Category: Asia

Thailand Hotels, The Continent Hotel in Bangkok
I arrived at the Continent Hotel in Bangkok in pretty bad shape. I was overwhelmed by jet lag, even after being in Thailand for a week. It’d been jam-packed with fun-filled experiences like exploring Bangkok’s Chinatown, as well as the Thonburi district. Then we flew to Trang, visiting the Trang Markets and the Trang Islands. This seemed to amplify my overall exhaustion, and I became quite ill during my trip, even spending a morning at a Thai hospital to tend to my ailments.

It would’ve been an understatement to say that I needed some good old-fashioned rest and relaxation before heading home to Berlin. Turns out the Continent Hotel was everything I needed and more.

The Continent Hotel in Bangkok

This five-star boutique hotel is centrally located in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit district, close to Sukhumvit and Asoke roads, known as the “crossroads of Bangkok.” The BTS Asoke Skytrain station and the MRT Sukhumvit station are within a few minutes’ walking distance of the hotel.

The Continent Hotel immediately impresses you, as you gaze up at the hotel’s tall, sleek, and skinny structure which reaches 35 floors. It’s almost hard to believe that the hotel contains 153 rooms, a restaurant, two bars, a fitness studio, and a rooftop infinity pool.

Lobby and Compass Bar

Entering the hotel is akin to inserting yourself into another world and you quickly forget the hustle of the bustle of the busy streets just outside. The contemporary interior is both warm and soothing with its Asian-inspired design. Even more welcoming is the attentive front desk staff who greet you and work quickly to get you settled into your room.

The Compass Bar is a great place to stop and have a quick cocktail before heading out for an afternoon of shopping (the hotel is surrounded by malls like the Emporium and EmQuartier) or a night of outrageous fun in Bangkok.

The Continent Room

I was lucky to stay in one of the hotel’s most luxurious rooms, a Sky Room, located on the 29th floor! It has many unique benefits, like turndown service, a daily fruit basket, complimentary laundry, free drinks and snacks at the bars, and more. Each of the floors in the hotel follows a theme of different cities around the world and is decorated with photos from the featured destination. I was all too happy to be staying on the Berlin-themed floor, as Berlin is never far from my heart.

What I loved the most about my Sky room was the Dessert theme (you can also get Ocean, Forest, and Space themed rooms), the large bed, and the expansive view of Bangkok. Other perks included a flat-screen TV, a work area, and a bathtub where you can soak in a bubble bath while continuing to enjoy the view over Bangkok.

I’ll be honest: Most of my final two days in Bangkok were spent in this room. I caught up on sleep in that super comfortable bed and took long, soothing soaks in the tub.

Medinii

Medinii is an award-winning Italian restaurant where guests can take their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The airy space, decorated in dark fabric curtains and muted hardwood floors, comes complete with chair swings that overlook Bangkok. Here, I sipped red Italian wine and sampled various dishes from their menu, including pizza, pasta, steak, and a fruity sorbet for dessert.

Sadly, I have no photos from my breakfast, but trust me (like really!). The food was equally as good, with all the standard fare. I loaded up on fresh fruit and a refreshing tea to kick-start my day. Breakfast was also included in my booking.

Axis and Spin

While I stayed at the Continent Hotel in Bangkok, I enjoyed one last cocktail at their Axis and Spin rooftop bar and club, saying one last Prost before heading back to Berlin. Filled with trendy locals and hotel guests, it’s the perfect spot for a nightcap while soaking up those luscious Bangkok views.

H20 Pool Bar

Of course, my stay at the Continent would not be complete without a dip in the rooftop infinity pool where I watched the sunset over Bangkok.

What do you think about The Continent Hotel in Bangkok? Would you stay at this hotel or do you have recommendations for other hotels around the city? Drop us a note in the comments below.

Location

The Continent Hotel Bangkok
413 Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok 10110, Thailand
+66 2 686 7000
http://www.thecontinenthotel.com/

Good To Know

1) The Continent Hotel is best suited to travelers looking for an upscale and refined stay in a central area of Bangkok.

2) Wifi is free and available throughout the hotel.

3) Airport transfers to and from the hotel can easily be booked with your reservation.

