Other Turkey - impressions and guide advice

There is hardly a more popular beach tourism destination among our compatriots than Turkey. But you have to admit that Turkey is not a country you can dream of. That's what I thought until I got there two years ago as a transfer guide.

What do we associate with Turkey in the first place? Of course, it's the legendary "All Inclusive" with its frenzied buffet. Turkey responds in the body lazy relaxation and already slightly stretched stomach, as everyone dreams of embracing the immense. She managed to make an ideal formula for rest for our tourists: it is the sea, the sun, abundant and diverse food in round-the-clock access and simple entertainment, and we have the opportunity to enrich ourselves culturally without leaving our country.

The relative affordability and until recently stable political situation have made Turkey an incredibly comfortable country to stay in. In addition to the fact that in Turkey we do not have to save money, we can also save ourselves from pulling up our often lame English, as in tourist areas hospitable Turks have already learned Russian. In addition, I can say that the locals are really friendly to tourists.

Yes, the vast majority of the population adhere to Islam, but it is expressed in a milder form than in Arab countries. Turkey is primarily a secular state, however, I have noticed that the streets of Antalya and the smaller tourist towns are almost completely unseen by women and are mostly male.

In sum, all of the above makes us return there for the usual lazy rest again and again. I don’t see anything wrong with feeling comfortable and surrounded sometimes. All-inclusive tourists often do not leave the hotel, except for two or three standard excursions. I do not see any point here to describe any sights, as this information can be found in any guidebook. I just want to share my experience and show you a few features that can refresh your vacation.

Study on your own

As someone who has been behind the scenes of the travel industry, I can say that tourism is the largest industry of show business. And what a person sees on the territory of the hotel and from the window of the tourist bus on the way to the excursion is not able to show the character, individuality of the country. I urge you to go against the system and even dare to suggest that you do not take the presentation of the guide easily on faith and reach all conclusions by experience.

Pictured: Amphitheatre in Pamukkale

If you come to the beach, then most likely you are on the Anatalian coast of the Mediterranean Sea. After all, the Aegean Sea and its resorts are more popular among European youth than among us. I want to surprise you, but Turkey is not limited to the territory of your hotel and the beach adjacent to it. This is a large mountainous country, where people live responsive and friendly, and they live in interesting and colorful cities, with a well-preserved historical center and colorful markets. The cities are connected by roads with a classy asphalt pavement. On them go shuttle buses, which are called “dolmush”, and stops – “fool”. Tickets can be bought directly from the driver, if there is no lira, then you can pay in dollars. There is a taxi in Turkey, but it will cost much more than us. In words, everything is easy, but in fact even easier. So one day, we just go to the city and let ourselves dissolve in it.

Taste it.

Turkey is a country to taste! Everything is tasty here, the quality of products is very high, and their cost will not particularly hit the wallet. Go out of curiosity to local supermarkets, wander among the blocks of shelves and shelves, lined with boxes and jars with unfamiliar labels in Turkish, you can guess about their contents only from the picture. I strongly recommend buying Turkish chocolate and Ulker cookies. And just eat ice cream.

Speaking of ice cream. Remember the Dondurma? That's it! For those who don’t know what it is, dondurma is a local ice cream made from goat’s milk. In consistency, it is much harder and less amenable to melting. In some cafes, dondurma is eaten with a fork and knife. Shelves with this tasty food can be found almost everywhere, for one ball will ask for 1.5 – 2 liras, and all sorts of tastes are just the sea.

In my opinion, the buffet in Turkey has only one, but a significant drawback: there are practically no dishes of national cuisine. And Turkish cuisine is well worth it for you to occasionally skip dinner or hotel lunch in favor of local restaurants. By the way, all the catering in Turkey is called restaurants: put a table and chairs on the terrace, here's the restaurant. Look at the cafe where locals eat, and do not be confused by the small size and lack of air conditioning, it will more than pay off with new impressions. For a long time I could not unravel the secret of such a full and rich taste, seemingly the simplest dishes, such as omelet. Turns out, it's ghee, almost everything is cooked on it.

Most often, when ordering a main course salad of vegetables, sauce and bread you will bring free as a compliment, and if you are lucky to be born a beautiful girl, then tea and fruit cutting will also go as a gift. After dinner, of course, you need to take care of the tip.

Pictured: Traditional Turkish breakfast

Turkish cuisine is a kind of mix of Mediterranean (Greek), Balkan, Caucasian and Arab cuisines. The least I liked, oddly enough, the most popular dish - shaurma, they are called doner. They are somewhat fresh and dry to my taste due to their bread cake and the absence of the usual mayonnaise-ketchup sauce. But the rather sharp Lahmajun and Gezleme delighted me. They are thin flour cakes, with a variety of filling: minced meat, cheese, spinach, cottage cheese, necessarily finely sliced vegetables and spices. As you know, everything brilliant is simple. Without what does not do any meal - it is ayran, a refreshing drink based on yogurt, brackish in taste and what is not like. I will not even touch on the topic of the famous Turkish sweets, there are hundreds of species of lukum alone.

Be a sommelier

The biggest gastronomic discovery for me was ... Turkish wine. We know the least about winemaking in Turkey. Wine cellars in the country as a whole are not very many, the best are wines from the region of Izmir, Cappadocia, Eastern Thrace and Diyarbakir. You can get a free wine tasting on the way back from any excursion. No matter how rich and exhausting the excursion program is, I advise you to tune in to acquaintance with wine, try and admire. Pay attention to wines made of fruit and berry materials (cherry, melon, peach, etc.). If I had to describe Turkish wine in one word, I would say it’s so “natural” that there’s not a hint of alcohol or sugar. In all seriousness, I can say that mulberry wine from the producer Pamukkale Sharapchilyk is definitely the best wine I have tried.

A trip to the traditional hamam (Turkish bath) can be somewhat disappointing, mainly due to the unusual low temperature. Instead, I suggest visiting a Turkish barbershop. I am sure that you will be satisfied with the work of the master. It seems to me that all Turkish hairdressers are a little wizards, they will be able to create a real miracle, choose the perfect color and hairstyle. Prices in beauty salons are slightly higher than ours, but they will justify their costs. Special applause deserves barbershops. Look at the beautiful people who walk on the streets and on the beach! Looking at them willy-nilly believe that the hairstyle Cristiano Ronaldo engaged stylist of Turkish origin.

Dive into the night sea

And finally, swim in the sea at night! Most of us may have done this before, but I can’t help but remember that magical feeling. If during the day on the beach, frankly, it is cramped, then at night you will have the feeling that you own the whole sea, the sky and the moon on it. Isn't that great?

Turkey is so homely and cozy is deposited in memory by a kaleidoscope of pieces of multi-colored rahat-lukum and oriental lanterns, memories of truly southern nights, thick and thoroughly saturated with the salty smell of the sea and juicy greenery. And with each visit, she is able to open her own new facet.

Text by Diana Yusupova

Photo: vk.com, 101-0.com

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