Here's part 3 of our interview with former Washington Post foreign correspondent Joanne Omang on her girlfriends trip to Turkey.
Q: How can girlfriends going together create a stellar trip in Turkey (eg, without guys)?
A: Plan to indulge the girl-group whims that would make a man roll his eyes, like shopping.
- Make a day-long expedition out of finding the perfect set of tea glasses or painted ceramic plates or a hallway rug.
- Walk and window shop for hours, look at a hundred carpets between
museums and bargain hard for the perfect one (but smile and accept a glass of the ubiquitous sugary tea while you do it -- that’s part of the sport of shopping here). It’s a great way to see the local life en route. - Then allow yourselves the down-time your guys might not: spend two hours gossiping over Turkish coffee after lunch at a waterside café. Visit the Turkish bath (hamam) every day. Have a different kind of kebab at every meal – shish, doner, fish, vegetable, chicken, lamb, burger, with yogurt, with tomato sauce, with onions, with pita…you get the idea. And don’t stint on the baklava – you’ll walk it off.
Q: Special tips about what to pack and wear?
A: Two pairs of walking shoes are a must so you can alternate 
between them. Many streets are cobblestones so save the heels and tottery platforms for cab-ride evenings. Make sure to maximize your camera memory –Turkey is one wow-shot after another.
Let your credit card company know you’re going to Turkey so they won’t think someone stole your card and deny approval for the cost of that fabulous tribal necklace.
Q: What about eating?
A: Turkey has expansive culinary riches. Eat eggplant dishes whenever you see them on the menu—all delicious and the specialty of the 
region, with meat and without. Stick to the bottled water, but the tea and coffee are always safe and the salads are trustworthy. For raucous local color, try the Pandeli restaurant up in the walls of the Egyptian (Misir) Market.
Our best and most memorable meal was at Asitane, a sophisticated white-tablecloth restaurant in the Kariye Hotel, out by the city walls and near the spectacular Kariye Museum and its priceless Christian-era mosaics. The restaurant serves classic Turkish dishes including items from a sultan’s imperial menu of 1539.
