Kusadasi / Ephesus

[jodee]

We will be doing a 7 hour excursion of Ephesus, The House of Mary and a countryside lunch. The description said we will be walking over uneven and steep surfaces and to dress accordingly... and just what would that be ?

Im so confused with what to wear and what NOT to wear in the Med ports. Dresses and skirts just dont seem practical with some excursions, yet I dont want to offend anyone by wearing shorts...

Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated

 

Thanks

Jodee

[longislandfamily]

The description said we will be walking over uneven and steep surfaces and to dress accordingly... and just what would that be ?

Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated

 

Thanks

Jodee

 

We booked a private guide for our upcoming stops in Ephesus and Istanbul. They were very helpful on the issue of dress. They strongly suggested shorts, tee shirts and sneakers in Ephesus, because it will be hot, there is little shade, and the ruin site makes for challenging walking. The House of Mary is not a church, so the rules for appropriate attire in a church don't apply.

 

For Istanbul, where we will be going into mosques, more covering is required. Skirt or pants below the knee, shoulders, preferable entire upper arm covered and women will be asked to cover their heads in the mosque. I'm taking a light weight scarf or shawl.

[Hlitner]

Trust me that everyone will know you are a tourist in Ephesus...because the only people in Ephesus are tourists and tour guides! You might want to keep in mind that Ephesus is out in the open...and the sun can get very very hot in the summer. It still amazes me that anyone worries about "fashion statements" under those conditions. Just wear your most comfortable clothes for a very hot sun and wear very comfortable footwear suitable for walking on stones and climbing over rocks.

 

Hank

[jodee]

Thanks for the info on dressing for Ephesus, it was very helpful.

Another question relating to the last one is when we return from our Ephesus excursion and walk around Kusadasi would we still be ok in shorts and sneakers or would we need to return to the ship and change first ?

Also we are in Kusadasi until 10pm, what is there to do in the evenings ?

Thanks again for all your help and advise.

 

Jodee

[bigmjh]

Ephesus is definitely a place for sneakers. Steep? Yes! Slippery? Yes! The main path is marble that has been polished by thousdands of years of weather ... worn to a slick finish by millions of feet. Shorts and tee shirts are more than appropriate ... everyone wears them. It is open and hot. As for the town afterwards ... Kusadasi is not a formal-type, European city. Most of the people you will encounter will be tourist like you ... dressed as tourist do in hot weather. So, unless you're planning on dining in a 4 star restaurant (I do not know of any) ... don't waste your time by going back to the ship to change. Just enjoy your time in Turkey.

[Hlitner]

You can walk around Kusadasi in shorts (or almost anything else) as long as you are spending money (the Turks are great entreprenaurs). Kusadasi is a pretty small town and a few thousand cruise passengers really flood the outdoor Bazaar (across the street from the port) with the passengers welcomed with smiles as the Turks contemplate how to seperate you from your money (smile). Keep in mind that Turkey is a Muslim country (99%) but most are secular Muslims and not very conservative. We love this country and the warm people that make it very special.

 

Hank

[TudorSue]

Long Island Family ... and Past Ephesus Visitors Too-

 

Who will be your guide in Kusadasi/Ephesus?

 

My DH and I are traveling there aboard Oceania Nautica in November 2006, and are looking to do an independent tour. The guides I've seen recommended on this board are Nejet (already booked), Levent Solmaz (has not rsvp'd), and Ekol Travel.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks from a fellow Long Islander.

[NH Cruiser]

Try Kagan at http://www.tourguidesinturkey.com/. He has been recommended on this board for several years and is very responsive to emails.

[TudorSue]

Hi Jean,

 

Thanks for the recommendation. I just emailed Kagan.

[longislandfamily]

Long Island Family ... and Past Ephesus Visitors Too-

 

Who will be your guide in Kusadasi/Ephesus?

 

The guides I've seen recommended on this board are Nejet (already booked), Levent Solmaz (has not rsvp'd), and Ekol Travel.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks from a fellow Long Islander.

 

Hi, we are using Ekol Travel for both Ephesus and Istanbul, based on recommendations on this board. We have a bit of an unwieldy traveling party, so needed the organized tour. They have been very helpful in the planning stages. Friends have done Ephesus completely independently. They said that there are lots of taxis you can make arrangements with right at the pier, but to walk at least 1 block down the line before you choose someone to negotiate with. The guys at the back of the line were more flexible. Another name I've seen on the boards is Meander, but have no experience with them.

[TudorSue]

Longislandfamily,

 

May I inquire as to your cruise sailing date? It sounds as though you will be visiting Turkey in advance of us. Our November Nautica cruise is Rome-Istanbul (12 days) with stops at Naples, LaGoulette Tunisia, Crete, Malta, Athens, and Alexandria before getting to Turkey.

 

We will be adding 3 days in Istanbul post-cruise and haven't yet decided how much to do on our own. We will be staying in the Sultanmet district near the key sights.

[longislandfamily]

TudorSue -

 

We board the ship in 18 days, not that I'm counting or excited!:D We leave for Venice in 16 days. Our cruise is with Princess, and we selected it because of the Greek and Turkish ports. Mom has traveled extensively, but never made it to either country. Your itinerary is more exotic, still. The extra days in Istanbul sound great. I can report back on my experiences with the private tours, but from reading these boards, Hank (Hlitner) is a better resource. He's traveled both by cruise and independently in the Med.