Marmaris, Antalya, Bodrum you can have a fantastic holiday in those resorts and the locals are very friendly. I lived in Turkey over period of 10 years, in touristic and remote areas. Turkish people go out their way to make you feel welcome and to ensure you go back from your holiday with nice memories. Especially in the touristic resorts. I have read in some magazines in the UK holiday stories that have left a bad taste n the mouth of tourists. What has been written about waiters in clubs and some other horror stories is not the norm. Some things do happen, no more than any other holiday resort in the world and they are in a minority. The tourist board and the Police in Turkey look after the tourists very well.
It is worth visiting what I call real Türkiye. Visit the other side, steeped in real Turkish hospitality and culture.
Istanbul is full of culture and places of interest, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, St Helena's and much more. You can take the ferry boat from Istanbul to Princes Island about a 1 hour journey, on the Island there are no buses or cars, you get around by horse and carriage, bicycle or simple walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery and hospitality, unlike the tourist resorts, waiters and shops do not hassle you to take their trade.
Salt Lake borders Ankara and Aksaray, from a distance it looks like white sand , it is an actual salt lake, people go there to bathe and heal themselves in the salt water, it is a wonderful site to see. It is also a salt mining area.
Kapadokya sometimes spelt (Cappadocia) is a vast area of caverns that people did live in, it covers a vast area. Kapadokya incorporates the provinces of Aksaray , Nevsehir , Nigde , Kayseri and Kirsehir cities.
Demre is where Saint Nicholas lived and is near to Denizle about 5-6 hours from Marmaris
Depending how far you want to travel you can go to Mount Ararat where Noah's Ark is said to have been.
Konya is a multicultural city and my favourite place of all. It has so much history to it and Mevlana a very famous Muslim Saint had lived there.
I was very fortunate to see a Whirling Dervishes Concert there (also known as Sema) Sema represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to "Perfect". Whirling towards the truth, his growth, through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrive to the "Perfect". He returns from this spiritual journey as a man who reached maturity and greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation, to all creatures without discrimination of believes, races, classes and nations.
Konya has weather conditions much like Scotland in the winter and it snowed, so I felt very much at home there.
I have travelled to a few countries and found Turkish hospitality second to none I would recommend everyone to visit the other side of Turkey you will not be disappointed.
