The Sea Turtle research, rescue and rehabilitation centre…

Posted on September 30, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

When you think of Dalyan, you think of the beautiful Caretta Caretta turtles. Also known as Loggerhead sea turtles, they have an impressive average lifespan of up to 67 years, and can weigh around 300lbs!

In 2009, the sea turtle research, rescue and rehabilitation centre was founded in Dalyan. It is run by a team from Pamukkale University and helps dozens of Turtles every year.

The Turtle Hospital as it is more simply known, is located at the back of Iztuzu beach.

You can visit the centre, where a tour guide will take you around, giving you information, showing you replicas, and explaining more about their organisation. There are posters and leaflets in different languages, going into detail. The centre likes having visitors, since they aim to promote public awareness of the work they do and the need for their conservation and preservation efforts.

The first thing you come across is the mini museum with information posters on Akut 3, a fairly famous turtle! The body of the turtle is also preserved there. It was hurt in a boating incident and was unable to be released back into the wild because it was unable to eat properly with its damaged jaw. In a first of it’s kind special surgery, it was given a 3D printed prosthetic jaw! The turtle died a while later due to different complications but it’s very interesting to read about. If you do a google search on the name, you’ll find a lot of news articles about this turtle.

There is also information about the causes of injuries to the turtles, perhaps most disturbing is the fact that 20% of injuries are caused intentionally by humans, and another 19% by accidental collisions with boats etc.

You’re also taken on a little tour to see the turtles they are currently looking after – although the aim is to rehabilitate and release the turtles, sometimes it’s not possible, so some of them have been there for a while.

When we went in June, they had 5 turtle residents in their individual tanks, all various ages with different health problems. There are posters next to their tanks telling you their names, how old they are and why they’re there.

Aybüke – a 35-40 year old Caretta Turtle who has been at the centre since February due to a weakness meaning she won’t survive in the wild.

Selda – A 15-20 year old Caretta turtle, found in Bodrum and rescued 18 months ago after she swallowed a fishing hook and line.

Kanki, a baby, just 9 months old, rescued from Sargierme due to having a problem with it’s left eye. Just look how tiny it is!

I can’t remember the names of the other two turtles but they were all very cute. So surreal seeing them up close. I did feel sorry for them living alone in their tanks swimming around in circles… but they’re not kept there for fun – they’re kept there because they wouldn’t survive if they were released in the wild to fend for themselves.

The centre relies a lot on donations, so there are collection boxes for you to put some cash in, if you wish (and after seeing the turtles, who wouldn’t want to donate!) There are also branded products you can buy, fridge magnets, bags, coffee flasks, keyrings etc.

If you’re visiting the area, or spending a day at that end of the beach, it’s well worth visiting the turtle hospital, it’s a rare opportunity to see them up very close, and have the chance to donate and make a tiny contribution towards helping them and their sea friends!

The scenic route to Iztuzu Beach…

Posted on September 23, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

Iztuzu Beach, an arc shaped 5km stretch of sand on the Mediterranean coast, is accessible from Dalyan in two ways – either by boat, which takes you to one end of the beach, or by car/bus which takes you to the opposite end. For me, as nice as the river boat is, it’s even more spectacular to go by car, passing by the beautiful, serene, Lake Sülüngür on the way.

As you follow the road higher along the mountain road, among the pine trees, you are greeted with beautiful views of the beach. It looks really impressive and you can really see the shape it forms, a fairly narrow beach, with a small lagoon behind it at one end, and the reeds and Dalyan river behind it at the other.

The reason we chose to drive on that day was to visit the Turtle hospital which is at this end of the beach. The hospital is towards the back of the beach, overlooking the lagoon with equally stunning views – mountains in the distance, trees and beautiful pink flowers in the foreground, reeds, and that calm, still water, just beautiful!

Another bonus of driving, is the chance of getting a closer look at the wildlife. On our way back along the mountain road, we saw a tortoise minding his own business trying to cross to the other side (I’m sure there’s a ‘why did the tortoise cross the road’ joke in there somewhere!). Berkay stopped the car and helped him along his way, saving him from inevitably getting run over. I love how the tortoise’s legs are just dangling in these photos, bless him, I’m sure he was grateful for the little intervention!

Looking out over Ölüdeniz…

Posted on September 19, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

Back in June we made the most of having the rental car by driving around and visiting various places. One of them being the look out point at the start of the Lycian Way, over looking Ölüdeniz.

