Lake Abant Natural Park

One of the best getaway destination from Istanbul for a short break is Lake Abant Nature Park.  The lake and densly forested surroundings offer great natural beauty and is easy accessed by car.

Abant has two major hotels right next to the lake: Buyuk Abant and Taksim International Abant Palace. Buyuk Abant Hotel offers fantastic lake view from its rooms facing the lake and is especially a great place to stay when the lake is frozen and it is snowing. 45 of its 197 rooms offer lake view and they are quite in demand and more expensive than forest viewing rooms. Both Buyuk Abant Hotel and Taksim International Abant Palace offer indoor swimming pool which is a great place to swim in hot water while enjoying the snowy lake view.

If you plan to stay in Buyuk Abant Hotel try to book delux or lake view rooms on or above 3rd floor to get a clear view of the lake (lower level rooms have trees between lake view and them). This hotel is also very famous with its restaurant.

The room prices in these two Abant hotels are quite dependent on the season and the days of the weeks you are staying. Expect to pay double the weekday price during weekends. And book online where you usually find better prices than directly booking with the hotel. You can check the room prices in these hotels here: Buyuk abant Hotel and Abant Palace.

To enjoy Lake Abant, you do not need to stay right next to the lake. The 21 km road going to the lake from main Istanbul-Ankara motorway has many hotels and motels catering to all budgets. Actually, you can even go to Abant without staying there. There are many daily Abant tours from Istanbul.

If you have visited Abant before in winter/summer, try to visit it in summer/winter because it is quite a different experience in all four seasons. It is best to visit Abant during winter and it is probably one of the most romantic places in Turkey to visit.

Lake Abant Natural Park in winter. Every season offers different and fantastic natural beauty but it is still best to visit Abant in winter.

How to get to Lake Abant?

If you have your own transportation you can easyly access Lake Abant by car through a 21 km road leaving from the İstanbul-Ankara motorway O-4 E80 or the highway D.100 at the level of Mount Bolu. Lake Abant is three hours’ drive from Istanbul and Ankara.

Interesting facts about Turkey

Here are some interesting facts about Turkey, the country:

• Why Turkey (country) is called Turkey (bird)? Actually, opposite is true. The bird Turkey takes its name from the country named Turkey. Turkey (bird) is native to Americas and when Europeans first encountered them, they incorrectly identified these birds as a type of guineafowl (Numididae). At that time guineafowl were also known as turkey fowl (or turkey hen and turkey cock) because they were imported to Central Europe through Turkey. The name turkey fowl, shortened to just the name of the country, stuck as the name of the North American bird.
• The largest and best-preserved Neolithic site found to date is in Turkey. The place is named Çatalhöyük and is in southern Anatolia. The settlement existed from approximately 7500 BCE to 5700 BCE! 9,000 years ago, at a time when most of the world’s population were wandering hunter-gatherers, Catalhoyuk was one of the world’s largest settlements with a population of 10,000. The settlement is composed of domestic buildings an was home to 10,000 people at some time before being abandoned before Bronze age. Many in Turkey think this place is the oldest settlement ever found but this record probably goes to Jericho (Israel) where earliest settlements goes to 11,000 years back!
• Troy, the legendary city best known for being the setting of the Trojan War described in the Greek Epic Cycle and especially in the Iliad, is in Turkey. It is located in located in northwest Anatolia, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida. So basically, the famous Trojan Wars took place in Western Turkey. There is an urban legends circulated in Turkey which hints Turks relate themselves to the people of Troy: According to the Turkish writer Sabahattin Eyüboglu’s book “Mavi ve Kara” (Blue and Black), Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, told an officer besides him “We’ve got revenge of Troy at Dumlupinar”. Dumlupinar was a war between Turkish army and Greek army which was invading Anatolia after WWI.
• Santa Claus was born in the town of Patara on the South West coast of Turkey between the years of 260 and 280AD. Technically, the republic of Turkey was not formed until 1923 so if you want to split hairs, Patara at that time was under Lycian rule. 2 – The true name of Santa Claus was Nicholas and in adult life, he became the bishop of Myra which was a town further up the coast from Patara. It is now called Demre.
• Another interesting thing is that, the trojan horse built for the famous 2004 movie Troy is currently in Canakkale city in western Turkey near Ancient Troy.
• Istanbul, the largest and the most famous city in Turkey, is the only city in the world built on two continents. The city lies both on Europe and Asia and two sides are connected by 2 large bridges (and a 3rd one is under construction).
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• No, Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey. Istanbul was the capital of the Ottoman Empire and still the cultural, economical and social capital of Turkey but it lost its title as political capital to Ankara when Turkey was founded.
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• According to IMF, Turkey has the 18th largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP.

