Tales of Tails & Travels

Turkey

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Toni Skinner

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As I write this I have my two hooligans asleep either side of me and we’re being rocked back and forth as the wind howls through the rigging of the boats in the marina. We have finally made it back up to Skinny as the weather has changed to gale force winds and horizontal rain. It is also winter solstice. We really do pick our time! I will do a post on us installing a diesel heater when it hopefully goes in next month. For now lets look back at long summer days where the rain still goes sideways in Scotland, but we got away to Turkey for just under 2 weeks.

A scenery shot that has a lake in the centre surrounded by green hills/ mountains, the sky is blue with a few clouds. The whole picture is grainy with an old style feel to it.
Roadside views on the drive to iztuzu plaji

With Jake’s parents having a villa in Turkey we were able to have a cheap getaway to Dalaman. We also persuaded my bestie and cousin rolled into one, Joely, and her partner in crime James to join us for a week.

We headed out a couple of days before and did the important jobs like lounging by the pool and bathing in hot springs, before picking up our friends from the airport. One of the hot springs we checked out was Dalaman Hot Spring free entry, good food for next to nothing and it was practically empty. We also went to the one pictured bellow which really was as blue as it looks in the pictures.

Blue waters can be seen with a rock formation coming from the water to the left with a small waterfall. In the midst of the rocks a man is seen covered in mud.
Spot Jake
A haphazard wooden plank crosses a blue lake.
Yes this was a precarious as it looks
A woman is swimming in blue waters, behind there is a rocky edge to the lake.
We found a terrapin in here too!
Fevziye Sulphur Springs

After collecting Joely and James from the airport the first thing was exchanging some money. We always make sure to bring GBP with us to exchange in Turkey versus sorting in the UK. Every jeweller can exchange money for you and if you head to the less touristy spots then the rates are the best, as we were staying in Dalaman we went into town there. Afterwards we spent time chilling in the pool and making plans for the week.

A woman in a red bikini jumps into a swimming pool.
A man leans on the pool edge with his hands shading his eyes.
A woman with blond hair and wearing a red bikini leans on an inflatable in a pool.

We spent a day in Dalyan, making sure to check out the Caunos Tombs of Kings and some of the jewellery stores including one where I had my Tahitian pearls I bought on my honeymoon made into earrings. Dalyan is a touristy spot, but still has the attraction of having history and river views when you go for a walk off the main high street. There are also a host of options for food, from your typical English tourist selection- think Chinese, pizzas and burgers, but there are also some really good bakeries with some divine baklava and rich syrup cakes and the option for some more typically Turkish food too.

A woman with short blond hair looks out across of body of water. In the background tomb fronts can be seen cut into a rock face and boats across the water.
Joely looking out towards the Caunos Tombs, Dalyan

Our next stop was Iztuzu Beach, which alongside being stunning is also the home for a Turtle Sanctuary. The charity does work to protect nesting spots and has a rehab centre where they fix up turtles that have been injured. We walked around the rehab centre and then moved onto the beach for a stroll, where I made sure to take plenty of pictures… on three different cameras- my DSLR and two different film cameras.

A sign with a turtle on it can be seen with a light sandy beach behind it.
This sign was indicating a nesting spot.
A turtle is seen in a tank with a wound to its shell.
This guy had been injured by a propeller and sustained a hole in their shell.
A woman with blond hair wearing a green tank top and black shorts stands on a beach, arms outstretched. Small waves come onto the sandy beach. In the distance grassy mountain ranges can be seen.
Forced Joely to pose for me on the beach, in return I promised to buy her chips at the cafe.
Two men walk away from the camera along a sandy beach.
Jake and James nailing the casual stroll vibe.
A man and a woman walk towards the camera along a beach.
Another picture taken by me which is peak casual, with the ultimate 90s grainy film.
The foam of a wave can be seen in the foreground of the picture with a woman out of focus in the distance.
Enjoying the beauty of film photography and beach walks.
A group of 2 men and 2 women pose on the beach. One lays on the ground as 2 others put their feet on them and the last does a lunge. They're on a sandy beach.
Everyone, casual group photo.
A group of 2 men and 2 women position themselves so they spell out LOVE on a sandy beach.
Don’t be too posed.
2 men and 2 women stand together on a beach.
That’s more it.
A blond woman and a brunette stand on a beach looking back towards the camera. The brunette has two cameras and is giving the thumbs up. The image has an old school film grain look to it.
Only got the two cameras on me here.

Continuing the theme of thermal baths and beaches we head on a little drive from Dalaman taking in some beautiful scenery and head towards a thermal spa on the other side of Dalyan. Sultaniye Kaplıcaları, is set up with boat trips from Dalyan, but if you drive there yourself the entry is roughly £2 and the roads, despite being somewhat precarious at times, offer some stunning views. Joely and James offered mixed reviews on the mud and sulphur rich water, with James choosing not to get in and Joely drawing a line at me offering to throw mud at her.

A pink flowering plant is in focus in the foreground as a sprawling green mountain range with a lake can be seen in the background.
Some of the views whilst driving across to the thermal spa.
A man stands between two women in a pool.
A man and woman stand giving thumb up whilst covered in mud.
Two women give thumbs up whilst giving each other a hug in a pool, a man swims across in the background.
Enjoying the warm waters of the thermal spa.