We drove a little way up the mountain road, parked up and walked for about 5 minutes to the look out point, passing an old abandoned tent on the way! It involves climbing up a few rocks and it’s steep and bumpy under your feet so you need to wear decent shoes, not flip flops! We went on a particularly hot day and thanks to my Fit-bit, I could see my heart rate rising a lot, it was quite hard work in the heat!

When you climb down the other side of the rocks, you’re greeted with this beautiful view…

I’ve never really been a fan of Ölüdeniz, controversial I know! At ground level, I don’t think its that impressive, but from above it’s really stunning. Because it was so hot the day we went, it was very hazy so my photos aren’t the clearest, and they were only taken on my phone, but I have taken higher quality, better ones on my camera before and posted them HERE a few years ago if you want to take a look. Photos don’t really do it justice though!

The view of the lagoon is lovely, and the sea to the left hand side is an impressive shade of blue. You can hear people playing in the swimming pools at the various hotels at the foot of the mountain, watch the boats sailing, or people walking along the beach. I love the mountains in the distance too, just a shame it was hazy.

Of course, as with most patches of natural beauty, human interference has had an impact. While trying to enjoy the view, we couldn’t not notice the amount of rubbish in the area – carrier bags, beer bottles, cigarette packets, food packets, water bottles, and the charred remains of various fires people had lit for BBQ’s! It really spoiled it, and Berkay decided to do his bit and went around with a couple of empty bags collecting a lot of the rubbish up… It’s sad everyone doesn’t take their own rubbish with them!

You can access the road leading up to the look out point by foot or by car, but you have to walk the last little bit. It’s worth the effort for the view, and nice to see Ölüdeniz from a different angle.

Köyceğiz – Peaceful, Beautiful, lakeside views.

Posted on August 27, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

Back in June we were due to land at Dalaman late at night and needed to find a nearby cheap hotel for the night where we could just sleep before driving onto Denizli the next morning. Berkay was quite happy to drive around at midnight trying to find a hotel, atypical Turkish laid back attitude, however I kept bugging him to find one, so when we were sat at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen airport awaiting our connecting flight, he contacted his friend who suggested we stay at a hotel they’d been to in Köyceğiz, so after a very last minute booking, that’s what we did!

Köyceğiz is about 25 minutes from Dalaman airport, and it was around 1 am when we arrived and checked in at the Kaunos Hotel. After a day of travelling and having the stop over at Istanbul, we just fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows!

I woke up really early just after the sun had risen, and when I looked out of the balcony window I was greeted by this stunning view, the sky had a slight pink tinge and that early morning glow still lingered.

After getting ready and sorting out our bags we headed downstairs for breakfast which was a simple Turkish breakfast buffet. I had a brief look at the pool area which was really nice and peaceful but we didn’t have time to swim as we were driving to Denizli later that morning.

I insisted we have a little walk along the promenade after breakfast so I could take some photos of the beautiful Köyceğiz lake. Since it’s a lake and not the sea, its very calm and the surrounding mountains and clouds reflect perfectly on the still water, it’s quite clear so you can see to the bottom in the shallow places. The lake is the source of the Dalyan river, which meets the sea at Iztuzu Beach. Apparently, the lake was formed 7500 years ago, as a result of several earthquakes. A major fault line runs through it, and this is were the sulphuric hot springs that you visit at the nearby mud baths come from too.

There is no beach here, but a nice long promenade to walk along and take in the views. It was so peaceful we didn’t see any other people walking around, only a few street animals, some people having a rest on a bench, and a lonely boat moored up.

Köyceğiz is very quiet, there are a few basic hotels and cafes, a market on a Monday, and boat trips across the river, some of those going to the mud baths. Because the hotels are basic, they are very cheap, we paid less than 100tl for the night for both of us and there wasn’t any complaints from us! It’s got a real authentic Turkish feel and hasn’t been at all ruined by tourism, it’s a bit of a hidden gem for a relaxing few hours away from the hustle and bustle of nearby resorts like Dalyan, Sarigerme, etc.

5 Year Blog birthday!

Posted on August 18, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

Today is my 5 year blog birthday!

