Day 7, 23rd May 2018- We arrived in Fethiye by intercity overnight bus Metro Turizm from Istanbul. We
booked our return bus tickets to secure seats during Ramadan season. We reached
Fethiye Otogar around 10 am and one can hail a shared dolmus (mini-van) from outside the otogar (look for the sign
“D”, which means Dolmus). Our abode for the first day was the Luxurious Yacht
Classic. We took the dolmus towards karagozler
and the stop is right outside Yacht classic. The fare for the same is 3tl per
person.
Yacht classic is a luxurious resort and I can confidently
trade it for being one of the best in Fethiye. Upon arrival we were served some
refreshing mocktail and the Manager showed us the resort and the facilities
available. To our surprise we got an upgrade from sea view room to the famous
and super luxurious Water Villas. I
was super excited. I had seen the water villas while booking and was in
complete awe of it. The water villas are loaded with some amazing facilities
like personal Jacuzzi, personal swimming pool overlooking the Mediterranean
Sea. The room has an espresso coffee machine and some loccitane bath
accessories to pamper you. We then plunged into the pool and got ourselves the
Mediterranean tan. Overlooking the beautiful yachts while you swim is a visual treat
for the eyes. They even have a soothing
spa section and if we had more time we would have definitely indulged in one.
After chilling in the villa for a while we headed to Carrefour to pick some water and other
eatables. It’s at a walking distance from Yacht classic. We strolled around the
area and the place is so relaxed and chilled. Beautiful Yachts parked all over,
people were fishing and this place has a more European feel to it. We even
walked it up to Buldans Store. We
recommended this by a fellow traveler and this place has some amazing Turkish
towels and bath linens. You have to walk it up to the Canal and then on the
right side of the Canal you will see a pink building. It’s on the ground floor.
Towels were for 20 TL and its total value for money.
We then went to Mori
restaurant within Yacht classic to have dinner. It’s one of the best fine
dine places in Fethiye and the food and service was amazing. The ambience is soothing
and we enjoyed some lovely food by the waterfront. We ordered vegetarian
noodles, spring roll and chocolate mousse along with some drinks. The chocolate
mousse and noodles were simply outstanding. We paid around 60 TL per person and
it’s a must go-to place when you are in Fethiye.
Day 8th, 24th May 2018 – Breakfast at the Mori restaurant was lavish and included noodles,
amazing variety of fresh fruits, cheese, corn flakes, milk, cheesecakes,
noodles, breads, pancakes etc. We checked out of Yacht Classic and left our
luggage in concierge. We had signed up for a day trip to Saklikent Canyon and Tlos via Guide tours, oludeniz. There is an
entrance fee but it was paid by our guide and was included in the tour cost of
86 TL per person.
Our guide for the tour was Mehmet and he has a very good hold over the history of Turkey and
various places. He can add humor to History and make it very interesting. His
energy and enthusiasm is contagious and can keep you informed and entertained
throughout the tour. On the way to Saklikent
Gorge he explained us the History behind the Gorge, how a shepherd found it
and made it into a tourist spot until the local government took over it.
Saklikent means “Hidden City”. It’s a national park in southwest Turkey and is
in the Mugla region. The Gorge is 18kms long but only 1 km is accessible and we
walked around 700 meter’s into the gorge. He explained us about the ottomans, Byzantines,
lycians and romans.
Once you reach the gorge you can walk over the bridge until
the point from where you need to walk in the water to get ahead. Plastic shoes
are available on rent for 4 liras though it’s not comfortable at all. I would
suggest you to wear floaters and
carry an extra plastic bag to put the floaters back once you are done. Carry a cream, mosquito repellent and a
small water proof bag if you intend to walk in the gorge. You can also find
a stick around to help you balance while treading through rapidly flowing
water. I even picked up some stones from the gorge as I walked to keep them as
a souvenir.
If you are physically fit I strongly recommend walking in the
gorge. It was one of the best walks of my life. White rock formations on both
side, sound of water and birds all around, as you walk inside you feel closer
to the nature. Do wear the helmet before
you get in the gorge. We forgot and were constantly on alert because of that.
They also click some candid photos of you once you enter the gorge and can be
purchased for 5 TL.
He then took us to Trout
Park, where we had buffet lunch included in the tour. They even
demonstrated age old technique of baking breads and made nutella crepes for me.
Amazing variety of vegetarian food. There is a beautiful waterfall and the
place is very chilled and calming. You can spot some turtles crawling around
and can even pick a fish to cook.
