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Loco for Lokum: on assignment inTurkey The lowdown on winning the 2011 World Nomads/Rough Guides Scholarship...

Trip: Loco for Lokum: on assignment inTurkey

There are [23] stories from my trip: Loco for Lokum: on assignment inTurkey


The End

TURKEY | Friday, 1 Jul 2011 | Views [2778]

After an epic 3-day journey, I have finally made back to Australia, my home for the time being. This will be my final post for a while as I undertake the mammoth task of sifting through my piles of notes and turning them into text worthy of the Rough ... Read more >


A Love Affair With Istanbul

TURKEY | Thursday, 30 Jun 2011 | Views [2540] | Comments [1]

This morning a cool breeze rattles the streets of the city and a splatter of raindrops pound my head as I duck out of my hotel. It is as if the city knows I am leaving her and is protesting my desertion. As if in apology, I give up on my ... Read more >


5 Things I Now Know About Writing a Guide Book

TURKEY | Wednesday, 29 Jun 2011 | Views [2254] | Comments [4]

1. You can’t always trust the map Perhaps I’ve never followed my city maps so meticulously before, or perhaps Istanbul is uniquely difficult to map out, but each map here seems to vary, both in accuracy and scale. It’s the amateur travel writers, ... Read more >


VIDEO BLOG: On Assignment for Rough Guides in Galata, Istanbul

TURKEY | Tuesday, 28 Jun 2011 | Views [2029] | Video

Tags: galata, istanbul, rough guides, scholarship, travel writing, turkey, video


Going Solo in Edirne

TURKEY | Monday, 27 Jun 2011 | Views [2780]

  235km from Istanbul, the quiet town of Edirne seems to get overlooked by the majority of tourists but still holds a few notable attractions in its beautiful mosques and cluster of easy-to-meander shopping streets. It was here, after ... Read more >

Tags: edirne, istanbul, mosques, rough guides, travel writing scholarship, turkey


A Real City Break - Cycling the Prince’s Islands.

TURKEY | Sunday, 26 Jun 2011 | Views [2666] | Comments [2]

A mere hour by sea-bus from the city swell lie the Prince’s Islands, a collection of nine small islands offering welcome relief from the city chaos. We spent our second day on the largest island, Büyükada, aboard rented bicycles, cruising up and down ... Read more >

Tags: beaches, cycling, istanbul, princes islands, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, trekking, turkey


Assignment Day 1: Writing for the Rough Guides

TURKEY | Saturday, 25 Jun 2011 | Views [2067]

The Land Walls, Istanbul . After meeting with my mentor Terry at the decidedly non-Turkish (but conveniently easy to find) Starbucks and discussing my upcoming assignments over chai latte, we headed out to a lesser-trodden area of town for ... Read more >

Tags: istanbul, land of walls, rough guides, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, trekking, turkey


A local's guide to Turkey: an interview with Turan Kirac

TURKEY | Friday, 24 Jun 2011 | Views [3305] | Video

What better way to get an inside view on Turkey, than to ask someone who makes a living guiding people through the country? Meet our BikeHike tour guide, Turan, a professional tour guide born and bred in the Aladaglar range of the Taurus Mountains.... Read more >

Tags: cappadocia, guide, istanbul, tour, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, trekking, turkey


Touring vs. Independent Travel: a few lessons I learnt along the way

TURKEY | Thursday, 23 Jun 2011 | Views [5547]

Before winning this competition I admit that I’d never been on a tour in my life. Sure, I’ve done the occasional two-day camping tour or hired a local guide to take me around, but I’d never even considered booking on an all-inclusive package tour, ... Read more >

Tags: backpacker, bikehike adventures, tour, travel, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, trekking, turkey


Back to Istanbul

TURKEY | Wednesday, 22 Jun 2011 | Views [1569]

Returning to Istanbul, I feel that odd sense of transition as if it is the end of a long trip. In reality I’ve been away from the city little more than 10 days, but it feels like so long since I have left that I felt sure life must have moved ... Read more >

Tags: bazaar, istanbul, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, turkey


Gay Pride in Istanbul – The LGBTT Parade Hits Taksim Square!

