Summer vacations in Turkiye, 2010-2013 (Oludeniz, Fethiye, Mount Babadag)

The year 2010 began in the world with the pandemic of avian flu. In my life, the beginning of that year was marked by two colds and one flu in between – in other words, three separate episodes of coughing, sneezing and a stuffy nose, with a fever during the second episode. For recovery, I “prescribed” myself a trip (to Morocco), and that was certainly a wise decision and did me a lot of good (see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/morocco-1/).

However, as the year went on, various problems continued to exist in my life: different complicated illnesses of my parents, which reflected on me as the primary person taking care of them, and in the meantime I fell in love, which was wonderful while I felt as if I were floating or filled with pink sparks stuck to the ceiling, but it ended in a crash that I experienced emotionally as if I had run full speed into a concrete wall. All in all, by the end of July I fell into depression. It lasted several weeks, but thanks to my wonderful friends and spending time with them, I very gently began to pull myself out of the evenly gray depths, with no support under my feet. Since I was not yet fully recovered, I realised that I needed a good rest, and since it was summer, it was logical to decide on a seaside vacation. The only thing that mattered to me was to go somewhere “where I wouldn’t have to think even about the water (for drinking).”

I did a bit of asking around and found exactly such a destination: a hotel in Turkiye, in a very beautiful location, which was all-inclusive, but small and modest enough that I wouldn’t spend hours walking from one end of the hotel or resort to the other. Perfect!

Although it may seem that with this story I am advertising a vacation in Turkiye, it is for me actually a blend of memoir and travelogue. On the one hand, it reminds me of all sorts of events both before and during the vacation, and as far as the trip itself is concerned, it was my first stay in Turkiye and based on it I could not draw many conclusions either about the country or about the people, since I mostly stayed at the hotel and my contacts were predominantly with the staff.

Unlike that trip through Morocco at the beginning of 2010, which was very active, this stay in Turkiye came down to rest and inactivity. In the end, it turned out that over the course of 12 days I only ate, slept, lay on the beach, swam, read, and stared into the distance.

Still, there were a couple of exceptions in terms of activities, even that first year when I went on vacation depressed and returned quite recovered, precisely thanks to the way I vacationed.

I went to the same place as many as three times, in the period from 2010 to 2013, and all three times I went alone (though not depressed the second and third times). The first time was because I decided on this trip literally about ten days before departure, so it was difficult to coordinate with someone. After that, I didn’t even try to find company, because I really liked not having to make absolutely any compromise or try to make an agreement regarding the organisation of the day. That, too, made the vacation exceptional – I fulfilled only my own wishes, without any exceptions or adjustments to others.

But a person either has to be that specific type or be prepared for something like that. From the outside, when someone vacations alone, it seems extremely strange. When you travel alone around the wide world, it may seem unusual, but, it seems to me, somehow also acceptable. However, a seaside vacation… Even I, when I see someone who is alone on a seaside holiday, think: “What’s wrong with him/her?” But whatever others may have think, what matters is how one feels, and it has never been possible to please the world anyway, so why even try?

So, let me begin with the story and the photos.

To start with, here is a map showing all the places and sites I visited during these vacations:

Oludeniz, a detail

I decided on a stay in the town of Oludeniz, which is about 14 km away from the town of Fethiye. Oludeniz is essentially a tourist resort (a beach vacation settlement) and is known for its wonderful beach, which is a mix of sand and small white pebbles. However, I did not stay in the settlement itself, but in a hotel about 1.5 km away from it, located on the shore of the Blue Lagoon.

As I can see online, in the meantime this hotel has been significantly renovated and altered, but its location has remained the same – it is situated on the shore of that lagoon, which is actually a bay with a very narrow entrance–exit section, practically a strait. Because of this separation from the open sea, the water in the bay is like a lake – calm and without waves. It does, however, clearly circulate through the lagoon, entering through the strait and exiting at the same place, only on the other side. In other words, that strait is like a two-way street.

Since the room pavilions are on a slope, the hotel also provided a funicular elevator. I most often went up to my room that way, but I liked to walk down on foot.

Oludeniz, a detail

The view from above was certainly extraordinary at any time of day.

