Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Women Travellers
Travelling in Turkey is straightforward for women, provided you follow some simple
guidelines.
ACCOMMODATION
The cheapest hotels, as well as often being fleapits, are generally not suitable for lone wo-
men. Stick with family-oriented midrange hotels.
If conversation in the lobby grinds to a halt as you enter, the hotel is not likely to be a
great place for a woman.
If there is a knock on your hotel door late at night, don't open it; in the morning, com-
plain to the manager.
CLOTHING
Tailor your behaviour and your clothing to your surrounds. Look at what local women are
wearing. On the streets of Beyoğlu in İstanbul you'll see skimpy tops and tight jeans, but
cleavage and short skirts without leggings are a no-no everywhere except nightclubs in
İstanbul and heavily touristed destinations along the coast.
Bring a shawl to cover your head when visiting mosques.
On the street, you don't need to don a headscarf, but in eastern Anatolia long sleeves and
baggy long pants should attract the least attention.
EATING & DRINKING
Restaurants and tea gardens aiming to attract women and children usually set aside a spe-
cial room (or part of one) for families. Look for the term
aile salonu
(family dining room),
or just
aile
.
HOLIDAY ROMANCES
It is not unheard of, particularly in romantic spots such as Cappadocia, for women to have
holiday romances with local men. As well as fuelling the common Middle Eastern miscon-
ception that Western women are more 'available', this has led to occasional cases of men
exploiting such relationships. Some men, for example, develop close friendships with visit-
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