I've enjoyed many holidays in Turkey and lately it has become one of my favorite places to stay. There's so much to do and see in Turkey that I keep going back. It's a beautiful country with a unique culture that could come as a bit of a surprise if you've never been before. I'm no expert but after a few holidays over the years I have a couple of tips that help me have the best possible time. I thought I would share them with you all as its a popular destination especially for us Brits.
Safety:
I thought I would start with the boring stuff; safety. Turkey has a bit of a bad rep but luckily I've never had any problems. I feel perfectly safe walking around the more touristy towns on my own but I'm always careful and aware of my surroundings. I think it goes without saying you shouldn't go anywhere alone with strangers and if you feel unsafe at any point you should make your way back to your hotel.
Another obvious tip is not to carry valuables unless you need to. Although it's never happened to me pick pocketing and bag snatching does happen and I'd rather lose a little than all my holiday spends and my passport. Thinking along the same route, don't flash your cash, it can tempt thieves and no one likes a show off.
Money:
If you are British and travelling to Turkey don't convert your money here. You get a much better rate if you change your pounds in Turkey and you can convert smaller amounts too. If you don't want to change your money over, pounds are accepted too, in fact I don't think there's any currency they will turn down. Turkey is the only country I've carried, Pounds, Euros and Lira and have been able to spend any of them.
Although you can spend whatever you like I always feel like I'm getting the best deal when I pay in Lira, just make sure you know exactly what it's worth!
Don't be afraid to barter! Whether you're in the market or a regular shop, most places don't have set prices and are happy to haggle with you, I actually think some Turkish business owners enjoy it. Just have a price in your head that you are willing to pay and stick to it. Sean and I managed to get an amazing deal on two day trips for just £28, and they both included dinner! Bear in mind this doesn't apply to all shops and don't be afraid to walk away if it's more than you want to pay.
When it comes to shopping in Turkey you will be hassled. It's just another part of Turkish culture and a bit of fun. If you genuinely aren't interested in what they have to offer, don't be scared to say no. No one will be offended if you are firm but polite.
*** Update *** Since writing this post in 2015 I do not recommend riding animals abroad as they are often mistreated.
Try new things:
Going on holiday is all about trying new things and going places you've never been before, there's so much to do in Turkey you really are spoilt for choice!
The first thing I'm going to start with is day trips. You can book excursions with your holiday rep or from a local tour company but they are usually cheaper from the locals and can include dinner. Depending on where in Turkey you stay will depend on where you can go. As I've only stayed on the west and in the main tourist areas I can only suggest a couple of things. One of the best places I've ever been in Turkey is Dalyan. It's full of history, has mud baths and a world famous Turtle beach. Another must see if you are in the area is Bodrum Castle. If you don't mind a bit of walking it's a great day out and only costs around £7 for a ticket. Make sure you research the area you are staying in before you go and I'm sure you'll find plenty to do!
While you're in Turkey you have to try some traditional food. It's not always to my taste and honestly I mostly stick to pizza but you have to try everything once. Try and find a Turkish kebab house, they are very different to ours in the UK.
Another thing you should try is Turkish wine. My favorite wine in the whole world is Rose from the Bodrum area. I've never found anything that compares to it.
Learn the language:
I'm not saying you have to be fluent, but learning a few basic words and phrases is always helpful. Most people who work in tourism will speak English but they appreciate the effort. I just think its nice when ordering drinks or buying something in a shop to say please or thank you in their language. The Turks are naturally quite cheeky and love to hear foreigners, speaking their own language. There are loads of videos on Youtube which show you the basics.
Enjoy the culture:
I want to finish this post on a positive note. Don't forget you're on holiday in a country that may be very different to yours. Enjoy their culture and way of life. Don't get annoyed when the call to prayer wakes you up early, think of it as the most beautiful wake up call you've ever heard, you'll soon miss it when you're home.
Don't be sad when you can't have a bacon sandwich in the morning, although I'm sure pork is available somewhere, most people don't eat it here and it's hard to come by. Look forward to a more healthy week as you will be eating less red meat.
Talk to the locals, Turkish people are friendly and always want to talk. I met a man in Sarigerme who kept me and dad talking for hours as he just wanted to practice his English.
Lastly don't forget to try Turkish Cay. Tea drinking in Turkey is just as important as in the UK, it's just done slightly differently. A cup of Cay will cost you about a Lira (roughly 30p) and it's delicious!
I hope this little guide will come in useful for anyone about to visit this beautiful country. Although it sometimes gets a bad name for itself, Turkey is an amazing country with so much history and some gorgeous beaches. I'm sure I will be back soon!
