We have just returned from our third trip to Yalikavak and once again we had a wonderful time.
Wondering why our third trip well … It’s such a lovely place it draws us back. The village is small enough to have plenty going on both day and night. Whether its browsing the small shops, cay ( tea) at the local cafes, or picking up the freshly baked bread, nothing is hurried its all at a relaxed pace.
We like that we can sunbathe on the beach and have drinks and a sandwich or lunch served stress free – often time flies by and next thing we know we are watching a lovely sunset. Sometimes we just sit in the café bars and watch the world go by with a cold Efes. At night there is often some small craft stalls set up worth a browse.
In the evening its nice to walk along the seafront and just enjoy the atmosphere. The weekly market is also fun to bargain at. I think what truly brings us back is that the people are warm, welcoming and friendly. There has been a new marina built this year and has the most luxurious yachts well worth looking at.
Each year we find that there is maybe one or two new restaurants but by and large it doesn’t change much. It’s nice to be greeted by friendly faces we have come to know. This year we tried some of the fish restaurants along the far side past the marina and the fish was excellent.
During previous visits to Yalikavak we have done the various boat trips, along with Ephesus, Milas Market and trips to Kos and Rhodes so this year we decide on something different – A trip to Istanbul for 2 nights / 3days!
We had looked online and found that Atlas Jet offered reasonable priced flight when booked in advance. The airline offered a free bus transfer from Bodrum bus station too so all we had to do was get a dolmus there. The flight took an hour to get to Istanbul and as we flew up we were served tea and a sandwich. As it was a daytime flight (0830) and we could see Izmir and the beautiful coast line all the way there.
Arriving in Istanbul we headed for the metro train below the airport that took us into Sultanahmet where we stayed at a small boutique hotel 5 minutes walk from the major sights and about 10 mins from the Bazars. We spent two days visiting the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, The Basilica Cistern, Grand Bazar, Spice Bazar then on the last day we crossed over the Galata bridge to Taksim then onto the Galata Tower. We finished off with a boat trip on the river where we saw the Palace and various other notable buildings.
We left Istanbul in the evening after a very enjoyable visit and the only words I can use to describe the trip is Istanbul is a fascinating city and a must see!
Entry fees are payable in most of the aforementioned sites but they are not expensive.
