I was there in early November about 4 years ago. The weather was temperate. You could wear shirt sleeves in the day most of the time and sweaters or jackets at night. I was only in the west.

They do suggest that foreigners drink only bottled water and no fountain juices.

The food was pretty similar to other mediterranean foods – most like Greek food – lot’s of tomatoes, eggplant, olives, etc. It was all delicious.

The people I met were all delightful. Many of the shopkeepers, restaurant workers, etc., spoke English as well as several other languages, so communication was not much of an issue. However, learning a few words was much appreciated.

There is so much to see, I hope you have a great time!

Hi Calvinstigar,

Where are you headed in Turkey? I just came back from nearly a month there in Istanbul and the western coast. Though I was not traveling with children, people were very friendly towards those who were. There are many kid-friendly dishes, such as pasta and yoghurt, rice with white beans and tomato sauce, etc. As long as your son is comfortable in crowds (as I’m sure are unavoidable in Kuala Lumpur) things should be fine. I would definitely reccommend learning some Turkish phrases before you go, though most people speak at least some english.

Have a great trip!

That’s great that you have chosen Turkey. I would just say bottled water. I actually have drank some of the tap water, and I’ve been ok, but I try not to make a habit of it. I would just say don’t eat meat from the street vendors. Also, I would ask your son’s physician b/f you go about any vaccinations he/she would recommend. I had a few, but I don’t know what they recommend for children under 12. You might want to ask your doctor about taking an antibiotic (sipro) for travel diarrhea with you. That is what the embassy doctor recommended to my group. Hope you have a wonderful and safe trip!!

Hey, thanks mates. Thanks for the information. It is an amazing community here.

Yeap, got it…bottled water, learn Turkish phrases, check the need for vaccination for child, medicine for diarrhea, no food from the street vendors, watch out for terror warning…

Thanks. Any more? ;-)

Our family visited Istanbul and drove all along the western coast to Bodrum in Feb 2001. We had a wonderful time. The weather was pleasant, the sites uncrowded, the people friendly, the food delicious, and there were many interesting and beautiful places to visit. Hotels and restaurants were reasonable, too. Favorites: Istanbul, Ephesus. We did find the large market in Istanbul unpleasantly crowded, and having no interest in buying carpets, we got rather tired of the persistant sales pitches.

It’s worth being a bit careful what you eat and drink, but in western Turkey I think you’re pretty safe.

We hired Ihsan http://besttaxidriver.com/ to give us a tour of Istanbul, and it was well worth it. He was extremely entertaining - the kids loved it too - and gave us a lot of insight into Turkish life. For us it was strictly serendipity—we needed a taxi, he was there, and one thing led to another.

I just returned in June from 20 days in Turkey. In the Antalya area, near Side and Manavgat, this is mainly German speaking. Very few speak fluent English. I spent most of my time in Istanbul where I had absolutely no problem with any food or drinks. I did drink other than bottled, but mostly bottled. The food was very similar to Greek types of cuisine. The spice market was very good for shopping of all kinds, much better than the larger outdoor market. The Bosphourus Cruise is very nice and convenient. I would caution to ask cost upfront of taxis, they have a tendency to take you long routes. The meter will also show if you are traveling in a certain rate time. I would always look at the meter.
I did not have any health concerns, although I did take a bad fall and injured my ankle. I would use caution when walking that surfaces are not even, and at any time you can step in a hole, or even a raised area suddenly.
There is so much to see in Istanbul that you can spend an easy week or even more, just in this city.
Pamakkale and Ephesus are also nice areas. You can purchase flights really cheap in Turkey(Atlas or Onur Airlines) and fly to Izmir and travel from there.
Turkey has alot of history and culture, and I would recommend it anytime.
The country is not advanced in many things. If needed, I would not use medical help anyplace but Istanbul or Ankara unless absolutely necessary.
I hope this helps, and I will tell you that I was a women traveling alone, so I really had to be aware of my surroundings and study up on these things.