4) If you arrive by car (whether a taxi or a rental car) from Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the ride will take 30-50 minutes depending on traffic. If you’re coming from Don Muang Airport, expect the ride to take anywhere from 20-40 minutes.

5) If you’d like to see even more hotel options (although I highly recommend this hotel), see booking.com.
Booking.com
6) Make your time in Bangkok special by taking a guided tour.

7) If you dig travel in general, consider giving some of these posts a read for even more inspiration for future trips.
- Some Exciting Things To Do in Edirne Turkey – Why visit Edirne? A magnificent mosque, Ottoman cuisine, a rare Jewish synagogue, & more. Read this guide of things to do in Edirne Turkey.
- What To Do in Helsinki If You Have Just One Day – What to do in Helsinki in a day? Eat Finnish food, laugh at a peeing boy statue, spend time in church, & hang out in a stunning library.
- What You Need to Know Before You Travel to Canada – Canada’s a dream destination for a lot of people around the globe. Find out what you need to know before you travel to Canada.
8) Last but not least, if you need even more Thailand travel information, consider this 14-day Thailand itinerary or this post, about where to stay in Bangkok.

Disclosure – One of my two nights at the Continent Hotel was complimentary. Any opinions expressed about my love of rooftop infinity pools and comfortable king-sized beds are entirely my own. This post also contains some affiliate links, so if you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
March 1, 2024
How To Spend The Perfect Day Touring Thailand’s Trang Islands
Ever wonder what it’s like to spend an absolutely perfect day in paradise? Then let me take you on a little tour of the Trang Islands, in southern Thailand.

After spending time in the ever-busy and chaotic Bangkok, exploring Chinatown, and getting to know the Thonburi district, our group set off to explore the relatively calm Trang province.

Experience Thailand Through the Trang Islands

What was in store? A day of island hopping, snorkeling, swimming through a dark 80-meter-long tunnel to reach a secluded beach, feasting on Thai food, getting a massage on the beach, being scared by bats on a lonely island, and finally, relaxing at an exclusive resort complete with a swoon-worthy sunset.

Recommended reading: This guide about cruising in Thailand.

Pak Meng Pier

We left Rua Rasada Hotel, a venue oddly shaped like a cruise ship, and headed down to Pak Meng Pier to board the private speed boat that would take us on our island-hopping adventures.

Even though I hadn’t even gotten on the boat yet, I was already completely awestruck by the natural beauty of Thailand. I’d always known it was beautiful, but seeing it for myself was an absolute dream come true.

We jumped on the boat and were soon speeding off to discover all of what the Trang Islands had to offer. I spent most of our ride that day at the back of the boat, taking in all of the glorious views of the Andaman Sea.

Ko Muk

The first of our Trang Islands agenda was Ko Muk, also known as Ko Mook. The small island is renowned for its affordable lodgings, eastern white sand bar Hat Sivalai, western side Hat Farang with beaches flanked by limestone cliffs, and the Tham Morakot Emerald Cave.

The west coast sunsets are said to be gorgeous and the island is a great place to base yourself for day trips to other islands. A calm island rather than a party one, it’s also without an ATM, so come armed with cash to pay your way.

The ride up to the jungle-filled island was unforgettable. But we were only on Ko Muk for a short time, as our intention was to visit the Tham Morakot Emerald Cave.

Tourists flock to the island to see this cave, which involves an 80-meter swim through a dark limestone tunnel to reach a secluded beach surrounded by high cliffs.

To be honest, I was pretty nervous to undertake this little expedition. After having crawled through dark caves in Budapest for four or five terrifying hours back in 2011, I’ve been profoundly claustrophobic ever since. The thought of swimming 80 meters in the dark didn’t sound very inviting at all. I decided I’d try to get over my fears and give it a go.

We put on life jackets, stashed our gear in waterproof bags, and jumped in the warm bathtub temperature water. Shortly after, we were asked to form a line, grab the shoulders of the person ahead of us, and begin the swim through the emerald cave.

To my relief, the cave was wide and it only took us about five minutes to get through. We met lots of other groups along the way and the cave was lit by our guide who sported a headlamp. As I came prepared, I wore my own headlamp as well. Not a very sexy look, but I wanted light.

