Travel Smart takes a whistle-stop tour of Turkiye, one of our favourite destinations brimming with discovery wherever you go.Simon Calder takes a look at what Istanbul offers up as well as some of the hidden gems where history comes alive, while Annabel Grossman takes a look at the eastern coast of Turkiye and checks out the snorkelling, swimming and beach holidays to be enjoyed.Watch more Travel Smart on Independent TV.
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00:00Hello and welcome to Travel Smart, your weekly guide to the best of travel from
00:05the independent. We aim to inspire, entertain and inform about the industry
00:10of human happiness. Today we're taking you around one of our favorite nations
00:15anywhere on earth, with everything from ancient history to dazzling modern
00:20cities, plus superb beaches and outstanding food and drink. It's time for
00:25some Turkish delights.
00:30Let's start in the biggest and most intriguing Turkish city, Istanbul. This
00:40metropolis has been a crossroads of the world for millennia. It's here that the
00:46Mediterranean connects with the Black Sea through the Bosphorus and Europe
00:51faces Asia. Ideally you'd spend a week or more in the city, but if you're
01:00limited to just 48 hours, then focus on the greatest experiences. Sultanahmet
01:07Square, where humanity comes together and the mighty miracles of the Hagia
01:12Sophia and the mosque. Spend time in a hammam, a Turkish bath, to wash away the
01:19stresses of travel, followed by a ferry across the narrow straits to Asia. Many
01:25travelers are firmly focused on Turkish shores, but mainly the beaches along the
01:31south coast. I've been lucky enough to explore all the way along the Turkish
01:36Riviera and I'm particularly fond of the Bodrum Peninsula, washed by the Aegean
01:42Sea. Beyond the busy harbour, dominated by an ancient castle, you can visit the
01:47original Mausoleum and escape into the hills on a long-distance footpath, ending
01:53up at yet another pretty fishing village.
01:58Moving east, Marmaris sits prettily at the top of a bay, with plenty of options
02:04for swimming, snorkeling and sailing. But if you'd rather take in the view from
02:08above, paragliding over Uludeniz means that you can drift down to the beach in
02:14a rather more unusual manner. I love exploring from the coast road that
02:20curves around the southern Turkish coast, yet more surprises, including the home of
02:25St. Nicholas. And you thought Santa Claus was from Lapland! Antalya is a major
02:31gateway and well worth exploring in its own right. The old town is perched high
02:37above the ancient port, which has been a maritime gateway for over 2,000 years.
02:42A glass platform extends out to provide a perfect view of the port, the castle and the coast.
02:51Another personal Turkish favourite is the resort an hour east of Antalya. It's
02:57cedar on a rocky promontory pointing southwest into the Med. An absurd amount
03:04of archaeology is compressed into just a square mile, including the beautiful
03:09temple of Apollo and Athena, enduring testimony to the genius of humanity.
03:19Turkish streets aren't restricted to the coast. Inland, the Cappadocia region has
03:24been sculpted to perfection by nature and craftily colonised by humanity, with
03:31thousands of cave dwellings, churches and even entire underground cities. Add in
03:38some excellent ski territory close to Istanbul, the little-visited but
03:44ravishing Turkish Black Sea coast, and whatever you need, you can find it here.
03:57Now it's time for a question, and it's one that many of our viewers are asking.
04:01Simon, what do you do about currency on a Turkish holiday?
04:05Well, it's not, of course, like Spain, France, Italy, where you'll be spending the euro.
04:10The Turkish lira is actually a volatile currency which is generally depreciating against the pound.
04:16So therefore, what I do is I get maybe £20 worth from a no-commission source in the UK,
04:23but I'll spend most of my time actually in the resort, changing money little by little,
04:29so I don't get left with a pile of cash which is losing its value by the day.
04:34So does that mean you'd withdraw cash from an ATM?
04:37I much prefer taking actual Bank of England notes to a Bureau de Change,
04:42because that way you get no unusual surprises when you head home and shop around to get the
04:47best deal. There's plenty of places to change money in all the resorts and,
04:52of course, on the streets of Istanbul.
04:54Great, thanks very much, Simon.
04:58That's all we've got time for now. We hope you've been delighted with our
05:02insider's guide and do get in touch with your favourite Turkish locations and journeys.
05:08Our next episode will be with you shortly, but in the meantime,
05:11head over to independent.co.uk forward slash travel
05:14for all the latest travel news, reviews and advice.
05:17And do have a listen to my daily travel podcast.
05:32you