Hidden Turkey - The 'hidden' beauty of Turkey

Visiting Turkey need not be to simply laze around on sun kissed beaches. Nor does it mean only visiting the country in the summer months. Turkey has something to offer all year around.

Seek the 'hidden Turkey' and you will not be disappointed.

Most people will book their holiday in a particular resort and not venture too far away from it, after all maybe they have worked hard all year around and truly deserve the rest, and who can blame them?
Unfortunately you do not tend to see the 'Real Turkey' from a holiday resort, as in any other country that has areas that aim toward tourism it is all so commercial.

Turkish villages, Turkish friendliness.

Venture out into the villages and Turkey begins to bring on a new and exciting, maybe a little daunting after travelling miles on a dirt track to get to the village, view of how the Turkish people really are.
The first thing that will become apparent is the friendliness, though in the tourist areas this is mainly due to you spending money at some point.

In the villages you will still be offered cups of traditional Turkish tea and coffee and maybe something to eat and this is offered out of sheer hospitality after all the villages don't often have anything to sell, so they aren't giving you,what you may think are freebies just to gain financially. The reason you are offered these things is simply because it is traditional to greet strangers in this way. Remember, the tourist areas are used to seeing many different people from all over the world visiting them, the villagers aren't. Although you may find it useful to have someone with you who can translate for you, it isn't always necessary as friendliness is an easy language to understand.
The villagers will also help you to appreciate more the things you have in your life, remember inflation is high in Turkey so a little has to go a long way and villagers will work very long days picking cotton, fruit ,carpet weaving, etc, just to make what we would call 'loose change'.

Turkey - off the beaten track.

So, you decided to visit Turkey and you have done the 'let's sit on the beach for 2 weeks until we are cooked thing' but have you ever thought about what else can be done in Turkey?

Be adventurous and go off the beaten track and the hidden Turkey appears before you, so much more than what you would ever expect is waiting for you to discover it. Find out about the turtles at Dalyan, why they are protected, why were the tombs at Kaunos built into the hillside? what makes Istanbul so special? what lurks beneath the streets in Istanbul? It is all there for you to find out.

If you are interested in certain activities then you will be spoilt in Turkey. Did you know there is some great skiing to be had in the many ski resorts. Skiing in Turkey (!) may not immediately spring to mind, but if you stop and think about it, Turkey is a very mountainous country and so when you put the snow and the mountains together you have another seasonal resort.

Skiing in Turkey focuses around Uludag, Palandoken, Kartalkaya, Erciyes and Sarikamis.



Also Turkey is home to some world class Golf courses which can be found at Belek and Istanbul.

A home of culture.

If culture is more your thing then anywhere in Turkey is a dream come true.
You are truly spoilt by how much this great country has to offer. It would probably take a whole lifetime to take it all in. Don't forget, it's not only about the thousands of Mosques and Churches that 'litter' Turkey, nor the amazing buildings once created by the many civilisations that spent time here, it's also what makes people who they are. This is the 'Hidden Turkey'. Where did the belly dancing, that you will see at your resorts 'Turkish Night'  originate?  What about the Whirling Dervishes (Mevlana) ?



and 'Grease Wrestling' (Kirkpinar Yagli Gures) what exactly is that all about?

Enjoy hidden Turkey.

Well from all this i hope i have given you another way of thinking about what Turkey has to offer rather than just the beach. There is so much to see and do in this country so, maybe in the future that 'normal' summer holiday to Turkey may just end up being more of a learning holiday and not a lazing one.

Discover the 'Hidden Turkey' and you will learn so much about this exquisite country.

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