20 days/19 nights, Aug. 20-Sept. 8, 2013. Highlights: Ankara, Turkey/Hittite site of Hattusa/carved rock reliefs in Yazilikaya/Greek Orthodox Monastery, Sümela/Mongol monuments in Erzurum/Batumi on Georgia’s coast/Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park/Gori, Stalin’s hometown. Land, $6,995. Single supp., $1,195. MIR Corporation (Seattle, WA; 800/424-7289).
My wife, Carol, and I took the 15-day “Legendary Turkey” tour with Odysseys Unlimited (Newton, MA; 888/370-6765), May 29-June 13, 2012. The cost, including round-trip air from San Francisco, was $4,592 per person.
I found Turkey cleaner (and a good deal more stable) than Greece. And since it’s not in the European Union (yet) and has its own currency, it’s cheaper than many vacation destinations in Europe.
Here are some of the preconceptions people seem to have about Turkey.
I agree with the letter written by Marvin Primack (March ’13, pg. 26) concerning misconceptions about Iran. I visited there with MIR Corporation (Seattle, WA; 800/424-7289) at the end of 2011. When the people asked where we were from and were told the US, the response was overwhelming: “Oh, Americans! We like America.”
I was very pleased to read Marvin Primack’s letter “Misconceptions of Iran” (March ’13, pg. 26). How lovely to read of someone else’s pleasant experiences in that wonderful country. I have visited Iran five times, the last time in October ’08.
A friend and I booked the 15-day tour “Turkish Delight,” April 21-May 5, 2012, with Pacha Tours and got a great price, $1,490 per person, not including airfare. I asked the Pacha agent to book my airfare.
On Jan. 3, I received an email from a Pacha rep stating that I was booked on April 21 on US Air from St. Louis to Chicago and on Turkish Airways for the Chicago-Istanbul leg. I was informed that these were separate flights and I’d have to pick up my luggage at the Chicago airport and recheck it before continuing.
14-day/12-night tour with National Geographic photographer Steve Winter, Oct. 1-14, 2013. Highlights: In Istanbul, Old City, Hagia Sophia, Sirkeci quarter, Süleymaniye Mosque/walled city of Diyarbakır/stone carvings on houses in Midyat/beehive houses in Harran/Ionian city of Priene/Temple of Didyma/Ephesus/Selçuk Saturday market. Land, $6,795. Single supp., $675. Turkish Journeys (Medford, MA; 781/391-6183).
Tell ITN about the funniest thing that ever happened to you while traveling in a foreign country. (ITN prints no info on destinations in the United States.) There are no restrictions on length. The ITN staff will choose each month’s winner, who will receive a free one-year subscription to ITN. Entries not chosen cannot be acknowledged.
This month’s winner is SOL GOLD of Las Vegas, NV:
We learned about TEO World Culture Tours (New York, NY; 888/444-1110), which specializes in small-group travel, from a letter in ITN (Aug. ’11, pg. 31). From June 19 to 29, 2012, our group of five friends enjoyed an incredible tour of Turkey under the personal guidance of company owner Tamer Teoman.
9 days / 8 nights, Aug. 13-21, 2013. Highlights: In Istanbul, Güllüoğlu Baklava Factory, cooking class, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Spice Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar / explore Büyükada island by horse and carriage / Greco-Roman stadium in Perge / Roman theater, acropolis and aqueduct in Aspendos / day-long boat trip to Phaselis and Olympos / underground cities, fairy chimneys in Cappadocia. Land, $2,950. Single supp., $550. Eat Smart Guides (Madison, WI; 608 / 233-5488).