Istanbul & Beyond

April/May 2024

I have spent alot of time up and down Turkey's turquoise coast both for work and for leisure. I have always wanted to get back and travel through the interior, Central Anatolia.

I booked a one-way ticket to Istanbul from the UK. The easiest way to get to the city is with https://bilet.hava.ist/ which is the bus. I was determined to use the new section of the metro which was a bit of a faff as 1) I arrived too early for it so had an hours wait 2) There's not much of a view for most of the journey & 3) I had to change a few times to get to Taksim Square. I'm familiar with how the metro works but if you're not, have luggage or are tired there isn't really anything to be gained from the Metro option at this point.

I got £150 worth of Turkish Lira at the airport for absolute ease. I knew I needed 200TL, (under £5 for ease of working out),  for the Istanbulkart, (Istanbul's public transport system's card) so I felt comfortable I had enough to get me by.

(SEE BELOW FOR ISTANBUL CARD INFO) ⬇︎

I spent a few days in Istanbul but this was not my reason for the trip. I was heading for the train station.

I attempted to plan from the UK however there are many restrictions on accessing websites in Turkey, one of them curiously being their train timetable. You can access this if you embark on using a VPN so the site doesn't know which country you are viewing from. If you travel alot this can be useful. I am only just dabbling in this for security reasons as we all now have bank Apps to worry about!

Onward to the train station. Istanbul to Ankara. 

Incredibly impressed with the YHT fast service on price, cleanliness, standard and security. You must show I.D. in order to buy a ticket and go through a security style baggage check. There should have been WIFI available but there simply wasn't so don't rely on that if you need it.

As a bit of a fan of the country I wanted to visit Anitkabir, the mauseleum of Kemal Atatürk, the father of modern Turkey. On a previous trip to Thessaloniki in Greece I visited Atatürk's family home in what would have been the Kingdom of Macedonia so yeah bit of a fan!

I was hoping to make it to Cappodocia to see the balloons at sunrise. I wasn't bothered about riding in one particularly but I did want to see this spectacle. The logistics were getting tricky and I was struggling to fit into my schedule easily. Hiring a car was an option but it just lacked the fun of a roadtrip on my own.

I opted to head to Konya, home of the poet Rumi the Sufi and the whirling dervishes. 

I was tired from hours of travel, got off at Konya station and after all the stunning steel and glass architecture of Ankara station I was horrified. In hindsite perhaps I was supposed to get off at the station before but no WIFI etc........I was transported back to rural places over 30 years ago, hole in the floor toilet, zero soap, zero smiling staff and 5TL for the privilege. I really really felt like an outsider now despite my appropriate dress and headscarf. I sat down to consult my guidebook and yes I was near the Mevlana Museum. 

I went into the ladies side of the mevlana mosque to quieten down, gather my thoughts as to what my next move was. 

As I sat in this incredible space, bemoaning my disappointment and quite frankly a bit of stress now as darkness was approaching and I had nowhere to stay, gratitude was summoned. Gratitude that I am able to travel freely and safely and then return home on a whim. I spent the next few hours wandering around the old part of Konya where unfortunately a bit of harassment left me wanting to not stay the night. Again if I'd not been alone I may have weathered this in a better mood but I didn't feel comfortable which is unusual for me so I simply left.

The Turkish rail system covers the middle third of the country due to geographical reasons. Too mountainous in some areas which is when the bus service shines. I'd run out of trains to go directly south so found my way to the bus station to see what was available. Although I found some friendly helpful staff the station was run down with few amenities for the lengthy wait I had. But that's why we explore, to see other ways of life. The small buses/dolmuses are well used and work for short trips whereas once you get to the main Otogar/station for the national cross country buses the standard is exceptional. For a 5/6 hour trip from Konya to Antalya Otogar cost was £8. The bus was clean, smoke free, very comfortable seating and included tea or coffee. I have done torturous travel a long time ago from Marmaris to Mersin and this was worlds apart thankfully.

Eventually got some WIFI at Antalya bus station in search of accomodation. I was really ready for some beach now. Found a small hotel at Beldibi beach. Got a dolmus there and could smell the sea already. I seem to enjoy holiday destinations out of season. I like the buzz of them getting ready for the season. I like not being bothered to buy stuff I don't want. I like the realness of their everyday lives. Watching the heavy plant sift the rocks out of the sand was something I havn't seen before. I had a lovely stay for 3 nights at Belcan Hotel. Walking through the park opposite and along the prom and swimming in the morning and evening.

I am so pleased I did this trip and although it was a bit of a whistlestop tour I did mostly what I wanted to do which was see the interior of Turkey. This country is enormous. The train routes I took were fast trains and took 5 to 6 hours and I feel I hardly made a dent in my exploration. 

I only have a loose plan when I go away which allows me to not commit to a decision. I mostly turn my mobile data off and use free WIFI when I can. I can read a paper map . Due to alot of internet restrictions pre planning was difficult but Apps that helped me out when I got to Istanbul were; E-BILET for train research and booking; METRO ISTANBUL to help me orientate the Istanbul Metro; OBILET national bus journey research and booking. 

It's now getting very autumnal here in the UK and can feel an adventure coming on. Ideally a travel chum would help and hiring a car would give much more freedom to get off the beaten track or take more direct routes. I had an amazing time and did not see anyone other than Turkish nationals between Istanbul & Beldibi beach. Fortunately I can get by a little with polite Turkish so I look slightly less rookie so I'm proud to say I really went local on this trip.