because of all the places we’ve been to in the world, that region holds my heart. (Of course, traveling with my hubby would make a world of difference.) We left just one week before the worst of the protests began in Istanbul, and it hurts me to read how much it has changed with the political undercurrents coursing through. Change is due there, I believe, and that is always a painful route.
Becki says
I’m sure if I was with a man it would have made a huge difference, and there are odd spots I’ve taken positive memories from. I think huge change is coming (although it will be violent and messy since that is the only way it seems to go these days) but hopefully, in time, it will level out and Turkey can continue to grow without these frictions.
Fiona @Freckles Ahoy says
Wow, thanks for your honest account of your trip. I can only imagine how frustrating as an independent female traveller to feel like you need a male with you to make things easier. How did you find it in comparison to other Middle Eastern areas? Do you think it is the clash of the east and west that causes the issue?
Lucy says
A very brave article and a refreshing change to hear someone say they wouldn’t go back somewhere instead of the ubiquitous response of ‘it was amazing’ when someone comes back from a country. I didn’t feel this in Turkey (maybe because I went around with a Turkish male), but I did in Morocco. I went there with a girlfriend and it was incredible how the mood could suddenly change. We were hassled one day to eat at a restaurant and eventually we had to say we just weren’t interested, only to have the guys who work there shout ‘racists’ at us really loudly in a busy street. My friend was spat at. I was threatened with a whip! Having said that I was shocked by the behaviour of fellow westerners more – so inappropriate. Being a female traveller is so hard at times. I love Morocco but when I go back I will be going with a man. Is that sad? Maybe, but I want to be able to relax and enjoy my time there.
Becki says
Thank you. I always joke about the ‘amazing’ response. Sometimes it’s far from it (of course small parts of it can be) but I am always 100% honest on here and my style will never change.
Where did you travel to with your male friend? And what an IDEAL companion to have while in Turkey! And no, it’s no sad that you want to return to Morocco with a male. I’ve heard MANY a thing about Morocco in relation to the hassle also. It appears to be an underlying problem in many areas of this part of the world unfortunately. And such a shame considering the incredible landscape and rich history to be shared, which can all be so quickly ruined by human attitude.
Katie says
I’ve only ever been to Marmaris, which was so overrun with tourists that it felt totally out of touch with what Turkey might really be like. I can totally understand what you’re saying about the sexism thing though. My friend had the constant attentions of a guy working in one of the bars – until she refused his offer of ‘going in the toilets so he could show her a good time’. He refused to serve us drinks after that.
Having said that, I’d love to explore Turkey some more, away from the tourist traps and sun loungers! I guess from what you’re saying it might just be better to do it as a pair…