A trip to Istanbul

In the beginning of December M. and I have visited Istanbul, Turkey for the second time. Since our first visit only lasted an afternoon we were very excited to see some more of this huge city.
If you are interested in my first-time experience a few years ago, you are welcome to check out this post published as a part of our Egyptian adventure: A day in Istanbul.

This time we were lucky to get our hands on some very affordable return flight tickets from Ljubljana to Istanbul. As was the case last year on a trip to Lisbon, Portugal, we went as a group of 7 travel friends.

Unfortunately being a pretty large group usually has some disadvantages. For instance choosing a date that was OK for all of us proved to be quite a challenge. Also going for a period longer than 5 days was out of the question.
Everything worked out just fine in the end and we were all happy we went.

At first I was a bit sceptical about visiting the Turkish capital in December but everything turned out just perfect:

• no tourist crowds at all,
• it was not too cold (temperatures never fell under 8 degrees Celsius) and
• we were also lucky enough to make it through without some serious rain or snow.

Also the air was really clear for most of the time, allowing me to snap a few really nice photos.

Since this was another of our budget trips, we stayed in a centrally located hostel. Bahaus Hostel proved to be clean, pretty affordable and there was breakfast included in the price. But then again, it is nothing to write home about.

During our stay we have visited a few tourist attractions and also tried to sample some local past time activities. We were lucky enough to make contact with a local who showed us some really genuine places we would have never found by ourselves. Thanks again Burcu for making our stay even more enjoyable!

I will try to point out at least a few of these places. Hopefully this will help many travellers to this beautiful destination enjoy it even more.

Stay tuned for my next posts.

Clicking on any one of above photos will reveal them all in a much more flattering resolution.

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Bled and Slovenia promo video

Another great video presentation of Slovenia has been released a while ago. Since I like it a lot I decided to share it with you.

This video mainly focuses on lake Bled and popular activities in the nearby area. Some other beautiful Slovenian destinations are also included in the presentation.

If you like this one, you should probably also check out a few similar videos about Slovenia I posted a while ago.

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Discover Cyprus

If you're looking for an island paradise that's home to beautiful bays and beaches, world-famous legends and soul-stirring scenery, look no further than Cyprus.

Cast out into the Mediterranean Sea, overlooked by Turkey and the Middle East, Cyprus is a melting pot of cultures that boasts many centuries of heritage. The earliest known human activity is believed to date back to the 10th millennium BC, when ancient archaeological remains have been linked with the Neolithic village of Khirokitia.

In the centuries that followed, Cyprus became home to a myriad of influential nations, including the Mycenean Greeks, the Egyptians, the Persians, the Roman Empire, the Byzantines and the Venetians, among others. All these different civilisations left their mark on this fascinating island, which provides yet another reason to visit.

Cyprus holidays have so much to offer. If you're after a non-stop clubbing holiday with more late night shenanigans than you can shake a glow-stick at, Ayia Napa is the place to be. Here, it's like one big summer party when big-name DJs come to spin the latest tunes and keep the party going well into the small hours.

If that is not quite your scene, you will find plenty of Cyprus holidays geared towards families. For instance, head to the lovely resort of Coral Bay near Paphos for a laid-back retreat with plenty of amenities on your doorstep. In nearby Paphos you'll find a superb town that is UNESCO World Heritage Site-listed and full of ancient archaeological wonders. Or head to Larnaca for a fabulous beach break with a cracking line-up of hotels.

If anything above takes your fancy, look at some of the package holidays on offer to see which suits your wish-list. For instance, there are tons of Cyprus holidays available through The Co-operative Travel, here - http://www.co-operativetravel.co.uk/holidays/cyprus/ - offering a superb choice of accommodation and travel arrangements to suit many different tastes and budgets.

So whatever you fancy, whether it is a laid-back family escape or a non-stop clubbing holiday with friends, why not discover Cyprus? It could just be your holiday of a lifetime.

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