A Spring Break in Turkey
by Angela Scott on 31/07/09 at 11:06 am
At the beginning of May, we went on a week’s holiday in Turkey, we stayed in Dalyan. We particularly chose Turkey this year, because, due to the bad exchange rate of the Euro, we thought we would get better value for money in a non-Euro destination.
Turkey welcomed us with torrential rain for the first 24 hours, but then the sun came out and stayed for the rest of the week. But we wanted to go early in the season to avoid the scorching temperatures that can occur in the July and August.
Dalyan is a lovely resort on a river delta, only 30 minutes transfer from Dalaman Airport. For a small resort, there was plenty to see and do. Iztuzu Beach is located, past the Lycian Tombs, at the end of the river and is famous for the loggerhead turtles that nest there during the summer months. Iztuzu Beach is a seven kilometres sandbar, which can be reached by dolmus, that takes 20 minutes, or, which I would recommend, a 40 minute boat trip down the river through the reed beds. It was among these reed beds that “The African Queen” starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn was filmed. The tour operators will offer this as an excursion, but several hotels offer a complimentary boat trip two or three times a week, subject to numbers.
We did book one excursion, which made a very enjoyable and romantic evening. Late afternoon we were collected from our hotel to the town centre, to take a boat across the river to Kaunos, a Roman town with an amphitheatre. There is a 20 minute walk from the dock to the ruined city. The tour guide was very informative, making the visit to Kaunos very interesting. The amphitheatre could seat 5000 people, so they estimate that Kaunos would have had around 50,000 inhabitants. Watch out though for the snakes, goats and donkeys roaming among the ruins! Then it was back to the boat for the journey up the river, with a quick toilet stop back in Dalyan, passing the Sultaniye thermal springs and mud baths (just smell the sulphur!) up to the lake. It is here that our meal of salads and barbecued chicken and lamb is cooked and served. After the dinner, it is time to turn off the lights and to gaze into the night sky to see the stars. We obviously had timed it right, as the stars were accompanied by a full and orange coloured moon.
The Keskin Hotel was located on the outskirts of Dalyan and took about 20 minutes to stroll along the river to the town centre. The hotel is 3* and based on bed & breakfast. Half board can be pre-purchased through the tour operators, but you can pay for the meals locally at a cost of 15 Turkish Lira per person. The meals are buffet style and the food is simple but good. It suited us to have the option to eat at the hotel or to walk into town and try out some of the many local restaurants, which offer more choice. Please note than none of the hotels like you to take your own food and drink into the room.
As it was the first week of the season, only part of the hotel had been opened, so just the one pool was available. This was not a problem as the hotel was not too busy. However, the staff were preparing to open the remaining blocks of accommodation and pools the following week. This hotel would be a good choice for families as they do have inter-connecting rooms.
Every Saturday there is a market in the town, where you will find an abundance of Turkish Delight, fake designer T-shirts and jewellery to haggle for. Don’t be surprised if you are offered a cup of apple tea, while you make your decisions – it is free to you, but makes the stall look busy and will attract more business! There is also a bigger market at Fethiye.
A holiday in Turkey is ideal for anyone looking to get away from it all and to relax. Dalyan would suit anyone looking for a smaller, quieter resort where you can relax in the sun, take in the beautiful scenery of the surrounding pine covered hills, the river and the lake with historic sights and nature reserves on the doorstep.
Images courtesy of Nick J Adams & Valentinetull
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