Ani sits about 45 kilometres east of Kars, close to the modern border with Armenia. The vast ruined city spreads across a plateau beside a deep gorge, with medieval churches and city walls still standing across the landscape. If you are visiting this part of Turkey, Ani should be high on your list. For historical […]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anywhere quite like this, I remember thinking as our minibus navigated the icy road. As far as the eye could see, snow, nearly a metre thick, throttled the landscape like a plush duvet. In the background, the outlines of peaks thrust upward into the milky clouds, but at times […]

The endless snowy landscapes stretched for miles as we made our way over the Anatolian plateau. We were close to Erzincan, a key stop on the 26 hour slow train across Turkey.  “Do you want a kebab at Erzurum?” we were asked, which we shook our heads, no, in response. “I might order another lentil […]

Here are all the Google Maps locations from my Istanbul video! Click through on their names to go to their Google Maps locations. Van Kahvaltı Evi A well-known breakfast spot serving a traditional Van-style spread with multiple cheeses, honey, kaymak, olives, eggs and endless tea. It’s one of the best places in Istanbul to experience […]

Since 2021, prices in Turkey have been, for want of a better word, dynamic.  They’ve been rising quickly since interest rate cuts led to a sharp fall in the lira and rapid price rises across the country.  Inflation officially peaked at around 85% in October 2022, and although it eased slightly through 2023 and 2024, […]