P.s. They keep their salt and pepper in the opposite pots to us! I found this out the hard way!
Thanks for reading!
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Another month can only mean one thing - a rundown of my favourite beauty items right now!
So here are my April Beauty Favourites...
1. TRESemme Keratin Smooth - I have been using this product every few days for the last couple of months. My hair is in fairly bad condition because of dying it and using heat on it, so I needed a product that would not only repair it but leave it looking healthy and shiny. After using this product only once I noticed a big difference, my hair felt stronger and looked a lot healthier. This hair treatment also smells gorgeous and leaves you hair with a girly fruity scent even after its been washed out.
2. Nivea Extra Gentle Eye Makeup Remover - I've been using the Nivea Micelllar cleansing water for a while but I wanted to try something different and a little more gentle. I picked up this makeup remover from Savers a few weeks back as it was only around £2 and exactly what I was looking for. I use this product with cotton pads and it take my eye makeup off with ease. I've also got it in my eyes a few times and at doesn't sting that much, not that I would recommend it.
3. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - This brush was one of my many Christmas presents from Sean. I was moaning for some nice brushes and he brought me loads, but this is definitely my favorite. I use it mainly to apply foundation but I have used it to apply bronzer and I find it works really well for both. It picks up a nice amount of product and feels really nice on your skin. This brush retails at around £10 and although that's more expensive than some other brands, its definitely worth picking up.
4. Avon Nail Experts Gold Strength - My Nails, like my hair are in quite a bad way, I'm forever breaking and chipping them and work. I really needed a product that would fix them up a bit and I haven't found anything that works as well as this varnish. Not only does it help strengthen the nail but it looks nice too. Its a clear coat with a subtle gold shimmer that you could use on its own or as a top coat.
So that was this months beauty favorites. I'm trying really hard to save lately so buying new products isn't on the top of my to do list. I'm going to dig out some older beauty products next month and maybe rediscover some old favorites.
What have you been loving this month?
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As a you might know, a few weeks back I lost my dog Blue. It was a really difficult time for us, we all completely shut off from the world and I stopped blogging for a while. Nothing made sense anymore and I just wanted to stay in bed. For those of you without pets you might not be able to relate, but loosing Blue was such a big thing for us and coping with it was really hard. Today I really wanted to write about my dog passing away and coping with loss. This isn't so much a 'how to' but more of me sharing how my family and I dealt with it.
For the first few days it didn't sink in at all. It happened really suddenly one night and we never expected it at all. I was actually starting to prepare dinner for me and Sean when dad shouted to me that the dog wasn't breathing. He had stepped outside to give him his dinner when he found him unconscious. He was only about 7 and we don't really know what caused it but we assumed he had a heart attack in his sleep.
I had work the next day and I was completely distraught. I cried all morning and had to go home early as I just couldn't cope. We decided now was a good time as ever to bury our baby who had been lying in his basket all night, he still looked at though he was sleeping.
We decided to bury him as we couldn't really afford to get him cremated and none of us really liked that idea much anyway. We bought Blue from a Springer Spaniel breeder not too far away who owned a farm. We would kennel him here when we went away and his mom and other relatives still lived here. The breeders were kind enough to set aside a plot of land where we could bury Blue. We liked the idea of him being back where he belonged, and he was buried there that afternoon.
That whole day is still a bit of a blur, that whole week was actually. What had happened just didn't sink in, its like my head couldn't understand that Blue was gone. Burying my baby was just such a surreal experience for all of us, my sister didn't even cry.
In the days after Blue passed away we all dealt with it very differently. I cried my eyes out every night and found it hard to sleep. Even in the day I would burst into tears until I just couldn't cry anymore. My sister teared up a few times but she didn't cry, not really. Even now I'm not sure she's taken it all in. My dad took blue for walks everyday and he's been really lost. I'll go for the occasional walk with him but its not the same, his best friend has gone and nothing can replace that. I think moms dealt really well with the whole thing, that or she's just staying strong for dad.
One of the first things we did when we got back on that afternoon was dig out some of photos of Blue. We didn't have as many as we thought but the ones we did have summed up his personality perfectly. We decided to frame a couple of these photos and put them in the living room where they still are now. At first it really hurt to see him up there, knowing we would never see him again, I think It even made dad cry. I think looking back through old photos and hanging them up helped us all to grieve properly.
