A Day Trip to Ephesus from Izmir, Türkiye: Tips & Tricks

24/07/202407/08/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

The Library of Celsus at ancient Ephesus near Selçuk, Türkiye

This post discusses a day trip that I took to Ephesus from Izmir last summer on our vacation to Türkiye. I have seen a lot of Roman ruins in the past, so Ephesus was never big on my “must see” list until two totally separate people on separate trips told me that the Ephesus ruins were the “best Roman ruins they had ever seen”! I made a day trip to Ephesus a priority when visiting Izmir.

Ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus near Selçuk, Türkiye

Ephesus, Türkiye.

Was that description accurate after visiting? Is Ephesus the best Roman ruins? Maaaaybe, maybe not. Certainly, Ephesus is an extremely well preserved historical site that is interesting to visit. I think whether it is “the best” may depend on your personal interests and the quality of your visit. In brief, I would absolutely set aside a half-day to visit Ephesus if in the area, but I would not suggest a big bus tour or any “add ons” that many companies offer (like lunch, product demonstrations, etc.).

EPHESUS, TÜRKIYE – A BIT OF BACKGROUND

As a [very, very, very] brief background, Ephesus was an historical city in Ancient Greece that was quite advanced for its time. Located about an hour inland from present-day city Izmir, Türkiye, Ephesus was famous for many things, including the Temple of Artemis, a Wonder of the Ancient World, the Library of Celsus, a very cool site to see, and an open air theatre that could hold 24,000 people! Ephesus also important in the Christian religion, being mentioned in the Book of Revelation and entertaining rumors that the Gospel of John (from the Bible) was written in Ephesus. It’s also located very close to the House of the Virgin Mary a/k/a the alleged home with the Virgin Mary (i.e. Jesus’s mom) lived out her days…

Ancient Ephesus.

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A Fantastic Meal at El Chato on a Bogotá Layover!

11/06/202407/08/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

Soup served inside a granadilla shell at El Chato in Bogotá, Colombia

As the lovely El Chato just received the high honor of the 25th best restaurant in the world (also on the list are Borago, Pujol, and Cosme that I’ve visited), I decided its time for me to publish my review on Dan and my wonderful lunch at El Chato last year on a layover in Bogotá, Colombia when flying from New York to La Paz, Bolivia.

El Chato's World's 50 Best Restaurants recognition on display in Bogotá

Not the first time on the 50 Best list!

El Chato describes itself as a “contemporary Colombian bistro that pays tribute to the producers” of local Colombian producers. Chef Álvaro Clavijo opened El Chato in 2017 after studying in Barcelona and Paris and working at numerous high-profile restaurants, including Copenhagen‘s famous Noma (now closed).

The entrance to El Chato, the black building in Chapinero Alto, Bogotá

El Chato’s entrance.

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What to Expect on a Day on Safari!

27/03/202407/08/2026wareontheglobe 2 Comments

On safari in Kenya's Masai Mara, the lead photograph for this day-on-safari guide

We just returned from our third (!!) African safari in Masai Mara National Park in Kenya (after spending a couple days in Nairobi). Despite having safari-ed in different parts of Africa, all three safaris have kept a common daily schedule, which is quite different from most vacations. This post details what one can generally expect on an African safari vacation when staying in a safari lodge.

The start of a day on safari at an African safari lodge

Welcome to safari!

4:30 – 6:00 AM: WAKE UP CALL

Depending on where you safari and the time of year, you will likely wake up between 4:30 and 6:00 AM. Yes, extremely early. This is because morning safari drives depart either before sunrise (popular on private conservatories) so that you can watch the sunrise on safari, or as soon as the national park you are visiting opens, which is often right at sunrise. How much time you give yourself to get ready for the morning safari drive is up to you, but we prefer 30 minutes (although we will cut it to 10 or 15 if its super early). And by place and time of year, I mean that the sun rises at different times throughout the year in places such as South Africa, but remains more consistent in places near the equator like Kenya and Tanzania. On our recent safari in Kenya, we woke up every morning at 5:50 AM and departed for our drive at 6:30 AM. We set our alarms for this but at our previous safari, guides came and knocked on your door about 30 minutes before departure.

A hippo just outside the lodge guest room at wake-up time on safari in Kenya

A hippo just outside our room as we were waking up!

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A Long Weekend in Nairobi, Kenya!

20/03/202407/08/2026wareontheglobe Leave a comment

A Rothschild's giraffe at the Giraffe Centre in Karen, Nairobi, Kenya

Dan and I spent a long weekend in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this month en route to a safari in Masai Mara National Park. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I had a bit of difficulty pre-planning, but we ended up having an enjoyable stay (with only one possible attempt to scam us in a taxi). For those planning a visit or layover, you need at least one full day to see the main sights, and two are preferable. This post details where we stayed, what we saw, and where we ate, plus a few practical tips for visiting Nairobi, Kenya!

Nairobi, Kenya, the opening image of our long weekend in the city

Welcome to Nairobi, Kenya!

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An Aegean Cruise From Çesme, Turkey!

05/12/202330/06/2026wareontheglobe 1 Comment

When we visited Turkey last summer (July 2023), I really wanted to visit the proper Turkish Riviera. We seriously looked at the towns Bodrum, Kos, Alaçati, Çesme, and Izmir, and choose Izmir, even though its not the real Turkish Riviera, due to its proximity to the airport and Ephesus historical site and reasonable price. We also needed Marriott nights, and Izmir has a lovely Marriott. I was fine with our decision but wanted to experience the Turkish Rivera, at least for a day. Enter a boat tour from Çesme and an afternoon strolling the town. This article details our experience. In brief, Çesme is a cute tourist town and the boat showed us gorgeous coast, but I am not sure I would squeeze a Çesme day into an Izmir itinerary again – it deserves its own couple days!

Çesme. This reminded me a lot of Rhodes, Greece (which is quite close by).

ÇESME, TURKEY

Çesme, apparently meaning “fountain”, is a small Turkish town on the Aegean sea at the tip of the Çesme peninsula. The name Çesme also refers to the greater Çesme area and includes the popular destination town of Alaçati. Çesme is a favored holiday destination with Turks, is slowly becoming more well-known with the international crowd, and can get quite crowded in the summer. Numerous tourist lodging options crowd the area, with a modern highway connecting the town of Çesme to Izmir, the closest big city and international airport. In terms of a destination, Çesme is a very cute little town and enjoys gorgeous views of the Aegean. One could easily waste away a few days enjoying the sun and sea.

A ship statue in Çesme. Everything seems to have a nautical theme here.

For tourist purposes, Çesme is most famous for its Ottoman old town and its ruined castle, of which the walls are fairly well preserved. Tourists can visit both on foot in a couple hours. The real point of Çesme is to relax and enjoy the day.

Welcome to Çesme!

We got to Çesme by taking an Uber (yes, the American app) from our hotel in Izmir. The ride took about 45 minutes. We took a taxi coming back, as we could not find an Uber. Alternatively, a bus runs regularly between Çesme and Izmir (we probably should have taken this but were lazy).

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