Turkiye (aka Turkey is a country I’ve been to a couple of times. The first time was as a young teen with parents at Kuşadası nearby İzmir. That was my first (and last) all-inclusive resort experience. We managed to leave the resort once and if I’m honest, I didn’t have a good first impression of Turkiye from that cursory visit.
My second visit was an Istanbul city trip with my mom in 2013 as a twenty-something. That was a fantastic experience and we did most of the cultural and historic things one must do while in Istanbul. My favorite activity back then was visiting the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı).
After that, I visited Turkiye as a hitchhiker in 2014. I hitchhiked through the country on my way to my best friend’s wedding in Tbilisi. And when I returned from Iran, I crossed the border and hitchhiked to the city of Van, where visiting the Van Cat Sanctuary was my favorite experience. Then I spent a few months hitchhiking about, which included a detour to Northern Cyprus. One of my favorite cities was Eskişehir, where I couchsurfed and met some really awesome people. I also experienced my first earthquake there. Then I spent a few days in Istanbul before hitchhiking to the Netherlands in 60 hours.
My latest visit was from late October to early December 2021. I took the ferry from Chornomorsk in Ukraine to Karasu in northern Turkiye. After that, Jonas and I visited Istanbul – a first visit for him – and Edirne. Highlights this time were petting all the cats, visiting all the Princes’ Islands (including Freedom and Democracy Island), eating loads of Turkish breakfasts, and visiting the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne.
Things to Do in Turkiye (Next Time)
- Of course, I’d love to hitchhike even more in Turkiye. I wonder if it’s possible to hitchhike the D915 Bayburt to Of road, which is… eh, spectacular and dangerous (especially close to Derebaşı virajlarını)
- Spend some time in regions I haven’t visited thoroughly. These are the areas around Kapadokya, Kayseri, Nevşehir, and Aksaray in the center of Turkiye, and the Antalya area on the Mediterranean coast
- Take a high-speed train across the country
- See Mount Ararat (3611masl) up close and if the border to Armenia reopens (for third-party nationals, as announced in July 2022), cross it either between Iğdır and Margara or Kars and Akhurik
- Revisit some places, such as Göbekli Tepe, and other places in Anatolia, such as Lake Van (though not in winter!) and Kız Kalesi nearby Mersin
- Spend more time in places like Rize, surrounded by the country’s tea production
- Eat many more versions of delicious Turkish breakfast and their delicious (vegan!) çiğ köfte
- Cross the land border between Turkiye and Nakhchivan
If you know cool places and things to do in Turkiye, comment at the bottom of this page so I can always find your suggestions again once I start plotting my return! Especially if you are Turkish or have lived in Turkiye for a while
Are you a travel blogger and do you have good posts about Turkiye? Drop them in a comment below and I’ll read them!
Selimiye Mosque, Edirne (Turkey)—Ottoman Wonder of the Turks
We visited the Selimiye Mosque on Thursday, the 25th of November as well as on the 1st of December, 2021. On the first visit we went inside and on the second visit, we wandered around the on-site museum. The Idea to Visit Edirne Once the idea of taking the ferry from Ukraine to Turkey across the Black Sea was on the table, I put forward Edirne as well. Though I’d hitchhiked across the Edirne border with Bulgaria twice – and had the passport stamps to prove it – I’d never made a stop in town. Why would this small TurkishContinue reading
The Great Synagogue of Edirne: My First Synagogue Visit (Turkey)
During our eight-day stay in Edirne, Turkey, I had a very long list of places to visit or check out. The city is really full of history. One site stood out on Google Maps: the Great Synagogue of Edirne. When I read that it’s actually open to visit for non-Jews, I thought it would be cool to go there. So on November 30th, 2021 we visited. Why Have I Never Been to a Synagogue? The Synagogue Exterior More rain was in the forecast for later. Jonas navigated to the synagogue because he really wanted to walk via Saraçlar Caddesi—the mainContinue reading