A little further along the coast is Fethiye. A hub with a long beach, the main area to check out is the old town which is towards the east end. We head over here on a couple of occasions. There are cute markets with the iconic mulit colour umbrella walkway. Then close to the old town is the harbour where more boats than you can imagine offer an islands and bay tour pretty much every day. Our first day trip here was spent wandering around and looking out for a boat tour. After walking past the massive pirates of the Caribbean boats, the party boats and ones that could take 100+ we came across a sign that promised no loud music. It was a winner.

Image shows a ceiling covered with multi colour umbrellas hanging from the ceiling.
Fethiye Old Town
A street with a large floral arch in front is seen.
A boat with a small turkish flag sits on a body of water, the water sparkles in stars in the foreground.
A close up a pink floral arch.
A turkish flag flies in the wind. The beach with deck chairs and umbrellas can be seen behind.
Fethiye sea front towards the west end.

The day of the boat tour came with Turkey Boat Tours and we had the BEST day. The sun was shining, the water was calm and the lunch was delicious. We had a small group of 8 on the boat, with a couple of their regulars then a few other couples which were all a friendly bunch, the whole day had a relaxed atmosphere. We stopped in a couple of bays where we went for a swim, being May the water was still pretty cold but it was lovely and refreshing after the sun.

A blond woman is in water looking under the surface.
Oh look I can see my feet
A man and two women are swimming in water.
A blond woman in a red bikini is upright in the water looking back at the camera.
Joely walking in water
A brunette woman is swimming behind and almost on top of a man
Attempting to drown Jake
A man and a brunette woman are swimming. The woman is arms up out the water to each side.
Crab pose or tada
A brunette woman and man are swimming in water, the woman is partially on top of the man.
Stealing Jake’s body heat
A still expanse of water with a sail boat can be seen in the distance, the film gives a cool tone to the image.
The views out across the bay, the film gives a cool vibe but trust me when I say it was a beautiful sunny day.
A brunette woman sits at the front of a boat, head back and laughing.
Cute no neck laugh.
A man lays on a wooden walkway with his arms behind his head sunbathing.
A woman sits at the front of a boat one arm outstretched.

Moving away from the beach we head for some inland spots. One of these was a rather tasty lunch over a waterfall, where we made sure to get some peak touristy photos on the swing. The restaurant had tables in the water and also over water booths with cushions on the floor and a low table. We had one of the over-water booths which resulted in us all awkwardly trying to work out where our legs should go, but we made it work and ate way too much good food.

A blond woman is pictured on a swing from the side profile, she is a a long away above th river bed beneath her.
Jake pushed Joely on the swing.
A brunette woman is pictured swinging away but leaning back to look at the camera.
A man is pictured from the side swinging over a river.
A blond woman is pictured swinging towards the camera over a river bed, there is a small waterfall behind her. She has a large open mouth grin.
Wahey
A brunette woman in a dress swings away from the camera and looks back over her right shoulder. There is a river bed below her and a waterfall on the far bank.
Me looking back & telling Jake I would kill him if he pushed me.
A man sits on a swing over water with a waterfall behind them.
Please explain when Jake looks like he has been photoshoped?
A blond man looks away from the camera towards small booths over water with green canopies.
James looking back towards the restaurant and waterfall.
A small glass with an amber clear liquid is in focus in the foreground, refracted within it can be seen a man and a table. Out of focus in the background can be seen a man.
Turkish tea and Jake lounging on his floor cushion.

Keeping up the waterfall theme we went for a short hike to a waterfall with a pool you can swim in. A gravel track off the main road bought us to a dead end with a warning sign for no more vehicles, so we parked our hire car then carried on on foot. The walk followed the river up a hill, the rough gravel path turned into a perfectly paved path with a new fence halfway up. It was a lovely 15-20 minute walk with mixed foliage, multiple butterflies and dragonflies and the odd frog and lizard. Once we got there I rushed in to cool off. Something I did not take into consideration was the fact that fresh water is just that- fresh, which means it never sits in the sun long enough to warm up. It was breath takingly cold.

A man swims in a natural pool facing towards a waterfall.
Chasing waterfalls
A sign indicates the direction of the waterfall. The sign has graffiti on it.
A man stands on top of large boulders and is reflected in water below him.
Taking the scenic route down
A blonde woman and blonde man walk across a gravel bath bordered by water.
A blonde woman and a brunette woman in water have an arm outstretched each to the side. They are smiling.
There is a large splash around a man as he is entering the water, behind him is a waterfall, a rope string can be seen in the foreground.
The ice bath swing
Toparlar Waterfall
A small frog sits upon a rock surrounded by water.
One of many little guys we found on the walk up to the waterfall.

We spent our last day revisiting a spring then cleaning and tidying the villa and making sure to empty the pool. We had dropped Joely and James off for their flight the day before because they weren’t feeling the 4am flight we had booked. Jake and I are the type to go for the cheapest flights- which means absurdly early and there is no way we are paying extra to sit next to each other! As it was our return flight got cancelled, giving us the option of trying to get to the airport with less than an hour before the earlier flight was due to leave, or wait another day. So we made a dash for it and thankfully got on the earlier flight.

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