Anatolia Travels’ Culture & Travel Blog

In this blog you will find useful travel tips, recommendations, travel stories, photos, videos, mouth-watering recipes and lots more about the Enchanted Lands we are specialized.  Anatolia Tours and Travel (Canada BC register # 38982)  is an international tour operator based in Vancouver - Canada, specialized in customized, small group and cultural tours to Middle East and Mediterranean. The founders are tour professionals who traveled and guided tours to these destinations for more than 15 years and so are acknowledged as experts for the region.  Anatolia Travels owes its distinction to the long term relationships established with local partners as well as to its commitment to provide superb service.  

Ingredients (Serves 4) 

For the Couscous

2 cups couscous
2 cups warm water
2-3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butterFor Chicken and Topping 2 lbs chicken parts, excess fat trimmed
4 medium size onions
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 whole cloves
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon saffron threads (if available)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup golden raisins soaked in water for 15 minutes

1-) Original homeland of Tulip is Turkey

2-) The Seven Churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation are all in Turkey

3-) The Turks introduced coffee to Europe

4-) The word “turquoise” comes from “Turk” derived from the crystal blue Mediterranean

5-) Legendary city Troy is in Turkey

6-) St John, St Paul and St Peter lived and prayed in Anatolia

7-) Scholars agree that Noah’s Ark landed on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey

8-) Homer, King Midas, Herodotus and St Paul the Apostle were born in Turkey

9-) St Nicholas was born and lived in Demre, Turkey

10-)Turkish Cuisine is regarded as one of the best cuisine in the world    

Here are the top international events Dubai will be hosting in the coming months; most of the hotels have already stopped accepting reservations for these dates:

• UAE DESERT CHALLENGE, from 29th October to 02nd November 2007
• DUBAI RUGBY 7S, from 29th November to 01st December 2007
• DUBAI SHOPPING FESTIVAL (DSF), from 24th January to 24 February 2008
• MUSCAT FESTIVAL, from 25th January to 16th February 2008
• DUBAI MARATHON on 18th January 2008
• DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC (DDC), from 31st January to 03rd February 2008
• DUBAI WORLD CUP (DWC), on 29th March 2008

It is a well known fact that every holiday includes the delight of shopping. Even tough you may promise yourself you’ll resist the bargains (that often become clutter around the house after a couple of months), nevertheless you’ll end up in the souvenir shop for ‘little’ shopping for your loved ones. If you are travelling to Turkey, Egypt, or Morocco it becomes harder to resist this incitement. As a person who travels frequently to Middle East, I’d like to share some of my personal experiences with North American travellers who are planning to visit these countries:
 

1) First rule: Always bargain at the bazaars and Souks. Salesmen in carpet, jewellery and leather shops work on commission basis; so never accept the first or second offer. Sometimes you can even get up to 70% discount over the original price.
 

2) Try to judge the price by how much you would be willing to pay for it in your home country. Fix the price in your mind and stick to it. On the other hand, always keep in your mind the value of the local money. Try to think in the local currency; most items might sound cheap when converted to USD but might be very expensive for local people. So purchase like a local.
 

3) Most salesmen understand many languages, so do not discuss anything in front of them.
 

4) Use power of ‘No thank you!’: At least learn this phrase in the local language and use it when you are hassled. Smile and walk away.  
 

5) Keep your own currency and credit cards out of sight. It is easier to haggle over a price with your ‘limited’ local currency.
.
6) Guides get commission over your purchases. If you are not satisfied with the price, try to come back on your free day and check the similar item at the other shops. So another golden rule: Have a free day for shopping!
 

7) The top touristy places such as Khan El-Khalili usually visited in Cairo tours or Grand Bazaar in Istanbul will have the most expensive prices. Find out the residential shopping areas for better bargains.
 

8) For items where quality is important try to find a fixed price shop. You may pay little more but the quality will be superior.
 

9) Haggling is necessary if you are buying high value items, such as gold and jewellery, but with low value goods it is not always worthwhile the time and effort.
 

10) Shops in Middle East prefer cash. If you pay with cash rather than a credit card, you should have more power for getting a good discount.
 

