Saturday, April 16, 2011

20110409 Selcuk Turkey


Flying from istanbul to izmir, we rented a car and drove south to Selcuk, home of Ephesus (library pictured), the Temple of Artemis (one of the original 7 wonders of the world) and some beautiful countryside. We stayed at Naz Han in Selcuk, recommended by the Lonely Planet, but we didn't think much of the place. Selcuk was a quiet little town, a relaxing change from Istanbul. We were able to drive up to a cute little village (Sirince) for an evening drink and some wonderful dolmas.
One thing to note: arrive at Ephesus at the main (south) parking lot 10 minutes before the place opens and run like heck to the library to get some great pictures. Snap pics of the ampitheatre and surrounding sites along the way, then move uphill and start your tour from the top while walking back downhill. this beats the crowds (which mainly all start from above) and you'll be walking downhill with the heat of the day (which is better than walking uphill). the audio guides aren't great, but rent them if you don't have a decent guidebook.
Selcuk is a nice place, but really deserves only a night or two, depending on arrival and departure times.

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