We soon reached the beach, a location where pirates used to store their booty.

It was high time for a dorky selfie! I made it through and boy, was it ever worth it. I also feel like I should have been wearing a bandana and an eyepatch to embody the true pirate spirit.

Some items to note:
- It’s best to be on the beach at midday when it’s illuminated by a piercing shaft of light.
- You need to pay a national park fee to partake in the cave excursion.
- You cannot enter the cave at high tide.
- As this is such a popular tourist attraction, more often than not, the beach is filled with tourists. Try to visit early or late in the day when it’s not as busy.
Ko Kradan

Continuing our quest to explore Trang Islands, we moved on to Ko Kradan, where we also only stayed for a brief while. Dotted with slender white sand beaches, and shallow clear turquoise waters, the small inviting island offers views of Ko Muk and Ko Libong. It’s great for swimming, snorkeling, and even kayaking around the island.

This is when I really started to have fun, taking time to relax in a beachside hammock, go for a ride on a rope swim, and pose for the most inappropriate photo of me ever. I think you can see what I mean here – I didn’t realize the hilarity of the photo until much later when I downloaded it to my Macbook. Oops!

Ko Ngai

Next up was Ko Ngai, the most developed of all of the Trang Islands. Technically part of Krabi province, the island is more easily accessed from Trang. Filled with upscale resorts, we stopped to have a seaside lunch at Koh Ngai Resort. The beach was filled with hot dudes (yes!) and children playing in the sand and water. There were also more stunning sea views.

Unbelievably, this is where we had lunch and filled our bellies with tasty Thai food. After all of swimming and snorkeling, this pitstop was a welcome break.

There were so many dishes, it was hard to know what to eat first. Here’s just a small sample of what was on offer.

After lunch, two other girls from my group and I opted to have some massages on the beach. Now, this was a dream come true. A real Thai massage on the beach! I spent 30 minutes getting massaged by an old Thai lady who stretched me, walked and jumped on my back (true story), and made me feel like a brand new woman.

Koh Mah

After lunch, we got back in the speedboat and set off to do some more snorkeling. As I don’t have an underwater camera, I, unfortunately, don’t have any photos. Boo hoo, right? All I can tell you is that snorkeling in the warm, crystal-clear water was stunning and surreal. As you swim, you’re literally surrounded by hundreds of brightly colored fishes darting this way and that.

Our journey continued at Koh Mah, a small lonely item that looks lovely at a distance. However, several hundred bats call the island home and swarm the sides of the limestone cliffs. While my group was fascinated by this sighting, I couldn’t get away soon enough. Ever since one of those screeching creatures entered my apartment one summer night in Berlin, I’ve been sorely afraid of them.

It’s a little hard to see in the picture above, but the cliff face is lined with little bunches of shrieking bats.

Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa

While our tour of Trang Islands had been fun, it was time for some rest and relaxation at Anantara Si Kao Resort & Spa. This luxurious place has since been ordered closed and demolished for violating local conservation rules. You’ll need to find other accommodation in the area, but I’m leaving this here so you imagine your stay in a resort in the Trang Islands.

You know that I’m a writer for a living, who lives on a meager salary, and is just getting by in Berlin right? This type of place would never be within my budget, but when you have a chance to act like a queen for a day, you got to go all out! In desperate need of a shower to get all the salt out of my hair and sand out of my nether regions, I checked into what may be the most beautiful room I’ve ever stayed in. My room overlooked the beach!

Before getting in the shower, I took a dip in the hotel’s infinity pool and sipped on some champagne as the sun began to set.

I then walked around the resort, exploring the expansive area, and taking way too many sunset photos. As you can imagine, I couldn’t help but feel a longing for the romantic company of someone special.

I spent a lot of time walking along the beach and sitting on these swings.

Another one of the hotel’s petite-sized pools.

The hotel lobby!

Good to Know

1) I flew to Trang, directly from Bangkok, on AirAsia. Flights are around 90 minutes and average about €30 return.

2) Find a place to stay in the Trang area.

3) Make your time in Trang more memorable and go on a guided tour.

