I came to Antalya in July 2009, when was only 17 and required a parent or guardian to sign my paperwork to ensure I was given permission to travel on my own under the age of 18, I didn't even know this was a thing back then, but I guess its safety first else anyone could just run off to another country.
I booked the trip via Thomas Cook, and stayed out here for 3 weeks - which was phenomenal. The weather was incredible, the beaches were a white golden sand & the ocean was crystal blue.
I flew from BRS to AYT and the flight took approx 4 hours 20 minutes long, I had a very late flight so I landed in the evening when the sun had already gone down so the flight felt like it was taking forever, but once I got off the flight you could feel the heat hit you straight away, even with it being approx 10pm. My transfer from the airport to my hotel took approx 90 minutes so by the time I arrived and checked in, I was just about ready for bed, to ensure I was up early enough in the morning to have breakfast.
I stayed at Eftalia hotel, located directly across from the beach, with views over looking the mountains, the castle up on the hill and the ocean. Since staying here I have heard they have completely renovated the place to improve its star rating and become a highly sort after resort. I stayed here on a half board basis, which was ideal as I spent a lot of the day out exploring the local area and swimming in the sea or by the pool.
There is so much you can do in the area, from boat trips, scuba diving, snorkelling, or head to the natural mud pools etc excursion wise - not a place you can get bored easily of if you wanna do something, they probably have it there to be able to do.
You can get around the area easily enough, either by walking, the bus or even renting a push bike or scooter. I walked into the main town every day taking the route along the beach and into the marina which took approx 40 minutes, there was a more direct route you could take which would of taken half the time but I enjoyed taking the scenic route.
I went Jet skiing a few times, on a boat trip around to different parts of the island where you could get off at certain times to go snorkelling and swimming. This was booked via an excursion place and it included all drinks onboard.
In turkey they accept Euros, but also their own currency of Lira, but they prefer you to pay in Euros I found, and this got you a lot more for your money. I didn't have my Monzo card back then as they were not around yet - however I would still recommend getting one to take with you for sure.
The weather over there was incredible, with it reaching the mid 40s on somedays. There was also a weather warning put out across the area telling us to stay hydrated, apply suncream more regularly and seek medical help if you felt unwell due to the heat. A lot of people suffered from sunstroke and heat stroke in the hotel I stayed in over the next few days, as they stayed in the pool thinking it as the best place for them to stay cool - not realising they were just burning more.
This was a scary holiday for me, not that long into it - around 5 days I went swimming in the sea, one minute I was absolutely fine the next I was being dragged under by a rip current which caused multiple issues, as I tried to battle against it to get back up to the surface, luckily someone was going past on a jet ski and saw what was happening and helped me back to the surface and pulled me out of the current so I could return to shore, this shook me massively and scared me from going anywhere near water again for many years. I went from being one of the strongest most confident swimmers going to being petrified of the water, now I have a higher respect and understanding of the water, and how to recognise a rip current in the water - which I recommend everyone learns as this information could save your life.
Would I come back? Yes - I would love to come back to explore more of the country, especially now I am older and able to get around a lot easier. It has so much natural beauty it just cannot be missed.
For further information regarding vaccinations and medical advice for travel please see the link below:
https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/europe-russia/turkey
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