Turkey has now become one of my favorite countries, not just for its cuisine but for its beauty and culture. After a long ferry ride from Greece, we arrived at the port town of Marmaris, Turkey. We walked about 4 kilometers to our hotel, carrying heavy bags. Thanks to booking.com, we had an apartment with Wi-Fi, breakfast, and a huge pool for just $11 a night.
Exhausted from the journey, we took a three-hour nap, had dinner, and went back to bed. Marmaris, though a pleasant port town, felt more like a hub for UK tourists. Everything was set up for them, from English breakfasts to fish and chips, and even HP sauce. It was essentially a tourist trap with internet cafes, souvenir shops, tourist agencies, restaurants, bars, and clothing stores lining the waterfront. We spent our time walking around and visiting the bazaar, but it wasn’t our kind of town.
After two nights, we sought a more secluded and tranquil place and chose Kabak, located along the Mediterranean. If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path spot in Western Turkey, this is it. We took a bus from Marmaris to Fethiye, then to Oludeniz, and finally to Kabak. From there, we walked down a 2-kilometer rocky path to our camp, Shambala. The area was absolutely stunning, set in a completely undeveloped region surrounded by trees, cliffs, and breathtaking views of the Mediterranean.
Shambala had a relaxed, hippy vibe, and we loved it so much that we stayed for five nights. It was perfect for budget travelers, complete with huts, bungalows, tents, a restaurant, pool, chillout area, and bar. We chose a hut at the back of the camp with the best views of the sea. Our hut had a bathroom and a mosquito net, which was essential since there was no window or cover on one side. We even had a spider incident with a giant, black spider that a staff member thankfully removed.
Every morning and night, a huge buffet of delicious food was served, included in the room price. We enjoyed trying different Turkish dishes prepared by a local chef. Breakfast featured local cheeses, cucumbers, yogurt, fresh bread, hard-boiled eggs, cereal, and Gozleme, a Turkish pancake. Dinners varied each night, but our favorite was the first meal with freshly caught tuna, eggplant rolls, sautéed mushrooms, rice, salad, local fruit, cream of broccoli soup, bread, and a rich chocolate pudding.
We spent a lot of time reading and sunbathing by the pool. On some days, we walked 20 minutes to a beautiful bay for swimming. However, there was no shade, so we couldn’t stay all day. The sea was the perfect temperature, with clear turquoise waters surrounded by cliffs.
One day, we decided to visit Butterfly Valley, known for its beautiful beach. We hiked 2 kilometers up from our camp to the main road, then hitchhiked with an Englishman to the top of Butterfly Valley. The descent was challenging, down a narrow, rocky path with ropes fixed to the cliffside for support. It took about 30 minutes to reach the beach, only to find it crowded with tourists from various countries. We went for a swim and then faced the tough hike back up, which took about an hour with many breaks.
Once at the top, we had trouble finding a bus or a ride back. We walked 4 kilometers in over 30-degree heat until someone finally gave us a lift to the turn-off for our camp, where we walked the remaining 2 kilometers. Along the way, we stopped for free spring water and ended up having a lovely conversation with a local and his friend from Istanbul. They offered us fruits and shared their lunch with us, which included Turkish pizza and a refreshing yogurt-cucumber-mint soup.
After a few days, we met a fellow Canadian, Kyle from Vancouver. We downloaded a hockey game and watched it on a laptop with some beers, occasionally disturbing the peaceful yoga retreat area with our cheers. Locals were curious about what we were watching but lost interest when they found it wasn’t soccer.
After five fabulous nights, we decided to move on to Olympos, known for its treehouses and bungalows in the forest – another great spot to relax.