Ten Reasons to Travel to Turkey for the Trip of a Lifetime

If you are unsure where your next holiday should be, we recommend you travel to Turkey. The country is experiencing a tourism boost as proven in 2018 stats that it was the eighth-most visited destination on the globe. Just over 40 million tourists including Brits, Europeans, Asians, American and Middle-Eastern countries enjoyed the delights from east to west. But what is the reason for the popularity? Plenty.

Turks are proud and rightly so. Turkey offers a lot to first-time visitors, who often fall in love with the country and become die fans who return year after year. Many foreigners even go as far to buy property and move here to live all year round. There is a whole range of diverse destinations to travel to, whether you want a beach holiday, to sight-see, or relax and escape the rat race. But if you are still not sure why Turkey should be your next holiday destination, read on.

Good Reasons to Travel to Turkey

1: Value for Money

Currently, the current exchange rate between the Turkish lira and other currencies of the world is high. What does this mean for tourists? They get more lira for their money than ever before. This means more Turkish lira to spend and value for money when it comes to hotels, eating out, shopping for souvenirs, and pampering yourself. The cost of living in Turkey is excellent. 

2: Places of Natural Beauty in Turkey

Turkey’s many places of natural beauty often grace the pages of international travel magazines because they catch the eye in the most memorising way possible. Take the Pamukkale calcium pools, for example. Found nowhere else in the world, as Turkey’s second most visited attraction, they host millions of visitors every year. Other stunning landscapes for your travel itinerary include Butterfly Valley, the Blue Lagoon in Oludeniz, the central Anatolian region of Cappadocia, Uzungol, Ayder plateau, and Mount Nemrut.

3: Beaches Galore

Speaking of beautiful places, Turkey has over 400 blue flag beaches and over 8,000 kilometres of coastline. Three sides of the country front the Aegean, Mediterranean and Black seas, so for ideal beach holidays, choose places like Antalya, Fethiye, Marmaris or Bodrum. Trip Advisor also ranked Cleopatra’s beach in Alanya as one of the top ten best in Europe.

4: Delicious Food

Around the world, Turkish cuisine is making a name for itself as people tuck into delicious appetisers, main courses, desserts, and sweets coming out of kitchens. Influences within Turkish cuisine include Greek, Armenian, Middle-Eastern, Ottoman and Georgian; hence there is more to it, than stereotyped kebabs. Vegetarians also find many choices on menus since much of the cuisine is vegetable-based.

5: Historical and Architectural Treasure Chest

Those who like to get to know a country by exploring the cities, towns, villages, and significant landmarks feel right at home. With a historical timeline spanning many empires including the Ottomans, Seljuk, Romans, Lycian and Byzantines, the landmark buildings they left behind are nothing short of spectacular. Significant attractions include Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district, Ephesus ancient ruined city, Cappadocia’s underground cities and valleys, Aspendos Theatre, Saint Nicholas Church, Chimaera burning flames, and Pergamon.

6: Welcoming Hospitality

Ask anyone who has visited Turkey, and they will mention the Turkish hospitality. Known all over the world for their friendly nature, Turks say all strangers are friends. It is easy to strike up a conversation, and make new friends, all while enjoying the hospitality on offer. Do not be surprised to find yourself with an invitation to dinner, weddings or just to enjoy a cup of tea together.

7: Easy to Travel Here

It surprises even people who do not like journeys at how easy it is to get here. Istanbul new airport connects to hundreds of countries around the world, as do the top three touristic airports of Bodrum, Antalya and Dalaman. If coming in by sea, every year, marinas and official entry ports welcome thousands of sailing boats and mega yachts coming in from all directions.

8: Turkish Culture and Traditions

The welcoming hospitality is just a snippet of Turkish culture that society adheres to. Everywhere you go, there are opportunities to see it in action from the local market, daily greetings, the traditional hammam, carpets and rugs, tea houses and gardens, the evil eye, and even weird pastimes like oil wrestling. It is an interesting experience, especially if you are from the western world.

9: Diversity Everywhere

One reason the country excels as a top tourist destination is that diversity is everywhere from adventure sports in Antalya to Izmir’s Spa hotspots. Even the climate zones between Istanbul and the Mediterranean are different. For both budget travellers and those looking to splash the cash and indulge in all things luxurious, Turkey provides.

10: Activities and Things to Do

Whatever you want to do, whatever item needs ticking off your bucket list, do it in Turkey. Maybe a para-gliding session in Oludeniz, or scuba diving shipwrecks off the coast of Kalkan. Perhaps a jeep safari, or a five-star luxury spa and massage session. Creative people can indulge in cooking or painting classes while those who want to explore can hike the off the beaten track Kackar mountains. Out of all the reasons to travel to Turkey, one is that boredom never happen.

So, if we have tempted you into booking that flight ticket, the following articles will also be of use when planning a trip.

Places to Visit in Turkey: In this article, we look at the top ten most visited destinations and the reasons for their popularity. From Istanbul’s historical sites to Cappadocia’s weird and wonderful landscapes, these places should be on your bucket list.

Top Ten Tourist Attractions: From ruined cities to places of natural beauty to ghost villages, we list ten top tourist attractions that lure in people from near and far. What makes them so unique and why visit?