Shopping in Istanbul: Istanbul's Shopping Mall Belt

Many tourists think and directed to Istanbul’s old city (Sultanahmet) and its historic bazaars like Grand Bazaar for shopping in Istanbul. These places are great (mostly in price sometimes in quality) to buy some classic souvenirs to bring from Turkey but Istanbul offers much more to international visitors in terms of modern shopping experience. If you are looking for branded international and Turkish products and air conditioned shopping malls, you need to head to what we can call Istanbul shopping center belt, a chain of modern shopping malls located on the Istanbul Metro Line from Taksim to ITU Ayazaga.

City’s Nisantasi, Istanbul
Nisantasi, Turkey’s most expensive shopping street in terms of lease prices, itself can be thought as a large open air shopping mall with the stores of world famous brands, popular cafés, pubs, restaurants and night clubs. Walking distance away from Osmanbey Station of Istanbul Metro, City’s Nisantasi offers brands like Versace Jeans, Jean’s Paul Gauitier, Class Roberto Cavalli, Trussardi, Baldinini, Cerutti, Pal Zileri, Pura Lopez, Point Zero and Cache Cache.

Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Mall

Completed in 2005, Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Center is the largest shopping mall in Europe and the 6th largest shopping mall in the world. Highly famous among Middle Eastern tourists (the shopping mall is quite heavily marketed there and it has already built a strong word of mouth reputation), it offers many attractions and shopping opportunities to all international tourists. The mall has its own Tax Free Services where you can claim your VAT refund immediately after shopping.

You can reach Cevahir Shopping Mall very easily from the Şişli Station of the Istanbul Metro (there is a direct link from the station to the mall) and find many brands like Adidas, Bata, Benetton, BSB, Converse, Debenhams, Divarese, Dockers, Dorothy Perkins, Esprit, Evans, Fornarina, Gloria Jean’s, Guess World, Jack&Jones, Kappa, La Senza, Levi’s, Lotto, Massimo Dutti, Miss Selfridge, Mothercare, Nine West, Peacocks, Reebok, River Island, Topshop, Top Man, Vero Moda, and Zara. Other than food outlets like Burger King, Mc Donalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and many local chains, the mall has a large stage for shows and other events, 12 cinemas, a private theatre, a cinema for children, a bowling hall; a small roller coaster; and a small amusement park with several other entertainment facilities.

Istanbul Cevahir Shopping Mall

Kanyon Shopping Mall
Kanyon (meaning canyon in Turkish) is a unique multi-purpose complex in Istanbul’s upscale neighborhood and business district Levent which is constructed as a dramatic architectural “canyon”. In summer, the shopping mall is open air and you can find many shops offering

Kanyon Shopping Mall is more upscale compared to more famous Cevahir Shopping Mall and can easily be reached from Levent Station of the Istanbul Metro (there is a direct link from the station to the mall). Mothercare, Natalys, TeknoSa, Sony, Apple, Mandarina Duck, Accesorize, Paşabahçe, Harvey Nichols, Vakko, Bally, Network, Tiffany&Co, Georg Jensen, Machka, Max Mara are some of the 160 stores you can find in this shopping mall. There is also a cinema and several dining options popular with both locals and foreigners. The mall is infact a multi-purpose complex and has a 30-floor office tower and a 22-floor residential block with 179 residential apartments.

Since the location is perfect to access metro and two of Istanbul’s most upscale shopping malls, you may want to stay here. There is a luxury hotel right on the other side of the road, The Edition Istanbul.

Metrocity Shopping Mall
Opened in 2003, MetroCity in 1.Levent is another upscale shopping mall in an upscale neighbourhood of Levent. The mall has direct underground connection from Levent Metro Station and other than shopping mall section, the compound has 27 floor office building and two 31 storey residence buildings.

Metrocity Shopping Mall has 140 international and Turkish brands, a very large restaurant and cafe level and an MMM Migros supermarket.