4) If you get tired of the beach and want to experience some authentic local culture, consider exploring the Trang markets.

5) If you need more travel inspiration, check out some of our most popular content:
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*Disclosure – My market explorations in Trang were complimentary, courtesy of TBEX and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own. This post also contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
June 15, 2023
Experience Bangkok Chinatown Through 30 Photos
The Thai capital is many things all at once. Crowded, beautiful, humid, strange, bustling, colorful, and complex.

As a first-time visitor to Asia (never mind Bangkok), I found myself absolutely fascinated by everything I saw, as it was so very different from any other place I’ve ever traveled. I couldn’t stop staring at my surroundings, wanting to taste the food, talk to people, and learn more about everyday life.

Very much like my home city of Berlin, Bangkok is truly a place where you could wander for days on end and still barely scratch the surface of all there is to experience.

Experience Bangkok Chinatown Through 30 Photos

After exploring the chilled-out and laid-back Thonburi district in Bangkok, our group set off to walk through the chaotic and frenzied Bangkok Chinatown. This very happening one-kilometer strip attracts massive throngs of people each day and is pretty much, always busy. As you walk through the narrow streets and tiny alleyways, you’ll find yourself hard-pressed not to bump into other people. Settled in the 1780s by Chinese merchants (actually predating the founding of the capital), Bangkok Chinatown now retains a large Chinese population who continue to practice their cultural traditions. The area is even said to be shaped like a dragon.

In my opinion, Bangkok Chinatown is best experienced on an empty stomach and a cash-filled wallet! Stuffed with Chinese temples, food stalls, gold merchants, restaurants, wooden shop houses, and streetside beauty ‘salons’ (seriously), Chinatown is a place you can easily spend hours shopping and feasting on all that delicious food.

To give you a better idea of what it’s like to experience this area for yourself, I thought I’d show you versus tell you through these 30 photos of Bangkok Chinatown.

The Big Busy Streets

Bangkok Chinatown’s wide streets are jam-packed with cars, tuk-tuks, motorcycles, and pedestrians. It actually reminded me of Times Square in New York but on a way more intense level. I know that I’d personally never drive through these streets and was even scared at first to walk across them.

The Narrow Alleyways

This is when things started to get more interesting from a “fresh food” perspective. Yes, I am allll about the food, and when in Thailand, how can you not be? There were vendors selling everything you can imagine. I was already hungry and our tour had just begun.

The Markets

As crowded as it can get in the tiny space available, people were still riding their motorcycles through.

The Food Stands

The food in Chinatown is out of this world. From fruits to vegetables, to fish and meat, there isn’t a Thai or Chinese specialty that you can’t find. There are even drinks in bags to go (apparently a thing in Asia in place of takeout cups).

The smells wafting through the air will lead you from one stand to another, and you’ll feel overwhelmed trying to figure out which dish you want to try first. Even if you’re not hungry, it’s fascinating to simply walk through the markets, people-watch, and gaze at all that’s on offer.

These food stalls were by far the highlight of Chinatown for me.

The Streetside Businesses

Yes, you can receive beauty treatments at streetside “salons,” like this man receiving a facial and having some threading done to remove unwanted facial hairs. Also to be found were men, rather cutely, sleeping on the job.

The Chinese Temples

Dotted throughout Bangkok Chinatown are many temples. One of my personal favorite highlights of Chinatown is Wat Traimit, a temple that boasts the largest golden statue in the entire world! Fast facts about this monster-sized Buddha statue – it’s covered in 18-karat gold and is worth about $250 million US. It also weighs 5,500 kilograms and stands 3 meters tall. I liked this quiet area outside of one temple, especially the beverage cart.

The Quiet Back Streets

During the late afternoon, these back streets were serene and beautiful, especially in the late-afternoon light.

Location

Good to Know

1) Chinatown is most easily reached by boat. Check out Bangkok for Visitors for more details.

2) Once there, I’d recommend covering Chinatown on foot as it’s really the only way to get a deep and immersive experience of the area. Better yet, do a self-guided walking tour like the folks over at Y Travel Blog did.

3) Some feel that Chinatown is best experienced at night. Bangkok Chinatown is simply a place that can be enjoyed anytime.

