Turkish delights

Seeing the wonders of Turkey by coach gave Veronica Matheson a deep and fascinating insight into one of the world’s most atmospheric destinations.

Instanbul.

Minutes into the taxi ride the friendly Istanbul driver is talking soccer.

“Turkish people are passionate about soccer so you need to watch a game or two to understand us better,’’ he urges. Without pausing he moves on to the next topic ...

At least his one-sided conversation takes my mind off the gridlocked traffic. There seems to be no road rules in this city, just chaos. Drivers look for a tiny gap in the traffic and squeeze through. There is no disputing their nerves of steel.

Minutes after checking into the centrally located hotel I head to the lounge for welcome drinks with fellow travellers to join an 11-day Wonders of Turkey coach tour. Together, we will explore this country that straddles Europe and Asia with its exotic blend of ancient and modern wonders.

I have mixed feelings about coach travel, but I want to see Turkey and it is not the easiest place for a woman to travel around alone.

Concerns about spending two weeks with strangers are soon quelled as my fellow adventurers prove to be a lively bunch ranging in age from mid-30s to mid-60s, with a few fit bods in their 70s. Some are single, others have come as couples, and they hail from the US, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Australia. Many are well-travelled, often on other coach tours, and it takes no time for us all to be chatting like old friends.

Akatan, our tour director, is fiercely proud of his homeland, and is soon relating Turkey’s varied and turbulent history.

Women on the tour are already smitten by Akatan’s handsome looks and twinkling green eyes while the men love to talk sport with him. All agree Akatan, with impressive academic credentials, knows just about everything there is to know about Turkey and its people.

His history lessons are lively and engaging, while the beauty of his country, its extraordinary sights, and the warmth of the Turkish people will stay with us forever.

Some days are long, but there is much to see and do, and road distances from one Turkish highlight to the next can take hours on our comfortable coach fitted with all mod cons, including toilet room at the back for use in an emergency. Thankfully, there are regular stops at large petrol stations for a quick snack and non-urgent toilet break.

We stay in the best hotels and spend one magical night at a flash resort where we look out from our rooms’ balconies as the sun sets over the sparkling Aegean Sea. We walk ancient archaeological sites, cool our feet on extraordinary limestone terraces at Pamukkale, and explore underground cities and churches carved into rocks in Cappadocia.

We learn the art of bargaining at local markets, and get to know the varied food as we buy lunch for a handful of lira, stock up on Sweet Turkish delight that tastes divine, and search for CDs of local music we’ve grown to love.

There are lively chatterboxes and a few comedians in our party as well as quieter folk who, together, create a wonderful travelling melange.

We swap seats daily so that everyone has a turn at the front and at the back of the bus.

The worry is taken out of our travel, from airport transfers, to hotel bookings, transport logistics and most meals. Our suitcases are whisked away every morning and we don’t see them again until we reach our next hotel.

Nor is there need for an alarm clock; we wake to the Islamic call of the faithful to prayer. We learn that over 90 per cent of Turkish people are Muslim, yet the country has a fiercely democratic government where religion plays no role.

Everywhere there are reminders of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, fondly known as father of the nation, who died in 1938. We take in the impressive mausoleum in Ankara (Turkey’s capital city) which commemorates and celebrates his life.

Our coach tour takes a broad sweep of Turkey and is full of surprises, from lunch in a traditional family pizzeria amid shady vines, to a leather fashion show, carpet factory tour and a visit to a traditional ceramic showroom, where those with the urge splurge.

For some, ancient ruins at Ephesus are the show stopper, for others it’s a balloon flight over the other-worldly landscape of Cappadocia (a Star Wars film location), or Konya’s whirling dervishes, or time amid the poignant graves at Gallipoli, or a cruise on the Bosphorus to see Istanbul’s grand palaces, mighty domes and minarets from another aspect.

All are memorable, as is our group’s last supper, where new friends swap email addresses, and vow to meet again.

Getting there: Korean Air from Melbourne to Seoul (South Korea’s capital is well worth a stopover) with connecting flights on to Istanbul, www.koreanair.com.au

Package: Insight Vacations’ 11-day Wonders of Turkey tour starts and ends in Istanbul from $1650 per person, twin share, including most meals and sightseeing. International airfares extra. Departures until 6 November 2009, and from 6 March to 6 November 2010.

Visit: www.insightvacations.com