Turkey 2019
Updated: Aug 28, 2022
📍Turkey - Side
✈️BHX to AYT
🛌£25 A Night
Airport to Side
This was another spur of the moment trip. I booked my flight two days before departure.
Do you ever get that feeling where you just want to go on holiday? Yep, me too. Solo travel makes last-minute trips so much easier as there's no waiting to see if everyone else has a free schedule.
I booked my transfers in advance through a reputable travel site as I was arriving late and didn't want to chance getting a taxi. The transfer time was about an hour, but this isn't something that generally bothers me.
Side
I chose to stay in Side as this isn't your typical tourist hotspot, it's a lot quieter and gives you an insight into what the "real Turkey" is like. I did consider staying in Lara beach however reviews made it seem as though it was just a sea of luxury hotels with not much character. I'm not one of those people that can sit around a hotel all day and relax. I get bored.
Side is oozing with culture. There are many Ancient Roman ruins found throughout the city. In the old town, you will find a wide variety of shops selling spices, textiles, bags and fake designer gear. If that's your thing😂. Shop owners were very friendly often inviting me in for a cup of traditional Turkish tea. I later realised this tea was made with tap water. If you know you know😂😂😂😂.
Another thing that stood out to me was the number of cats roaming the streets of Side. Restaurant owners would often bring out food to cats lurking outside. There was also some kind of outdoor cat shelter in Side Town, see video below.
Adventure
I explored a lot of Turkey on foot. Side old town is a good starting point in terms of finding something to do. The food! I thought I hated kebabs until I went to Turkey. So definitely try out some of the local restaurants.
The highlight of my trip was scuba diving. This was a first for me and was one of those holiday moments you'll remember forever.
I also booked a tour of Antalya that included a cable car ride and views of lots of waterfalls. Initially, I was amazed at the sites of the Düden waterfalls as this isn't something you see every day. However, after seeing 10 waterfalls throughout the course of the day I was over it and ready to go home!
The Tünektepe Teleferik cable car ride was amazing though boasting panoramic views of the city below. The ride is 10 minutes give or take, 650m up a mountain. Once you reach the top you are free to get off take in the scenery or relax over a cup of coffee in one of the many restaurants.