4) As I mentioned above, come on an empty stomach and be ready to fill your belly!

5) In need of a hotel in Bangkok? Check your options on booking.com.

6) Experience these guided tours around Bangkok.

7) For more Bangkok travel inspiration, check out my other posts:
- Thailand Hotels: The Continent Hotel in Bangkok – The Continent Hotel in Bangkok is a boutique hotel with luxurious rooms, an award-winning Italian restaurant, a rooftop infinity pool, and even a rooftop bar with expansive city views.
- Getting to Know the Thonburi District in Bangkok – Slower, softer Bangkok. Visit the Thonburi district in Bangkok with Wat Kamphaeng, an ancient Buddhist temple, and Klong Bang Luang, an artist’s village.
8) Also, consider checking out the weird and offbeat site – this airplane graveyard in Bangkok.
June 7, 2023
Getting to Know the Thonburi District in Bangkok
It was about time. Me and my little blog finally made it over to Asia, when I visited Thailand for the first time.

Plagued with a lingering cold-turned-nasty-sinus-infection and battered by wicked jet lag, I landed in Bangkok late on a Saturday night. As I wearily collapsed into my thankfully air-conditioned taxi, I smiled as I took in the city by night.

Traffic was congested, even at 9:00 p.m. Vehicles clogged up the highways and streets. Motorcycles flew by, swerving in and out of traffic, much to the envy of anyone stuck inside an unmoving vehicle. Tourists stuffed themselves into the backs of small tuk tuks. There were lit-up skyscrapers as far as the eye could see. Crowds filled the sidewalks, sharing the tight space with vendors selling tacky souvenirs and delicious street food. T-shirts and shorts were the norm, as it was so hot and humid.

Bangkok was everything I expected it to be, yet it all felt so surreal. Realizing that I wasn’t at home in Berlin anymore, all I could think was “Holy moly, I’m in Bangkok!”

Absolutely exhausted, I checked into the Plaza Athenee Bangkok, which became my home away from home for the weekend. It’s not very often that I get a five-star treatment, so I took advantage by having a long soak in my room’s oversized bathtub, and then I fell asleep rather quickly in my comfortable king-sized bed that could have easily fit a family of four.

I’d get to know the city the next day on a tour that would bring me to my now favourite area of Bangkok, Thonburi.

Getting To Know the Thonburi District in Bangkok

Thonburi offers up a slower, softer side of Bangkok and lies on the western part of the Chao Phraya River. Known for its web of canals, floating markets, friendly locals, and floral-lined streets, this district is an oasis within the busy city. Notable highlights of the area include Wat Kamphaeng, an ancient and understated Buddhist temple, and Khlong Bang Luang, an artist’s village.

As our van dropped us off in Thonburi, we were greeted with a typical street scene that you’d find anywhere in Thailand. There were vendors selling a vast array of brooms and, of course, food, glorious food. It was hard not to stop and grab a bite of what this lady had to offer! However, we were on our way to our first stop of the tour – Wat Kamphaeng.

Wat Kamphaeng

There are plenty of must-see temples in Bangkok, built for royals, appropriately decked out with grand architecture and filled with large, impressive Buddha statues that recline or are solid gold. Then there are the temples or wats (as the Thai call them) that aren’t mass tourist attractions but simple, intimate, ancient places of worship frequented by locals.

Wat Kamphaeng is one such temple. Located along a canal near the Klhong Bang Luang artist’s village, this quiet wat is reminiscent of a time long past, well before Bangkok became the thriving, fast-paced metropolis it is today. The exact age of the temple is not known, but is thought to have been constructed sometime between 1400–1600, during the Ayutthaya period.

Unfortunately, many of the temple’s mosaics have fallen to disrepair, but ongoing restoration efforts from volunteer artists are helping. The faded beauty of Wat Kamphaeng is charming all the same.

This would be my first Buddhist temple experience. As I slipped off my shoes to enter the temple, it was easy to forget the hustle and bustle of surrounding Bangkok and fall into the serenity embraced by worshippers coming to pay their respects.

My time at Wat Kamphaeng was all too quick, but a moving and even humbling experience that I’ll never forget.

