Quote:
Izmir is definitely not Istanbul. While the tourist charms of Istanbul are obvious and seductive, Izmir's tourist spots are OK, but not very flashy. There are some beautiful Roman ruins, a waterfront and square that seem to be missing something, and a million restaurants that seem to be exactly the same. This is a city that is yearning to be modern and Western, but is still a few years away.
The food is delicious. That's a good thing because almost every restaurant serves the exact same thing: tavuk shish, Iskender Kebab, Pide, Mercimek - every Turkish restaurant serves delicious kebabs, the pizza-like pide, and lentil soup. I loved it for the first few days, but was getting tired of havi
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The food is delicious. That's a good thing because almost every restaurant serves the exact same thing: tavuk shish, Iskender Kebab, Pide, Mercimek - every Turkish restaurant serves delicious kebabs, the pizza-like pide, and lentil soup. I loved it for the first few days, but was getting tired of having the same thing twice a day by the end of the trip.
The Turkish breakfast we had in our hotel was very good, but again, everywhere you go will have the exact same thing: hard-boiled eggs, cheese, olives, tomatoes, and orange juice.
Quick Tips:
The hotels and major tourist areas will have English speakers, but it is still a little spotty. There are definitely pick-pockets, so make sure you use a money belt. The lira is so devalued that I had to keep mixing up 1.000.000 lira bills with 10.000.000 lira bills. Best Way To Get Around:
The city is pretty large, so you will need to take taxis and use the metro. The metro is cheap, new, clean, and convenient, but is limited with only one line. If they extend the metro, it could be great. Otherwise, you'll need to take taxis around. Ask your hotel concierge to arrange them for you. If you want to take a day trip to Ephesus, you can hire a car and driver. Read Less