The ultimate Eastern Turkey itinerary that will help you cover all the must-see sights and best places in the region within two weeks.
Eastern Turkey: what you need to know before you go
Eastern Turkey is a somewhat unknown mystery for travellers. Istanbul’s minarets, Cappadocia’s rock formations and the blue water of the Mediterranean coastline, is the Turkey most people know, with the Far East of the country seeming like a vast no man’s land between continents. However, this is far from true. From the plains of Mesopotamia …
Visiting Ani: ruins of the former Armenian capital
Ani ruins are considered an absolute must-see for anyone venturing out east in Turkey. However, their location, as far east as you can possibly get in Turkey, and on the cusp of the closed border with Armenia, means not too many people make it out there. However, if you do it will sure to be one of your highlights of the region. Here’s my guide to exploring the ruined Armenian city.
Lake Van and Dogubayazit in far eastern Turkey
A guide to exploring Lake Van, Mt Ararat and Dogubayazit in eastern Turkey.
Travelling to Iraqi Kurdistan: what you need to know before you go
Everything you need to know about travelling to Iraqi Kurdistan as a tourist, from safety to budget to transport, from a solo female traveller perspective.
How to cross the Iraq-Turkey border at Ibrahim Khalil/Habur
From Duhok in Iraqi Kurdistan, I wanted to cross over to Southeastern Turkey. I crossed the border at Ibrahim Khalil/Habur and here is my guide and report of the crossing.
Duhok and a day trip to Amedi
From Duhok, I wanted to explore the small town of Amedi. I had read about this place where the Three Wise Men had come from, which was perched on top of a uniquely shaped plateau in the rolling hills of Kurdistan. I decided to take a day trip on my own this time and I …
Akre, Lalish and Alqosh in Iraqi Kurdistan
From Erbil, I explored three of Iraqi Kurdistan’s biggest tourist attractions on the way to Duhok: Akre, Lalish and Alqosh.
Erbil: a guide to Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital
Everyone had raved to me about Sulaymaniyah. However, it was actually Erbil that I came to really like. The city is Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world. The central citadel has been continuously lived in for 7000 years, and is now a built up, manmade hill …
Iran: what you need to know before you go
Everything that you need to know about travelling to Iran, including information about solo female travel, currency and money and local transportation.
Sulaymaniyah: Iraqi Kurdistan’s cultural capital
I was really unsure what to expect in Iraqi Kurdistan. After crossing the border from Iran, my first destination was Sulaymaniyah, the region’s second largest city. I had heard that Sulaymaniyah was a very modern, almost European-style city… whatever that really means. However, I can see how people would describe it in this way, with …
Crossing the Iran-Iraqi Kurdistan border at Bashmagh/Penjwen
My experience and guide to crossing the Iran-Iraq border at Bashmarq-Penjwen.