(Photo of a Lycian Tomb Near Kekova by Neil Roach) Turquoise water. Ottoman architecture. Lycian tombs. Roman ruins. Amanda Lobell and Neil Roach found all that and more when they traveled along the gorgeous Turkish coast. Following a week in Istanbul and Cappadocia, they flew to Izmir to visit the incredible ruins of Ephesus (which [...]

(Photo of Kapitas Beach by Neil Roach) After Amanda Lobell and Neil Roach left Selcuk, the Turkish town closest to the legendary ruins of Ephesus, they headed down the gorgeous Turkish coast to Antalya. They didn’t have a definite itinerary, but they knew they needed to reach Antalya in five days for a flight back [...]

Last summer, I spent 8 days in Turkey. While I had ample time to explore the amazing city of Istanbul and the otherworldly region of Cappadocia, I was frustrated that I didn't get to see the rest of the country. So when Amanda Lobell and Neil Roach planned their Turkey trip in July so that [...]

I'm back in chilly NYC after a great trip to Grenada. But in cyberspace I'm over on Heather Cowper's excellent travel blog Heatheronhertravels.com guest-blogging about why it's a good idea to stay in Goreme, Turkey, if you're looking to explore the Capoddocia region. (The photo above was taken in June at 6 AM from the [...]

Turkey is hardly the camel capital of its region, but I was secretly hoping to see at least one during my trip. There's camel wrestling in Selcuk and Mulga, but I wasn't going to either place. And I didn't need to see the animals fighting each other. I just wanted to see a camel doing, [...]

When I went to Cappodocia, the central region of Turkey whose landscape resembles the American Southwest, I stayed in the town of Goreme, which is famous for the “painted churches” at the Goreme Open-Air Museum. From behind my hotel, Sultan Cave Suites, I could easily see Uchisar Castle (pictured above), which is in the next [...]

Separated by the Bosphorus, the city of Istanbul spans two continents: Europe and Asia. Like most tourists, we stayed on the European side, specifically in the Sultanahmet, which is the historic center. But we were excited to venture over to Asia, so we caught the ferry at Galata Bridge to the neighborhood of Uskadar. It [...]

You know how they always say that in life you regret the things that you didn’t do more than those you did? Well, in my case, it seems to be that I regret the things that I don’t buy more than the things I do. I thought that I was over the fact that I [...]

I don't usually take guided group tours — I prefer to sightsee at my own pace whenever possible. But last week when I was in Goreme, Turkey, I was very glad that I decided to see Kaymakli Underground City with a group tour. That place is spooky and even though there are color-coded arrows you [...]

From the outside, the Basilica Cistern (pictured above) doesn’t look very exciting — especially compared to other dramatic historical sites in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul — but it’s pretty neat on the inside. You enter the modest building, buy your ticket (10 TL) and immediately descend down a steep flight of stairs to see [...]