A phrase my parents and I often found ourselves repeating throughout our trip to this country last year

Mouth-watering food, beautiful architecture, fascinating history, friendly and welcoming locals, cats EVERYWHERE, and beaches well worth writing home about. And, this country even spans two continents!

If you’ve guessed that it’s Turkey I’m talking about, then you are correct! I had the opportunity to accompany on my parents on a trip to this east-meets-west country last year, and it was a destination that checked all of the travel boxes for me (one of the few places that have done so in my life thus far).

We started off with a few days in Istanbul as my parents patiently let me drag them around to various sites I had bookmarked on Google maps (a typical family vacation, really). We wandered through Ottoman mosques and palaces, marveling at the shapes and tiles. We explored spice markets, tried a famous kofte joint (small sausages of which variations are found throughout the Mediterranean region), and drank a few rooftop beers.

We walked uphill to a beautiful castle, saw a long line to get in, shrugged our shoulders, took a picture, and left. We didn’t even make it to the Grand Bazaar or inside of the Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque, but we didn’t really care. Instead we spent a night exploring a bustling street of pedestrians in Taksim, we sat by the Bosphorus and ate seafood while watching the world float by, I dragged my mom to a well-researched Baklava shop, and we took a boat ride over to explore the quainter, Asian side of Istanbul. This trip was a reminder that although popular tourist sites are beautiful and often worth the hype, who cares about the hype if you’re having too much fun in the moment wandering amidst other things? You will have wonderful memories either way!

And perhaps the most valued attraction of them all: the food. I could write a powerful love letter dedicated to Mediterranean cuisine, and Turkey was no exception. My parents put up with multiple trips dragging them up and down cobblestone streets in search of that one restaurant I had read about on a travel blog, and it never disappointed. Baklava, olives, cheeses, pide (Turkish pizza), simit (Turkish bagels), stuffed grape leaves, roasted lamb, baba ganoush, and so much more. Turkish food was an absolute delight (Turkish Delights included). Such a delight that I only took 3 (low-quality) pictures of food during our entire trip. It was just that good!

After our time in Istanbul, we boarded a flight for Fethiye, on Turkey’s southern coast. Upon arriving we headed to the town of Oludeniz, known for its beautiful beaches and adventure sports.

Little did we know, Oludeniz was also a very popular destination for people from England. We saw signs throughout the town advertising a British breakfast and confused many locals when telling them that no, we were not British tourists.

In Oludeniz, I also got to go paragliding for the first time! It was a relaxing and beautiful experience. And my paragliding guide insisted on wearing a panda hat – what a guy.

DCIM114GOPROG0273765.JPG

DCIM114GOPROG0313847.JPG

DCIM114GOPROG0353886.JPG

DCIM114GOPROG0363918.JPG

We spent one of our days in Oludeniz on a 12-island boat ride that included lunch, sunbathing, and swimming off the boat in different spots throughout the incredible Mediterranean Sea. The boat tour cost $17 per person. My father, ever a practical man, was very skeptical of how a boat tour could be high-quality at that low of a price. But, he was pleasantly surprised – it was perfect and was arguably the highlight of our trip to Turkey.

And to top everything off, we felt incredibly welcomed by all the Turkish men and women that we met on our trip. From the hotel owners to the restaurant staff and our cooking class instructors, everyone genuinely wanted to ensure that we enjoyed our time in their country. Even when haggling in shops in Istanbul, there was a sense of playfulness that made you feel comfortable buying an item or walking out the door. This hospitality was incredibly refreshing and is something both undervalued and very hard to find in many corners of our world.

We met many travelers on our trip, but very few of them were Americans. The ones we did meet were wonderful, but it left us wondering why more Americans don’t have Turkey on their bucket lists. We felt very safe and throughout our trip and found that Turkey is a truly dreamy place to visit. We would go again in a heartbeat.

Until next time, Turkey – güle güle!