Balkanatolia Blog: September 2009

Veleka Guesthouse, Sinemorets

Gönderen Balkanatolia Saturday, September 26, 2009 yorum (0)

Sinemorets, one of the last Bulgarian Black-Sea coast villages before the Turkish border, during communist times was a forbidden area and until a few years ago used to be a hidden secret among nature addicted individual visitors. Since then some small touristic development has taken place, but still Sinemorets - with its unspoilt village life and incredibly beautiful natural beaches - is by far the best remote place on the whole coast.

Situated between famous Butamjata beach and endless virgin subtropical forests, Sinemorets attracts not only beach tourists but also nature and culture lovers: Nearby Strandzha Mountains are one of least known regions in Europe and more than worth a visit. You can find there genuine villages with traditional houses and extremely friendly locals.

Cute Veleka Hotel is waiting for with its superb views on the Black Sea and astonishing sunrises.

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Quiet Corner Hotel, Apriltsi

Gönderen Balkanatolia Tuesday, September 22, 2009 yorum (0)

Apriltsi, a small town, settled at the foot of the Middle Balkan mountain, just 30 minutes drive from world famous Trojan Monastery is young at age, small at inhabitants, but with rich history and incredible with its nature and landmarks. The most charming thing in Apriltsi is the combination of nature and mountain.

Family Hotel Quiet Corner welcomes you in a natural scenery for your pleasant and complete all year round recreation and offers you coziness and comfort. All rooms and appartments have their own terrace with one of the best views in whole Bulgaria. There is also a cute outdoor-pool for the warm days of summer, which are not disturbingly hot because of the healthy, oxygene-rich mountain climate.

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Inceyali Pension, Mazikoy, Bodrum

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One of the very few undiscovered escape points close to Bodrum is Mazıköy. Offering a unique beach and sunset view, this place will give you the chance of experiencing the one of your best holidays ever. As Balkanatolia, we have visited this place and we have been truly impressed by the nature of the region.

Inceyali Pension is a family-run hotel. The owners are warm-hearted, friendly and ready to help you in any case. We believe you will enjoy your bungalow and want to have a naporchard. Or you can sit right next to reception point and read your book while watching the sea from time to time when your eyes get tired. The breeze under the shadow of the accessing every single part of your body will make you relax and see how worth it is to be in this place.

There is no noise, nothing disturbing. You can swim in the pension's lovely beach or go and discover nearby beaches. You understand Halicarnassos better when you see here, as he said "They say, you should see Italy before death but I think you should see here to keep on living!"

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Kalemi Hotel, Gjirokaster

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Welcome to the "City of Stone", an exciting town in South Albania, situated among the wild rocky mountains of ancient Epirus. Gjirokaster is remarkable for its great natural beauty, as well as his harmonious intercultural mix of Albanian, Byzantine and Ottoman heritage and tradition, which is obvious on the many historical buildings and sites. Many houses in Gjirokastër have a distinctive local style that has earned the city the nickname "City of Stone", because most of the old houses have roofs covered with stones.

Kalemi Hotel with its superb view on the whole town and high mountains has cute rooms decorated in the local traditional style which is similar to nearby Greek Epirus. You should combine a stay at Kalemi Hotel with a trip to Greek Zagori Villages which have also wonderful traditional accommodations.

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Breakfast in Tatvan

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Let’s say you have arrived in Tatvan in the morning when you visit around Lake Van. You will need to have a good breakfast. What to do then? Here is what I offer. Buy some cheese and olive in a localmarket. Don’t forget to tastebefore buying. If you ask for it, the owner of market will gladly offer you a piece of cheese and olive. If you buy them in a package (prepared in factory), then there is no chance for tasting. After fixing this issue, you can buy honey, butter, jam from a pastry shop (pastane) in town. This won’t cost much at all. In the pastry shops in Tatvan, you can find ready-to-eat boiled eggs. If you like, you can buy one or two eggs depending on how much hungry you are! them

Finally, find a ‘fırın’ to buy bread. Please ask for the freshest ones. I would recommend one bread and two çörek. Don’t forget to buy a newspaper in the meantime! You will need it after!

Your next stop is the coast of Lake Van in Tatvan. You will see very nice cafés there. You can sit out under the trees and start to prepare your breakfast table. That is the time you need newspaper. Well, the newspaper idea may not be hygienic or so on but it is once in a lifetime. So feel free as much as you can! (If you have better options, great!) Lay your newspaper on table and put your stuff on it. If you want to experience a real Turkish breakfast, you must drink tea for sure. It would be pity otherwise. You can order tea by glass or semaver (from which you can serve your own teas and drink as much as 15 glasses, ideal for families, groups or tea-addicted people!).

