Northern Aegean Region in Turkey with charming touristic potentials
February 24, 2008
Working as a licensed tour guide in Turkey and having travelled around in many parts of Turkey, I unfortunately observe that a part of Turkey has been neglected by the foreign visitors to Turkey : The Northern Aegean Region, which covers the area from Foca to Canakkale. Even the backpackers, who are supposed to be inventive, omit this nice part of Turkey. Only Canakkale as a transit point and pergamon ( due to the famous ancient site) are visited and other sections of the region is simply omitted. Foca has been able to maintain its charm with the possibility to have contact with its locals and historical atmosphere inherited from the ancient town of Phocaia and Phocaians. Ayvalik smells olive oil and history. The Gulf of Edremit with such places as Oren, Akcay, Gure and Altinoluk is a reservoir of oxygene and clean sea water. Assos is a hidden germ: Have a stay there to sit calmly in the Assos harbour and enjoy fish. Bozcaada is the island with a tiny greek community, wind mills and wine. Hotels are simpler than in the other touristic resorts of Turkey, but by beeing in the Northern Aegean Region you really get a...
Alternative Tourism in turkey ( Village Stays in Turkey )
February 24, 2008
Karaburun is a district in the province of Izmir with the town of Karaburun as its center. Karaburun - district started with an extensive Ecological Agriculture Project, supported by the central and local authorities, as well as the funds of the World Bank and the European Union. The ecological agriculture has not emerged as a planned process, but as a result of the local farmers’ lack of financing in purchase of pesticides and advanced equipment. Though unintended in the start, a new developmental route has been opened in the form of ecological agriculture. The ecological agriculture simply means that no artificial means are employed. Scientific findings show that non-ecological agricultural products leave its damages on the human body. The taste which we had in our childhood has disappeared from today’s well-looking agricultural products. We believe that with the ecological agricultural products and the come-back of the taste, the district of Karaburun has a large marketing potential. The authorities have got certified the ecological character of the agriculture in the district. While one drives through the district, one can see amongst others the so-called ecological traps on the olive trees which are used to abolish the insects. In this connection it...
Tourism in Turkey has so far mainly been based on the mass-tourism with the resort towns along the Mediterranean ( Alanya, Side, Antalya, Kemer, Fethiye) and Aegean Coasts ( Marmaris, Bodrum, Didim, Kusadasi and Cesme). Mass tourism has meant for Turkey increasing number of tourists to Turkey but also decreased revenues per tourist due to such arrangements as “all inclusive hotel packages”. One place in Turkey which has not utilized the economical potentials of the mass tourism is Cesme and we may say fortunately.
Cesme has been little affected by the requirements of mass tourism and fortunately it has protected itself as a sleeping, litt touched beauty. Now we believe that it is time for Cesme to emerge as a quality touristic resort, which will sell for a good price.
Cesme has a number of long sand beaches which make it an ideal place for the lovers of swimming. It is cooler in the summer time thanks to the cooling breeze unique for Cesme. Cesme is rich of hot thermal water sources.
Cesme is planned as a quality thermal spa center. The government of Turkey started a process whereby big areas in Cesme will be allotted for such touristic investments...
Both due to the inefficiency of mass tourism caused amongst others by such trends as “all inclusive” my desire to let the younger generation of tour guides deal with mass tourism, my desire to engage myself in other areas of tourism in Turkey. Thanks to some coincidences, I became acquainted with health tourism in Turkey and my belief in this increasing day by day.
I performed for nine seasons duties of representation and tour guiding at Balcova Termal Spa for the Norwegian patients sent by the Norwegian Health authorities. In the beginning of this period, I was considering myself purely as a tour guide and I was not able to conceive the fact that the main reason for their stay at Balcova Termal Spa was treatments.
By getting in close contact with this group of patients, I learned to share their pains and so I could afterwards start seeing the huge potential of health tourism in Turkey.
Working as a tour guide in turkish health tourism is not a job of pleasures. Sometimes to share the patients’ pain and sorrow may also make the guide tired. Of course there are times when you share the pleasures. Anyhow, beeing a tour...
Brian Rowbotham Comes Back with a New Website About Izmir
February 24, 2008
Brian Rowbotham, born in 1941 in Manchester, England, was educated as an English and Geography teacher with a Master's degree in Education. He loves travelling and has been to many countries abroad, amongst others India, Thailand Mexicao and most of Europe. He was in Turkey for the first time in 1960, and has since travelled widely in his adopted land.
His love for Turkey brought him to Samsun where he worked as English teacher at Ozel Samsun Lisesi, held a conference for the Governor and Museum on The Amazons, and co-published 4 widely used Milli Egitim approved books. He has held solo Art Exhibitions in Milas, Samsun, Ankara, Izmir and Istambul. He has an extensive assemblage of finished acrylic works and computer graphics.
He ended up moving to Izmir , where he was an English teacher at St.Joseph's High School. After retirement, the only accepatable future for him was to get settled in Izmir and he has dedicated himself to promoting our city and Province world wide.
He strongly believes in the unbelievably high potential of Izmir, which he believes most Izmirites should pay attention to. Situated at a terminus of the Silk Roads in Turkey/ Anatolia, The Cradle of...
