Travel: Marmaris, Turkey

You may have noticed the endless amounts of holiday spam across Instagram and Facebook these past few weeks – sorry but not sorry.

If you didn’t know, I went on holiday to tenacious Turkey and what a great time of year to go too. The weather in the UK was dropping, temperatures there were rising and it wasn’t overrun like peak season.

If you are looking for a good holiday, that does not have to cost the earth I would highly suggest Turkey! For under £2,000 for a small group of people, we were able to spend about two weeks in a luxury five-star, all-inclusive hotel, set in the beautiful location of Icmelar! Surrounded by an idyllic blue ocean lagoon and rolling mountains, the scenery is something to behold!

The hotel – Marmaris Palace was a peaceful and relaxing stay, with the friendliest staff! Our room was comfy, with a slight ocean view, (a better ocean view can be arranged upon request) spacious rooms and the hotel décor itself was stylish and chic.

The hotel food was delicious, with maybe the odd night of cold food on the buffet and of course the cocktails were delicious, and many went down a treat and perhaps too often (but what are holidays for right?). The hotel also had its own private beach and jetty/pontoon/decking (I heard it referred to all three of those descriptions), which was a favourite spot to layout and sunbathe. It was the most peaceful location out of everywhere, with the best views and comforting sounds of the sea gently lapping up the sides. The sea was as clear as glass and the colour of a turquoise diamond. However, the only niggle I have (pun coming that is not meant to be a pun) the fish nibbled at you. I presume they must be the same breed as the ones you have in salons. I wasn’t so keen on them - considering they went for the blisters on my feet, from my heels the night before! So apart from the standard situation of my chasing the sun and trying to tan my hardest, let’s see what there is to do in Marmaris.

Top ten things to do in Turkey:

·       Get yourself a boat trip! There are so many luxurious and grand ships/yachts moored up in the harbour, situated in Marmaris. Have yourself a lazy day boat tour – sunbathe on the loungers on top deck, eat, drink, and swim in the lagoons. Take in the scenery of the mountains and open oceans and enjoy!

·       Marmaris harbour – I had plenty of fun just casually walking around the harbour, checking out the yachts, picturing myself cruising around the world and living the high life! There are some highly impressive “boats” there believe me!

·       Grand Bazaar – If you like designer things, this is the place for you. It is of course all fake but incredibly close to the real thing I must say! The prices are impressively cheap but still prepare to haggle with them for a good bargain! Do not be put off, if it seems overwhelming in terms of them getting a tad in your face, be polite and get used to it.

·       Visit Turtle beach! Book yourself a day out on a boat, visit the Turtle beach to witness the marine turtles in their natural habitat. You will also have a pleasant river cruise on a small taxi boat afterwards and weave through the reeds, to see the temple of the King, creatively carved into the mountains. There you will also see the tombs of his wife, children and right-hand men. You will end the day trip, with a visit to the traditional Turkish mud baths. Turkish mud baths are said to provide you with a clean, youthful glow after using.

·       The waterparks - with numerous parks located in Marmaris you can have a splashing time! They are easy to book, simply find a rep at your hotel, or you can go into the town of Marmaris. There are plenty of shops/guides selling tickets, far cheaper than the holiday reps.

·       Marmaris Castle boasts beautiful views from the top point. Easy to find, as it is situated just off the marina. So, enjoy a leisurely walk and take in the views.

·       Trip to Rhodes – what is better than getting to visit two places whilst away? You can easily organise a day trip to Rhodes. I suggest going to book this in town through one of the guides as it is cheaper than booking via your holiday company or hotel. They will ask you to bring your passports and take a photo of you for a day visa, three days in advance. It is an astonishing cheap price of £47.00 for the whole thing. You will be taken across by ferry and enjoy a good six hours in the city of Rhodes. I would recommend booking the trip and take advantage of visiting a part of Greece.

·       Visit the holy house, of the Virgin Mary. You can easily book a trip, to take a visit to the house where the holy Virgin Mary lived. Guides are available to book this, in Marmaris town.

·       Learn to dive! Marmaris and Icmelar offer a whole range of diving courses. You could come back a pro if you really want to! Dive into the exciting undersea world!

·       Nightlife – you can enjoy the great nightlife Marmaris has to offer. With a bar street – the name says it all really, with a number of luxurious clubs, that suits everyone’s tastes.

That is just a handful of things to do in Marmaris/Icmelar. I think my favourite parts were the jet skiing, walks along the beach to Icmelar – enjoying the picturesque points of the town - the small and beautiful bridges over the water, the colourful flowers and the beach bars lined along the say.

I would definitely recommend a trip over there, it is such good value for money, the people and scenery are amazing! All the boxes were ticked and I now cannot wait to see where we go exploring next! I don't want to bore you with all my holiday pictures, you can head to the Gram for that, but here is a short video instead.

Love Chlobo's Closet

xx