Wanderlust | Turkey 2014

 

 

 I love travelling. It opens up a whole spectrum of new opportunities. Seeing new places, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and making new memories.
Earlier this month, my family and I took a well deserved break to Kalkan in Turkey and I thought it would be nice to share, with you, some of the photographs taken and the memories made.

 

We flew from Norwich to Dalaman, a four hour flight, only to be greeted the other end by a worrying lack of a transfer to our apartment. Several phone calls and 45 minutes later, we were rescued and were on our way.



One of those 'generic' aeroplane wing shots.
However, the contrast of the bright blue against the yellow
really appealed to me.

 

It was a blissful week, during which we spent days relaxing by the pool and days out, exploring the local area. Our apartment was quite high up on the hill centrally facing the bay, and the view was breath-taking, even if the walk up to it was a killer. If I saw that every morning when I woke up in England, getting out of bed would be so much easier!

The views from the apartment, be it night or day, really were stunning.



The apartment even came with a feline friend!
(He let himself in whenever he felt like it)

Turkish food is delicious and not in short supply, with hundreds of restaurants lining the streets of Kalkan. I dined on a variety of dishes during the week, from traditional Turkish kebabs, to casseroles, to Mediterranean vegetable tarts. The mezze platters at the start of each meal made it for me though, with bread, hummus, olives, tzatziki and a variety of other delicious things, depending on the restaurant of choice. The Turkish waiters are also extraordinarily friendly and often rather cheeky (and did I mention gorgeous?). One even fashioned me a rose out of a tomato skin - and who said romance was dead? 

Check out the size of this bread.

 

Who said romance was dead?

 Of the days out that we took, one of my favourites had to be a jeep safari to Saklikent gorge. It was also whilst down this gorge that I was called by my sixth-form college about a change to one of my a-level grades, so it will always have fond memories for me! Stopping off at Lycian ruins on the way (They had an amphitheatre. I am a sucker amphitheatres.), we arrived at the gorge and settled down in the most picturesque restaurant by the river. Little jetties protruded out into the river, with a table in the centre and cushions all around. Hammocks hung precariously over the water, and it was the most serene location I have ever eaten in.
The gorge itself was, excuse the pun, gorgeous, although the water was freezing! It was in this freezing water that we tubed. Given a rubber ring, a paddle, and a life jacket, we braved the cold and the rapids to get to the bottom of the fast, winding river.

 



The Lycian ruins at Xanthos



Lunch by the river



Such a tranquil setting to eat in

The water was extremely fast and extremely cold!

 I would also highly suggest a trip to a Turkish bath, though make sure it is reputable (I met a lady at the airport who caught an eye infection from a substandard one). It was a very relaxing experience, and you come away from it feeling like every inch of dirt, dust and dead skin has been scrubbed from your body. It is also recommended that you take a Turkish bath at the start of your holiday as the exfoliation increases the depth and intensity of your tan - bonus!

I'll leave you with a few more photos and a 10/10 recommendation for Kalkan. I would not hesitate in going back.

Our apartment came with an infinity pool which my brother is doing a great job of modelling in this photo



Customary legs and lilo picture

View of Kalkan as it comes into view from the main road

Kalkan harbour



Many boat trips around the nearby islands leave the Kalkan harbour each day