After a few days had passed dad decided to clear out his basket. It was really hard to get rid of Blue's blanket covered in his hair and scent. Clearing away his things made it final that he wasn't coming back. He was never really bothered by toys but he did have a teddy that we decided we wanted to bury with him. Now there's just an empty space where his basket used to be, although its sad we knew we couldn't keep it there forever.
It's been a few weeks since we lost Blue and although we still miss him and I occasionally cry myself to sleep thinking about him, things have got easier. We've been trying to keep ourselves busy and get back into our routines, none of us could really afford to have time off work so things went back to normal quite quickly. About 3 weeks ago we went on our first holiday without him and as it was only April dogs are allowed on all the beaches. Thinking about Blue running around those beaches really hurt and honestly none of us really enjoyed that holiday.
Loosing Blue has really hit us all hard but slowly we are coming to terms with it. Eventually we will start looking for a new puppy, but nothing will ever replace the time and the bond we had with our gorgeous, smelly, gentle baby Blue.
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'Apply Hand Food hand cream as often as you want to soften' and that's exactly what I have been doing for over a year. I want to start off by saying Soap & Glory Hand Food is one of, if not the best hand creams I have ever used and I've tried out quite a few in my time.
As you might know by now, I suffer with really dry skin and I'm always on the hunt for a good moisturizer. I never expected to find one in Christmas beauty gift box. I received my first tube of Hand Food in a huge Soap and Glory gift box for Christmas 2013 and I've been using it ever since. I'm not really sure how it hasn't popped up on the blog until now.
Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream RRP £6.00 125ml
Let's start with that gorgeous scent. You might have picked up that I love good smelling products, if it doesn't smells amazing I don't want to use it. According to the Soap and Glory website Hand Food is scented with their own 'Pink' Fragrance, but it contains Shea butter, Macadamia oil and marshmallow so I'm guessing that would influence how it smells? Whatever the scent is, its good and I'm happy for my skin to smell like it.
Another thing I like about this product is the packaging; as with all Soap and Glory products it is cute and girly. I have always purchased the 50ml size which must be the travel size as you can buy a bigger 125ml for £5. I prefer this size as its easy to take out with you and as its under 100ml you can put it in your carry on luggage when you are flying. I don't know about anyone else but dry plane air doesn't do my skin any favors and I like to have moisturizer handy.
I use Hand Food every night before I go to bed and I always wake up with super soft, moisturized hands. It smooths out all the wrinkles on my fingers and makes them look a lot plumper and young. I know that sounds like a really odd thing to say as I'm only 20, but a lifetime of eczema has made my hands age quite a lot.
Overall I think this is a really good quality product and its brilliant value for money. I really enjoy using the Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream and I would give it a 9/10.
Have your ever tried Hand Food? What's your favorite hand cream?
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Another month - another little round up of the products I've been loving! So which beauty products have a been using a lot throughout March?
1. Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in #625 'Iced Caramel' - This lipstick has definitely become my favorite out of the two. It's also a matte lipstick but it's also really creamy and I don't feel the need to add a glossy top coat. This is a much lighter more natural shade and I've been wearing it most days. Although it is a very basic shade I still think it completes my makeup look nicely and I'm definitely going to get a lot of wear out of it.
2. Laura Paige Sunset Shimmer Bronzing Powders - I bought this little set months ago at the clothes show but I've only really been using it for the last couple of weeks. I've never really been into bronzing and contouring but I've been feeling really pale lately and I needed something to brighten up my face. I use the darker shades to define my cheekbones and the lighter shade to highlight under my eyes, along my nose, and the center of my forehead. It really does make a big difference to my overall makeup.
3. No7 Extreme Length Waterproof Mascara - When I first tried out this mascara I didn't really like it. I felt like it was a bit too wet for my lashes if that makes sense? It stayed in my pen pot for a couple of months until I cracked it out again a few weeks ago. Its very similar to my old faithful 'Exceptional Definition' which is another No7 product. It makes my lashes look super long and now that it's dried out a bit, it fans them out really nicely too. I will definitely be repurchasing this mascara in the future.
4. Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in #553 'Glamorous Red' - So I picked up this lipstick and the one below in Duty Free on my way back from Amsterdam last month. I was after a new Channel lippy but they didn't have any so I settled for these beauty's. I was only going to get one but as I couldn't decide which I liked better and they were so cheap I got both. This one is a deep pink, almost red colour and I've mostly been wearing it on nights out and to dinner. It's a matte lipstick but its really creamy which is hard to find even in regular lipsticks.
I've love to hear what you guys are loving this month! Let me know in the comments below or over on Twitter!
Thanks for reading!
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