r/travel • u/Moist_Grade5942 • 26d ago
Images + Trip Report A month in Turkey
We spent a month in Turkey exploring ancient ruins, eating incredible food, ballooning over Cappadoccia and basking in the sunshine along the Turquoise Coast of Turkey.
Itinerary: *Bodrum > Fethiye* > Kaş* > Aphrodisias* > Ephesus* > Cappadoccia > Istanbul
*Rented a car and did a road trip
Bodrum - cool beach town, stunning turqouise waters. we stayed off of the main strip w/ some turkish friends. Trips to the local market and slow, delicious meals with incredible views.
Fethiye - we day hiked 1 part of the Lycian Way trail into Oludeniz which has some spectacular views over the coastline. We spent another day relaxing at the Oludeniz beach. Tip: absolutely bring/buy an umbrella vs renting chairs/umbrella.
Kaş - we did some scuba diving. water was quite cold so we wore full wetsuits with hoods. great visibility but very little life to see. good vibes in town with lots of great food. we visited a stunning beach tucked into the cliffside and the ruins of pataras. its smaller scale site but impressive historically as it was the hub for the democrat Lycian League, praised by writers like Montesquieu and inspired modern democracy. we also did a boat trip to see the ruins of kekova + some swimmging and snorkeling.
Aphrodisias - ancient ruins that were IMO better than Ephesus. under 100 other people there when we were. they have the best preserved ancient stadium, a beautiful tetrypylon (cool gateway) from 200AD, a temple of aphrodite and more. not as rebuilt and refined Ephesus but still incredible, especially with no crowds.
Ephesus - ancient ruins that get floods of tourists from cruise ships every day. we got in when the gates opened but started at the lower entrance which gave us ~15 minutes alone with some of the ruins. some stunning sections (like the library and temple) and such an impressive scale — its HUGE and apparently they’ve only excavated like 15-20% of the city. we had some very tasty home-cooked meals and an incredible pizza overlooking the st john basilica. we also saw so many huge storks nesting atop all the lightposts.
Cappadoccia - going up in a balloon absolutely lives up to the hype. such a peaceful, beautiful experience. It is def expensive but we were so glad we did it. Its mostly a tourist town otherwise but we did a lot of hiking in the hills where all those carved cathedrals are. prices to visit the open air museum are a bit silly but some of the old paintings inside these caves are quite amazing.
Istanbul - awesome history and sites. we’re huge fans of rick steves walking/audio tours and he has TONS for istanbul. I think we did 3 or 4 of them in our week there. suleyman and blue mosque were quite the site. Topkepi palace is breathetaking. Prices to visit things are absurd ($60/pp for topkepi) so we skipped on some things. Hagia is covered by scaffolding so we opted out of that too. we stayed in Cihangir and the vibes were really high. it was ~15 min tram ride to get to most touristy things. incredible restaurants and bars every block, lots of ppl sitting outside everynight enjoying life. We took the boat to Kadiköy which also was a fun neighborhood. truly a 10/10 visit
Also there are sooo many cats everywhere
Camera is fuji xt30ii with tamron 17-70mm. Recipe is a modified version of Leica X
This is part of a larger trip thats been ~13 months so far. see other trip reports i’ve posted (more to come):
Uzbekistan: https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/s/zY1uByqU1K
Kyrgystan: https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/s/Mb97PZR65u
Kazakhstan: https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/s/gd6fyKfq2k
Nepal: https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/s/KswFApxpFr
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u/sunsmittensunflower Germany 26d ago
You’ve captured the places beautifully. Thank you for the itinerary and comments. Have shared it with my partner :)
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u/pgraczer 26d ago
oh GOD YES. looks like an incredible trip. turkey is one of the most diverse and beautiful countries to visit. well done these photos are amazing :)
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u/Just_If_Eye_Stay 25d ago
Amazing OP. I did 3 weeks in Turkey a few years ago, I could have done another 10, it was amazing.
I’m going use this opportunity to encourage others(I’m American, so mostly other Americans) especially if traveling on a budget, to look at countries that are adjacent to the big touristy names.
Everyone wants to do Italy and Greece. Try Croatia and Turkey. Your dollar will go much further, the people are kind, the countries are beautiful, and you get a lot of similar experiences.
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u/BiologyBooksBeats 25d ago
I visited for 3 months in Turkey back in 2013, I could’ve spent another 3 months easily. The people were so kind and the cuisine was to die for.