In August 2013 I was living in Turkey and had been living there for two years, I decided to start writing a blog to share my experiences and let people see that living there wasn’t all one big holiday! A month after starting my blog I actually moved back to the UK (which ended up being temporary..) and then it became more of a place just to write my thoughts about moving back. Then a few months later I moved back to Turkey again, carried on writing about life living there and exploring the area. Then of course, Berkay went into the army for his national service so I wrote about that a lot, if you’ve been following me since 2015 you will remember my countdown posts! He finished the army, we got married, applied for his visa and now we live in the UK.
I haven’t really been concentrating on my blog as much over the last year as I kind of fell out of love with the country a bit, having seen too much of a side I don’t really like… however, after our most recent holiday back in June I fell in love with the place again and have been trying to be more regular with my posts!

Back in April I finally reached 1,000,000, ONE MILLION views, which was very exciting, so thank you for everyone who reads my posts or follows me, really much appreciated!

Just for fun, here’s a link to my first ever blog post where it all began:
https://livingtheturkishdream.com/2013/08/18/a-little-about-me/

Panoramic views of Fethiye

Posted on August 11, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

If you want beautiful, panoramic views of Fethiye, a good place to head to is ‘Aşıklar Tepesi’ – roughly translated to ‘hill of lovers’. You can reach it by car, up a very steep winding hill road, or via foot, up 163 steps from a backstreet below.

Whenever we rent a car, we usually drive up and pull over for a while so that we can take in the views, and on our last trip we did that twice.

The view at the top is just stunning. The boat yard, harbour and amphitheatre to the left, the main bay, marina and town in the centre, and Calis in the distance to the right. All the buildings, especially the more traditional houses with white walls and red/orange roofs look good from high above too. You can see various mountain ranges in the far distance and the trees growing on the hillside just frame the view perfectly.

There are wooden seating areas hanging over the edge, some of them are very rustic and wobbly and I’m always a bit afraid of them breaking! There used to be a little cafe up there but it’s been gone for a few years now and it still looks a bit of a mess really. You’ll also find piles and piles of sunflower seed shells on the floor, since it’s a popular place for locals to come and sit with a packet of them, a beer and their friends. You can sit here for ages, watching the boats sail in and out, but it’s equally as spectacular at night with the whole of Fethiye lit up down below.

On the last day of our holiday back in June, Berkay’s family came to visit for the day since it was Bayram/Eid, so we took them up to the look out point and sat at a table with a couple of bottles of coke and some ice creams. His step-mum was too scared to stand too close to the edge so she took this photo of the rest of us instead, Berkay’s dad, brother, his brother’s fiancee and us.

Going, going, gone.. A Calis Beach sunset.

Posted on July 30, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

Anyone who has been following my blog for a while will know that my favourite thing to do in Turkey is watch a sunset, and there is no better place to do that than in Calis!

There’s just something special about sitting on the beach watching the sun slowly shrink and disappear, at the end of another day.

Cloudy sunsets are particularly impressive, but this was on a clear day back in June, although a bit hazy due to the heat. I stood on the sand in front of Jiva Beach hotel, pointed my camera and snapped photos as the sun disappeared behind the mountains and hills in the far distance, going from a full circle to a tiny red slither, leaving an orange glowing sky behind. I love the slow gradient from red to all shades of orange, so perfect, as if straight off of an artists paintbrush onto a canvas.

People were swimming in the sea admiring the sunset for themselves too, so there are a few heads bobbing around in my photos!

Apparently, watching the sunset can have actual benefits on our health and attitude. Not only does it get us outside in the fresh air, but it’s also inspiring and reminds us that we should be thankful for each day, for each morning the sun rises and each evening the sun sets. Watching a sunset can apparently also be a stress reliever, as we watch the sun disappear it can help us feel like the weight of the worries and stress of the day is lifted from our shoulders, we can put the troubles of the day behind us. The soft orange glow of the sky can help us see things in a new light, and notice the beauty in things that the harsh daylight can make us easily miss.

In the summer the sun sets towards the right hand side of the beach, so its partially blocked by the hill, but it still looks beautiful. In winter months however, the sun sets right on the horizon, right in the middle of the sea as you look at it from Calis Beach, I haven’t seen one of those kinds of sunsets for a few years, perhaps in October…

Dalyan – Dinner with a view, nightlife and something for everyone.

Posted on July 28, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

Aside from the beach, neither Berkay or I had visited Dalyan before, so when we had the chance to spend the night there we tried to make the most of it!

