Ask Lonely Planet: Take time to explore Turkey's history

NZ Herald

16 Oct, 2009 03:00 PM5 mins to read

A monument in Gallipoli depicting a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded Australian. Photo / Lindy Laird

My family and I are heading over to Turkey. We are planning to fly from Istanbul to Cappadocia. We were then going to hire a car and drive round the coast via Olympos, Ephesus, Hierapolis, Troy and Gallipoli and then back to Istanbul. How long might this take us? We

The short answer is that 10 days isn't long enough for this trip - you'll need at least two weeks to do it justice (three would be even better, and allow you to enjoy some R&R along the way). From Cappadocia, it's a full-day trip across the Taurus Mountains down to the coast, particularly if you opt to visit the underground cities of Kaymakli or Derinkuyu en route.

It would be worth spending one night on the eastern Mediterranean coast - Silifke would be a good choice, particularly as the extraordinary Cennet ve Cehennum (Caves of Heaven and Hell) are close by. The nearby seaside resort of Kizkalesi, with its excellent beach and mesmerising Maiden's Castle floating in the sea, would be another option.

From here, follow the coast road west, stopping in Antalya to visit both Kaleici (the city's Old Town on the harbour) and the excellent Antalya Museum. From Antalya, it's a 90km drive to Olympos and its mysterious Chimera. There are plenty of places to stay in Olympos and Cirali, many in treehouse accommodation. You'll probably want to spend two or three days here relaxing before heading inland via the amazing ruin of an ancient hilltop city at Termessos, west of Antalya.

From here, it's only a couple of hours to the Anatolian Lake District - this part of the country is particularly beautiful in April, when the apple trees blossom, and in May/June, when the famous Isparta rose harvest takes place. Consider overnighting in Egirdir.

From here, it's a three- to four-hour drive to Pamukkale and next-door Hierapolis - just be warned that the travertines at Pamukkale don't look much like the pictures you see in the tourist brochures. Fortunately, the ruins at Hierapolis more than live up to their reputation.

After a night here, a three-hour drive will see you in Selcuk, a pretty village next to the preserved classical city of Ephesus. There are plenty of alluring and well-priced accommodation options in Selcuk, so it's worth staying at least two nights; alternatively, you could base yourself in Sirince, 9km east of Selcuk - it's quieter but more expensive than Sirince.

Then you're back on the coast. You could follow the winding road all the way to Canakkale, overnighting at the charming seaside villages of Candarli, Yeni Foca or Ayvalik on your way. Alternatively, you could drive inland to Bergama, where the ruins of Pergamum, one of the Middle East's richest and most powerful small kingdoms in the period between Alexander the Great's rule and the Roman domination of Asia Minor, is sited. Bergama has plenty of accommodation and you'll probably need to stay two nights, as the ruins call for at least a full day's exploration. In Canakkale, you'll need two or three nights - the Gallipoli Peninsula needs a full day and Troy needs a half-day - before making your way back to Istanbul, a six- to seven-hour drive.

Driving Stateside
My wife and I will soon be flying to Vancouver, where we will pick up a rental car and drive down to Los Angeles, where we will spend four or five weeks. We plan to spend a week in the Canadian Rockies (Whistler, Jasper, Banff), but we are not sure of the best route to travel from there to LA. What route would you recommend as the most scenic?
Rex Morgan

That sounds like quite a trip! But did you know that some car-rental companies do not allow vehicles to be driven over the border? You should double-check with your car-rental agency about this. Even if they do allow you to pick up a rental car in Vancouver and drop it off in Los Angeles, the one-way rental surcharge is likely to be costly, perhaps over US$250 ($340). Rentals also may have daily mileage limits, over which you'll incur additional surcharges.

To avoid this, you might consider returning your rental car to Vancouver after visiting Whistler, Banff and Jasper. Then, take an Amtrak train or bus from Vancouver south to Seattle (US$35), where you can rent another car to LA. Another option for getting over the international border is by sea: grab a ferry over to Vancouver Island (C$13.50 [$17.25]), then catch another ferry down to Seattle (US$85) - it's a scenic detour.

You mentioned you'll be leaving for Vancouver soon, but October is a bit late in the autumn for travel in the Canadian Rockies. Are you prepared for below-freezing temperatures and snowstorms? Mountain weather can be unpredictable, which makes driving tough. It's at least 850km each way between Vancouver and Banff. Consider making the trip by train, an equally epic journey. A round-trip economy-class ticket between Vancouver, BC and Jasper, Alberta costs C$320 on VIA Rail.

If you're driving, make this a once-in-a-lifetime journey along the Pacific Coast, starting out from Seattle. In Washington state, explore the Olympic Peninsula and Mt Rainier National Park. Kick back in Portland, then hit Oregon's coast. Far northern California is all about redwoods, the tallest trees on earth. Get lost on the Lost Coast before cruising into San Francisco. Go south along Hwy 1, past wacky Santa Cruz, Monterey, Big Sur, Santa Barbara and Malibu before you hit LA.