Your question has pretty much been answered, but I disagree with the people who say don’t eat at the etreet vendors. I lived in Izmir for 3 years and ate lunch every day at street vendors. Just use your head and I agree about the bottled water for the kids. I drank tap and was fine but why risk it with little ones. Turkish pizza is great and so are the donars (sandwiches with meat and other stuff). My sons were 6 and 3 when we moved there, Turks love children, so be prepared to see strangers who want to touch and sometimes hug your kids.Enjoy Turkey, it really is wonderful and if like history, get ready for lots of great side trips.

Knowing very little about the culture and food of Turkey, although I know we will enjoy those historical places of Turkey, I was initially rather worry about the eating issue.

It is really good to know there are plenty of good food in Turkey beside Turkish Delight!

And I simply grateful of the travelling ideas and cautious received. Thanks mates.

Turkey is a great place to visit. YOu wont have any trouble with the food or drinks there. I liked the food there, though I have a hard time remembering any specifics. There are people everywhere who sell these rings of bread which can be eaten as snacks. To drink, they have soda like anywhere else. The one thing you must try is an apple flavored tea they make from some kind of flavored granular sugar. It is served hot in small cups and is very good. I found the people there to be very friendly, and I felt safe at all times, despite the fact that one time when I went (I’ve been there twice) it was either right before, after or during the war in Iraq, which Turkey borders.

Always get bottled water with a seal on it. Some people will use tap water to fill the bottles. Soft drinks are good, like coke or pepsi, but no ice! Never have drinks with ice in it, could be tap water. Be careful with Kabobs, do not eat the tomatoes, I got sick cery bad & had to see a doctor. Some fruit or vegetables can have human manure that was used to fertilize the plants, & there is the danger that something like hepatisi can go into the fruit or vegatable. Also contact your doctor who gives you your vaccinations for a read-out that is supported from the State Department. The read-out will list all the dangers & problems anywhere in the country. If you are in Western Turkey or near the Mediterrain Sea the weather should be pleasant, but cold at night. Try to avoid going to an area near Syria, Iraq, & Iran. I was in both Southeast Turkey & Southwest Turkey. The further east you travel, the more primative the people are. If you travel about 100 miles east of Adana you will go up into the mountains & in November it will be very cold. If you eat anywhere try to eat at a 5 star hotel. I had no problems with the Turkish people. Find out when they have Ramadan or their fasting religious holiday. It was in November the year I was there, but it changes like Easter. When they fast they tend to be a little cranky. The Turkish people love children & your children will be safe. I had problems with their children, the street beggers, they can be annoying. Ignore them. The currency is the lira, but will take the Euro or U.S. dollar. I recommend you get a lot of traveller checks, American Express is the best. Be careful in the markets for pick-pocketers. Keep your wallet in your front pocket as much is possible. You can find some really beatiful rugs in the markets, but talk the prices down. Sometimes you can get up to 75% cheaper than what they offer. Most of the interesting places are near the Agean Sea & the Meditterain Sea. Stay alert & everything should work out. Enjoy your trip.

hi, food and drinks should be fine. some spices and fats tend to upset some stomachs, child or adult. however, u will be ok if u drink bottled water (although even tap water is safe for almost everyone) and avoid filthy-looking restaurants and street-sellers.

nice to know:
Dont let your kids eat to mutch ice cream, and tell them not to drink water from the spring, just buy it in the store, its really cheap (almost free )

And be carefull when your gonna exchange money in small exchange houses.
One tourist exchange house stole about 3000$ from me, so be carefull, even though they seem nice at the place, just watch out.

But the people there are the nicest people ive ever met, they are fun to talk with and party with.
And threat the kids nice.

I echo the encouragement for going to Turkey. And I find most places in this world are very welcoming to children, and that part of the world this is very true. Children often provide a bridge to communications that we miss as adults!

In Istanbul, go to the Doy Doy for lentil soup!