After coming back from the beach on the boat, I really fancied fish for dinner. Overwhelmed by the amount of restaurants to chose from, I messaged one of my Facebook friends who lives in Dalyan and she recommended we go to a restaurant called ‘Casa Nova’, where her husband works. So, off we went to find that restaurant and we were not disappointed! The whole restaurant was really nicely decorated and looked really fancy. Note the sign – you will see pomegranate signs and decorations everywhere in Dalyan as it is famous for its pomegranate growing, with millions of trees producing the fruit in the area.

The restaurant had a main menu to chose from, but also a cabinet full of fresh fish. We decided to share one as it was quite big! I can’t remember what kind of fish it was, but all I know is that when grilled and served it was very yummy! It was served with onions and tomatoes and chips, along with the side salad, bread, dips and olives we had already been given. My friend had also arranged for us to have a fruit plate for dessert, courtesy of her, bless!

The location couldn’t have been better either, a lot of the tables were already reserved but we managed to get one right on the waters edge, so we had a beautiful view while we were eating – we got to watch the sun go down behind the rocks, boats sail past and admire the floating garden boat while we ate, too! Considering how lovely the setting and the food was, the bill was very reasonable, so I definitely recommend it.

After dinner, we walked around the town centre, trying not to get lost! At night the roads are blocked off to traffic so you can wander around the many streets and side streets of the main town centre safely – it’s like a square maze of restaurants, bars and shops. There seemed to be the perfect mix of everything, something for everyone. Cocktail bars, coffee shops, souvenir shops, restaurants, and bakeries!

We stopped at one bakery for some cake, as they just looked too good to resist, but they were quite expensive, 30tl for 2 pieces, which shocked Berkay. He still talks about it now, “if i think about that expensive cake I can’t sleep”! I guess Dalyan is a little more expensive than what we’re used to in Calis and Fethiye.

By night, Dalyan still looks pretty, especially the rock tombs lit up, and the mosque in the town centre. I also loved that they had a little cat garden with beds safe for street cats and a bird house which seemed to be very popular with local pigeons!

We stayed at the Tezcan hotel, right on the waterfront by the marina. It was fairly basic but had clean rooms and a good buffet breakfast and was in a perfect location. The next morning before we left, we went for a stroll along the marina with a bag of dog and cat food and fed some of the local stray animals. It was so peaceful in the morning.

Over all I really liked Dalyan, the beach, the river, the scenery, nightlife, restaurants… there was definitely something for everyone and it caters for all kinds of tourists. A really lovely place!

Dalyan – A river boat, Lycian Tombs and Iztuzu Beach.

Posted on July 21, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

Our little mini-adventure on the way back to Calis from Denizli took us from Akyaka to Dalyan. We’d been there on a day trip once before as part of an organised coach tour but didn’t see any of the main town, so this time we decided to stay for the night and see a bit more.

We arrived at lunchtime and drove around for what seemed like forever trying to find our hotel! It seems the whole of the main town has a one way system going on and Berkay ended up very lost and very confused! After asking a lot of passers by, we finally found our hotel, Dalyan Tezcan Hotel, which was right on the waterfront.

After checking in, we packed a bag ready for the beach and headed to the waterfront and marina, literally only a 30 second walk took us to the ‘dolmus boat’ which runs regular trips down the river to Iztuzu Beach. I think it was 15tl each for a return journey.

The trip down the river, twisting and turning through the reeds lasts for around 45 minutes. On the way, the boats pass the very impressive Lycian rock tombs, carved into the cliff face. There are 6 main ones, the largest of which is unfinished. They have been there for thousands of years, silently overlooking Dalyan, watching the changes happen and the people come and go, oh the tales they could tell!

When we done this trip 5 years ago the boats stopped half way through and a nearby fisherman offered to sell you freshly cooked blue crab, but I don’t know if they still do this as we didn’t see any this time!

After the 45 minute trip along the river, the boat came to a sandy bank at one end of the beach, with a small jetty where people were able to disembark. The first thing we saw was this interesting sign, with lots of places listed and the distance to each one.

Iztuzu Beach is an arc shaped, 5km stretch of sand, it’s quite narrow and looks beautiful from above. You can get the boat to it like we did, or drive (or walk if you’re feeling adventurous!). The boats dock at one end of the arc and the car park is at the opposite end, so I suspect the car park end of the beach is probably less busy. It has toilets, a cafe and sun loungers/umbrellas, but other than that is relatively untouched, even the facilities are environmentally friendly though. Years ago there were plans for a hotel to be built on the beach, until in 1988 Prince Philip, as the head of the WWF, stepped in and begged the Turkish government to rethink. Following a study into the impact it would have on the environment and nature, the project got cancelled and the whole beach and surrounding area became a protected site.