Oludeniz, a detail

In Oludeniz in 2011

Even before I became more seriously interested in birds, I couldn’t help but notice Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) that would land near me, especially during breakfast.

Eurasian jay

But the main beauty of this place comes from that lagoon. Everything was especially stunning early in the morning and I would hurry through breakfast to get down to the beach as soon as possible.

Blue Lagoon

I enjoyed not only swimming, but I often found it pleasant just to sit in the shallows.

Enjoying the Blue Lagoon

From the water, the Babadag mountain massif rising above Oludeniz is also very clearly visible, with its highest peak reaching almost 2,000 m above sea level.

Oludeniz, a detail

Although I will talk about activities related to Oludeniz and Babadag, as I’ve mentioned, during all three years I mostly stayed on the beach, from morning until sunset, avoiding only the hottest part of the day, when I would retreat to my room.

Oludeniz, a detail

Sometimes in the afternoon, I would walk nonetheless to the town of Oludeniz and its beach. It took me about 20–25 minutes one way.

Oludeniz, a detail

The beach in Oludeniz, as I’ve said, is made up of sand and small whitish pebbles and often appears on lists of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean. Of course, that is always a very personal choice and I swam at this beach only once, though I certainly consider it exceptionally beautiful.

Oludeniz, a detail

What Oludeniz is also known for is paragliding (with an instructor, of course). The flight starts from the top of Babadag mountain and lands on the wide promenade by the beach, visible in the previous photo. But the people who work with paragliders are adjusting them all day, so they can often be seen near the shore.

Oludeniz, a detail

On the other hand, these instructors/pilots are very experienced and skilled, and they know how to land on the strip even though many people are walking along.

Oludeniz, a detail

As it can be seen, parallel to the beach and the pedestrian path/landing strip for paragliders, there is a wide lawn, followed by a row of restaurants. Behind that, the town spreads out with hotels, restaurants, shops, and everything else needed for a vacation and tourism.

Oludeniz, a detail

Although not always, sometimes I would walk to the end of the beach, and a couple of times I even asked some people to take a picture of me.

Oludeniz, a detail

At the beach in Oludeniz

Aside from these rare walks, during the first year I came across an offer to swim with dolphins. I had no idea what it would be like, but I had wanted to experience it for years. However, it was a huge disappointment for me. The dolphins, of course, were absolutely wonderful, but as I approached the pool where a couple of dolphins lived, I first noticed an unpleasant mix of a fishy smell and chlorine used to disinfect the pool. I was horrified! Poor dolphins. I really felt sorry for them.

But I had paid for the excursion and had come, so I decided to see what it was like. First, I petted them (there were two of them) from the edge of the pool and then a man who worked there told me to jump into the pool and grab their dorsal fins – one with my right hand, one with my left. Then they started pulling me in circles. I saw that the man working with them was signalling them with his hand to keep going in circles while I was between them. I was appalled. It seemed to me as if he was instructing them: “One more lap for the lady!” As if they were beasts for towing in some amusement park, not the majestic creatures I perceive them to be. I gave up very quickly, but I stayed in the pool a little longer to pet them. They were wonderful.

With a dolphin

Besides the fact that I truly regard dolphins as one of the pinnacles of the living world, I may have experienced this whole encounter even more negatively because I had the incredible luck to swim and literally play with baby sea lions in their natural environment in the Galapagos, without any human intervention (see: https://www.svudapodji.com/en/ecuador-4/). Being with dolphins in captivity is simply heartbreakingly sad.

However, I also went on an excursion that was completely enjoyable and, in my opinion, highly recommended. The trip is roughly called the “12 Islands” tour, and it involves sailing to several islands and coves where the boat anchors so passengers can swim. The excursion also includes lunch, as it involves several hours on the boat, while hotel transfers are also part of the trip.

Port in the town of Fethiye, a detail

I like boats and sailing, so I truly enjoyed this excursion.

Excursion “12 islands”

As I’ve mentioned, the captains of the boats, which vary in size, choose certain coves and then breaks are made there for swimming.

Excursion “12 islands”

The water was exceptionally clean and clear everywhere. Of course, it was also very warm, and swimming was pure enjoyment.

