Adventure Travel Photography Blog
Wow! I had never really taken the time to realize the size of Turkey. It is huge. I signed up for a two-week driving tour, and we hardly scratched the surface of Western Turkey. After touring Istanbul on my own for five days, I joined G Adventures for an itinerary which included stays in Bolu, Cappadocia, Konya, Antalya, Kekova, Selcuk and Canakkale with additional stops in Ankara, Kas, Pamukkale, Ayvalik, and Gallipoli.
DRIVE THE COUNTRYSIDE!
Istanbul is an enormous city of 14 million people and is separated into three sections by water. The Golden Horn divides the European side into two while the Bosphorus Strait intersects the European and Asian side. Istanbul is the only city in the world to span two continents.
In previous posts I wrote about the Sultanahmet (the Old City) and Beyoĝlu (the European Quarter). This post will focus on things to do on the Asian Side of the city.
TAKE A STROLL!
Tel Aviv is completely different from most of the other cities that tourists visit in Israel. While it does feature the city of Old Jaffa, Tel Aviv is very new, vibrant and cosmopolitan relative to many others in Israel. Though a big city, it doesn’t take more than a day to explore the sites.
LET’S GO!
Continuing our tour with G Adventures, the budget minded National Geographic company, we left the Sea of Galilee for the Mediterranean Coast where we visited two different places: The Baha’i Gardens and Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel and Caesarea, Roman ruins which date back to 29 BC. Both were wonderful places.
EXPLORE MORE!
On my week-long tour around Israel with G Adventures, the budget conscious National Geographic subsidiary, we spent a day site seeing around the Sea of Galilee.
LET’S GO!
While visiting Israel, be sure Masada National Park and the Dead Sea make the itinerary. Just 60 miles and a 1.5 hour drive southeast of Jerusalem, both places may be visited in a day.
EXPLORE NOW!
In order to get to Bethlehem, visitors must travel through the West Bank. For tourists, passing through the Israeli check point is generally problem free, but it is best to carry identification in case of a search.
LET’S GO!
I wish there were a way to sum up the history of Jerusalem in a paragraph or two, but its 3,000 years of complicated history requires a detailed write up that I will leave to historians. Just the list of top places to visit in Jerusalem is extensive enough!
FIND OUT MORE!
Misfat Al Abriyyin is a mountain village located just up the road from Al Hamra. It is one of the few old villages that actively welcomes tourists, though the signs posted at the parking area of the village entrance remind visitors to act respectfully. We stayed here after hiking the Balcony Walk in the Grand Canyon of Oman and really loved our authentic experience.
FIND OUT MORE!
After touring Muscat, hiking and swimming in the wadis near Tiwi, and camping in the Arabian Desert with Bedouins, we continued our week-long tour of Oman with KE Adventures in Nizwa.
Nizwa is one of the oldest cities in Oman, and it was the country’s capital in the 5th and 6th centuries. Located at the base of the Western Hajar Mountains, it is strategically located at the crossroads of routes linking the interior of Oman to Muscat and Dhofar.
VISIT NIZWA