Turkish Delight Advice

I recently returned from the Turkish Delight tour, and thought I would share some things I learned.

1. A taxi ride from Ataturk airport to Erbil Hotel Istanbul cost 30 TL plus tip.
2. The rooms at Erbil Hotel were very small, but the hotel was centrally located - the major sites were within walking distance.
3. You can't drink the water in Turkey. The locals don't as well. But bottled water is everywhere and is very cheap (1.5 litres for 1 TL or less).
4. Contiki uses a local agent in Turkey, so the bus does not say Contiki on it. Also, the bus did not have a bathroom aboard, so don't drink too much.
5. Like in Europe, many of the hotels did not have elevators, so you will have to carry your own luggage up the stairs.
6. In a few of the hotels, the air conditioning did not work.
7. It was hot during the day, but cooled down considerably during the night, so bring summer clothes for the daytime and some long sleeved shirts or a jacket for the night.
8. The optional excursions in Troy (15 TL) and Pergamum (20 TL) are not really optional, since your only other choice is to wait in the parking lot. But why would you want to skip them anyway?
9. There is little or no shade at the various ruins. So be sure to bring sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and water.
10. The hotel we stayed at in Kusadasi was right outside the city. It cost 10 TL for a cab into the main part. However, there is not much going on in Kusadasi itself, so I recommend just hanging out at the hotel. Unless you want to go to an Irish pub, which some people did.
11. The marble walkways at Ephesus are slippery, so be sure to wear sneakers.
12. We went to a Turkish bath (optional) in Kusadasi. Let's just say I felt cleaner before I went in than after. I recommend skipping it.
13. On Day 7, you spend the entire day driving back to Istanbul (left at 7:30 a.m., arrived around 6:30 p.m.). Some people however choose to fly from Pamukkale to Istanbul instead. The guide arranged it for them.
14. We stayed at a different hotel when we returned to Istanbul, called the Grand Medya Hotel. The hotel was in a commercial district that catered to Russian tourists. It was a little further from the major sites than the other hotel, but the rooms were bigger and it was still within walking distance (or just take the tram). A taxi from the hotel to the airport costs 40 TL plus tip, or the hotel can arrange a shuttle if you have a bunch of people, which costs 10 TL per person.
15. While many dinners are included, the hotel restaurant charges extra for any drinks (water, soda, etc.), so bring money with you to dinner.
16. The free breakfasts at the hotel usually included one or two cereals, yogurt, cheese, olives and bread. Drinks were included with breakfast.
17. There are ATMs everywhere in Istanbul, so withdrawing money should not be a problem. Just let your bank know you are traveling to Turkey so they don't think your card was stolen and deny you access. Also, most places required Turkish lira and did not accept credit card payments.
18. I would recommend staying an extra day in Istanbul. There is so much to do and see and I didn't feel as though I had enough time there.
19. I would skip the Grand Bazaar. Sort of like a mall, with lots of overpriced tourist goods. You can find the same thing for less all over Istanbul.
20. Some of us skipped the optional Kervansaray Turkish Evening (28 Euro) on the last night, and instead bought tickets for an hour long Sufi Music Concert and Whirling Dervishes Ceremony at the Istanbul Sirkeci Train Station. Tickets are 25 TL for students and 35 TL for others, and can be bought from a booking agent at the train station or outside the Blue Mosque.
21. The Blue Mosque is free, but the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace cost 20 TL each. The Basilica Cistern also costs 10 TL for entry.
22. In Turkey, you may enter any mosque you wish, as long as your head is covered if you are a woman, you remove your shoes, etc.
23. It is a good idea for women to bring a scarf or pashmina with them. You can use it to cover your head when entering a mosque (not required for the Blue Mosque though), to keep you warm on the bus or plane, and to protect yourself from the sun if necessary.
24. Istanbul is a modern city, but you don't see women wearing tank tops, sleeveless shirts, or with cleavage. I suggest wearing short sleeve shirts that cover your chest and pants if you want to blend in. Shorts and tank tops are fine at the ruins - most everyone there is a tourist anyway.
25. Some of the public toilets require you to pay for use (1 TL or less), so be sure to keep some coins on you. Also, some of the toilets are squat toilets, but most of the time, there was also at least one regular toilet. It is also a good idea to keep some tissues in your bag, because on a few occasions, there was no toilet paper.