How to Get a Turkish SIM Card (In the Small and Non-Touristic Towns of Turkey)
We bought our Turkish SIM cards on Monday the 25th of October, one day after arriving in Karasu. Karasu is a port town on the Black Sea coast and we’d arrived by ferry. It’s relatively small and getting a Turkish SIM card wasn’t straightforward. This post is supposed to help people who are also arriving in Turkey by land or sea and in a smaller town away from places geared toward foreigners. Contents1 Our Experience Buying a Turkish SIM Card in Karasu2 FAQ Turkish SIM Card + Internet Freedom in Turkey2.1 Which provider should I choose?2.2 Should I buy theContinue reading
Ukraine to Turkey by Boat: Booking a Black Sea Ferry from Chornomorsk to Karasu
26 February 2022 update: originally published on the 19th of October, 2021. I moved this post to 2022 so this info about the Black Sea ferry from Chornomorsk shows up on the homepage of my blog. Do I recommend taking this boat from Odesa, Ukraine to anywhere else right now? No, I wouldn’t want to be on a ship that says UKRFERRY on the side right now. As far as I know, the ships named Greifswald (link leads to current location of ship), Kaunas, and Vilnius aren’t leaving the port of Chornomorsk at all right now. You can follow theContinue reading
Beer O’Clock: Hitchhiking from Eskişehir to Istanbul (Turkey)
A magical day of hitchhiking from Eskişehir to the European side of Istanbul! It was very easy to arrive here by hitchhiking, so I’m concluding the day with a celebratory beer. Or two. I’m making a stop in this city before continuing my #HitchhikingHomeForChristmas adventure. The drive from Eskişehir to Istanbul is only 300 kilometers. But the next stretch will be thousands. Istanbul is full of friends, old ones and new, so I’m happy to hang around here for a little while, catching my breath for the way home. Before leaving Eskişehir, I asked around on Facebook if someone could host me. TheContinue reading
Eskişehir, Turkey: Şelale Mesire Yeri Waterfalls and Earthquake!
Let’s talk about Turkey’s underrated gem: Eskişehir. Someone who followed my adventures invited me to his city Eskişehir—a city I’d never have thought of visiting between Ankara and İstanbul. He said it’s a laidback university town with lots of young students and a cool vibe. Sounds good! So on December 8th, I hitchhiked there to say hi to him and his friends. His name is Ali and he’s very outdoorsy and likes to travel by bicycle. I must say that the Turkish traveler community CouchRail on Facebook really works better than any official CouchSurfing stuff. His family was incredibly kind and we exchangedContinue reading
The First Hitchhiker to Space? (Ankara, Turkey)
Firstly, insert a mandatory The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy reference. Here in Ankara, Turkey, I visited the faculty of aeronautics and astronautics with my CouchSurfing hosts. I joined them here for a lecture. But I couldn’t focus on the subject matter because of the words that marked this building. Everyone wants to become an astronaut, that’s a fact. I’m absolutely considering a career switch And if not a career switch from hitchhiker to astronaut, I could maybe become the first space hitchhiker. But I know you’re wondering: why would I qualify for space hitchhiking? As requested: my curriculum vitae: I’m veryContinue reading
Northern Cyprus! Ferry from Taşucu (Turkey) to Girne (Kıbrıs)
After a rough night on the rolling sea, pretending to like immigration officers and a heavy rain shower to say welcome, I have arrived in Cyprus. Northern Cyprus. Vake yeah! Getting to the port town of Taşucu to make it to the night ferry was a hellish experience. But I made it. That’s what matters. Now I’m in the port town on the other side. The Turkish people call it Girne and the Greeks call it Kyrenia. Likewise, the island of Cyprus is known in Turkey as Kıbrıs, it’s capital Nicosia as Lefkoşa. You know. So let’s talk about the big elephant inContinue reading
Turkish Animal Shelter in Hatay, Turkey
I brought last night’s puppy to a Turkish animal shelter in Hatay today. My contact at the construction site took this photo for me this morning before he drove me – under slight protest – across Hatay to an animal shelter (Turkish: hayvan barınağı). That’s why I look so happy. After that, I started the journey with this pup wrapped in my arms in the car and into the shelter. To be honest, I don’t feel good about dropping the puppy off at the Turkish animal shelter. It’s the cruelest thing I’ve done in my life. Upon arrival, there were a lotContinue reading
