Bailey's
Tours Turkish Road Trip ;Twenty Turkish Delights.
This one week
adventure was something Viv and I had always wanted to do, as we've had a
holiday home in Turkey since 2006 and never really explored the country. Our
two good friends Gerry and Elayne who come to join us on holiday in Didim every
year were keen to join us so I planned an energetic itinerary covering many of
the famous sights over seven days, staying in 6 hotel.
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| Dalyan- Something we were all looking forward to seeing . |
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| The car I hired - Chevrolet Aveo (It had a big boot )
Before The ' Birds' arrived I 'd booked the hotels
and a hire car - taking my time to ensure we got best value and hopefully
service . Also we'd planned a few days on our complex before and after the road
trip, just to ensure that our holiday together wasn't too hectic as we'd
planned roughly three to four hours driving each day.
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| Road map of Turkey.(We roughly planned to travel eastwards along the coast to Antalya,then north east to Konya ,on to Nevishir in Cappadocia returning back westwards through Pammukule to Didim), |
I produced this Bailey's Tours itinerary for the ' Birds' before they arrived :
Dear Mr and Mrs Bird,
Not long now
before you embrace a full blooded Bailey's Tours bespoke holiday package
, especially designed and created with you two in mind -' TWENTY Turkish
Delights '
Below is the
itinerary you will be following during your two week stay in Turkey, including
before and after the road trip you will experience from the 11th to the 18th of
August Obviously the timings may vary slightly, depending on circumstances and
local conditions, however rest assured Baileys Tours will do their utmost to
ensure you have a relaxing, cultural, historical and enjoyable experience.
Thursday 8th August : Day 1-
Depart from Leeds, flight to Bodrum, transfer to Didim to arrive at
Prestige complex at around 11.30 pm .On arrival complimentary drinks
with your hosts: Baileys Tours .
Day 2- am. TTT (Total Turkish Tennis) for those
interested before breakfast, to be eaten at the pool bar as brunch, where the
finer detail of the itinerary can be discussed.
Pm. Free time until
6.25 where we will picked up and transferred to the sea front to join the evening
cruise on the Sunshine boat. (This is an optional activity, but highly
recommended. The cost is £12 per head for a lovely meal, live music and
entertainment)
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| Boat trip |
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| Planning meeting - But where's our drinks ?
Day 3- am - TTT, followed by breakfast,
then a Prestige Turkish Bath (optional activity, but at £ 10 per head an
excellent start to the holiday)
pm - Free Time
,until we all meet for G& T's on the sun terrace at 7.30
pm followed by an evening meal , venue to be discussed and decided during
the day .
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Day 4-am - Road Trip commences .Depart at 8.00 am after breakfast for the scenic route from Didim to Dalyan through Mugla province. (218 km -4 hours) Arrive in the centre of Dalyan to the 3 Star Hotel Konak Melsa
This was the perfect
stopping off post for us after our three hour car journey from Didim and was a
relaxing start to our trip. The owners of the hotel really looked after us and
the open air courtyard were just the type of low budget, good value bed for the
night that were hoping for .We walked into Dalyan to see the famous caves
,river boats and take in this quiet ,pretty tourist attraction.
Hotel Konak Melsa is
located in Dalyan, close to Kaunos and Iztuzu Beach. Additional area points of
interest include Sultaniye Hot Springs. Hotel Konak Melsa's restaurant serves
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A bar/lounge is open for drinks. Room service is
available during limited hours. A complimentary buffet breakfast is served each
morning. Recreational amenities include an outdoor pool and a children's pool.
Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in public areas. For a
surcharge, the property offers a roundtrip airport shuttle (available on
request). Guest parking is complimentary. Additional property amenities include
barbecue grills, currency exchange, and a garden.
Pm - Relax by the
pool and plan how best to see the three main local attractions, take in an
evening stroll followed by a meal in a local restaurant. After the meal we
decided to see the famous Iztizu turtle beach on our way out to Antalya.
The road to the turtle beach was very scenic and took about fifteen minutes from Dalyan by car. It was well worth it and after looking along it, we quickly decided a visit to the Turtle sanctuary was called for .Here we saw sea turtles in all sizes, being cared for by team of university volunteers.
