Blogs from Turkey, Middle East - page 4

The weather in my last day was not that perfect; I really wanted to take that Bosphorus Cruise but it was raining so I changed my plans. I went to Ortakoy Square but the mosque (it seems so pretty in pics) was in process of restoration, it is close to Bosphorus Bridge, so huge! Then i went to Dolmabahce Palace where I had to wait around 1 hour to get in, but It worths it. Another tip: If you don't have enoght time, it is better to take a tourist bus offering a quick visit to the main monuments, squares and mosques; Istanbul is a big city so it is necessary to walk a lot and sometimes there is no enough time. My last visit: Gran Bazar, but only the main stores, there is a lot ... read more

Sitting proudly on the peninsula of Alanya sits the castle. With the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky we set of to explore. Although possible to walk up to (quite a big walk!) Woolly refused to walk up and down so we picked up a taxi which took only a few minutes to arrive at the castle gates. Woolly says – I’m sure all this walking isn’t good for me! It was a fun ride to the top going round the bends at speed being hardened to the mountain roads now it was a doddle! The view was spectacular, looking at Alanya spread out below us with clear blue seas and the castle in front of us, worth a photo or two. Paying 10TL (approximately £4.10 GBP) to enter we walked up the ... read more

Waking to the sun streaming through the window and a glorious view of Kizkalesi Castle was a joy to behold. Woolly says – had a slight headache, not sure why!!!!! We arrived on the hotel veranda for a beautiful if simple breakfast with bread rolls to die for, having cost 72TL for a night including breakfast (approximately £29 GBP) it was a bargain, the owners were lovely and very sweet and the view sitting in the sun was a great start to the day. Check out the hotel on: url=http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g298000-d1178772-Reviews-Hotel_Hantur-Mersin_Mersin_Icel_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.htmlhttp://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g298000-d1178772-Reviews-Hotel_Hantur-Mersin_Mersin_Icel_Turkish_Mediterranean_Coast.html Knowing of Kizkalesi castle before our arrival we were delighted to find a second castle in the same bay. Woolly says – Two... read more

Another glorious day in Alayna so we decided to take Woolly to the beach on the other side of the castle – Kleoprata Beach. Woolly says – I’ve heard lots of good reports on this beach, it was slightly windier than the Keykubat side (no mountain to protect us from the wind) and to be fair that was the only difference, sat and chilled for a bit before Jo and Ian took me to the Damlatas Cave – WOW! I think Woolly enjoyed this! Woolly says – It was amazing, as we walked into the caves the temperature became very humid, wonderful for asthma and bad chests. I was greeted by the site of HUGE stalactites and stalagmites (Jo explained that tites go down, not sure why Ian laughed!), with subtle lighting I was able to ... read more

We decided to set off for a walk round the harbour and towards the shipyards. Although in the 20’s the wind was pretty blustery and the waves smashing off the rocks and the sea wall were fabulous. Alanya has two lighthouses to guard the harbour; both are a short walk from the front. Woolly Says – I loved the big lighthouse; can I be a lighthouse keeper please? Jumping through the spray and dodging the waves was amazing fun, we arrived at the larger of the two lighthouses which you can climb up when open. It gives an excellent view of the bay of Alanya and shows clearly the development that is making this a top destination. Woolly says – I got wet in the waves, Jo told me off, but it was such good fun ... read more