Afiyet olsun!! Bon appetite!

Having a Walk in Tatvan

Gönderen Balkanatolia Monday, September 21, 2009 yorum (0)

Tatvan is a town of Bitlis but it is bigger than Bitlis. When I saw this town for the first time, I have been deeply impressed. It is one of the cutest towns I have ever seen. It is right next to Lake Van and Mountain Nemrut. If you are having a round trip around Lake Van, Tatvan is one of the stop points. If you don’t have much time, I suggest you to walk through the lake in Tatvan. The view is wonderful and you will feel relaxed as people don’t bother you with their sights and eyes. Friendly people will let you enjoy the view much more. Sometimes walking in such places is a unique escape for those who need a rest for their heads.

Visiting the biggest mosque in Eastern Turkey

Gönderen Balkanatolia Thursday, September 10, 2009 yorum (0)

Whether you are muslim or not, this is a definite place to see or pray. It is the biggest mosque in Eastern Turkey and definitely worth of a visit. It is called Ibadullah Camii and I am really impressed by it. The mosques in eastern Turkey resemble those from the times of Ottoman. For example, the columns of Ibadullah reminded of Blue Mosque’s in Istanbul. The ornamentations and workmanship of the mosque are totally amazing. It is a big complex with ablution parts, outside points and places for different kind of functions. As it is in downtown of Tatvan, you can reach it easily. There is a website prepared for the mosque; you can have a look at it here. (The site is in Turkish)

Eating in Hizan

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This tip is for exclusive escapers, for those who follow their nose when they travel to somewhere. If you somehow manage to find yourself in Hizan and feel hungry, there is an address I can recommend. Ok, it is not the best option but it was the best we could find in town. Hizan is a very small town of Bitlis and there is not much to do there but it has a wonderful landscape (especially Tatvan-Hizan road). In the center you can eat at Yayla Kebap Salonu . The prices are normal but my best suggestion would be eating as light as possible. Because, no matter how well they cook, still there may be problems with food. Their salad has much onion inside. If you don’t like it, you can explain your preferences to them. Actually, the best thing about this place is their staff. They have been extremely to me and my friends. So, I guess this is why I recommend this place. But don’t forget, eat as light as possible!

Yayla Kebap Salonu

Tel: 0434 611 14 29
Cumhuriyet Square Hizan/Bitlis

Dorian Appartments - Symi / Dodecanese

Gönderen Balkanatolia Wednesday, September 9, 2009 yorum (0)

Symi is without doubt the most aristocratic island of the Dodecanese, "Twelve Island Group". Just a one-hour ferry trip from cosmopolitan Rhodes with its big all-inclusive hotels and mass-tourism, this small rocky island attracts visitors with its incredibly unspoilt architecture. Arriving at Symi you will be impressed by the view of the amphitheatrically built harbour town which is absolutely genuine island style, without any modern concrete buildings. Locals are proud of their island and take much care in conserving and restoring the old coulourful mansions. Some of them are nice guesthouses or small hotels.

We chose Dorian Appartments for you mostly because of their marvellous position over the picturesque harbour with inforgettable sunsets. The appartments are self-catering, but for those who prefer to get a nice breakfast or to enjoy a tasty seafood dinner, there are plenty of coffee-houses, tavernas and restaurants just a short walk away.

Sitting on a blue chair, having an ouzo with some meze and watching the wooden boats of the traditional sponge-divers will make you forget the anxious life of global society.

Don't forget to make a day-trip to wonderful Turkish Datça Peninsula which is just opposite of Symi. Balkanatolia will be happy to give you useful informations about visiting there.

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Click here for our Symi-pictures collection

Tatvan - Hizan (Escape Drive)

Gönderen Balkanatolia Monday, September 7, 2009 yorum (0)

I know you are looking for a special tip that you have never read somewhere else. Here I am telling it right now. If you have time in Tatvan, I suggest you to take the road to Hizan town (very small town of Bitlis). It is about fifty kilometres from Tatvan and the road is scenic. A small stream is following the road after some time and you even come across surprising experiences like waterfalls (look at the picture) and amazingly cold water resources to drink. If you have a local, it would be nice but it is not a must. The nature, landscape and the countryside are simply eye-catching in this yet-undiscovered region of Turkey. I have been there in late July and it was wonderful at that time there. I guess it is spectacular starting from June till the end of September. Be aware of winds as you will be in one of the highest parts of Turkey! (Feel free to leave a comment for hotel options around the region.)

