On arrival in Turkey you may want to buy a local phone SIM to save on call and data costs. These can be bought easily at the larger airports or in shopping streets during business hours. The major providers seem to be Turkcell, Turk Telecom and Vodafone. You’ll need to show your passport, which they’ll […]
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Travel
Turkey – Mobile phone SIMs
Üsküdar to Ortaköy (via Beşiktaş)
I’d heard that the Istanbul suburb of Ortaköy was worth a visit. So, after finding my way from the Kadıköy waterfront to Üsküdar (with a side trip to lovely Kuzguncuk) via dolmus (2.5TL), I headed for the Üsküdar – Beşiktaş ferry signs. A quick swipe of the Istanbulkart and I was aboard the speedy […]
Kadıköy to Sabiha Gökçen Airport
One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get to the Sabiha Gökçen Airport (Asian side) from the Kadıköy area is by Havataş Airport bus. Costing only 10TL the buses run regularly from the bus station at the Kadıköy waterfront area (P2 zone). Targeting a weekday 9:00am airport arrival, I took the 7:15am departure from […]
Şirince – a taste of Turkish village life
Şirince is a taste of Turkish village life as it was. Nestled on the slopes of the Aegean hinterland, just 8km from Selçuk, a stroll through its steep, cobbled lanes is a step back in time. Originally a Greek village, it’s famous for its production of exotic fruit wines, which can be sampled here. It’s […]
Culture
Building bridges – Naturally
A few years ago I was chatting with a Turkish teacher friend in London about her trip home to her family’s tiny village in central Turkey. She told me how she’d taken her parents the usual sack-load of mainstream souvenirs from her global travels. Her Mum’s response “Thanks…but please just bring me some foreign flower […]
Turkish Hygiene – Dirty, dirty. Not good.
Having worked in hospitals (Australia) for several years I’m accustomed to the concept of extreme hygiene. I’d have to say, Turkish hygiene comes a close second to the world of medical purity. A Turkish friendship is a lesson in cleanliness. Shoes off at the front door and into the house slippers, reminiscent of Asian home […]
Food & Drink
İçli Köfte – how Turkish are you?
I could see from the body language of my Turkish hosts that this meal was something special – içli köfte. Clearly, hours had been spent in the kitchen preparing this mountain of meatballs ready for my visit. I was proudly lead into the kitchen by my hosts to witness the final preparations. A boiling cauldron […]
Yaprak Sarma – It’s all in the roll!
There is something particularly evocative about sharing a plate of freshly made yaprak sarma with friends. It’s as much about the preparation and the appearance as it is about the taste. If I want to “feel Turkish” I make sarma. I can recall strolling through the gardens of a National Trust property back in […]