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Turtle
Turtle
Day 5 - am - depart after breakfast at
9.00am for Antalya , via Oludeniz (. 240 km - 5 hours) This scenic route
after an hour and half drive will firstly take us to Oludeniz which literally
means Dead Sea . After a coffee and photo break continue on to Antalya -
Turkeys fastest growing city , but famous for its history, culture and
Mediterranean coastline .
As we headed for Antalya after the turtle
beach, we decided to have a coffee break by the waterfront at Fethiye. We had
intended to stop at Oludenz, but it was another half an hour away in the
opposite direction to Antalya so we decided it would have to wait for another
trip to the area. As it was we were all impressed with what Fethiye had to
offer. A beautiful bay, with a lovely new waterfront, promenade development
too.
Pm - arrive at 4 star Alp Pasa Hotel .( Free time )
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| Antalya Harbour |
The hotel is situated
in Antalya's historic quarter, Alp Paşa is a charming hotel in Antalya
decorated with all the historical and mystical features of Old City of Antalya
"Kaleiçi". The hotel is a mansion designed in the Ottoman-style from
the middle 18th and early 19th century and this charming hotel in Antalya is
only half a mile from Antalya City Museum, one mile from Konyaalti Beach and is
a 5-minute walk from Mermerli Beach. Alp Pasa hotel in Kaleici is 100 mt from
the Broken Minaret and Hadrian's Gate. Alp Paşa Hotel also offers 24-hour front
desk service and free on-site private parking, swimming pool, restaurants and a
roof top terrace.
During the afternoon, after relaxing we will decide
on the sights we want to see and later explore them, taking in an evening meal
and the atmosphere of the old town along the way
The hotel appeared
to have everything, but the staff on reception were not very helpful compared
to other Turkish establishments we have had dealings with .Even so we supported
it, booked an evening meal and later explored all the lovely historical
buildings and bar areas.
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| Hadrian's Gate .(one of the many historical, ancient buildings in Antalya.)
Day 6- Depart after a coffee at 7.30 pm to eventually
go inland to Konya ( 305km - 5hours ) we will stop for breakfast in Side after
45 minutes to take in the historical sights and enjoy our last look of the
Aegean until we return to Didim on Sunday .
This was a fantastic journey to take by car and
after spending a couple of hours in EUROLAND ( Side) beforehand
Side was very ,very busy with tourists from everywhere in Europe ,apart it
seemed the UK, but the ruins of Side were impressive . However we all
loved the variety of scenery we were already taking in .The road to Konya
went through high upland at around 3500'. We saw just about every type of fruit
being sold by the roadside, plus honey by the jar full too. This country is is
varied and at times dramatic, where we could easily have thought we were in
south west France in the Pyrenees. We saw loads of marble quarries too, showing
the other richness of the landscape - a very wealthy country indeed overall.
As we dropped down to the plain where the one and a
half million people of Konya lived, we were all impressed with the cultural
differences and found ourselves stuck in chaotic traffic in the middle of
a Turkish tea time traffic jam. We were now evidencing the real inland Turkey
i.e. there were hardly any westerners.....
Our hotel was very close to the Whirling Dervish
museum. Unfortunately the Dervishes only perform every Saturday, so we would
miss their world famous dance display:
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| Whirling Dervish |
Pm - Free time on arrival after travelling through beautiful Anatolia, arrive at the
4star Hilton Garden Inn in the centre of Konya. (Konya is world famous for its
Whirling Dervish Museum, plus other historical and cultural attractions, but if
none of that appeals then this hotel will allow you to unwind, Hilton style!
The Hilton Garden
Inn provides everything to ensure your Baileys Tours holiday is a success:
Adjust your bed to your liking with the innovative Garden Sleep System™. Stay
connected from the comfort of your room with complimentary Wi-Fi or just start
the day right with a cooked-to-order breakfast at Sumac Grill®. Enjoy regional
specialties on tempting evening menus, and relax with cocktails or catch the
Leeds game from the elegant sofas of the bar .Work out to your own
schedule with 24-hour access to the cardio equipment and weights of the hotel
fitness centre .Enjoy breakout Turkish coffees and evening long drinks in the
stunning lobby of this Konya hotel . Hilton Garden Inn Konya is yards from the
world famous Mevlana Culture Centre – host to whirling dervish displays
weekly.