This photo will give the idea how beautiful roadsides are when you are driving...

Journey to Van

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If you plan to go to Van from any part of country (Turkey), I can suggest you two main popular bus companies. One of them is Best Van Tur and the second one is Van Gölü Seyahat. As far as i observed, these two companies are the most popular ones. If you travel to Van from Tatvan and want to reach Van via Gevaş (Akdamar), you have to take Best Van or Van Gölü. But if you want to see interesting places such as Ahlat and Erciş, you can take Erciş İtimat for that. Because it makes a round trip around the lake which might be interesting for you. (If you need accommodation around the region, feel free to leave a message)

Kaya Pension, Lake Bafa

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Lake Bafa is one of the most fascinating and unbelievable landscapes in Western Turkey. Ancient Gulf of Latmos used to be a part of Aegean Sea until geomorpholigic development of nearby delta of Great Meander River (Büyük Menderes) turned the region into a lake. Nature and Culture here created a rare composition of unique beauty – the salty lake, the ruins of ancient Herakleia, the wild steep Latmos Mountain (1400 m) in background, the islands with Byzantine monastery ruins on it, the incredibly rich fauna and flora are breathtaking. Since 1994, Lake Bafa has the status of a Natural Park, so nature and bio-diversity are protected.

Kaya Pension is situated in the small village of Kapıkırı with its ancient Agora, just a few meters from a superb sandy beach. It consists of some stone and some wooden houses, all together 10 guest-rooms which have been recently renovated and have all ensuite-showers and air condition.

Kaya has its own restaurant with local products and fish from the Lake. Watching the sunset from the veranda is a unique experience. You can book bed and breakfast or half pension for +5 Euro per person. KAYA also organizes boat tours on Bafa Lake and trekking tours through Mountain Latmos.

Famous ancient sites like Didyma, Miletus, Priene and Euromos are just a half-hour drive from here. If you can’t come with your own vehicle, we advise you to rent a car. Balkanatolia will be happy to help you find one with good conditions.

Click here to view the location of this hotel from space. Don't forget to watch the Lake Bafa video we have prepared for you.

Click HERE to make a reservation request or see more photos.

Millenium Hotel, Pogradec, Lake Ohrit

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Albania's touristic infrastructure is still at its beginnings. Outside Tirana, Durres and Saranda, you will hardly find European-style hotels. So, we were very happy to find a small, stylish new hotel just a few kilometres out of Pogradec town, directly on the sandy beach of Lake Ohrit which is one of the deepest tectonic lakes in the world. Millenium is situated in the small village of Tushemisht, not more than 1 km from the border of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Tushemisht is worth a visit because of its genuine balkan architecture (with a nice old orthodox church) but also for the villa of ex-dictator Enver Hoxha who kept his country far from contacts with the world. Hoxha's villa is a hotel, too, but we preferred MILLENIUM with its superb position on the beach, its wonderful views and sunsets from balconies, its good restaurants and its nice, well-furnished and clean rooms - all these for good value.

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Mangalemi Hotel, Berat

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Berat, the "Town of thousand Windows", is an absolute must for every visitor of Albania. Situated in a scenic mountaneous landscape, with a steep rock and Albania's biggest castle on it, with a river crossing the old and completely preserved ex-Ottoman town, this charming town is one of the country's cultural centres. The peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians, with mosques and churches the one close to the other, will impress you. If you want to see how this religious freedom works, you should go to a medrese and watch children coming out from Koran lessons and then run to Orthodox church for further learning...

Mangalemi district is the old quarter of Berat, situated at the foot of huge Kastro Hill, with nice and steep narrow streets and genuine old balkan houses.

Mangalemi Hotel is a charming place, quite basic, but with an authentic style for those who want to experience the atmosphere of older times. The rooms are clean and cute, and there is a nice restaurant which works at the upper floor in summer.

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Hotel Saint Nicholas, Melnik, Pirin

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Bulgaria's smallest town Melnik is a perfect combination of nature, history and architecture. When you arrive here for the first time, the huge sand-stone cliffs, clustered around silent white houses, one upon the other, with romantic bay-windows and peaceful yards, buried in greenery and tranquility of an aged glory and prosperity will cause your biggest admiration. This picturesque small town Melnik is situated among the whimsical sand pyramids – some of the most fascinating natural phenomena on the Balkans.