Khlong Bang Luang – the Artist’s Village

Next up, was Khlong Bang Luang, an artist’s village filled with stilted homes, art studios, antique shops, family-run cafes, galleries, and guesthouses. This eclectic and creative community is welcoming to tourists and full of some of the friendliest people I encountered during my stay in Bangkok.

It’s the perfect place to relax and sample some of the local food and drink. It was here that I tried my very first Thai ice tea, a sweet, milky concoction that’s the perfect antidote to the sun and heat. With smiling old ladies and adorable little girls, I pretty much fell in love with this community right away.

As we continued to make our way toward Baan Silapin, the main artist’s house, we glimpsed life along the neighbourhood’s canals. Flowers, Thai flags, longboats, those stilted homes and little shops were all to be seen.

Baan Silapin

The artist’s house in Bangkok is a century old, two story, wooden teak house that was bought and restored by Chumphon Akhpantanond, a Bangkok-based artist and conservationist. Now a cafe, shop, gallery, performance venue and collaboration space for artists, Baan Silapin harmoniously brings together creative types, artists, students, and tourists.

Popular are the Thai shadow puppet shows and displays of traditional Thai dancing. While the puppets scared me, I could have watched these adorable and talented young girls dance for hours on end.

The Thonburi District In Bangkok

What I liked about the Thornburi District was the lack of tourists, friendly locals, and overall relaxing vibe. The next time I return to Bangkok, I’d love to spend a few days in a guesthouse just hanging out in this area.

What do you think about the Thonburi district in Bangkok? Would you visit? Have you been? Drop us a message in the comments below.

Location Of The Thonburi District In Bangkok

Good to Know

1) Bangkok be crazy! It’s a busy, chaotic, fun city that deserves to be enjoyed but sometimes, it’s nice to escape it, even if just for a few hours. The Thonburi district is the perfect place to do so.

2) These Thonburi district highlights are notoriously tough to find. According to Travelfish.org, Wat Kamphaeng and the Khlong Bang Luang artist’s village can be found at Charan Sanitwong Soi 3, Thonburi. View each of the articles to get the specifics.

3) Opening hours for the temple are 08:00–17:00, while opening hours for the artist’s village are 09:00–17:00.

4) You can watch the puppet shows and dancing performances for free, but a donation is strongly encouraged. Don’t be that person – hand over some money so they can invest more in their community. You’ll be helping to support Chumphon’s causes of sustainable tourism and historical preservation.

5) Wi-Fi is available at the artist’s house. But SERIOUSLY, why would you need it when you can just sit back and enjoy your time there?

6) Find a place to stay in Bangkok with booking.com.
Booking.com
7) Make your time in Bangkok even better by doing a guided tour experience.

8) If you like travel and need further inspiration, you’re in the right place. Give some of my popular blog posts a read:
- Art And Rumba Music At Callejón De Hamel In Havana – Experience Afro Cuban culture by browsing art installations and taking in a rumba performance in Callejón de Hamel in Havana, Cuba.
- New York City Street Art On The Lower East Side – Check out this collection of photos highlighting some of the most iconic pieces of New York City street art right now.
- What To Do in Helsinki If You Have Just One Day – What to do in Helsinki in a day? Eat tasty Finnish food, laugh at a peeing boy statue, spend a lot of time in church, & hang out in a stunning library.
And before we sign-off, if you’re a first timer in Thailand like I was on this trip, check out this Thailand backpacking itinerary guide.

*Disclosure – My stay at the Plaza Athenee Bangkok and city tour of Bangkok was complimentary, courtesy of TBEX and Tourism Authority of Thailand. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own. This post also contains some affiliate links. If you book a tour or hotel through any of these links, I’ll earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!
May 15, 2023
Do Canadians Need a Visa to Travel to Turkey?
In today’s complex world, travelling to other countries has become an unfortunate challenge. That’s why it’s more important than ever to research visa requirements for your destination long before you embark on your travels.

Do your homework and get your questions answered before you even consider booking flights, accommodations, tours etc. Will your passport suffice? Do you need a visa? If yes, how much time is needed for processing that visa? Are there costs associated with the visa and if yes, how much? Will your travels to this country impact your ability to travel to other countries in the future? Are you even permitted to enter the country you wish to visit?

