In Turkey, its course - running from the package tourism
In Turkey, its course - running from the package tourism
The stereotype that Turkey is a country of package tourism, and that traveling under its own power in a Muslim country is extremely unsafe, has firmly settled in the minds of many travelers. And, sometimes, even those who know that there is something to see in Turkey, are far from always resolved to leave the resort part of the country and go on an independent journey.
And in vain, because only this way you can find out the real Turkey.
In Turkey, they do not steal women and do not take foreigners into slavery
Probably one of the most common myths, that in Turkey a foreigner alone (or a couple) is dangerous to go anywhere. They will steal it, take it into slavery, rob it, hide it so that no one will find it.
If this were so, then we would hardly have met in Cappadocia, Mardin, on the Black Sea coast and elsewhere in the Southern Republic so many Europeans, citizens of China and Korea, citizens of the former CIS and other countries, and without guides, and traveling on their own.
For example, Europeans are not at all afraid to buy a bus ticket and go on the night from Antalya to Izmir or to Kayseri. Moreover, according to statistics, in almost every bus that runs over long distances, you can see foreigners heading for a particular landmark.
And even the girls are not afraid to travel alone. And if foreigners were stolen in Turkey, it would be impossible to hide this fact.
You will always come to the rescue
The moment that the Turks are not indifferent is also important for travelers. If something happens, they will never pass by.
For example, an accident occurred at a crossroads in Alanya - a car "hooked" a motorcyclist. Less than a minute later, almost all road users already ran up to help them. They called an ambulance, helped the victims.
Or else - the girl could not find the way, so the compassionate grandfather, having thrown her affairs, walked with her for half an hour to the "destination", did not ask for a penny, as well as any other thanks.
And there are thousands of such cases.
And what about Turkish hospitality. Here, in order to make guests feel comfortable, try to do everything. You can be invited to an unfamiliar house for a cup of tea, to tell many interesting stories. Here in villages and villages, do not close the door in the face of foreigners, so Eastern culture can be studied from the inside.
But what about the language barrier?
For many, the language barrier becomes a stopping factor when planning independent travels. How to leave cozy Alanya or Antalya, when you do not know a word of Turkish.
In fact, not such a big problem. Firstly, in all tourist places where there are historical sights you can always find workers who speak English, at least a little.
And secondly, our Russian-speaking compatriots live in almost every city in Turkey, so you can always “throw a cry” into one or another Facebook group dedicated to Turkey or a particular city, and you will be told what to do and where to go. And in principle, on the Internet there is an incredible amount of information about independent travels in Turkey.
Believe me, everything has long been investigated before us. And not only the most famous historical sights, but also the eastern "province".
How to go on an independent journey?
Suppose you are not the first time relaxing in the Solar Republic, and perhaps you even have real estate in Turkey, so you want to see more than the Alanian fortress or Antique Side.
There are several options to go on an independent journey.
The first is to drive a rented or own car. Fortunately, now all the phones have a navigator function, and cellular communication in Turkey doesn’t catch badly in the mountains or in completely deaf villages, so getting lost is simply unrealistic. By the way, the same Google maps is ideal for hiking.
The second option - traveling by bus. Bus service between the cities of Turkey is developed just for "excellent." From any regional center you can easily go to any major city of the South Republic. So from Antalya there are buses to Istanbul, Denizli, Izmir, Bodrum, Marmaris, Konya, Mersin, Adana and so on. And most of them pass through Alanya.
And from large cities it is already very easy to get to interesting places either by shuttle bus or by suburban bus. For example, from Denizli in Pamukkale, from Izmir to Alacati ...
The third option is trains. Quickly, inexpensively and comfortably. And on the way you can see the whole country. The truth is, until the Antalya and Alanya railways have not yet been laid, and to go on such a journey, you first need to get to Konya (it’s about 4-5 hours), and then go on.
And the fourth option - airplanes. If you have an apartment in Alanya, then you will certainly be interested in the fact that there is an airport near the resort town on the Mediterranean coast, from where you can easily fly, for example, to Istanbul or Ankara.
By the way, airports are in almost all major significant cities in Turkey. But sometimes, sometimes you have to get with transfers. Like, for example, from Alanya to Bursa. Then it is much more logical to prefer traveling by bus.
By the way, there is also the fifth option. It is quite popular with Turkish youth. This is hitchhiking. But no one can guarantee the complete safety and comfort of such trips.
Where to go?
In Turkey, you can travel for years and never see even half of everything in this country. And there really is something to see here. So Antalya coast - this is entirely the ancient cities of the Roman era and the fortress of the Seljuk period, the Aegean coast - this is the Greek village, Ephesus and the ancient Pergamum. The east of Turkey is the Ottoman Empire, and in many cities of the Black Sea coast there are Christian churches and ancient monasteries preserved.
In fact, wherever you go in Turkey you will find not only historical sights, but also beautiful landscapes: waterfalls, lakes, mountains, forests, rivers.
In one of our next articles, we will tell you about the most interesting places in Turkey, which you definitely will not learn from the guides.
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