The Aegean coast of Turkey stretches from the North near Istanbul to the Marmaris peninsula. The region has a variety of holiday resorts, beaches, things to do and places to go. One of the highlights is the ancient ruins of Ephesus which at the height of it's existence was the second largest city of Rome.
Camel wrestling is a favourite past time and tradition while the gorgeous, sandy beaches of Izmir, Bodrum, Kusadasi and the Datca peninsula will suit those who are looking for beach holidays.Browse through the articles below to find out more or join us on Facebook.
Yesterday morning I set off from home and planned to return with hundreds of pictures of camel wrestling. This is a tradition in this area of Turkey and I was eager to find out what all the hype was about. However all good plans had to be abandoned when the heavens opened and the camel wrestling was called off. About Doganbey Having traveled two hours to reach it, I was determined not to … [Read more...]
The Temple Of Apollo in Didyma, Turkey is a major landmark for the surrounding touristic resorts of Altinkum and Didim. It is on the Aegean coast and receives thousands of travelers and tourists every year. In historic times the area was referred to as Didyma and even today signs of Greek history are everywhere. This is not the only Temple of Apollo. There are four temples dedicated to Apollo … [Read more...]
Altinkum is a small and clicky holiday resort on the Aegean coast of Turkey. It has attracted much negative press because of expats who have been swindled out of life savings by unqualified property dealers who saw quick cash to be made during a property boom. Also a famous American writer visited Altinkum last year and declared that she will never come back because it was not traditional … [Read more...]
I have been meaning to write this post about Kusadasi for quite a while but other ideas have popped into my mind and it was pushed on a back burner. You see, Kusadasi is a place in Turkey that I neither love nor hate. It does not excite me but it does not disappoint me either. I have spent many years both living in the resort and also traveling to it from my home resort of Altinkum. Now I … [Read more...]
Having spent a while in the resort of Altinkum, I thought it was time, I made a list of what I think are the best restaurants. I have come to my conclusion based on the ambiance, the staff but most of the quality of the food. I know it is boring when you try a restaurant and their food can be described as ok, but nothing more than that. These restaurants I think, offer food that leaves you with a … [Read more...]
I stumbled upon the Kaptan Han Hotel completely by accident. I was out and about in the small coastal resort of Kazikli on the Aegean Coast and was looking for a floating fish restaurant that I had read about. The Kaptan Han Hotel and Restaurant was what we found instead. Driving down the dusty driveway of this establishment does not give anything away. In fact it concealed the secrets that I … [Read more...]
Today's post is by Simon Bowers who owns a holiday apartment on the West coast of Turkey. I’ve been holidaying in Turkey with my wife for almost four years. We own a small apartment in a town called Altinkum, Didim, which is about an hour’s drive North of Bodrum airport. Every year that we visit, I fall more in love with Turkey. The people, lifestyle, culture and traditions all fuse to … [Read more...]
Here is the thing about horseracing and me. There is no great passion on my behalf. I do not bet, follow jockeys, go to the tracks and I have never ridden a horse either. However, I like to keep an open mind in Turkey and experience everything at least once. Therefore, when a group trip was arranged to visit the Izmir horse track, I decided to tag along with a group of friends. Before I … [Read more...]
Clear and blue skies make for pretty holiday pictures but personally I get more excited when the sun sets and rises and also when there is a storm brewing. Storms are powerful and energetic. The skies open, dark clouds gather and a subtle blend of colors streak across the horizon. My Storm Photo The reason I love storms is because they form the perfect photo opportunity. The doom and gloom … [Read more...]
Altinkum boat trips are the perfect way to change the mundane routine that has become my life. Routines are boring, pathetic and have no business trying to force their way into my day-to-day existence. However, unfortunately in the past months, an urge to save money for traveling had me chained to my computer in a boring repetitive action that has more or less destroyed any enthusiasm I had. So … [Read more...]
I recently got the opportunity to have a full guided tour of a 5 star luxury resort and spa. Now, considering how nosy I am, it did not take me two seconds to scream “yes, I am coming”. I am talking about the Venosa Beach Resort and Spa that opened it's doors in May of this year, in the area called Yesilkent on the Aegean Coast of Turkey. Trip Advisor would indicate that once Venosa … [Read more...]
Zoo animals are a great way to get behind the lens of a camera and practice your photography skills while traveling. In my last article, I discussed my reason for visiting Izmir Zoo and Wildlife Park and that was to answer if animals should be kept in zoos? However I did not realize until I arrived at my chosen destination, that the zoo animals and landscapes made it the perfect place to … [Read more...]
I recently spent a lot of time thinking about the question of “should animals be kept in Zoos?” I was prompted to ponder this topical debate subject after discussing Izmir zoo with a few friends. These friends stated strongly that they would not accompany me on the two hour journey to Izmir, because they viewed zoos as cruel establishments that had no place on the face of the earth. However … [Read more...]
Miletus is just one of many ancient ruin sites that I have been exploring lately on the Aegean Coast of Turkey. I can say that after viewing the magnificent ruins of Ephesus, all the other ancient-ruin sites have paled in comparison however I was impressed by Miletus. It has an aura around it that leaves you feeling it is hiding so many secrets from the past. About the Miletus Ruins in … [Read more...]
Last year I wrote an article on Bafa Lake and I was not intending to do any follow up. However I recently found myself back in the area on a number of different days because I realized that if you want to practice your photography skills, it is a great area to do so. I don’t profess to be a professional photographer and Bafa Lake is just the destination for people like me who are classed as … [Read more...]
It has now become a weekly tradition that every Sunday morning, we eat out for breakfast. Our destination this week was Didim Marina Yacht Club for a posh Turkish breakfast. What is the different between a posh Turkish breakfast and a normal Turkish breakfast, I hear you ask? Hmm, mainly the price tag. The average cost of a Turkish breakfast is 8 lira (roughly 5USD or 4 GBP). This breakfast was … [Read more...]
I spend a lot of my time eating out for a number of reasons. The first reason is that I always think food tastes better when someone else has cooked it. The second is that I cannot cook and the third reason is that I won’t cook out of pure laziness. Hey, this is my life and I totally admit that I am not a master chef in the kitchen. I am always on the lookout for new places to eat and when the … [Read more...]
I have found my new haven and it is a beach in Bozbuk. This beach is going to be my place to get away from it all. My place to relax, unwind and calm down when daily life gets too much. Bozbuk beach is a place that has gone straight to my heart. The strange aspect is that the beach is just part of a small village which is not really attractive at all. Bozbuk as a village consists of a holiday … [Read more...]
I looked left and then I looked right. There was not a soul to be seen in the small village of Yesiltepe. I had been to this area many times before but it had always been a fleeting visit and I was eager to find out why a lot of ex-pats were attracted to buying property here. It was a not a place that instantly captivated me but I had decided to return to Yesiltepe to give it one more chance … [Read more...]
I always love checking out hotels and giving them my own personal marks on cleanliness, staff attitude, food and general ambience. I don’t have that much of a following to affect people’s decisions on where they stay but my main reason for being a self-declared hotel critic is really just because I am so darn nosy. One hotel that I would love to check out is the Caprice Hotel in Akbuk. My … [Read more...]