Excursion “12 islands”

Besides being able to enter the water via a ramp at the stern, it was also perfectly fine to jump into the water from the top of the boat. I wanted to do that, so I asked one of the people I interacted with on this excursion to take a picture of me while I jumped into the water.

Excursion “12 islands”

After the first jump I was very happy, and also full of hope that I would have a keepsake.

Excursion “12 islands”

Since it turned out that the first picture didn’t come out right, I had to jump again. Though not perfect, this one is certainly a much better photograph.

Excursion “12 islands”

One boat anchored near the shore where a thick rope was hanging from a tree, which some of the passengers on that boat used to swing into the water. It was all great fun.

Excursion “12 islands”

As it can be seen from the photos, boats of different sizes come here, but the principle is the same for all of them. On the other hand, no matter where the excursion boat stopped, the water was exceptional everywhere.

Excursion “12 islands”

By the way, although I am generally talkative and like to communicate with people, that first year I was intensively avoiding company. At the hotel there was a larger group of people from Serbia staying at the time, and there were also English and German guests. I would often greet the latter in passing, because they just say “Good morning” and “How are you?” without going into any details, and everyone goes their own way. That suited me.

Serbs, however, really like to socialise among themselves, while I was not in the mood for conversation at all – at least not during the first 8–9 days. Then one day, as I was walking towards the beach, an elderly lady woman from my group blocked my path and started talking to me. Since I had recovered quite a bit by then, it didn’t bother me and she accompanied me all the way until I took a sun lounger on the beach. There she began to “question” me.

I found it a bit funny, because I could assume that to her and her friends, who very soon joined us, I must have seemed absolutely strange: alone on vacation, yet not giving the impression of being a total lunatic. Obviously, they were curious to see what that was all about. In the end, I even made such a good impression on that first lady that she asked for my phone number to pass on to her son – in other words, I got the mom’s blessing in advance. The son never called, which meant that he was, after all, a normal man, because it really would have been strange for a mother to set him up with someone and for him to go along with it.

However, at one point that woman asked me, “Aren’t you bored?” I told her that I was used to it, that I lived alone and besides that at the time I read a lot and swam, and since the area was beautiful, I also enjoyed looking at the surroundings. But on the last day of that first year, I was lying there on a sun lounger, reading and then I put the book down staring into the distance. And that question came to my mind again, so I asked it to myself: “How is it that I’m not bored?”

So, I was completely relaxed and it was like a moment of psycho-therapy where I let my mind freely express open associations. And then, suddenly, from some back part of my brain, quite spontaneously, the following thought flew into my head: “Well, I am the most interesting person I know!”

At first, I surprised myself and then I burst out laughing. Very quickly, reason kicked in, so I looked around and fortunately at that moment there was no one else on the beach. As if vacationing alone weren’t enough, I was also laughing out loud, with no one around me, no one had said anything and nothing had happened. Maybe I should reconsider the idea that I’m not a “total lunatic.” Just kidding, of course.

I was so impressed by this discovery about myself that for days after returning home I told everyone what had happened to me. My brother criticised me and said that I was a terrible egocentric, but then I explained it to him, while in the meantime I also consulted a friend who is a psychologist, that in fact everyone should be to themselves the most interesting person they know.

In order for me to establish relationships and voluntary communication with people (I don’t necessarily mean people we meet at work and the like, which is imposed in a certain way), I have to have some “fragment” of those people within myself, and vice versa. If you add to that my conscious, unconscious, subconscious, collective unconscious – well, that’s a whole party going on in my head!

That is why I am not bored with myself, because I truly know how to entertain myself very well, including through various theories about everything and anything in this wide world.

But let me return once again to the story of vacations in Oludeniz.

One year I arranged an “excursion” for myself to the nearby town of Fethiye and for that I used one of the minibuses that serve as public transportation.

Oludeniz, starting point of minibuses

Fethiye is a coastal town in south-western Turkiye, located along the coast of the Aegean Sea. The town existed as early as antiquity and was then called Telmessos. It had a famous oracle and rich trading activity, while it was also an important maritime stronghold. In the ancient period, it was ruled in turn by Persians, Greeks and Romans, while later came the Arabs, followed by the Seljuks and the Ottomans.