11) Always shop around. Never buy at the first shop; you can always come back. Shopkeepers will try to persuade you that they offer you the best value, but will not be offended when you say you want to look around and would come back.
 

12) When buying gold/silver bargain on the price per gram not the price per item.
 

13) Usually little grocery shops, coffee shops, supermarket chains will have fixed prices and bargaining is not accepted.
 

14) Shopkeepers will show great hospitality. They will tell that purchase is not necessary, they will invite you to their shop, offer you tea, coffee; at the end you’ll feel so ashamed to walk away without buying anything. Don’t fall into this trap.
 

15) If you are buying more than one item or shopping with a group, you can haggle for a greater discount.

About the Author:
Nil Aykut is the Marketing Manager of Anatolia Travels. Anatolia Travels offer private and escorted tours to Morocco,Turkey, Egypt, Jordan & Greece.

It is not always about money – you may have sufficient funds to afford either but one of them would suit you more. And it is not always about your general style or preferences as ‘travel style’ is totally different. Many positive people may turn to be ‘unbearable’ fellows while traveling only because they have chosen the wrong style.You can go for group tours if you agree with some or most of the statements below:

- You are single and do not have a travel buddy: Join group tours for more fun, less cost and of course to make new friends.

- You are not alone but still enjoy knowing people from all over the world; where else will you have this chance?

- You are female(s) traveling to less developed countries – stick to group tours if possible. Groups can offer more safety and comfort.

- You seek for maximum efficiency: Group tours have pre-scheduled itineraries to maximize your sightseeing. No matter how long your wife/husband would prefer to stay at a shop or your photo addict friend would like to take extra shots; the tour has to end when the guide blows the whistle.

- Although money is not everything, it is something: In some countries such as Turkey, Greece or Morocco private tours cost almost double or even triple prices when compared to the group tours. For small families or friend groups (2-3 traveler) it’ll be more cost effective to join escorted group tours.

If you are not sure about your travel style yet, here are the reasons why people prefer private tours despite the higher costs:

- You want to have full control on where to go, how to go, when to relax, when to shop etc. No matter how much more it cots, take a private tour.

- You are not control freak but prefer flexibility while traveling: Well, check the group itinerary, see how tight their schedule is. Some group tours provide flexibility to some extend. But at the end, there will be at least 30 more people to share the same flexibility.

- You want to get off the regular tourist path; you prefer to visit a less known sight hidden at the far end of the city, or to stop at a local snack shop to mingle with the locals. If yes, you’ll have limited opportunity for this with a group.

- Your tolerance limit is somewhat low while traveling. Totally understandable. Well, in a group tour there might be fellow travelers that you dislike and you’ll need to stick with them for the entire tour. If this sounds like a nightmare, private tour might be a better option.

- You have certain accommodation preferences such as design hotels, awarded hotels, small B&B’s etc. However group tours usually stay at western type standard hotels to cater for the taste of the majority.

- You want to have the time and the freedom to ask silly questions.

- Simply you prefer privacy and personalized service!

- Last but not least, you have extra savings to afford all the reasons mentioned above.

So what will you do for your next trip? You don’t have to decide right away. It all depends on the destination, on the tour company, itinerary you’ll be looking for, the price etc. You will see that it is much easier to find group tour sellers. There are certain big tour operators that organize these tours and most of the travel agencies sell the same packages with same rates. However for private tours, you definitely need to make your homework. Look for a smaller boutique travel company that provides customized service. This company should have some expertise about the destination, should have the patience, and bulk purchasing power. The only way to understand all these are by asking questions, asking for price and comparing at least few companies. Always and always check the legitimateness of the tour company. Where is it registered and licensed? Are you under the protection of a provincial travel fund if anything goes wrong? All these questions are crucial before traveling to a new destination. At the end, when traveling is involved, cheapest is not always the best; peace of mind is what every traveler will be looking for.

About the Author 

Turkay Aykut is the Sales Manager of Anatolia Tours & Travel Co. offering private and escorted tours to Turkey, Greece, Morocco, Dubai, Oman, Egypt & Jordan. More information at http://www.anatoliatravels.com