Cappadocia, Ephesus and the Coast

Explore Turkey's buzzing bazaars, pristine coastline, rural villages and fairy-tale Cappadocian landscapes.  Immerse yourself in historic and cosmopolitan Istanbul.  Enjoy the attractions that have drawn travelers here for millenia.  Destination Specialist Gail Scherer refined this comprehensive, unhurried itinerary after her October 2011 trip. Begin with Istanbul and the Bosphorus, continue to  Fethiye and Oludeniz, exploring small islands of the Mediterranean while staying aboard a traditional gulet. Visit the Roman ruins at Ephesus, the mountain towns of Sirince and Nazilli, the spa town of Pamukkale, and Konya and the whirling dervishes. Behold the amazing region of Cappadocia with its otherworldly rock formations, cave churches, and the ancient underground city of Kaymakli.  While touring, be sure to schedule time for a hammam (Turkish bath) treatment, sample the sweets and the spices, listen for the atmospheric calls to prayer, and find at least one opportunity to relax at a sidewalk cafe with cay (tea) and nargileh (water pipe), or a Turkish coffee and some pistachio baklava or kanafeh.