Puppy Savior Complex (Hatay, Turkey)
Here in Hatay, my host asked me to move to the office of a friend’s construction site to go (sort of?) couchsurfing. The old place I was staying at wasn’t suitable, or something like that. I was there all alone sleeping in the darkness of night on said couch when I heard the cries of a puppy outside. I waited for half an hour until I couldn’t take it anymore. Like a night watch, I ventured out and into the cold to approach the call for help. I searched and searched by torchlight for the source of the squeaks untilContinue reading
Things to Do in Edirne, Turkiye
We visited Edirne from the 24th of November till the 2nd of December, 2022. Here are some things to do in Edirne and our itinerary for the week we stayed there. Contents1 Why Visit Edirne?2 How to Travel to Edirne?3 Things to Do in Edirne4 Map of Landmarks in Edirne and Karaağaç5 Our Edirne Itinerary6 Good info? Buy me a Turkish coffee!7 Wish to share this post? You’re the best. Why Visit Edirne? Edirne is an old city in the west of Turkiye, in the ‘European’ part of the country on the Balkan Peninsula. The region is also known asContinue reading
Kayak Trip Day 57: Novi Banovci to Belgrade – The Last Capital on the Danube
Our 57th kayak day on the Danube was on Monday, the 22nd of April, 2024. We paddled from Novi Banovci to Belgrade in Serbia. Belgrade is the last capital city on the Danube River. I used to live in Belgrade back in 2015, which was part of my original inspiration for kayaking the Danube. Going to Veliko Ratno Ostrvo (Great War Island) was a major goal. Contents1 Leaving Novi Banovci2 Cliffs + Goodbye Vojvodina3 Pupin Bridge4 Landing at Great War Island5 Kayaking to Belgrade Up the Sava River6 One Week in Belgrade7 Cool story? Consider buying me a craft beer!8 If you could share thisContinue reading
Hitchhiking to Bern from Freiburg im Breisgau—Jonas’ First Time in Switzerland
All this happened on Wednesday the 17th of May, 2023. We kissed Moritz goodbye after catsitting him for two weeks in Freiburg im Breisgau. We walked to a hitchhiking spot to travel from Germany to Switzerland. Jonas hadn’t been to Switzerland before and we were both excited to go hitchhiking to Bern. Doing the Research for Hitchhiking to Bern During our stay in Freiburg, Jonas and I had to decide how to get from the catsit of Moritz in Germany to the one in Switzerland. I really wanted to hitchhike and I really wanted to visit Switzerland’s de facto capitalContinue reading
Ethiopian Food and Drink I Scarfed Down as a Vegetarian in 30 Days
As a traveling vegetarian, Ethiopia is quite an easy country to visit. Many national dishes are vegetarian or vegan. These are the Ethiopian food and drinks I wolfed down during my one-month stay in Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, and Lalibela. Contents1 How to Find Out Which Ethiopian Foods are Vegetarian?2 Ethiopian Food and Drink Diary3 Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony3.1 No popcorn, just popcorn3.2 Full coffee ceremony at Alem Restaurant, Lalibela3.3 Introduction to Tana Adam3.4 Popcorn!4 Helpful? Please consider buying me a flaxseed juice!5 Spread your love for Ethiopian food How to Find Out Which Ethiopian Foods are Vegetarian? Ever since theContinue reading
Madagascar for Digital Nomads: A New Frontier
This guide to Madagascar also appears under the Digital Nomads Guides brand Contents1 Why Madagascar?1.1 Introduction to the Red Island1.2 Which Digital Nomads can make it work in Madagascar?1.3 Income + language skills + experience2 Money3 Internet4 Plugs + Power Cuts5 Accommodation5.1 Laundry + services6 Food6.1 Restaurants6.2 (Super)markets6.3 Vegetarian food + dietary restrictions7 Transport7.1 Entering Madagascar7.2 Local transport in the cities7.3 Road/rail transport between cities7.4 Boat travel7.5 Domestic flights8 Business Hours9 Visa10 Culture, Language & Religion11 Safety11.1 Traffic11.2 People11.3 Health11.4 Nature12 Useful Facebook Groups13 Final Words Why Madagascar? Introduction to the Red Island Madagascar is basically its own continent. ThoughContinue reading