Turkey - The Friendliest Place on Earth?
I have been a frequent visitor to Turkey for over ten years and over those years have made many friends who I still keep in contact with.
Turkey in recent years seems to have won this reputation for being cheap and cheerful in terms of getting there and the cost of living, which it is, there is no doubt that Turkey is still is a developing country, but it does have so much more to offer than just cheap lager and food.
Many of the resorts can and do easily compete with other resorts in Europe.
Olu Deniz
Some of the best beaches you will see anywhere in the World.
Bodrum
Cosmopolitan bustling resort which is great for clubbers and boasts the largest open air disco in Europe.
Kusadasi
A shoppers paradise which is eclipsed only by Istanbul and Izmir.
A great base for culture vultures with the massive biblical archaeological site of Ephesus only twenty minutes away.
It is said because of Turkey's diverse history there are more Greek ruins in Turkey than there are in GREECE.
Not to mention some of the natural wonders like the hot springs at Pamukkale and the catacombs of Cappadocia
I could go on and on naming all the resorts and what they have to offer but I would be in danger of sounding like a holiday brochure.
The point of this opinion is simply to say that Turkey's reputation of being a cheap place to sunbathe all day and get pissed at night is an unfair one as other than this it has so much more to offer.
You can of course spend your fortnight doing this if you want (I've done it myself) but it still is a great cultural experience, it is definitely NOT like being in say Spain or Greece and you will experience the Asian influence everywhere in Turkey even in bed when you are woken by the Muezzin on a morning which is the local mosque calling muslims to prayer over a loud speaker.
By far Turkey's biggest asset in my opinion is the friendliness of its people THEY REALLY ARE.
I have never expeienced such a willingness to help from anybody like the Turks do it (and I have visited many other countries in the World) even to the point when you are a new visitor it can be a little overpowering, even suspicious until you become used to their idea of hospitality.
I'll give you a quick example of this:
My Wife and I once stopped two scary looking policemen, gave them a business card of a restaurant we were looking for and asked them for directions. Neither of them spoke English and spent the next minute or so talking to each other scratching their heads and rubbing their chins.
At this point I fully expected them to hand the card back shake their heads, smile and walk off, but oh no not in Turkey.
One of them clicked his fingers and summonsed a local shop owner from across the road and spoke to him in Turkish, at this point the two policemen shook our hands smiled and went on their way.
The local shop owner shut his shop introduced himself as Ali and walked about half a mile with us right to the restaurant door during which time he was enlightening us with stories about his family and children etc. etc. It's hard to explain but it was almost like he'd been given a Mission by the Police and he was going to see it through right to the end.
I have many examples of similar experiences and frankly it' is these types of positive experiences that you remember and helps make the holiday an enjoyable one.
It is almost like there is an unwritten law in Turkey that no matter who you are, bus driver, shop keeper, bar staff etc. or even if you are just a passer by you must always be courteous and helpful to tourists (especially British tourists) and you do genuinely get this feeling of being made to feel special.
THEY LIKE THE BRITISH
Like any country Turkey isn't perfect they do have problems and I would always advocate people take reasonable responsibility for their own safety like you would anywhere.
Some resorts do have problems with beggars who just sit on the street holding out their hands but they in no way make you feel threatened.
I would offer the following tips to anybody planning to visit Turkey.
Remember Turkey is a developing country if you want five star service go somewhere else,power cuts for example are quite common, many hotels only have hot water available at certain times of day and many of the typical tourist rooms are quite basic but clean.
I feel this all adds to the experience.
The Turks are very laid back about everything, if you are told your meal will be served in five minutes and half an hour later you're still waiting, don't shout at the waiter, because if you do, you will probably spend your whole holiday shouting at people, just learn to relax like they do and politely tell him you are in a hurry they will then bend over backwards to help you.
Learn to say no with a smile. Turkey is a poor country as are the people and everybody is trying to earn a living even the shoe shine boys, people selling fake perfumes and yes even the beggars (they don't have social security out there you know).
You don't have to go into every shop or bar when approached, just like you don't have to buy everything that is offered to you on the street, Just say no BUT SAY IT WITH A SMILE and if they persist, keep walking, keep smiling and keep saying no, Don't feel threatened or pressured as I said they are just trying to make a living (or make ends meet would be nearer the mark)
And finally remember your calculator. Look at the exchange rate and you will know exactly what I mean.
Ever wondered what it would feel like to be a millionaire, well go to Turkey and you will become one, a Turkish one that is