TURKEY | Tuesday, 21 Jun 2011 | Views [9002] | Video

. Despite its increasingly liberal-minded youth and rapid adoption of western ways, issues of sexuality and gender still remain somewhat taboo within Turkey. That said, being the only Muslim country where homosexuality is not illegal, Turkey plays ... Read more >

Tags: gay pride, istanbul, march, politics, protests, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, turkey


Dawn to Dusk on the Mediterranean

TURKEY | Monday, 20 Jun 2011 | Views [1605]

After spending the previous evening with Jodi enjoying a delicious dinner of fresh fish and shrimp at the highly recommended Bahce Balik restaurant and downing possibly a little too much wine, we were keen to keep the morning laid-back. Wisely opting ... Read more >

Tags: beaches, istanbul, kalkan, mediterranean, sea, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, turkey


How I Learnt Not to Kayak – A Sojourn on the Mediterranean

TURKEY | Saturday, 18 Jun 2011 | Views [1775]

. After a long drive from the Taurus Mountains and a short but sweet stopover at the Dogan Hotel in Antalya, we finally reached the bobbing turquoise waves of the Mediterranean, coupled with, thankfully, a sticky shot of sunshine. We spent the afternoon ... Read more >

Tags: beaches, boat, istanbul, kayak, mediterranean, sea, travel writing, travel writing scholarship, turkey


9 Turkish Dishes for the Traveler Menu

TURKEY | Thursday, 16 Jun 2011 | Views [10819] | Comments [1]

I’m probably not alone in the misconception that Turkish food is made up primarily of variations on the trusty kebab but there is far more to Turkish food than meat on a skewer. You’d be forgiven for overlooking this fact, however, judging ... Read more >

Tags: cappadocia, istanbul, kofte, lokum, travel writing scholarship, turkey, turkish delight, turkish food


Horse riding, Hiking and Camping in the Taurus Mountains, Cappadocia.

TURKEY | Tuesday, 14 Jun 2011 | Views [3069]

Judging by the last few days itinerary, this is where the adventure portion of our BikeHike tour really kicks in. We started our day at the Kirkit horse riding ranch and, immediately drawn to a beautiful bay Arabian called Vanessa, I soon found myself ... Read more >


5 Reasons to Visit a Traditional Turkish Bath (Hamam)

TURKEY | Monday, 13 Jun 2011 | Views [10392]

1. Cleanliness is Godliness . Visiting a bathhouse might seem an odd pastime to a westerner whose hygiene routine probably centres around showering in the comfort of their own home, but a visit to a hamam offers a whole other dimension of ... Read more >

Tags: hamam, istanbul, spa, travel writing scholarship, turkey, turkish bath


Hot Air Ballooning Over Cappadocia

TURKEY | Saturday, 11 Jun 2011 | Views [2464]

. Hot air balloons have always held a somewhat magical fascination for me.  As a child, I remember running across the fields to watch hot air balloons land in the British countryside and marveling at the enormity ... Read more >

Tags: cappadocia, fairy chimneys, hot air ballooning, sunrise, travel writing scholarship, trekking, turkey


Fairies and Fauna - the Mythical World of Cappadocia

TURKEY | Friday, 10 Jun 2011 | Views [3045]

Cappadocia, Turkey . . Carved into the soft volcanic rock like secret hideouts, Cappadocia’s cave hotels have unsurprisingly made a name for themselves amongst tourists visiting the region and ours, the Gamirasu Cave Hotel (http://www.gamirasu.... Read more >

Tags: bike, cappadocia, travel, travel writing scholarship, trekking, turkey


Topaki Palace

TURKEY | Friday, 10 Jun 2011 | Views [1364]

Topkapi palace. Residence of the lavishly dressed Ottoman Sultans and their infamous Harem and resting place of the renowned ‘three spoons’ 186-caret diamond (so called because its original purchase was for the price of a measly 3 wooden spoons), the ... Read more >


Photos: Istanbul, Turkey

TURKEY | Wednesday, 8 Jun 2011 | Photo Gallery


See all 19 photos >>
 


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