Although the town has an interesting history, I was here only walking around, without any ambitions related to sightseeing.

Fethiye, a detail

First, however, I walked to a market, since I generally like markets regardless of whether I intend to buy anything there or not.

Fethiye, a detail

There is also a seaside promenade in the town, but a casual walk through the centre can be interesting as well.

Fethiye, a detail

Above the town, on a hill, stands the fortress of Telmessos or Fethiye Kalesi. The fortress dates back to antiquity, when it served to control the harbour and the surrounding area, but its present appearance is largely the result of later additions made by the Knights of St. John in the 15th century, after their brief conquest of this part of the coast. It was later used by the Ottomans, with certain modifications. Over time, the fortress was damaged several times, especially in strong earthquakes, so today only parts of the walls and towers are visible.

Fethiye, a detail

I was too lazy to climb up, so I continued my walk through the flatter parts of the town.

Fethiye, a detail

By far the most interesting excursion, at least for me, was the paragliding flight from the top of Babadag, which, as I’ve mentioned, is almost 2,000 m high. The flight lasts about 30–40 minutes, while the landing is on the promenade next to the beach in Oludeniz. At the time when I vacationed in Oludeniz, these paragliding flights were organised in the morning and later in the afternoon. I assume the reason for this lies in air currents. I opted for the morning version.

To begin with, we drove to the top in an off-road vehicle.

Paragliding in Oludeniz, a detail

Unlike most of the mountain, which is covered with forests, the summit is completely bare, but the view in all directions is extraordinary.

Paragliding in Oludeniz, a detail

I came here with a few other guys and they were very friendly. Some of them even asked to take a picture together, so here’s that keepsake.

Company at the paragliding trip in Oludeniz

Many people come on this excursion, so the summit is very crowded, with pilots preparing both the paragliding wings and the flying tourists. This is tandem paragliding, which means two people fly using the same wing. Specifically, the pilots control the wing the entire time, while the “passengers,” i.e., the flying tourists, simply fly passively.

Paragliding in Oludeniz, a detail

That’s how I got a helmet (which later “disappeared” from the photos and I don’t actually recall what happened to it) and there were also straps that were part of the harness system.

Paragliding in Oludeniz, a detail

Long ago, in the early 1990s, I had already flown a paraglider on Mount Zlatibor, Serbia, and back then I flew solo thanks to detailed instructions from a guy who was planning to turn it into a “business.” It was a training wing, so that’s when I first learned that there are different categories of wings, although I don’t know any other details. To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in the technicalities; I just wanted to experience flying again in Turkiye, but this time for much longer than those few minutes the flights on Zlatibor seemed to last. Admittedly, back then, I flew 6–7 times in a single day, as far as I remember. This is also a good moment to recall that experience.

Paragliding on Mount Zlatibor, Serbia, in 1991

So, the paragliding wing is laid out on the slope, you are strapped into the harness and when you’re ready, you start moving forwards while everyone shouts, “Run, run…” – while you feel like there’s a wall behind you that you have to pull. But if you manage to tug the wing hard enough for the wind to catch it and lift it, then running becomes relatively easy. There are also others around to help give you a little “push.”

Paragliding on Mount Zlatibor, Serbia, in 1991

The feeling is truly extraordinary.

Paragliding on Mount Zlatibor, Serbia, in 1991

In Turkiye, it was easier, because the pilot did almost all the work, but you still had to run a little and then pure enjoyment began.

Paragliding in Oludeniz, a detail

The pilot skilfully controlled everything, which allowed me to take photos, since my hands were free.

Paragliding in Oludeniz, a detail

These pilots are experienced and skilled enough to both control the flight and record a video.

But, as it can be seen from the video, I was quite occupied with both enjoying the experience and taking photos.

Paragliding in Oludeniz, a detail

So, those vacations in Turkiye were truly extraordinary and they took place when I really needed them. I don’t know what the rest of the Turkish coast or other resorts are like, but what I saw and experienced here in Oludeniz and the surrounding area is one of my favourite memories, and I often think it would be wonderful to go back. However, although this destination was never inexpensive, the prices have gone up so much that this is out of my financial reach now, but the longing remains…

Menu