The beach is a nesting site for the famous Caretta Caretta turtles, so you can only access it during the day, at night during the summer seasons the turtles come to lay their eggs. A team from Pammukale University have been researching and studying the turtles over a long period of time and have a turtle sanctuary set up at one end of the beach which we visited, but that deserves it’s own post, so I will write one soon!

The best thing about the beach is the golden sand, there aren’t many sandy beaches in the Dalaman area, a lot are stony and pebbly, with only Iztuzu and Patara really standing out to me as pure sandy beaches. The downside to the sand of course is how hot it gets, you know that feeling when you’re walking along in flip flops, getting your toes burnt, and the ridiculous run/dance you do to reach the sea when you decide it’s time to swim, then realise you’ve underestimated how hot the sand is and you have to run back to get your flip flips and take them to the waters edge with you anyway!

When we arrived at the beach it was lunch time and we were really hungry so we went to the wooden cafe and ordered some chips and drinks. Surprisingly, the prices were very reasonable, they could easily take advantage and charge a lot more. The shaded benches provided a very welcome break from the sun too.

There are wooden sun loungers and umbrellas available to rent on the beach, one sun bed and an umbrella was 10tl, and two beds and one umbrella was 15tl. We hired two and laid down sunbathing for a while before heading into the sea to cool off, it was an afternoon in early June so it wasn’t overly busy.

Apparently it gets very windy at this beach in the afternoon so it may be better to visit in the morning, although I can’t say that we had any problems, the sea wasn’t too wavy and it was lovely and relaxing.

When it was time to leave, we just headed back to the boat area and boarded one of the dolmus boats, then started the 45 minute trip back to Dalyan – the boat was very full though, barely enough room to squish our bums in!

Iztuzu beach is definitely worth a visit, if you want to do something really touristy, I recommend the boat taxi to the beach, but if you prefer things a bit quieter then maybe avoid the boats and make your own way to the beach instead, the boats can sometimes be a bit chaotic! The whole area, the reed-lined river, the pine covered mountain and the golden sandy beach is beautiful and very clean and it’s clear that it’s very well looked after, thankfully!

A Boat trip along the river Azmak, Akyaka..

Posted on July 7, 2018 by livingtheturkishdream

When I mentioned that I was going to Akyaka, someone recommended that we go on a short boat trip along the river, and when we arrived and saw how beautiful it was, that’s exactly what we did!

We found the ticket kiosk and asked how much it was, I think it was 10tl each but I’m not 100% sure, I can’t remember, but whatever it was it was cheap and well worth it! We were directed towards a boat which had a few people already waiting, and as soon as we got on, they started up the engine and off we went.

The Azmak river runs through the valley, winding, twisting and turning until it reaches the sea. It’s surrounded by tall reeds which make wonderful sounds when the wind blows.

We weaved in and out of the reeds and sailed along the crystal clear waters – they told us the water was a ‘natural aquarium’, perfect for the many fish living in it. It was so clear you could see right to the bottom, and it was deep! As we sailed along we admired it’s natural beauty, the sea plants and the shoals of fish swimming past, some were really big! We also saw a lot of pretty birds flying past or perching on the reeds singing.

The fish and the birds were’t the only wildlife, at one point we turned a corner and came across a gathering of ducks, Berkay referred to them as the ‘duck mafia’ because they were all grouped together. It soon became clear why – on the other side of the boat there were several restaurants lining the route of the river, some of which had seating areas actually IN the cold water! The customers at these restaurants were throwing food in for the ducks, which they definitely seemed to be enjoying!

One part of the river in particular seemed particularly popular with locals, and they had taken camping chairs and picnics and were sat on the edge of the river bank, under the trees, feet dangling in the cold water, although some of them were diving in, right in front of the boats! I suspect that it was only busy like that because it was a Sunday, and during the week it wouldn’t be so bad.

After around 15 minutes the boat turned around and started its journey back to the marina area, giving us all another look at that beautiful ‘aquarium’ area of the river.

The entire boat journey lasted about 30 minutes, but was well worth it, very relaxing and a real natural beauty. I think we timed it perfectly as well, as when we returned the sun was starting to go down, creating a nice glow over the boats moored up in the marina. If you visit Akyaka, I definitely recommend a trip down the river Azmak.