Kusadasi

Kusadasi is somewhat forgettable. While you may be ruined-out, Ephesus is certainly worth a visit, even though it is well visited, it is one of the better ruins you can come across, as well as Selcuk's other sites in general.

I think your opening statement sums it very well -- you are not a big fan of ruins. Which is fine. My brother's attitude is, "Once you see one pile of rocks, why see another." You probably will not miss much by skipping Ephasus. But it is a great ruins if you have enough understanding/appreciation of the history to visualize how the city looked like 2000 years ago. We spent a day there off of a cruise ship and cannot wait to go back. It is spectacular for those who appreciate ancient ruins. For my brother, just another pile of broken rocks.

Yes, Kusadasi doesn't have much to recommend it, compared to elsewhere in Turkey. Lots of shopping opportunties, lots of tourist food and drink...but Ephesus is quite amazing. I wouldn't even consider skipping it.

We've decided to do our homework and drink in the rocks! Can someone clarify for me about the terrace houses... I've heard "dont miss that" but I am not sure if this is part of Ephesus or a completely different place. Isn't Sirince a terraced village? Could that be what wasmeant by "terrace houses"? Thank you again for the insight.

Things to do / see in Kusadasi -
• TEN Blue Flag beaches along its 32kilometre coastline
• Clear, clean waters of the Southern Aegean ideal for diving, surfing, sailing, water parachute, water ski and fishing.
• Centrum 2km shoreline dotted cafes, restaurants, ice cream parlours and bars –try Toros Restaurant opened in 1894 or traditional Turkish cafes bars, decorated in time-honoured fashion (scatter cushions, water pipes, Turkish rugs).
• Yacht watch - masts of the 650 plus yachts anchored at the Blue Flag Setur Marina.
• Scala Nuova was the port of Ephesus and the main port of the Aegean region. “…great modern Turkish sea-port which carries on a considerable trade with Egypt and the neighbouring districts and islands…” (The Encyclopaedia of Geography: Comprising a Complete description of the Earth published 1839)….today, the port area is a Shoppers paradise with it’s stunning array of quality shops, cafes, bars etc.
• Turkish Bath (Haman) OR a Thermal bath, the Davutlar dolmus will drop you at Radon Thermal or Natur-med.
• Pamukkale – Cotton wonderland
• Aqualand or Aqua Fantasy or Adaland, described in the New York Post as one of the Top 10 Aqua Parks in the World with its Dolphinpark & Seapark an interactive experience with 2,000 tropical fish, swim with sharks and alligators……
• Nature Lovers and Ornithologists visit National Park on Dilek Peninsula with its 27.675 hectares (68.357 acres) of park land, 28 species of mammals, 42 species of reptiles, 804 types of plants and 256 species of birds.
• Wine - Sirince (cute) village, olive, orange, peach and fig trees abound on this hillside location. Traditional stone houses on the slopes - sip locally produced organic fruit wines. Purchase locally produced olive oil, olive oil soaps, local handcrafts, candles or some traditional Turkish souvenirs e.g. Nazar Boncuk – “Evil Eye” these charms are hand-crafted from blown glass, so popular that the Greeks have adopted them as their own!
• And ………

Wow Cora, thank you!

I'll print your list and take it with me. So, should we get a guide or just show up and make it up as we go? We only have one day... how far are the thermal baths? Is Kaleici Hamam a good choice for turkish bath or should we opt for thermal?

May I ask, how far is Sirince? Cant decide whether to hire a guide at our disposal or wait til we get there. We want to do a little time at Ephesus and it has been suggested we take in the terraced house portion of that tour.

It sounds like a fantastic place.... please forgive me if I sound naive but how is the perception and reception of Americans... I heard there was an incident in Istanbul recently and we are uncertain as to the best way to enjoy Turkey.

The terrace houses are where the well-to-do lived at Ephesus. They are a separate exhibit, totally within Ephesus, which are an extra charge, with their own cashier. So you pay your regular entrance fee to get into Ephesus, then once you get to the terrace houses, about 2/3 of the way through Ephesus, pay a 2nd entrance fee to the houses. It's about the same cost as the regular entrance fee, but WELL worth it. The houses have beautiful frescoes and mosaics. You can't miss the houses - they are enclosed by a very modern transluscent glass type of material.

Up to you if you want to get a guide ahead of time. There are guides at the entrance to Ephesus that you can hire. But make sure that you hire a licensed guide. They all have government-issued IDs hanging around their neck. A hat is generally a good idea, as well as water. There's very little shade. You can buy water from one of the many vendors outside the entrance.

The security around Kusadas is very high. We had a private guide and vehicle and noticed several check points/ road blocks when returning to the city. The guide comment that they know this a high tourist area which contributes substantial coins to the locals and Turkey government not going to allow anyone or anything to screw it up. The one negative is that the merchants in the market area are EXTREMELY aggressive. You can ignore them easily but they make sure that you know that they are there. Having said that, we did get some nice items.

This story is far too long for this site but my wife is a school teacher and each year looks for about 25 to 30 small, unique, and, hopefully, inexpensive gifts for her parent volunteers. She saw something that she thought would be appropriate and asked the price for 30. The merchant seemed surprised and asked why. When she explain that she was teacher and these were gifts ..... about all the further she got before he just fell all over her. You would have thought she was Allah wanting to bless his shop. We got the 30 and then he threw in another ten. Then he said, we needed gift bags for the gifts -- hand woven bags which were beautiful -- and we got forty or more of those. By now he has a big shopping bag, running around his shop throwing stuff -- for teachers !!! for students !!! And we are looking at each other thinking how are we going to get out of there and what is this going to cost us. When we tried to pay for it, he wanted nothing. It is for teachers !!! Teachers very important !!!! Wish we could get that kind of respect in the US. He finally took 20E. One of the most amazing experiences we have ever had.

Thank you so much... excellent information... makes me feel secure!

PS I just love your teacher story. That is heartwarming and we should all take a lesson from the Turkish merchant.

I, too, will be going to Ephesus but not until next May. We are taking a cruise and will be in port for one day but it is a long day. Thanks to all above who posted information about this destination. Does anyone know of a good tour company there? Would especially like to do a small group tour or a private tour if cost will allow ( our daughter and son-in-law will be traveling with us).

Thanks ahead of time...........

I agree that Ephesus is not to be missed.

Kusadasi is a center for the famed Turkish carpets.

However, you will not find a bargain if there is a cruise ship in port. Read that some time ago on the

www.turkeytravelplanner.com site.

This site is chock full of very useful info.

To find out if a ship will be in port on a certain date, checkout www.porttimes.com

Sally, Just got back from Turkey last week and I have to say that Ephesus was one of the HIGHLIGHTS!! One day was just not enough... I stayed in Selcuk 3 nights and wanted to go back around 4 in the afternoon after all the crowds were gone. The Terrace Houses are just as stellar as the city itself!