Turkey, land of the Sultan’s and Ottoman Empire.
We never planned on visiting Turkey. Due to several issues including our bank cards getting stolen in Colombia, being given the wrong Colombian visa (blog post coming), an endless search for cheap flights from South America, and a search for flights that didn't require a $150 in transit visa for a 2 hour layover (Yes, the joys of travelling with a South African passport), we ended up in Turkey on our way to South East Asia. And what a pleasant surprise it was!
From the beautiful city of Istanbul that never ever sleeps, the museums and mosques and palaces and the shopping; to the travertine water pools at Pamukkale, the spectacular Cappadocia - famous for its chimney castles and hot air balloons, to the stunning turquoise waters of the Med. Turkey is totally worth a visit as an alternative to Europe. The bonus is that it is not that heavy on the pocket – even for South Africans.
And although South African’s need a visa, you can get one in 5 minutes online! So, you better book those tickets! We highly recommend Travelstart for any flight bookings – they always have great specials, offer flights with many airlines, and have great customer service. We even booked our flights to Turkey from Panama through them!
TURKEY VISA REQUIREMENTS:
If you are visiting for tourism purposes for 1 month or less, you can apply online for an e-visa. It takes about 5 minutes, you get it immediately and it is FREE.
You only need to provide a date of entry when applying for the visa, you should always have a return or exit ticket before leaving South Africa. If you are not planning on going back to South Africa and not sure what your plans are, you can check out our post here on how to get a valid exit ticket without paying.
Validity:
You get a multiple entry, 30-day visa valid for 3 months. So, you can enter and exit the country multiple times within 3 months, but can only stay in the country for a total of 30 days altogether.
HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for this visa, go to the following website and follow the prompts: