Adventure Travel Photography Blog
Turkey is an immensely popular destination for tourists from around the world. The unique country covers two continents, boasts beautiful weather, and is a photographer’s paradise.
Whether wanting to capture wildlife, modern culture, or historical architecture, it doesn’t matter. You will find everything you’re looking for in Turkey. It’s one of the reasons why my two-week stay was filled with joy, and your trip will be too. Here’s where you’ll get those incredible photos.
SNAP A PHOTO!
I’m pleased to announce a free giveaway in conjunction with GPSMyCity, a travel app that provides offline GPS guided maps for numerous cities.
For a limited time (May 03, 2023 – May 10, 2023), you can get a free, one-year premium membership. The membership provides access to all guides and articles available within the app along with offline GPS guided maps.
Start with one of my recently published articles below or check out thousands of other guides and walking tours in the app.
It only takes a few steps to claim your free, one-year premium membership (an $18.99 value).
Remember, you only have ONE WEEK to claim your premium membership.
TRY FOR FREE
Given most of the world is in lockdown due to COVID, this is probably not the best time to write an article about postcard apps that let you mail a note with your own photo from all over the world. At the same time, they may still be used to cheer someone up during this difficult time and for the holiday season.
When I began traveling internationally for extensive trips, I wanted an easy way to say “hello” to my friends and family back home without having to hunt for a postcard, find a post office, and get the appropriate postage.
SAY HELLO!
During my two-week tour around Turkey with G-Adventures, our final night’s stay was in Canakkale. Canakkale is a seaport on the southern coast of the Dardanelles with a population of nearly 200,000. It is a good base for those wishing to visit Troy and Gallipoli.
GO VISIT!
It is about a 2.5 hour drive from Selçuk to Ayvalik, the next stop on our two-week G-Adventure tour of Western Turkey. Along the way, we stopped in Bergama to see the Turkish rug making process.
As part of my two-week tour of Turkey with G Adventures, a budget National Geographic company, we stayed in Selçuk for two nights. Sadly, I knew nothing of Selçuk or of its many attractions. For that matter, I didn’t know much about Turkey except that people enjoy it, so I wanted to go.
Selçuk is a very popular tourist destination. During the shoulder season at the start of COVID, however, the city was rather quiet, which I enjoyed! While Selçuk features a variety of restaurants and shops on lovely streets and a smattering of ruins on the hill above town, it is best known for its proximity to Ephesus, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With all the attractions, Selçuk definitely warrants an overnight stay or perhaps even a weekend get-away. Below is a list of things to do while in Selçuk.
EXPLORE!
I actually signed up for this G-Adventures tour, a budget National Geographic company, specifically because the itinerary included Pamukkale. Pamukkale is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which features natural travertine terraces of thermal pools. I saw a picture of the famous site in a National Geographic magazine at least 10 years ago and have wanted to visit ever since.
Take a Soak!
A long time ago, I read an article about SCUBA diving in underwater, ancient ruins near Istanbul. I thought that would be cool to do, so it has stayed with me for years. Having said that, during my six week trip to the Middle East which included Oman, Israel, and Turkey, SCUBA Diving didn’t make the list.
Instead, I signed up for a two-week tour through the western half of Turkey with G-Adventures, a budget-minded National Geographic Company. Having completed little research and being rather dependent on the tour company, I was surprised to learn that there were underwater ruins in Kekova, one of the destinations on our travels.
SAIL AWAY!
Antalya was originally founded by King Attalus II of Pergamon around 150 BC and was called Attalia for the King. It soon became part of the Roman Empire and prospered until the fall of Constantinople. The Seljuk Turks captured the city in 1207 which fell to the Ottomans in the mid 1300’s.
It remained under Ottoman control until World War I when the city was briefly given to Italy before the Turkish Republic recaptured Antalya during the War of Independence.
RELAX!
Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey with unique geological structures and lots of history. There are lots of things to do while visiting the region which includes several small towns such as Ürgüp, Göreme, Uçhisar, and Avanos to name a few. Hiking, taking a hot air balloon ride, and exploring an underground city are a must while in Cappadocia.
LET’S GO!