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Airport departure tax Departure tax is levied which is usually included in your flight ticket if you buy through your travel agency. |
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Bargaining It is fun and joy to bargain so long as you know where and how to bargain. Local stores are NOT places to bargain where you buy your basic essentials such as water, drinks, foodstuffs, printed materials,etc. Supermarkets, departmental stores are NOT places to bargain. Only touristic items may be purchased with some bargaining power which may vary from 10% to 25% depending on what you buy and how you pay. Such touristic items are carpets, leather goods, jewelry and a variety of souvenir items. DO NOT BARGAIN for every item you show interest please! Business Hours |
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Climate Turkey has a subtropical climate; hence, variations do occur depending on the place and the season. Istanbul and surroundings: Summer hot and some humidity. Average temperature 27C (80F). Winter rainy and chilly. Average temperature 8C (46F), though sometimes very mild and warm. Occasional rain between September and April, hardly any snow. Western and Southern Turkey: It enjoys warm Mediterranean climate where winters are warm with a lot of rain and summers are hot and humid. Average temperature in winter is 15C (60F) and 35C (95F) in summer. A lot of rain between September and April, though not every day! Central and Eastern Turkey: Winters are cold and considerable snow precipitates whereas summers are hot and dry. Temperature in winter 0C (32F) or even minus and in summer 35C (95F). Average altitude 1000 m. (3500ft) and above. Turkey’s climate shows similarities throughout the country between April-May and September- November in each region. In general, weather is warmer along the sea coasts, in the west and south; and cooler in central Turkey and at higher elevations. Clothing In spring and fall, bring a warm jacket or a sweater and windbreaker. In summer, wear cool light colored cotton clothing, sunglasses, a hat and apply sun block lotion, but have a light sweater for cool evenings at higher altitudes. In winter, you will need warm woolen, waterproof and thermal clothing and rain gear.Bring comfortable and informal clothing and sturdy, non-skid walking shoes for sightseeing. Dress at dinner is informal or casual, though you may wear a dress or jacket if you wish. Communications Australia Hello Homeland (0-0) 800 61 1177 To call or fax to Turkey from your home, dial the codes to connect to the international network, then Country Crime Cuisine Currency & Credit Cards Customs |
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Electricity Turkey operates on 220 volts, 50 Hz, with round prong European style plugs. Luxury hotels often provide 110 volts, but only for electric razors in bathroom. Travellers should bring a plug adapter and/or travel transformer (available at electronics shops) for appliances just in case. Hotels cannot provide more than a few at a time! Entertainment |
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Getting Around If you know your way around you can hop on city buses and trams in Old Town. Subway available in certain parts of the city only, but expanding. Buses and trams have fixed prices and you should buy tickets before you get on! Tickets available at tram and bus stops where you pay slightly more if you buy from a street vendor.Taxis all have meters, but beware that some may take you on a longer route claiming the jammed traffic or rush hour! Taxis apply 50% surcharge between mid night and 06.00 a.m. Round up the fare to the nearest last digit of 5 or 10 or 20 etc. for tipping. |
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Health To stay in the best of health, be careful not to overdo it. Eat and drink in moderation and get plenty of rest. Sun & Heat : Use sun block lotion regularly and wear a hat to avoid sunburn. Drink liquids regularly in hot and dry weather even if you don’t feel thirsty to avoid dehydration. Food : Consult your doctor concerning Travellers’ Diarrhoea. Changes in food can disturb digestion, so go easy on spicy food. Be careful not to overeat. There are also a number of excellent hospitals operating to international standards: In Istanbul American Hospital, tel:0 212-311 2000 French Hospital, tel:0 212-246 1020 German Hospital, tel 0 212-293 2150 International hospital, tel:0 212-444 0663 In Ankara Hacettepe Medical Center, tel: 0312-305 5000 Hotels |
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Language Turkish, an Ural-Altaic language with links to the Finno – Hungarian, Japanese and Korean languages, is spoken by 250 million people. English, German and French (one out of three) are taught in every Turkish public school, and most tourism personnel can speak at least one. Many also speak Spanish or Italian, some Japanese, Korean and Arabic. Turkish is a phonetic language which uses the Latin alphabet with special pronunciation for a few letters.Turkish ‘c’ is pronounced like English ‘j’; ‘ç’ like ‘ch’; ‘ş’ like ‘sh’; ‘ö’ like ‘ur’ (German ‘ö’); ‘ü’ is like French ‘u’; shape your lips to say ‘oo’, but say ‘ee’. Undotted ‘I’ ( ) is pronounced ‘uh’. Soft ‘g’ (ğ) is not pronounced at all; it lengthens the previous vowel slightly. Hello – Merhaba How are you? – Nasılsınız? I’m fine, thank you – İyiyim, teşekkür ederim Good morning – Günaydın Good evening – İyi akşamlar Please – Lütfen Thank you – Teşekkür ederim Yes – Evet No – Hayır There is; (it) exists – Var There isn’t; (it) doesn’t exist – Yok I want – İstiyorum Water – Su Money – Para Toilet – Tuvalet Location |
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Medical Care (see also under Health) All Turkish cities have hospitals and towns have clinics, often with staff who speak at least some English. Mosques |
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People & Population The Turks came from Central Asia to the Anatolian peninsula a thousand years ago. Within a few centuries they had built a small kingdom into a great empire which ruled all of the eastern Mediterranean, much of Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia. Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520- 1566) was the envy of the other enlightened Renaissance monarchs of Europe. In later centuries the empire declined. After World War I, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk founded the Turkish Republic (1923). Today Turkey is a democracy with a population of 72 million and has a fast-growing free-enterprise economy. Political Structure Porterage |
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Religion The Turkish population is 99% Muslim, yet Turkey is a secular state which grants total and complete freedom of worship for non-Muslims, including Christians, Greeks, Jews, Armenians and other religious sects. Road Signs |
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Safety (see also under Crime) Turkish cities enjoy crime rates much lower than European or American cities of comparable size, though the wise traveler will take normal precautions against pickpockets and other petty street crime. Shopping Swimming |
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Terms and Conditions On 1. Bookings; Booking should be made as early as possible to guarantee the passenger’s choice in the Guaranteed Departure Programme. In order to offer the passengers more flexibility, our Free Sale System makes it possible for you to make an unlimited number of bookings with instant confirmation. This system applies up to 15 days prior to the departure date. After that time i.e. within the last 15 days before the departure date, any bookings should be confirmed with our office first. 2. Cancellation; In the event of cancellation, cancellation charges are as follows; Between 21-15 Days 25% of the package cost Between 14-07 Days 50% of the package cost Between 06-00 Days 100% of the package cost 3. Responsibility and Liability 4. Unused Tour Services 5. Goods Purchased During Tours 6. Meals 7. Smoking 8. Child discount for tour packages 9. All our customers who are travelling on Orion Tour buses are insured under American Time zones Tipping Travel Documents & Visas Travel Insurance |
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Valuables Keep your passports, money and other valuables in the hotel safe deposit boxes that are usually provided free of charge. |
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Water Although local people drink the water out of tap travelers are recommended to use bottled water only for drinking purposes. Washing and brushing your teeth with tap water is no problem as the water is purified and densely chlorinated. It is important to note that NEITHER bottled water NOR any other drink is included in your program unless specifically mentioned otherwise. |