ANTALYA TRAVEL

I’ve traveled three times in Antalya until now, with business, but I had enough time to stroll in the city, to get in contact with the tranquil and filled with special charm life that you find there.

I don’t believe that Antalya needs recommendations, considered the pearl of Turkish seaside, it hosts the most 5 star resorts from the Mediterranean Sea. Year by year millions of tourists take their vacations in the ultra-modern complexes that you find here, everything is at very high standards and the satisfaction is met. There are very few cases in which the tourists are unpleased of a certain service, but generally, I have friends that were housed in different hotels in Antalya, everything is surrounded by professionalism, by the carefulness of the tourists needs.

The busses are very cheap, the only problem is that travel tickets aren’t found everywhere, and in the buss not all the drivers cash the tax for one ticket. We paid even 2 turkish pounds (approximately 1 euro), which seemed very expansive for a trip of a few stops. There are trams as well, which go through the center of the town, not through the middle of the street like they do in our country, but on the sides, but even through the zones that are more populated by tourists. It’s a travel method adored by tourists, because there are lines that go through the most important touristic and historical places of Antalya.

From the city’s center, the clock tower, found near Moscheea Mehmet Pasa, one of the biggest, a causeway takes you down to the city’s touristic port. On each side of the road, there are merchants that sell anything. This is one of the biggest bazaars, where you practically find anything you search for: from jeans, t-shirts, skirts, bags to shoes, sneakers and beach slippers. Many stores destined for perfumes, very strong essences which fuddle you from the street.

In the center we find successive jewelry stores, beautifully processed gold. Once the price was advantageous, but now it’s getting more and more expansive, but still cheaper than ours.

But if I should praise something more, these are the brand shops (sport-wear ones) from where I’ve completed my wardrobe at a price almost at half that you find it back here, original merchandise with control stamps. It’s true we’ve caught the discount season, discounts that get to almost 60% at some articles. Sadly, over there you can’t negotiate anything. In the bazaar or at other shops that are specifically Turkish, everything is negotiated.  My advice is to start negotiating from half the price they asked you of.

Everything is superlative, but when we’re talking about Antalya, superlative is limitless. Words, images, movies fade when faced with reality. When we’re talking about tradition, Antalya is unique. The tradition for tourism! The tradition to conquer the Golden Apple, year after year, for one of the best resorts!

For more read the next post: Antalya Attractions

ANTALYA ATTRACTIONS

The majority being Muslims, but this isn’t observed in the ladies clothing or the ladies past their first youth. They don’t bear to dress up traditionally, to cover their face, and this makes Antalya an attractive resort even for the occidentals.

On the other side, many rich Scandinavian women come here, which for the duration of the whole season, rent Turkish boys, with a sculptured body. I know this from the ships agent which was telling us that generally, in full season, the resort is filled with Nordics, searching for oriental pleasures.

There’s a very beautiful amusement park, sadly around it the zone is under construction and sometimes when it’s windy there’s a lot of dust. But for kids it’s fun even then.

The touristic port, filled with boats each and every one more traditional, enchants you with advantageous offers to explore the most beautiful places near the shore. The trips are organized with 24 hours beforehand. We didn’t have the necessary time to go on them, but the views in the offers seemed amazing. Strolls through the nearby caves, through places you can only get in by boat, luncheon served at the board of a boat with Turkish specialities.

We stopped in the port, at a restaurant, where we served a doner kebab and 2 bears each. Cold and real! Beer can’t be served in every city, generally it is forbidden, but we already knew the places where we could find a good and cold Efes.

At night, dreamlike lights light-up the city. From the big shops multi-colored lights or restaurants to the superb palm-trees, enriched with colored lights, in the most interesting ways. Over there, the night is day; all you need is the well-being for a walk or good time.

HOTEL DELPHIN BOTANIK WORLD OF PARADISE  – FAMILIES WITH KIDS

A relaxing stay, didn’t lack anything (except time…).

A lot of kids, it’s clearly a hotel for families with children, because many facilities are for them: menu and place for a meal separately, mini-club with different activities, waterslides (5, but 2 are a bit more dangerous), 2 mini-pools that are around 40cm deep, and the night is a funfair with a small train, roundabout, electric cars, a wheel, a mini-disco, cotton candy and popcorn all free.

It’s a little atypical hotel, being made of more buildings, stretched across nine hectares of luxurious vegetation. Like a miniature city.

From the entrance to the exit, they have very good services. The beach is exclusively made out of rocks and pebbles (round, what’s fair), and the entrance in the sea is made abruptly (2 meters from the shore you can’t reach the bottom anymore). But here as well the Turks tried their best to make everything as beautiful as possible, building wooden alleys, with rug on top, so you don’t step on the pebbles.

Abounding food (I’ve gained 7 kilos in 7 days!!).

At 10-15 minutes from the hotel, on the other side of the highway you find a bazaar, where you can find anything you wish (except gold).

We took a trip to Alanya, with visit to a stronghold, a cave, a textiles shop, and a cruise. The only nice thing was the cruise. We also went to a hamam(Turkish bath) in Alanya, a trip recommended by the guide – it was worth it, it cost us only 20 euro, unlike the hotels same service for 50 euro. Don’t miss the bar that’s organized at night on the pontoon, it’s a dream!

SEA PARK & DOLPHIN PARK – ADALAND/ EXCEPTIONAL

A place which will remain the most impressive for a very long time; last year we’ve been to Sea Park and it left us surprised, in a good way! A two-person ticket was 80 euro, in which a meal was included.

Within the park there are approximately 6 tanks; one with stingrays, one with dolphins, one with sharks (around 1 meter long), one with multi colored fish and one leisure tank, besides all that there are a few fish-tanks filled with fish, star fish, and sea horses.

You can swim in 5 tanks, without problems, with a tube and glasses; the only condition is that you can stand salt-water, to be able to dive and not be afraid to stay in a 3 meter deep tank. In the dolphins tank you can’t enter unless you pay 80 euro / person,  (a moment that’s worth all the money, and which I did this year, because last year I didn’t know of the supplementary tax), you go in with an instructor which will give commands to the dolphin: swim underneath you, spin around, sing, to turn a somersault and the best part: swim with him, hold on his flipper, and do a round in the tank (it’s amazing). Everything is fantastic, probably every-time I’ll have the chance to repeat this moment.

In the tank with multi-colored fish, it’s nice, because there are a lot of fishes, very curious which come close to you, touch you and then run away; but they’ll come back and spin around you, the only condition is to get used with swimming under-water.

In the shark tank, you go in only within a cage, everything is under the surveillance of the lifeguards, even though I doubt there is any danger, when it was our turn the sharks didn’t even bother to get close to our cage so we can see them better; a negative part about this tank is that the water is saltier and darker, probably like the one they are used to swim in.

The leisure tank is in the form of a small river, it has streams and if you sit on a swim-belt, you’ll get a ride without any effort. The food is very good and everything is very clean.

All of the experiences in this place are worth lived at least once, I guarantee you that the memories will be unforgettable!