Melnik in older times used to be an important Balkan trade centre and an important culture centre within Ottoman Empire. The old aristocratic Melnik houses once belonged to Slavs, Greeks, Turks and Albanians. They are impressive with their architecture in conformity with the laws of nature, with their wealth, with their wine cellars, with the Bulgarian sense of practicality and beauty.

St Nicholas Hotel is situated at the best place in town; you have a lovely view to the old town and the famous cliffs from every window. The hotel's restaurant and own winery offer you bulgarian specialities and the delicious mature dark-red Melnik wine, which has lovers from many countries, especially Spain and Turkey.

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Savur Konağı, Savur-Mardin

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Savur is a town of Mardin district sometimes referred as "Small Mardin" since it is a small copy of Mardin town. With its historical settlements made of stones, Savur doesn't hesitate to share the richness of its stress and natural landscape around with the visitors. Let's not forget to mention Syrian villages (Dereiçi/Kıllıt, famous for traditional home-made decorations, ornaments) and old monastries close to town. These are just few things that make Savur one of the best places for a much-needed escape holiday.

Savur Konağı looks like a castle from outside. The special thing is that rooms are large and a mixture of modern and historical design. The hotel also has its own fruit gardens (Savur is famous for fruit gardens), you can go and pick a fruit up for you and enjoy the fresh fruit. We recommend you to watch the 'huge' and eye-catching kitchen carefully since you may not see something similar anywhere.

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Spa Hotel Petreliski, Ognjanovo, South Bulgaria

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Would you expect a cosy, comfortable Spa Hotel with a natural warm-sulfur-water pool in deep Southwest Bulgaria, far from big town?

We discovered Spa Hotel Petreliski in remote Ognjanovo village, situated in romantic landscape, within green forests, on a wild river and in steep hills.

All rooms have bath-tubes with healthy 37° warm sulfur thermal water and are well-equipped. You can enjoy swimming in warm thermal water outside pool -even in cold snowy winter -, taste Bulgarian specialities in the hotel-own restaurant and go for excursions to nearby Rhodope Mountains with huge forests and muslim villages.

Open the window of your bedroom before sleep and the fresh air of silent forest valley nights will be an unforgettable experience for you, especially if you are a victim of big-town stress.

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Villa Pandora

Gönderen Balkanatolia Friday, September 4, 2009 yorum (0)

Green unspoilt island of Odysseus, Ithaca has no big hotels, no mass tourism and no awful concrete buildings. It is a jewel for individual travelers. Three kilometres from Vathy and 1.7 kilometre from the nearest beach, Pandora's Villa is situated in the South-East side of Ithaca within a rural area with vines and olive trees. You can enjoy there in your own small paradise - far from other houses and the noises of modern civilization.

Villa Pandora has private parking space and a wonderful large swimming pool, a kiosk, a bar, a BBQ, big balconies and beautiful gardens. The surrounded area is 4.000 sq meters large.

The villa is ideal for families and other big groups of up to 12 people. It offers its guests comfort and privacy. The villa includes three independent flats.

Ground floor: 2 bedrooms (one with 1 double bed , one with 2 single beds), living room, kitchen, TV, air conditioning.

First Floor flat: 100 sq meters, 2 bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin), living room, large kitchen (with washing machine and dishwasher), large bathroom, TV with DVD player, air conditioning, and large balconies.

Loft: 2 bedrooms (1 double, 1 twin), bathroom.

The loft is usually rented out together with the first floor flat in order to accommodate a larger group. Or you can rent out the whole villa. It will accommodate 12 people.

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Rozhena Hotel, Melnik

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Rozhen village in colourful southern Pirin area, with its famous Rozhen Monastery, is a small paradise - remote but easy to reach. It is situated just 6 kms from wonderful Melnik, in an extraordinarily picturesque landscape with huge sandy rock formations and a rich mediterranean-like vegetation which reminds you that you are just 15 kms from Greece. The climate here is suitable for people with respiratory problems.

Rozhena Hotel is open throughout the year and invites you to relax at its nice outdoor pool with sun-beds, its shadowy summer garden, a sauna and a gym.