Istinye Park
The northern-most of the shopping malls of the Istanbul’s shopping belt is another upscale shopping center (more upscale than Kanyon) called Istinye Park. This Istanbul shopping mall is unique with its enclosed and open air sections where the open air section offers street side shopping. The park offers a cinema with IMAX 3D screen, Hillside Sports and Leisure Club and Funtime, the kids’ entertainment center is around 1,500 sqm as well as many famous international and Turkish brands like Armani, Benetton, Beymen, Boyner, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Dolce & Gabbana, Enzo Angiolini, Ermenegildo Zegna, GAP, Louis Vuitton, Levi’s, Lee Cooper, LC Waikiki, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Pierre Cardin and Ralph Lauren.

Istanbul Istinye Park Shopping Mall

Where to stay in Antalya?

Where to stay in Antalya? You actually have two options: You can either stay in Lara Beach area which is the “all inclusive” jumbo 5-star luxury beach hotel capital of Turkey or nice and mystical Antalya Old Town (Kaleiçi(*)). The Old Town is in the Antalya city center and is a beautiful place with some nice restored buildings, small guest houses and some luxury boutique hotels. Lara Beach on the other hand outside Antalya city and about 17 kilometers away from Antalya. It offers a beautiful beach and sea as well as luxurious 5 Star hotels.

Lara Beach in Antalya takes the lion share of the tourists. The hotels here operate “all inclusive” system. Despite this, Old Town is still a very charming alternative for tourists. There are many hotels (or Pansiyon) in Kaleiçi with quite high facility and room standards. And thanks to Lara which is sucking out foreign and local tourists from Kaleiçi, supply of nice hotels with relatively low prices are high in old town. Even if you go to Antalya without booking a hotel (not advisable anyway) you can still find a nice room with quite good standards and price here.

Otantik Butik Hotel Antalya (from €29), Elegance East Hotel (from €29), Mediterra Art Hotel (from €25) and Puding Suite Antalya (from €98) are high-end hotels you can find in Antalya Old Town. There are also many nice 2 to 3 star hotels in Kaleici with very high customer ratings such as Urcu Hotel (from €22), Candles House (from €19), Tuvana Hotel (from €49).

If you really want to dig into more information on hotels in Antalya Kaleici, you can refer to Antalya Old Town hotels page which compares the prices and compiles ratings from many online booking sites.

Antalya Marina in the old town (kaleici)

Antalya Lara Beach is full of 4/5 star beach hotels that cater for the all inclusive holiday market. These large hotels offer large pools, restaurants, private beach, see view rooms, many activities and easy access (tours) to many attractions around Antalya.

Some hotels which are topping the list in Antalya Lara Beach based on guest reviews are Barut Lara Resort Spa & Suites, Delphin Diva Premiere, Liberty Hotels Lara, Delphin Palace Hotel, Limak Lara De Luxe Hotel & Resort, Royal Wings Hotel, Delphin Imperial Hotel Lara, Saturn Palace Resort and IC Green Palace.

If you really want to dig into more information on hotels in Antalya Lara Beach, you can refer to Antalya Lara Beach hotels page which compares the prices and compiles ratings from many online booking sites.

And Aladdin wishes a 5-star luxurious hotel from the jinn.

(*) - "Kaleiçi" means inside the castle (kale)

Thermal Tourism in Turkey

Turkey is very gifted when it comes to thermal tourism and its potential.There are 1,500 thermomineral springs in Turkey and almost all provinces in Turkey has some thermal springs. Thermal waters have traditionally been used for health and SPA purposes in Turkey since ancient times. The oldest thermal therapy center in Anatolia was Allianoi, an ancient spa settlement, with remains dating predominantly from the Roman Empire period (2nd century AD) located near the city of Bergama (ancient Pergamon) in Turkey. The SPAs in Turkey are used by 7 million locals and 200,000 foreigners each year.

Bursa
Bursa was the most important city with thermal baths in Ottoman times. Today, it is still a popular thermal SPA destination in Turkey with most of its thermal baths. There are many traditional hamam in Bursa and thermal tourism is mostly concentrated in Cekirge and Oylat. Still Bursa itself also offers very nice thermal baths.

Yeni Kaplica (Termal Hotel and Baths), for example, is one of the best hamams in Turkey and offers an experience not to be missed while visiting Bursa for anyone interested in a relaxing thermal bath. The bath is serving people since Suleyman The Magnificent time and is built in 1555. Be warned, the water is quite hot here with around 80 Celcius.