Third stop for the day was the Lycian rock tombs. It gets very hot as you climb up the hill so
carry enough water, hat and wear sturdy
and comfortable shoes. He explained us that many tombs were destroyed by
grave robbers and the king’s tomb has little decoration on the top. He even
explained us that agriculture is the first occupation in Fethiye and then comes
tourism. They grow tomatoes’, olives and pine honey. More than 60 percent of
tomatoes’ comes from Kas and Fethiye in Turkey. It was interesting to know that
4-5 generations live together and care for each other. Women were respected a
lot during the Lycian time and men were known by their Mother’s name.
He even told us that Mosques in Turkey are mostly blue or
green. Blue represents the sky and green represents earth. We were amazed to
know that all the houses in Fethiye are solar powered. There is a small juice
shop once you descend and it’s very refreshing for 5 TL. You can also shop for
some handmade jewelry which is available right outside the juice shop. It’s
moderately priced and they have a very pretty collection of bracelets.
The tour came to an end but memories that Mehmet gave us
shall remain forever. We then checked into Minu
Hotel. Minu Hotel is located in Old
town or Paspatur and is in the heart of market area. The Hotel is a chic
boutique hotel. There is no bell boy so we had to lug our luggage all the way
up to three floors. The receptionist Hulia is a gem of a person and very
helpful and sweet. The rooms are a bit small but exceptionally clean and
everything that you need is at a stone throw distance from the Hotel. They
serve you tea/coffee and cake throughout the day.
We rested for a while and then went to Migros (departmental
store) to pick some local chocolates and products. Migros and Carrefour have
amazing variety of local chocolates and I can recommend some like ulcer albeni,
biscolata nirvana, ulcer olala sufle, ulcer lavia dolgulu, nestle sutlu.
We wrapped the day with warm dinner at Ozsut overlooking the
yachts. We ordered tomato soup, French fries and profiterole. This place has
some of the best pastries and desserts in Fethiye. The cost for the meal was 30
TL per person.
Day 9th, 25th May 2018 – today’s day was a long one as we
had booked a day trip to Pamukkale and
Hierapolis via Intersky Travel for 129 TL per person. They came to pick us
up at 6.15 am and we were taken to some really awful place for breakfast.
Hardly any vegetarian options and not much of choice. Our guide explained us
few things about local history in the area. Our first stop was at Hierapolis and it means sacred city. It
has a seating capacity of 8 thousand people and in olden times was used for
gladiator performances. It is in very good shape and has been maintained well.
The seating in the theatre is as per ranks (Rich-Heroes-Normal). This signifies
caste system prevalent then. The theatre is acoustic and a little ahead there
is temple of Apollo which has an
underground aqua duct system. Its’ extremely hot hence do remember to carry a
cap or umbrella, good walking shoes and loads of water.
He then took us to the famed
Calcium Travestines of Pamukkale or Cotton Castles. First thought as I
stepped in was Yuck! Over tourism has killed the natural fauna of the place and
most travestines have dried up. Some of them which are there are black in color
and all you can see is blocks of white calcium with no thermal water in it.
It’s very slippery hence be vigilant. We saw people fall terribly and the last
thing one would want on a vacation is a broken bone! You can go to the Cleopatra’s pool and take a swim for an
extra charge or just see the mad rush and head to the cafeteria. We had Mozaik pastry at the cafeteria for 10 Tl
and it’s a pasrty with biscuit chunks in it. The souvenir shop right next to
the cafeteria is awesome. The coasters, fridge magnets and jewelry were nice
and we picked few.
Honestly the tour should have ended here and we should have
been transported back to the hotel. But we were taken to this awful place for
lunch and it was chargeable. Very few options for vegetarians. The Turkish ice
cream and orange juice outside was much more refreshing. Last on the list is
the visit to the Onyx factory. We were too tired and in no mood to get in a
trap to buy some overpriced jewelry so we remained inside the bus.
Since we were starving post returning to the Hotel we
straight went to Apple Café. This
place is a must go to place when in Fethiye and has lip smacking food and
desserts. Plenty of options for vegetarians and the smoothies are simply
divine. The vegetarian wrap is very filling and fresh and must try
Raspberry-black berry smoothie and dark chocolate frappe. 82 TL for 2 wraps and
2 smoothies and it is total value for money.
We had booked our most awaited thing to do in Turkey –
Paragliding over the ouldeniz via gravity tours for 350 TL.
