Turkey: Where To Stay and What To Do

In early September, Billy and I went to Turkey.

Our original holiday to Turkey was cancelled back in June – which was to be expected, but I was still absolutely gutted. Towards the end of June, we received a re-booking incentive from TUI (where they added 20% of the amount paid on top of the original price as an incentive to book another holiday with them), so we decided to re-book for a September getaway at a different resort in Turkey, and we were fortunate enough to be able to go – despite COVID-19 and the way that the world is right now.

We booked to stay at Liberty Lykia, just around the bay from Oludeniz. It’s the most beautiful holiday resort I’ve ever been to – with 19 swimming pools, a dedicated Adult hotel and spa, a mini golf course, 9 restaurants, bars and plenty of day time and evening activities to get stuck into. Because of COVID-19 however, the adult resort and the majority of the restaurants, pools and activities were shut/cancelled, so I was really worried that we’d be paying a lot of money for something that we couldn’t properly experience. Turns out that the resort is huuuuuge, and we made great use out of the adult infinity pool and the beach whilst we were there, which was more than enough for our 10 days there. The food was also absolutely incredible in the A La Carte restaurant as well, probably the best hotel food I have had abroad before, so we didn’t feel the need to pay extra to eat in the additional restaurants at the resort.

I had the best time in Turkey and I can’t wait to go there again one day. I’ve put a little photo diary together of the trip, with some notes on different things to see and do in Turkey ❤️

 

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Travelling during COVID-19

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So I thought I’d start the post with a note on the travelling aspect during COVID-19.

Char from Memoirs & Musings sums up the airport experience perfectly here, but I felt entirely safe throughout the whole experience – especially in Turkey.

If I’m being brutally honest, I feel like UK airports aren’t doing half as much as they should be. In Turkey, there were temperature checks, screenings, extra security checks, hand sanitising facilities, COVID-19 POS, on the spot fines from not wearing masks, more police on the streets etc. In the UK airport, wearing a mask was compulsary but that was about it. The most disappointing and shocking thing to me was landing back home in the early hours, stepping off the plane and only having to scan my passport – that was literally it. No temperature checks, no scans, no screening, no UK passenger locator form check: nothing. It does make you wonder how many people are entering the UK with symptoms each day.

 

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Where to stay: Liberty Lykia

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So we stayed at Liberty Lykia; the resort absolutely blew my mind, it was huge! The accommodation was split into different blocks scattered around the resort – there was a seperate adults-only section that I imagine we would’ve stayed in but it was closed due to their COVID-19 restrictions.

The room was plenty big enough, clean and had everything we needed – even a restocked free mini bar each day with drinks and snacks! 3 pools were open but they’re actually quite far apart (one was a mini shuttle bus ride away from, and we didn’t even know it existed until the last day!). You certainly can’t go hungry here either as there’s somewhere you can eat 24 hours a day! The main restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and then there are snackbars open (one even open from 12am to 7am the next morning!). The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, and the hotel experience overall was just incredilble. If you’re planning on going on holiday to Turkey and you’re looking for all inclusive, then Liberty Lykia is definitely the place to go.

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Where to go: The Blue Lagoon

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The Blue Lagoon is a truly beautiful spot in Turkey – and it’s just as pretty as the photos said it would be!

The beach is pebbly but with soft white sand, and the water is clear and warm. You’ll find it easy to float in this water as well, as the Mediterranean sea is 70% salt! The beach, Kumburnu Plaji, is a lovely place to relax and is cheap to hire sunbeds and umbrellas too – you’re looking at around 25TL for the day for two sunbeds and two umbrellas – which is less than £3! We went out swimming in the sea and snorkelling around the rocks, and then the lagoon on the other side is warm with calmer waters to bathe in, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy here. There are lots of little shops and restaurants here, and plenty of changing facilities and showers. There’s also a watersport activity centre, where you can book boat trips, jet skis and other fun things to do.

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Where to go: Ölüdeniz

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We went into Ölüdeniz for the evening a handful of times – it’s a great spot when the nighttime comes around. It’s a touristy strip bustling with shops, restaurants and bars, and we had some great evenings there! We ate in a few restaurants including Tiki Rooftop and Buzz Beach Bar, and went to some fun bars like VIP Dance Bar and Sultan’s Bar. I don’t have many pictures of the strip as we were too busy trying different cocktails… but it was a fun place to spend the evenings in!

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Day trips and excursions

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As we booked a TUI package holiday, there was a rep at the resort pretty much everyday to book trips and excursions with.

There were quite a few different ones geared up for families and/or couples, so we had a look through and decided on an all day boat trip and a Fethiye at dusk cruise.

All day boat trip

The all day boat trip excursion was my favourite – we were picked up from the hotel and driven to Fethiye harbour. We then went on a boat trip around diffrent coves in Fethiye, and had 5 stop off points where we could get off the boat and have a swim. We were treated to a traditional Turkish feast for lunch with complimentary alcohol and soft drinks all day, and you could purchase additional things on board like chips, crisp and ice cream. It was a really relaxing day and probably my favourite trip of the holiday!

Fethiye at dusk

We went on a day excursion which was fun, but it was quite a long day. We were picked up from the hotel, and then had a 2-hour journey to the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Iztuzu Beach in Dalyan. We spent some time in the turtle hospital, where they rescue injured and poorly turtles and look after them with the hope of releasing them back into the wild. We spent some time on the turtle beach, freshened up and then headed to the market town of Dalyan.

We wondered around the cobbled market town full of traditional gift shops, ice cream parlours and restaurants, and then hopped onto a riverboat to check out the lagoon at dusk, and the stunning mountanious landscape. We stopped off at a riverside restaurant where we were treated to a Turkish BBQ, and then we finished the trip by getting back onto the boat to see the Lycian Tombs lit up. The Tombs were carved into the rock face thousands of years ago so that ancient angels could reach the dead.

 

Both excursions were great fun, and it was nice to get out and about to see other places. Paragliding is also hugely popular here – something wish I hope I can do next time we go!

 

Turkey definitely has a place in my heart – I can’t wait to visit this beautiful part of the world again!