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 could write a post just like the travel brochures, however I feel that I would be greatly misleading my readers.
Travel Brochure Description of Kusadasi
On the country’s west coast, south of Izmir, Kusadasi is one of the most popular choices for holidays to Turkey. In fact, it is reputed as one of the most attractive cities of the Aegean. With a classic story of a fishing village turning into an attractive resort, Kusadasi is packed with sun, sea and fantastic weather.
My Travel Description
The only man to ever call Kusadasi attractive was a blind man. Going into the resort, it is impossible to miss the five tall buildings on the hills that have stood like looming ugly giants for the last decade. They are half built and first time visitors to the resort could well assume them to be the local ghetto.
The reaction these parts provoke from me is that I would really love to be commissioned for a series of “let’s knock your house down and rebuild it”. While it is not the most unattractive resort in Turkey, that I have ever visited, I would not give it the crown as being the most attractive either.
Shopping in Kusadasi
Shopping is an uncomfortable experience and anyone would understand if a person blew their top after being hassled for the fifth time to buy a leather jacket in the heat of the summer. If it is not leather jackets, then jewellery is shoved in your face. God help you if you decide to go shopping when the cruise ships dock in as the hassle is increased tenfold as everyone battles for the rich holiday makers docking in for the day.
Nightlife in Kusadasi
The great thing about Kusadasi nightlife is that it has two faces. There is the cosmopolitan nightlife which is all about cafes, fine dining and good conversation but head to bar street and you will find that it resembles a row of bars from your local neighborhood back home. The Turkish personal of these bars wear football shirts and speak with a broad European accent that confirms they spent the winter watching western soaps in an effort to woo a pretty, sunburnt holiday maker.
Next year they will have been branded as a love rat of Turkey for breaking so many hearts. October is granny month and this is when the older women desperate for some male attention will hit bar street in attempt for a young, viral man to make them feel like they are eighteen again.
Hotels in Kusadasi
Now this is where I do pay homage and get down on bended knees to pay respect. Kusadasi has done many things wrong but their selection of hotels is excellent. There are still old B&B’s that should be condemned by the local council but they suit the traveler who is just looking for a place to rest their head at night.
There is also a selection of top notch luxury hotels that know how to give service and could be called the best in Turkey. I stayed in the Korumar hotel on my wedding night and while it cost my hubby a lot of money, I had a fantastic time and was well impressed.
Things to do in Kusadasi
One of the better aspects about holidaying in Kusadasi is that there are a wide range of things to do close by. If the hassle of the shops annoys you and running around after young Turkish men is not appealing then head out of the resort to the nearby sites of Ephesus, the Virgin Mary’s house, Davutlar and Dilek national park.
If you want to lose the kids permanently, then just shove them in any of the two water parks and turn your back. The traffic going through these popular places will ensure that you never see your off-spring again. To get round and about, I would say hire a car for the day but the makeup of the traffic system was done by a drunken man and would confuse even the most confident of drivers. Instead get the bus or buy local excursions.