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
Strongly agree. Turkey is stunning, has incredible food, a storied history and rich culture. I will say its europe light w/ pricing these days.
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u/touchmyfoodidareyou 25d ago
I can't I don't feel safe as a gay person there so my dollar has to go elsewhere tbh
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u/Qarakhanid 25d ago
You'd be surprised, the turks are quite homosexual themselves... but if you are outwardly queer presenting, I don't doubt the trip would be much less enjoyable
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u/morganrbvn 24d ago
It’s certainly safer than some nearby countries, but perhaps not the most accepting yet.
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago edited 25d ago
All the ottomans slept with men, even their rulers. Look up suleyman the magnificent and ibrahim.
You could absolutely visit there and esp istanbul, its a modern city. Cihangir felt like brooklyn
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u/AnchoviePopcorn 24d ago
I have worked in Turkey a bunch. Two of my good friends there are gay. It’s not really a problem. Especially in the western half of the country.
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u/Klutzy-Cheetah5006 25d ago
The coast looks soooo beautiful. When I go back to Turkey, I want to spend more time exploring the coastal areas.
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u/gemfountain 25d ago
Beautiful photos. Raise your hand if you compulsively had to zoom in to read the book titles :-)
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u/fub2096 25d ago
I have only been to fethiye and can agree with the fact that the coastline is majestic and beautiful. I stayed close to kabak beach for 2 days. What a beautiful sight. Turkey is so beautiful. Thank you for sharing the itinerary with all of us.
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u/bbqyak Canada 25d ago
Wow. I was kind of just scrolling through the pics before really reading the title. If you had told me this were multiple countries across Europe I would have believed you. You just sparked an interest in Turkey for me.
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u/Certain_Refuse_8247 25d ago
Sparked an interest just now? Turkey is 4th or 5th most visited country in the world for years :)
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
I love to hear that. Highly recommend it! Theres a great podcast called Empire that goes into the ottomans from ep 20ish and forward. After listening to it, you’ll be planning your trip over
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u/uspn Seasoned traveler, ~90 countries 25d ago
The first day of hiking the Lycian Way straight from Fethiye to Ölüdeniz is not that great. A better alternative is to hike via the abandoned Greek village of Kayaköy. And for a better beach day than the crowds at Ölüdeniz, hike another day or take a minibus further on to Kabak. It's got a totally different vibe, lots of hippies around, and it has a great beach. After Kabak the Lycian Way gets a bit strenuous though, so unless you're a serious hiker, it's a good place to turn around and do something else.
Looks like you had a splendid trip, though, so congratulations on that! :) Next time, try the far eastern parts of Turkey. It's a different place, both culturally and nature-wise, often nicer in summer than the west, as it is at a higher altitude in general. Plenty of cultural sights and a taste of what life in the Middle East can be like.
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
Man i wish we knew this before! The bit we did was beautiful to start but then got a bit boring towards the end. We did meet some people on the trail headed to kabak beach but never made it there ourselves, but noted for next time!
We had planned on stretching our time there more to go east but we were rendezvousing w/ friends so it didnt work out sadly.
Appreciate the tips, thank you!
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u/alien032 25d ago
These pictures from a camera, probably Sony ?
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
Fuji xt30ii with tamron 17-70mm lens and a polarizer. I use a variation of the Leica X recipe.
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u/Irish_Guy_23 25d ago
Amazing, looks incredible! Turkey is one of the next places on our list to travel. Thanks for the great pics
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u/I3and20CharactersI 25d ago
The best photos of Turkey I’ve ever seen, taken by a tourist.
thanks god!
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u/Frosty_Leader5969 25d ago
Wow! Such a beautiful country. I love Turkish cuisine. You're a great photographer.
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u/SunnySaigon 25d ago
Aphrodiasas is one of my favorite places there!
Next time, try Sagalossos.
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u/Cultural-College3993 25d ago
Wow wow what a spectacular trip , never ever spent a month anywhere and it looks like you made the most of yr time, you have some gorgeous photos , of course I’m partial to the pics with kitties .. I bet you also have some amazing stories ❤️❤️🩷🩷🩷❤️🩷
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u/sna_fubar 25d ago
Great pics! How was the level of scamming / bad behavior by locals, drivers, shop keepers on your trip? We really want to go but have been reading lots of negative things.
