hi,
Am leaving from Athens to Turkey via ferry. We were thinking of going to Efes/ Selcuk and then to Izmir to catch a flight to Istanbul. We have only nine days and five days will be in Istanbul. What do you recommend for four days in Turkey before going to Istanbul. Also, what do you recommend for accomodation in Kuusadasi or should we stay at Selcuk. We plan to arrive there in the first week of July which is very hot at that time. Will appreciate your advice. Thanks . irene
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
473 posts
Staying in Kusadasi is probably the best idea. I would definitely suggest Kusadasi over Selcuk. Kusadasi, while rather touristy, has much more in the way of amenities over Selcuk. Selcuk has the Ephesus Museum and John the Baptist's house and that's about it. Both of those are definitely worth a day-trip from Kusadasi. You can easily walk from the Museum to the House. You can easily reach Selcuk from Kusadasi by dolmus (small, public minivan). In between the 2, there is a nice hamam (bath). It's on the right-hand side of the road as you're going to Selcuk (the other side is a rock wall). Ask the dolmus driver to drop you off on the way back to Kusadasi. Bring a swimsuit if you're modest. When you want to go back to Kusadasi, just flag down a passing dolmus.
As to hotels, we stayed at Kismet Hotel
http://www.kismet.com.tr/index-kusadasi.htm. We had no idea as to the price, since it was included in a package, but we were pretty sure it was pricey. VERY nice, but pricey.
Posted by
Seattle, USA
990 posts
I stayed for four days at the Hotel Bella in Selcuk--excellent, clean, charming accommodations right across from the St John's Basilica, with terrific Turkish breakfast and optional dinners. The staff there is incredible--they have a library of guide books to the area they will lend you and they love to talk about how to make the most of your time there. They can arrange free transport to and from Ephesus, and can arrange low cost transport to Sirence, or the Didyma and Miletus if you haven't gotten your fill of ruins with Ephesus. IN the evenings, there's a rooftop gathering place for guests and staff to drink, socialize, and even try out the nargile. Check out the reviews at Tripadvisor.com--for a fraction of the cost of a Kusadasi tourist hotel you can have a much more memorable experience.
Posted by
saskatoon, sk, canada
6 posts
I, too, stayed in Selcuk. It was wonderful with all the sites and museum. I had arrived by bus from Izmir. I flew from Istanbul to Izmir. From Selcuk, I went on to Kusadasi and ferried to Athens.
Posted by
Orlando
4 posts
We ferry from Samos Greece into Kusadasi Turkey, and stayed at Hotel Bella, so inexpensive with great benefits as other poster noted. Loved the historic town, and hotel staff really enhances your visit, and will bus you ephesus or other sites. Kusadasi much more retail and nightlife, and touristy. We flew from Izmir to Goerome.