Typically government websites, like Visa Services Canada, will offer up all the information you need. When I was invited to Turkey to attend the World Tourism Forum and then visit Edirne in 2017, I used the site to find out whether or not Canadians need a visa to travel to Turkey.

Do Canadians Need a Visa to Travel to Turkey?

I was shocked to discover that yes, Canadians need a visa before they travel to Turkey for either, business or pleasure. If you’re coming for study or work purposes, you’ll need to apply for a separate visa. Canadian travellers can also get a visa on arrival at airports in Turkey, however it’s still highly advised to get your visa before your arrival.

Your tourist visa will be valid for up to 180 days (six months) and will permit you to stay in Turkey for a maximum of three months (90 days). You can even enter and exit the country multiple times during that period. The visa becomes valid on the date you plan to arrive into the country. You don’t need a tourist visa if you’re visiting Turkey on a cruise and you’re in and out of a port on the same day, even if you’re visiting multiple ports. However, if you’re sailing on your own, you’ll still need a tourist visa.

Note – this post is for advice purposes only. As visa regulations frequently change and we may miss something, always check the Canadian government website for the most up to date information.

Throughout my travels, I’ve come to take the power of my Canadian passport for granted. I’ve used it to travel all around North America, Asia, and Europe without any problems. But then I remembered how I’d almost not been able to travel to Rio de Janeiro years ago because I didn’t know about the strict Brazilian tourist visa application process for Canadians.

Because of that experience, I now always research visa requirements ahead of time. And I’m glad that I researched ahead of this trip to Turkey (at that time e-visas were not issued on arrival and even had to be presented before boarding), otherwise my travel plans would have been foiled and that would have been embarrassing, not to mention, unprofessional considering I was traveling there for work.

How Can Canadians Get a Visa for Turkey?

Luckily, the process of obtaining a Turkish visa can be done quickly and easily online through the application and purchase of an electronic “e-visa” via the Republic of Turkey’s Electronic Visa Application System website.

Step 1 – Apply

When you visit the site, click Apply Now to start a new application. Next, specify your country, which travel document you wish to use (I used my passport), and fill out the CAPTCHA. On the following screen, enter your date of arrival and fill out your personal information. Note, you can add multiple people to a single application here.

Tip – be careful to ensure all of your information is accurate before you submit the application. Look for typos or other errors you may have made. If your passport details do not match what you enter on your visa, you could face issues upon entry into Turkey.

Once your application is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Click on the Approve button.

If you don’t respond to the email within one hour, it will be cancelled. Furthermore, if you don’t complete your application within 48 hours, it will also be cancelled. If this happens, you’ll need to restart the application process.

Step 2 – Pay

You can pay by credit card or Union Pay. The fee is currently $60 US. Enter your financial details to proceed.

Step 3 – Download

After you’ve completed payment, you’ll receive another email. Click Download to receive a PDF copy of your e-visa to Turkey. You can also download a payment receipt from the same page.

I’m not sure if simply showing your e-visa from your phone at the airport is sufficient. Even though it seems a bit “old school”, I’d recommend printing off a piece of paper and showing that to customs officials instead. In addition, I’d suggest keeping a copy stored online somewhere in case you lose the paper at some point during your travels.

And that’s it! Within just a few minutes, you’ll have a Turkish e-visa in your hands which you can use to travel to Turkey.

Note – you can also use this service when applying for a Turkish visa.

Good To Know

1) If you’re looking for somewhere to stay when in Turkey, make use of booking.com.
Booking.com
2) Make your time in Turkey even more memorable by taking a guided tour.

3) If you’re a fan of travel, check out some of my other popular blog content:
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- Visit Burano Italy: A Guide About What To Do, Where To Eat, & Where To Sleep – Visit Burano Italy, one of the most colourful places out there. Let this photo filled guide be your inspiration about what to do, where to eat, & where to sleep.
- What To Do in Helsinki If You Have Just One Day – What to do in Helsinki in a day? Eat tasty Finnish food, laugh at a peeing boy statue, spend a lot of time in church, & hang out in a stunning library.
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May 14, 2023