As a tour guide in Turkey, I have been in Ephesus over hundred times. If I were an ordinary visitor, not a guide, I would have perhaps visited Ephesus few times and it would be enough. I am never bored of beeing in Ephesus, though in the summer time I may be tired of hot weather-but this is not beeing bored. Ephesus means for me renewing my soul and insight into the life generally. At each Ephesus visit I learn who ( better to say: what) I am in the endless universe. Humans over an almost endless span of time have been born, lived and died and I, as a very small actor in the history of humanity, am also a temporary creature. Beeing away from the modern life of the cities and visiting Ephesus, I have the possibility to find myself again within a more moral and spiritual context.
Visiting Ephesus, you have the chance to experience the same as explained above and understand the life two thousand years ago. Humans of that era had both a better and worse life than us. The social diseases of our modern times-jealousy, ambitions, competitions- certainly influenced them; but I supposes that...
In the searching engines you would find several webpages about Canakkale in english, I suppose. Let me divide canakkale in three sections : 1) The center of Canakkale-Canakkale is one of my favourite places in Turkey. Though it is at the upper end of the Asian part of Turkey, you will feel as if you are in a different country. Canakkale is very european and liberal. In the city center you will find the nice promenade along which you find restaurants, cafes and the trojan horse which was used in the last film of Troj. In Canakkale, one of the local specialities is "helva" made of cheese and there are several places serving that. It is a type of desert Since the following hotels are in the very center of the city ( where you find the ferry-boat pier) and it is very lovely then I would advise a hotel in the center. In the center, because there are university students, there are quite many bars and cafees in european style, of course if you like this type of places. In the city center, you find the castle and a synagogue ( the last information I give because there may...
Balcova Termal Restaurant Down The Forest in Izmir
February 24, 2008
While in Izmir, why not visit Balcova Spa Hotel ( Balcova Termal Tesisleri) and have a dinner in the restaurant section. There are two main dinner alternatives. The first one is to enter into the indoor restaurant with buffet where you can eat as much as you want and choose between the hordovrs, main dishes, dessert and fruits. For this buffet you pay approximately 15 Euro. The second alternative is the alarte restaurant. Alacarte restaurant is active on the second floor over the terrace of the hotel when it is not hot enough outside and outside at the terrace from May to the end of October. You can choose between kebap types and european dishes. Excluding the dinner you can reckon with 15-20 Euro per person for a satisfying dinner.
Sinan Tortum is the team leader of FELLOW GUIDES- a group of Turkish tour guides with tour guide services in Izmir, Selcuk, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Cesme, Foca, Karaburun, Sigacik, Teos, Dikili, Pergamon,...
Brian Keith Rowbotham with a life dedicated to tourism in Izmir
February 24, 2008
I want to inform about Brian Rowbotham working on Izmir tourism. Brian Rowbotham has devoted himself to the development of tourism in Izmir, called Smyrna in the past. His starting point is that while Izmir was the pearl of The Levant ( Eastern Mediterranean Area) appreciated by amongst others Heredotus, Alexander the Great and Victor Hugo, now it is conceived as a messed up city. He strongly criticizes this conception of Izmir. He has started a website called "Izmir For You" with the address "www.izmir4u.com" as a basis for his thoughts about Izmir. He thinks that tens of thousands of tourists to Izmir would not be a problem. So have a look at his website before or while you are here in Izmir.
Sinan Tortum-Tour Guide in Selcuk/ Ephesus, Kusadasi, Izmir, Cesme, Foca, Turkey and real estate agent in Turkey
Sinan Tortum is the team leader of FELLOW GUIDES- a group of Turkish tour guides with tour guide services in Izmir, Selcuk, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Cesme, Foca, Karaburun, Sigacik, Teos, Dikili, Pergamon, Ayvalik, Akcay, Pamukkale, Cappadocia ( Urgup, Goreme, Avanos), Antalya, Kemer, Side, Alanya, Bodrum, Marmaris, Didim and Urla in Turkey in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish,...
Ali Bey Hamam in Karsiyaka is one of the turkish baths which can be visited. In the near past they accepted mixed groups, but now they only accept one sex groups. Therefore menn and women should come here at their respective time. It is a bath from the 17th century and it was planned by an italian architect. When you see the cross structure on the ceiling then you understand easily why in the past it was called the priest bath.
Directions: Close to the main pedestrian street of Karsiyaka and the railway. Ask the local people.
Other Contact: +90.539.2240093 Sinan Tortum- Tour guide in Ephesus/ Selcuk, Izmir, Kusadasi, Cesme, Foca, turkey and real estate agent in Turkey
Sinan Tortum is the team leader of FELLOW GUIDES- a group of Turkish tour guides with tour guide services in Izmir, Selcuk, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Cesme, Foca, Karaburun, Sigacik, Teos, Dikili, Pergamon, Ayvalik, Akcay, Pamukkale, Cappadocia ( Urgup, Goreme, Avanos), Antalya, Kemer, Side, Alanya, Bodrum, Marmaris, Didim and Urla in Turkey in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and Polish.
We cooperate with the local agencies for tours in Izmir, Selcuk, Ephesus, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Cesme, Foca,...