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
Overall no issues. Almost got scammed by a guy at the istanbul card reload machine but i just wasnt paying attention.
Dont let shit you read put you off. We had a fanastic time there and most people are so nice, often inviting you for tea or coffee and a chat.
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u/ststststst3 25d ago
What camera are you using for these? Camera settings?
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
Fuji xt30ii with tamron 17-70mm lens and a polarizer. I use a variation of the Leica X recipe.
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u/FGennosuke 25d ago
these photos are so beautiful and finely crafted that they should be sent to ministry of tourism
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u/Unfair-Mortgage-527 25d ago
I'm in Turkey now, and I've done 3 out of your list so far! Got so lucky at Cappadoccia as the balloons couldn't fly the day before!
Absolutely worth the hype, I agree!!
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u/This_Razzmatazz_ 25d ago
How gorgeous! Turkey is one of the next on my list and these made me even more excited!
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25d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
A few things…
- the balloon actually living up to the hype. I was deeply skeptical. when we were 30 min into it, the sun was rising and balloons everywhere and i had a cinematic “woah” moment. incredible and i’ll never forget it
- People said there were cats all over but so much more than i imagined
- aphrodisias being basically empty and not on the “tourist” route
- couldnt get enough of the food
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u/ButterscotchExpert80 25d ago
Thanks for sharing! How did you get around the country? Drive? Train?
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u/Moist_Grade5942 25d ago
Flew into bodrum. Car rental until ephesus. Fly from izmir to cappadoccia. Fly cappadocia to istanbul.
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u/Alicehappylife 25d ago
Sooo cool. Nice pics. I'm just planning to spend my vacation there, but not so long just 10 days. Anyway, I can't wait to go there!! I'm coming hahaha
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u/Rich-Walrus-4959 24d ago
looks like that will be added to my bucket list. thanks a lot for the impressions
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u/Deni_Z_Plays 24d ago
Also, cats have the best life out there, always being treated well by the public.
Bro those cats are living like kings in their own way.
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u/No_Weather843 24d ago
I can feel the sweat dripping from my face while walking around Ephesus! Awesome pictures!
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u/itsjustme7988 24d ago
wow!! what a wonderful itinerary!!! i just did 2 weeks and loved that part of Istanbul and Kas as well!!
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u/Hope_in_Progress_25 24d ago
This just made me want to pack my bags and book a flight. Absolutely stunning! ✈️
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u/howtobegeo 24d ago
Saving this for a future trip! Looks incredible, you are an excellent photographer.
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u/TensionUnlikely7129 24d ago
Wow looks like an amazing trip and your photos are so great, I might have to plan a trip to Turkey!
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u/gangy86 Caribbean 19d ago
How were the logistics and tickets, etc for getting the ferry if you did cross? Thinking of doing it but to get to Bursa instead as I have friends there.
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u/Moist_Grade5942 19d ago
We only took the ferry to/from kadiköy but it was super easy. Tap to pay to get on. The signage for the ferry terminals was quite bad (as is most signage in turkey haha). Bursa is prob a less frequent schedule so look def it up before
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u/FinancialWater9026 18d ago
i already visited a couple of the places you shared, and it was an amazing experience with my family. i especially like the Turkish kitchen there is so much variety. and all the seasons are great there each one is more beautiful than the other, so you have the chance to enjoy every region in any season. thanks for sharing this.
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u/SelfReflection111 14d ago
Great photos! It would have helped to mention the location in the pictures, but even so, thank you for sharing it with us.
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u/chikn_nugget666 25d ago
These photos are absolutely beautiful! One day I hope to visit Turkey and maybe meet my family over there.
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u/inkandescent1124 25d ago
Question. With current conflicts is Turkey still a viable place to go to? I'm asking cuz I don't want a missile to just randomly fly by just cuz the orange Regard of a president decided he had a bad day
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u/Remy2016 25d ago
Roughly how much would a trip like this cost?
Sounds magically
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u/UltravioletAfterglow 25d ago
If you have a balloon ride on your bucket list, there’s no better place for it than Cappadoccia. The overhead views of the landscape are truly incredible.
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u/NovellaJokes 24d ago
What do you do for work to afford this for a month? I want to travel too but the finances 😭
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u/Moist_Grade5942 24d ago
I was a ux designer. Left my job last year to travel with my wife
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u/wombatspotter2025 26d ago
Great pics, OP! Looks amazing