Most thermal springs of Bursa are in Cekirge region. Çekirge Thermal Springs originate from a place named Vakifbahce and all hotels and spas receive their thermal waters from there. It is known (or believed) that this spa is good, as bath water, for rheumatic syndromes, motion systems, painful diseases, vascularto obstruction, diabetes, gout and metabolic disorders, and as drinking it cures the liver and biliary tractdiseases.

Types of spas you can find in Bursa are rehabilitation spa, wellness and traditional spas.

Denizli
Denizli area is a historical thermal places since acient times. Hierapolis, Laodikeia, Herakleia,
Tripolis and Afrodisyas were historical cities in the area offering thermal sources to antic era people. Among these Hierapolis is a the most famous thermal treatment city. Right next to the Pamukkale, Hierapolis, became the most famous thermal treatment center of the Romans.

In Denizli there are Pamukkale, Karahayıt, Sarayköy thermal tourism areas. Pamukkale is the most famous of all these and offers some of the best thermal hotels in the region. Pamukkale is famous for its Cotton Castles or PamukkaleThermal Pools.

Pam Thermal Hotel in Pamukkale for example features a sauna, an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi. Guests can enjoy the on-site day spa, which features a mineral bath and hydrotherapy facilities, as well as a range of body treatments.

PamukkaleThermal Pools

İzmir

Aegean Coastal city of İzmir is host to the oldest historical thermal treatment center in the world, Allianoi located in İzmir-Bergama. Balçova Thermal Tourism area, Çeşme Thermal Tourism area, Seferihisar Thermal Tourism area and Dikili-Bergama Thermal Tourism area are the main thermal centers in Izmir.

Thermal Pools in Cesme Altin Yunus

Best places for scuba diving in Turkey

Best places for skuba diving in Turkey are Bodrum (in Muğla) ,Kas (in Antalya), Dalaman  (in Muğla), Fethiye (in Muğla), Ayvalık (in Balıkesir).

If you enjoy scuba diving you can find beautiful underwater world in Kas ( in Turkish Kaş ).
Kaş which is a district of Antalya Province of Turkey. It is 168 km West of the city of Antalya.
You have to arrange boat trip for diving from a local diving club that you can find easily. These boats have all kinds of diving equipments such as diving suits and B.C. You can hire them on daily basis. You can also enjoy your lunch on boats that is included to trips.

In Kaş, there is a big pebble beach which faces the Greek Island – Kastellorizo, in Turkish :Meis .
On the right and left hand side there are two caves  in the sea. Both caves are not deep and can be entered from 7m to 9m. Divers can ascend in the caves which are both quite big. One of the caves is called “cold cave” because its always 14 degrees Celsius. Even when the water in the hot season is 30 degrees.

* Güvercin Ada, good for both experienced and beginners. You can make wreck and reef dive.

*Light House: There is an Ottoman Ship Wreck at 22m depth. Also a reef dive is possible in this area. Groupers are Kaş’s local fishes. The depth of dive is usually arround 18m.

*İnce Boğaz: It is at the side of the Peninsula. The other side is the biggest natural  Bay of Turkey, Bucak Bay. Carettas prefer this place. Flat rocks lays in the dive site 20m

*Stonehenge: It is an antique shaped stone dive max. 20m to 26m. You can also see caretta here.

*Hidayet Bay: There are two diving areas. One is great for training because it is quite shallow and the other is about 35m deep that 2 star divings can enjoy. You can see a lot of grouper fish and stingrays.

*Üçkaya: The top of the reef starts at 7 meters and goes all the way down to 35 meters and more. The best is 25 meters max. There is rich underwater life in this area.

*Panorama ,Işık Reef and Heybeli:  These three diving areas are very interesting but are quite far away. Divers usually go on to these sites on special request .

*Canyon: The Canyon is an amazing site to dive at. First, you are in a flat area which goes only 5m to 10m and then a sudden depth starts which resembles a canyon. It’s an impressive site to sea. There is a French cargo shipwreck at 25m and its propellers are at 40m. There are also caves and under rock areas which make the dive even more exciting.

*Flying fish : It is a reef, which starts at 5m and goes very deep. There is an Italian war plane with 3 propellers that crashed for unknown reasons during the Second World War and fell. The engine of the plane becomes visible at a depth of 40 meters, the other parts and the tail go down to the depths of 60 meters. Around the wreck there is still some unexploded ammunition. Except for the engine, the other parts of the plane lie under the sea complete, but of course time has done a lot of damage to the fuselage.