Russian Travel Blogger Shares Tips for Saving Money in Turkey

Russian travel blogger Alexandra Konovalova has shared advice on how to cut costs during a trip to Turkey, writing in her personal blog on the Zen platform.

Her first tip is to buy Turkish sweets at local supermarkets such as BIM, A-101, Migros and Sok. She said shoppers can find halva, pishmaniye, Turkish coffee, pomegranate sauce and other Turkish products there at prices far lower than in souvenir shops near hotels. Cosmetics, she added, are best bought at large chains such as Migros.

For reliable connectivity, Konovalova recommends choosing an eSIM. She said subscribers thank her for this tip every day because it genuinely saves a lot of money. She also advised against booking excursions through a tour operator, suggesting Russian guide-search services instead. In her words, tourists can see the same sights, get a Russian-speaking guide and a good route, but pay half as much.

The blogger also urged travelers not to be afraid of trying new things, saying her followers have come to enjoy baked pumpkin with tahini and nuts, Turkish meze pastes, delicate acma, various kinds of olives, Turkish Tulum cheese and musmula, among other foods. She additionally recommended considering four-star all-inclusive hotels, saying they often turn out to be better than five-star ones.

Earlier, the same blogger described dishes at Turkish hotels as looking bad but worth trying, with Turkish meze pastes topping her list.