If relaxing is not enough for you, you will find superb hiking routes in a wonderful scenic landscape. The shortest of them will bring you to nearby world-famous Rozhen Monastery. Hungry from so much walking and relaxing? - Then try genuine Bulgarian dishes in ROZHENA's tavern, like Haidushka Salata, Filet with mushrooms and other local specialities, together with a glass of wonderful dark Melnik wine.

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Karvalli Hotel, Güzelyurt, Ihlara

Gönderen Balkanatolia Thursday, September 3, 2009 yorum (0)

This is a place for lovers of incredible views, of culture and of unique landscapes, just one hour drive from Cappadocia. The village of Güzelyurt (former Greek Karvali) is situated 20 km from world-famous Ihlara Valley with its scenic canyon and cave-churches painted by Christians who were forced to hide here for centuries.

Modern, well-built Karvalli Hotel was a surprise for us as we didn't expect a hotel like this at such a remote place. German owner is a friendly person, rooms are spaceful with comfortable beds and heating, there is also a cute roof-restaurant.

The best of all is the unique view from your window on Mt. Hasan Volcano, the brother mountain of famous Mt. Erciyes Volcano, close to Kayseri. You shouldn't miss to walk inside Güzelyurt, to visit its Orthodox church and a superb green valley with hidden cave churches and an underground city, just 1 km out of the village.

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Chalara Holiday House, Naxos

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Mikri Vigla - a windsurfers' paradise - on Naxos Island is not an absolutely remote place. There are a few small hotels, studios and appartments around, and the superb Bahama-like sandy beach with its turquoise warm waters in August is sometimes a bit crowded. But we love Chalara House ("chalara" means "relaxed" in greek) for its unique position, with panoramic views over the blue Aegean Sea and opposite Paros Island, 10 m from a small sandy beach. During your stay you will love waking up at 8 in the morning and jump into the calm sea before having breakfast on the wonderful veranda. Nights in Chalara House are unique - you won't hear other "noises" but Meltemi Wind and waves...

The house consists of a rather large living room with a couch which becomes a bed and an integrated full-equipped kitchen. There is also a cute bedroom with a double-bed and a small bathroom with shower. Restaurants and small super-markets are within walking-distance.

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Hotel Hidden Garden, Kalkan

Gönderen Balkanatolia Wednesday, September 2, 2009 yorum (0)

So close to crowdy Kalkan (just 3 km) and world-famous Patara Beach (10 km) but at the same time so far from them... Situated next to the road which leads to the mountain village of Islamlar, in a small valley surrounded of green gardens, flowers and olive trees, Hidden Garden is the perfect retreat for those who want to enjoy nature and calmness without being too isolated from contemporary tourist infrastructure.

Hidden Garden consists of one-room and two-room wooden bungalows, all air-conditioned, some of them with their own kitchen. If you have booked half-board, Çağla hanım and her friendly children will prepare some nice rural food for you.

Nights here are perfectly silent, full of oxygene, with much less humidity than at coastal areas. But the absolute highlight of Hidden Garden is its wonderful large pool. After swimming in its perfect clean water, you should relax under an olive tree and enjoy a good book.

If you have escape-addicted, you can reach to Kaş following the road of Islamlar and see famous forests made of Sığla trees. You can rent a glass boat to see the sunken city of Kekova and swim in the clear waters of Aegean. Or you can take a different path to Patara Beach and antique city of Xanthos or a perfect natural walk in Saklıkent, a world wonder. We suggest you to have your rent-car as there are many nice places in western and eastern part of this location.

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Anidri Eco Cottages, Paleochora, Crete

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From the moment you awake to the tinkling of goatbells and the buzzing of cicadas, you know it’s going to be a good day. Step barefoot onto the sunwarmed terrace: a gentle breeze, bright blue skies, endless olive trees, no traffic noise. Surely this is how Nature intended us to live, isn't it?

Mario and Andrea, the couple who designed and built this eco-retreat on Crete’s south coast, would agree. Leaving behind German city life, they came to the laid-back resort of Paleochora 10 years ago, started a small café and gave tajijua lessons, all the while dreaming of a place where people from different backgrounds could unwind and exchange ideas in simple, natural surroundings. Slowly, the dream became reality. Land was bought in the fertile hills near Anidri, 5 km inland, and a pair of ecofriendly, 3-bedroom guesthouses and a hi-tech seminar room built. Then they opened their doors to friends and guests seeking beauty and inspiration away from Crete’s resorts, but not far from some of her most pristine beaches and dramatic mountains.

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