Day 10th, 26th May2018 – the day
arrived and we were super excited to fly over the oludeniz. But luck was not on
our side. The weather disappointed us and it poured very heavily and all
flights for the day were cancelled. Tears rolled down as it was our last day in
Fethiye and we had to catch an evening bus to go back to Istanbul. I don’t know
why but I was determined to fly over Oludeniz and hence decided to cancel the
bus tickets, spoke to the hotel Manager Hulia and she helped us immensely. She
told us to go to the bus stop and get a refund for the tickets and booked us
for an extra night at the Hotel. The entire re-scheduling caused a big dent on
our wallet but I wanted to give it a try and wait for one more day to see if I
can do the paragliding. We then booked our flight to Istanbul for the next day
afternoon and the first slot for paragliding in the morning. Post doing all the
juggling we went to Apple café again for lunch and had the most amazing Éclair.
We gallivanted for a while in old town and picked up few souvenirs. Honestly,
the souvenirs in old town are much better than in Istanbul. Decently priced and
very different.
I prayed thorough the night as we were told there is no
guarantee the weather might improve. I strongly believe in one thing, when your
heart is focused, you will get what you want.
Day 11th, 27th May 2018 – our fingers were crossed
and we were transferred to gravity office in Oludeniz. They said we can fly and a 32 teeth smile flashed across
my face. All geared up we were transferred to Badabag Mountain for take-off. The ride up is steep and excitement
was building.
My pilot loaded the backpack on to me and told me to run upon
instruction. I began running and don’t know what happened but I fell and got
dragged on the mountain bed until my pilot flew into the air. I was badly hurt
and my thighs and shoulder were bleeding. The ride was smooth. I tried to calm
myself by talking to the pilot constantly. Landing was smooth and we landed on
the beach so the impact was bare minimum. The view of Oludeniz as you fly is
breathtaking. It’s surreal. Even though I was bruised, I strongly trade this
and it’s a must do thing to witness out worldly beauty.
My friend had the best time and her pilot was very comforting
and sweet. It’s a must do thing if you visit Fethiye. You fly very slowly and
descend is gradual so there is no jerk or discomfort while flying.
Your pilot takes awesome photos while flying and can be
purchased for 100 liras. We were transferred back to the Hotel and we rested
for a while and then had to leave for Dalaman Airport to catch the flight to
Istanbul. You can go to Dalaman comfortably in Havas bus from the otogar at
fethiye. The cost is 17.50 liras and it takes roughly 1.30 hours to reach. At
the Otogar in fethiye a little ahead is Erasta
Mall. You can try sipping some great coffee at Kahve Dunyasi, it’s one of the leading coffee chains in Turkey.
We arrived at SAW
airport as the tickets were cheaper for SAW than Ataturk. SAW is on the
Asian side of Istanbul and there is a bus (HAVABUS)
from the airport to Taksim in European side of Istanbul. The cost for the same
is 15 liras. It’s not very convenient to reach Sultanhemet from the Asian side.
From taksim you have to walk for minimum 10 minutes or may be more with luggage
and then you have to take the funicular to kabatas and from kabatas take a tram
to sultanhemet.
We were exhausted and checked into Nowy Efendi Hotel and had
an early dinner, packed our bags and slept off. We were given an upgrade to the
suite room and the view of Hagia Sophia from there is amazing.
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| Hierapolis |
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| Cotton Castle - Pamukkale |
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| Profilero- Ozsut |
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| Cotton Castle- thermal water |
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| entrance to the Cleopatra pool |
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| the famed Cleopatra pool |
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| mozaik - cafeteria |
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| Dondurama |
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| Add caption |
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| Raspberry frappe |
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| Dark choc frappe |
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| Veg roll |
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| Minu Hotel |
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| Minu Hotel |
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| Coffee - apple cafe |
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| cold coffee |
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| paneer puff - kahve dunyasi |
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| choc coated coffee beans |
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| Cappuccino |
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| Old town - Paspatur |
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| Eclair at apple cafe |
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| Mozarella sandwich - apple cafe |
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| Nowy Efendi |
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| View from Nowy Efendi |
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| Nowy Efendi |
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| Tomato soup with cheese - Ozsut |
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| Breads - Ozsut |
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| Jewelry - outside lycian tombs |
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| thats mehmet - our guide |
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| Trout Park |
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| Lycian Tombs |
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| Nutella Crepes |
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| Baking breads demonstration |
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| Canyon |
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| Saklikent canyon |
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| Mehmet giving instructions |
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| entry to the canyon |
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| Chocolate Mousse |
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| Noodles at Mori |
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| Breakfast at Mori |
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| Baked cheesecake - Mori |
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| Spring roll - mori |
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| Breads - mori |
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| water villas - Yacht classic |
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| chilling |
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| our room |
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| Yacht Classic |
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| Coffee machine |
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| Jacuzzi |
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| Water villa |
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| Infinity pool |
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| Ready to fly |
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| Soaring |
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| Epic! |
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| Memories for life - Paragliding |