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Facts for the traveler in TurkeyVisas: Citizens from a long list of countries do not require a Visa to enter Turkey. This list includes some South American, European, Asian and Middle Eastern countries, so it is worth checking out whether or not you will need a Visa. However, travelers from Canada, the UK, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, and a number of other countries do need a visa to enter Turkey. Holders of UK and American passports can obtain a Visa on arrival at the point of entry to Turkey. Those from the UK will pay 16 and Americans 20. All other travelers who require a Visa must apply for one before leaving for Turkey. Fees vary as do the lengths of time travelers are permitted to stay. Health risks: malaria (Travellers to Turkey's steamy regions (the Mediterranean coast east of Mersin and the irrigated areas of southeastern Anatolia around Sanliurfa) should stock up on their favourite anti-malarial gear. This serious and potentially fatal disease is spread by mosquito bites and is endemic in most countries of the region (the exceptions being Singapore and Brunei). If you are travelling in endemic areas it is extremely important to avoid mosquito bites and to take tablets to prevent this disease. Symptoms range from fever, chills and sweating, headache, diarrhoea and abdominal pains to a vague feeling of ill-health. Seek medical help immediately if malaria is suspected. Without treatment malaria can rapidly become more serious and can be fatal. If medical care is not available, malaria tablets can be used for treatment. There is a variety of medications such as mefloquine, Fansidar and Malarone. You should seek medical advice, before you travel, on the right medication and dosage for you. If you do contract malaria, be sure to be re-tested once you return home as you can harbour malaria parasites even if you are symptom free. Travellers are advised to prevent mosquito bites at all times by wearing light-coloured clothing, long trousers and long-sleeved shirts; use mosquito repellents containing the compound DEET on exposed areas, sleeping under a mosquito net impregnated with mosquito repellent (it may be worth taking your own) and refraining from using perfumes and aftershave) Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2 Dialling Code: 90 Electricity: 230V ,50Hz Weights & measures: Metric When to Go Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, since the climate will be perfect in İstanbul and on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. It will be cool in central Anatolia, but not unpleasantly so. Visiting before mid-June or after August may also help you avoid mosquitoes. The Black Sea coast is best visited between April and September; there will still be rain but not so much of it. With the exception of İstanbul, Turkey doesn't really have a winter tourism season. Places catering to backpackers usually see Anzac Day as the official start of the season; those catering to package holiday-makers get going in early May. Peak season is from July to mid-September, when most Turks take their holidays. The best time to visit eastern Turkey is from late June to September. Don't plan to venture east before May or after mid-October unless you're prepared for snow. Try to avoid travelling during Kurban Bayramı, Turkey's most popular public holiday; you may also want to avoid the fasting month of Ramazan. Events The dates for Muslim religious festivals are celebrated according to a lunar calendar; the dates are locked in every few years by Muslim authorities. Only two religious holidays are public holidays: Seker Bayrami, a 3-day festival at the end of Ramazan (30 days in December-January when a good Muslim lets nothing pass the lips during daylight hours), and Kurban Bayrami (March-April) which commemorates Abraham's near-sacrifice of Ismael on Mt Moriah. In commemoration of God permitting Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead of his son, every Turkish household who can afford a sheep buys one, takes it home and slits its throat right after the early morning prayers on the actual day of the bayram. Family and friends immediately cook up a feast. You must plan for Kurban Bayrami: most banks close for a full week, transportation will be packed and hotel rooms will be scarce and expensive. Secular festivities include camel-wrestling in mid-January, in the village of Selçuk, south of Izmir, and National Sovereignty Day, April 23, a big holiday to celebrate the first meeting of the republican parliament in 1920. Celebrations abound in summer: there's a sloppy oiled wrestling festival in early June at Sarayiçi, near Edirne; the country Kafkasör Festival near Artvin in northeastern Turkey in the 3rd week of June; the International Istanbul Festival of the Arts (late June to mid-July); Bursa's Folklore and Music Festival in mid-July and Diyarbakir's Watermelon Festival in mid or late September. The whole country stops, just for a moment, at 9:05am November 10, the time of Atatürk's death in 1938. Public Holidays 1 Jan - New Year's Day 10 Nov - Anniversary of Atatürk’s Death 30 Aug - Victory Day 23 Apr - National Sovereignty & Children’s Day 21 Mar - Nevruz 29 Oct - Republic Day 19 May - Youth & Sports Day |
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