- After breakfast,
depart at 9.30am for Urgup. (280 km - 4 hours) this journey will take
us through a panoramic landscape of southern Cappadocia, with several stops on
the way for sightseeing and refreshments and lunch too.
Pm - Arrival in Urgup -
Free Time .5 star Dedeman Cappadocia Hotel .Overlooking the unique view of the
ancient rock formations of the Cappadocia region, Dedeman Cappadocia is located
in the heart of Cappadocia with fairy chimneys and mysterious underground
cities. Virtually all major Cappadocia attractions are within a few minutes
away by car. Evening meal in the hotel, where we will confirm the plan for the
next 2 days where we can discover the fairy chimneys and rock foundations
formed as a result of lava eroded by river water and wind millions of years ago
or they can experience amateur archaeology or they can just relax by the pool
under the warm Turkish sun.
Our hotel was a five star, but we found it just adequate. We had paid for half board, thinking it would be easier however it was tedious as we felt our wings had been clipped as we had to eat at set times something none of us really liked to do whilst on a touring holiday-It did have a nice large pool and tennis court.
Day 8- after taking in the
area we were all lost for words - it was surreal and outstanding. We saw
features and landscapes we had only ever seen before on Star War movies! Homes
were built into the rocks just about everywhere -
Day 9. - Possible early
morning balloon ride,
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We were in one of the 100 Balloons........ yet it was so peaceful.    |
WOW THIS WAS AMAZING!!!!!
Returning to Hotel
for breakfast before setting off for Egirdir Lake area (This did not happen as
all the hotels in Egirdir were booked so we decided to stop at Beyeshir).
This was the sunset we saw over Lake Beyeshir - it was stunning, especially from the hotel’s rooftop terrace. We were so pleased there was no availability in Egirdir's hotels as Beyeshir was a beautiful lake. (50KM long and 20KM wide, being the third biggest lake in Turkey.
We went for a walk after dinner and the bridge over the river running out of the lake was a highlight at night .
Day 10-pm. Free time-on
arrival in Pammukule after 3-4 hours of travelling (Depending on final route )
Kervansaray is a 3 star hotel .This family-run hotel in Pammukale is a
short walk to the white travertine terraces and the ancient Roman ruins of
Heliopolis. Its outdoor pool is surrounded by green vegetation and is very central.
We unpacked and headed up the calcium travertine’s
.Gerry and I found walking on the calcium very difficult in our bare feet
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(Nobody is allowed to wear any sort of footwear , in order to stop the calcium being worn away .) on our way to the top , we also experienced our first ever rain in August in Turkey , when suddenly the heavens opened up.
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| Gerry being very careful walking without any shoes on occh! |
(Nobody is allowed to wear any sort of footwear , in order to stop the calcium being worn away .) on our way to the top , we also experienced our first ever rain in August in Turkey , when suddenly the heavens opened up.
Evening - a local meal in the town at one of the
many 'rural' Turkish eating establishments.
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| Me and Viv enjoying the warm water |
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Pammukule Ampitheatre    |
Enjoying the calcium from the springs at Pammukule, apparantley it makes you look 10 years younger!
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| Pammukule |
Day 11- Sightseeing, then return to Didim (5 hours) after stopping off on the way back at Soke (For Retail Outlet Therapy)
It all went superbly to plan and we all returned
safely after having a wonderful time, seeing a lot of the famous cultural sites
of Turkey, plus touristic beach and coast locations too. The verdict was
basically from all four of us was that it was a great success. If you like
driving , then this is a great route to take .The roads were good and
improvements were being made all the time as you could see a lot of government
money being spent.
Costs (per
couple) In GB Pounds
Accommodation; 8 nights; 220
Car hire; 80
Fuel; 130
Entrance fees to Museums etc.; 20
Balloon ride 220
Spending money 200
Total for
8 nights in hotels, transport, living costs and enjoying ourselves; 870 GB pounds.
In our opinion very good value considering
everything we did ...in such a short time.
Next year our Turkish road trip may well take us
north to Troy, Gallipoli and Istanbul - for starters!
Bailey's Tours It's not the destination it's the journey!
For more information email Steve Bailey 2747@hotmail.com
