I have always said that some families buy nice cars or some families buy big houses, but my family, we travel. I have been to more than half of the United States, Mexico, Canada, and I have travelled extensively through Italy, Ireland, Germany, Costa Rica, and now Turkey. My family decided to explore Turkey for a few of reasons; we could say we have set foot in Asia, Turkey would be a little easier on the wallets compared to anywhere else we wanted to go, and possibly the most important selling point for us, was the idea that Turkey is the crossroads of the world. Turkey connects Asia and Europe, East and West, Islam and Christianity. We were sure that Turkey would be a brand new and unique experience for us.
My parents always book trips through a tour company called Cosmos, we had used them for nearly every other trip and they do a fantastic job blending relaxation with adventure. My mom says if all the planning was left up to her and my dad they would end up getting a divorce before we even left on the plane. I suppose it’s a good thing they use Cosmos because Cosmos finds all the hotels, arranges breakfast and dinner, provides the transportation, and plans what sites we will visit and when. Cosmos groups about 30 travelers from various countries together on one tour bus and we spend the next two weeks eating together and taking pictures for each other. Cosmos has done a fantastic job picking knowledgeable tour guides before and we weren’t going to worry about that. It was a given we would use Cosmos for Turkey.
We touched down in an airport just outside of Istanbul. Okay, Istanbul is a city of about 15 million people and that is not an exaggeration at all. Buildings covered any open land in sight, people were all over the place, and cars moved at dangerous speeds. As with any big city, Istanbul smelled horrible, but it had a certain charm to it. Especially at night, the Bosporus looked beautiful with all the lights. All of us took a cruise on a ferry down the Bosporus and some of the mansions along side it were massive. Everywhere you looked there were two minarets reaching toward the sky, and you could tell there was a mosque hiding amidst the buildings. Next we saw the ancient city of Ephesus; it was amazing. There were remains of massive buildings, roads, and ancient backgammon games all over the historic site. Turkey is famous for its carpets and we saw a carpet factory, my parents spent the better part of two hours searching for a carpet to purchase. We saw the remains of Troy and of course a rebuilt Trojan horse. The WWI battlefield of Gallipoli was another major stop; the shore was as spectacular as the mountains around them, but it was a melancholy visit knowing the bloody battles that took place decades ago. We saw the massive Hagia Sophia and the breathtaking Blue Mosque. One of the wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis was also on the agenda.
My family and I saw many exciting things in Turkey, but the one thing I took away from the trip is the extreme similarities between Christians and Muslims. I realized for better or worse most people in the world have very common traits, no matter where they come from. Humans can be kind, hypocritical, or humorous, no matter what religion or what country; people are all very similar beings. That’s what I’ll remember most.
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Grt place to visit.. This place is located after entering the Ranthambore National Park.. However, to visit this place u can evn get your own vehicle…
John, glad you liked the story. This park is in Ohio where the weather can be unpredictable! It’s warmest between late April and November, but even April has the risk of some snow. If you’re camping with kids, the safest bet is June to August, because it’s warmer and there’s little rain. Enjoy your trip.
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It’s truly magical being there. I love the art this country offers. Their wall arts and crafts are just lovely.
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The history of Cuhahoga valley national park seems interesting and must be a new experience when we observe scenes of National park from their scenic campgrounds.
which season do you think is the best time to visit this national park?
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Wow, what a nice article. Makes you feel like you should pack up and go immediately. It seems Linblad runs a good operation and trips are kid friendly. Is there a list of particular dates that are family friendly or are there kid activities year round on board the boats. Any other advice on travling with kids to Ecuador and Galapagos would be really welcome.
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Hello Michael, glad to hear your family is interested in a dude ranch holiday.
Since your kids are older and, hopefully, everyone in the family rides, you have lots of options. The Dude Ranchers Association is a really helpful resource in sorting through the many types of ranch vacations. For example, you can go here: https://duderanch.org/by-activity-amenity and search for ‘Advanced Rides’ and “Cattle Drives’ and that would get you some real working ranches that would have more of the lifestyle you seem to be looking for. One of our authors recommends the Hideout in Shell, Wyoming for this type of trip.
Looking for a real ranch experience with horseback riding (lots of it) and time in the open air with my son (15) and daughter (12) and my wife (49). I am 62. We live in NJ, my children have been sheltered but I grew up in a small coal mining town in Pennsylvania. I want my children to see another side of life.
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Of course, you can do travel freely and easily through these two countries yourself, but I enjoyed having the trip curated for me, including well-chosen local guides, comfortable transportation on call and some superb private tours, such as a Khmer cooking class or historic walking tour of Saigon, with flexibility in the itinerary for our group of five to follow their own paths, such as making an emotional detour to the moving Genocide Museum housed in the old S-21 jail in Phnom Penh.
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I enjoyed reading your Italian family vacation story, and thank you so much for these tips. This surely gonna help us achieve a stress-free vacation in Italy. Great blog!
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For Richard re: dual citizenship US-Nicaragua… can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Hi Richard, In our travel experience, this type of document should work well for your travels, but if your wife is available, it can’t hurt to download the sample forms we have online and also have her fill out and notarize one for your trip with your child. The agency responsible in your case will be the carrier — we assume an airline — and if they can make a note in your travel record that they have approved the Nicaraguan documents you should be fine on both departing and entering.
Safe Travels!
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very informative article Travel forums provide first hand experience and advice to travelers and are a great source of information and travel tips.
As a signal parent, your life, world, actions are based on your childs well fair. Not your happiness or anything that has to do with you.
It should list where they are going, the dates that they are allowed to go and grant your permission for that trip. You want to include your address and phone number and probably the contact info for the adult traveling as well.
The grand archways and the paintings of Lord Krishna and his cows are a visual treat. Wander through areas opened for tourists and you shall witness the impressive aura and architecture of the Royal state of Rajasthan.
Thanks for Sharing
Hello guys my wife and I have dual citizenship US-Nicaragua, I’m planning to travel to the US with our son also dual citizenship for 3 weeks, with a Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) from Nicaragua, can I use the same to travel back to Nicaragua with the same Power of Attorney (Specific to Minors) since wife is staying back in Nicaragua to keep eyes on the house.
Congratulations to the winners! A question to all the professional travelers here, how are you planning the route ant the places to see while visiting a new country? As for me I just google the most touristic and popular places. It works mostly, but there were a few times when I realized that I have seen only some the places this country or city is famous for, and that’s sad. On my last trip to Armenia, I decided to take a tour and it was quite productive. It’s much more informative when somebody is telling you history and some interesting facts. If someone wants to save their time – make sure to ask them to help if you’ll ever be there.
Curitiba é uma lugar lindo, além de ser considerada uma das melhores cidades para se morar em Brasil.
Realmente a muito o que conhecer por lá, como também diversas outras belezas do nosso brasil.
Principalmente as praias do Brasil que são muito procurada por inúmeros turistas internacionais e nacionais.
As Praias do Litoral Paulista, divididos entre Praias do Litoral Norte e Litoral Sul.
As mais conhecidas são as Praias de Ubatuba com mais de 100 belas praias no litoral norte paulista.
Já no litoral sul, a região mais procurada são as Praias de Guarujá, a região conta com 23 praias de pura beleza e preservação ambiental.
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Aloha!
I would like to add my baby equipment company, Nana’s Baby Equipment. I serve the entire island of Kauai with aloha!
Mahalo,
Sharon Hackleman
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Was an honour and pleasure to host you both in the Maori Whakata/Welcome to Wanaka. Welcome back anytime to this wonderful part of the world.
Kia Kaha/Stay strong
[http://www.wanahaka.co.nz]