When Turkey is just like home

It was supposed to be a low season, holiday bargain, but Kusadasi proved to be a welcome surprise for Margaret Scully.

Sun, 13 Apr, 2014 - 01:00

Margaret Scully

DESTINATION Turkey is a place I never longed to visit. Not safe for women would have rated among the reasons, along with poor hygiene and a dislike for kebabs.

A work trip to the north east region in 2009 defused my preconceptions and I have been a fan ever since with Istanbul, the Kackar mountains and Cappadochia, among my highlights.

Joining hoards of holiday makers, in the resort town of Kusadasi, has never appealed to my adventurous spirit. While flight hunting, I stumbled across a low season bargain holiday which worked out cheaper than a flight only to Istanbul. Dublin to Izmir with 20 kilos luggage, airport transfers and seven nights accommodation on B&B basis for €295.

I phoned the number on the Wings Abroad website to confirm it was bona fide, and booked immediately.

Travelling with my mother, we planned to stay one night at the resort, then escape to the quaint little town of Selcuk nearby. Having visited the region before, I had no desire to spend a week in noisy Kusadasi.

Well, once again my preconceptions couldn’t have been more wrong. Arriving at the four star Golden Day Wings hotel was a very pleasant and peaceful surprise.

Immediately seduced by the tastefully decorated room, big balcony, comfy armchairs and sunset view over the Aegean, all thoughts of moving anywhere immediately evaporated.

All the guests came from Ireland, so there was a buzzy friendly atmosphere prevailing. I immediately knew it was the perfect place to bring Mammy.

Mary from Tipperary was off to the salon in reception to get her hair done, in preparation for the evening’s entertainment. Now this was all new to me, but the seasoned visitors were au fait with the hotel’s evening programmes.

We were lured to the Spa area and signed up for the €55 sultan package which included a body scrub exfoliation, foamy Turkish bath, full body massage, face mask and eyebrow shape or blow dry.

The Turkish bath was a fabulous start to the holiday and we saved the other treatments for later in the week.

A short steep stroll downhill from the hotel, the promenade led to the city centre and beyond. After 15 minutes we arrived in the harbour area and selected one of the many waterside restaurants.

Mezze starters are a staple on menus throughout Turkey. Small portions of grilled aubergine shakshuka, humous and stuffed vine leafs were served with freshly baked flat bread. The grilled sea bass with rocket salad and chips, cost €15, and went down a treat, as the water lapped beneath the pontoon floor.

As we meandered back along the sea front a man with a large telescope invited us to take a closer look at Mars and a planet that is only visible for a short period of time. Heading into the shopping area, beautiful carpets hung enticingly, alongside colourful ceramics and trillions of ornaments. In a few central streets both the restaurateurs and shop keepers were overly persistent, so we didn’t return.

We happily retreated back to the relaxing environs of the hotel where the ever smiling Olgu, greeted us at reception and reminded me how genuinely hospitable Turkish people are.

Sharon, the Wings Abroad representative, hosted a welcome meeting on day one. As well as giving practical information, she talked through the extensive tour menu which included a two-day Istanbul excursion.

Having already visited the ancient city of Ephesus, the House of the Virgin Mary and the cave of the seven sleepers, we were looking for alternative attractions.

We opted for a day trip to the Greek island of Samos, which would combine a breath of warm sea air and a chance for Mammy to see a little bit of Greece. Costing €40 this was an excellent choice and we spent the day rambling around the laid back island capital, Vathi.

Like Vathi, Kusadasi also has beaches and the main city beach was a five minute walk from our hotel. Long beach and Ladies beach are the most popular and easily reached by taking local transport, called the dolmus. The little buses cost €1-€2, and could be flagged down very near the hotel.

The sizeable hotel swimming pool was surrounded by sun loungers in a relaxing setting. However, Mammy is not one for lying around so we proceeded to explore.

The Dilek National Park is an idyllic forested park with walks and beaches, which took one hour by dolmus. At the small restaurant wild boar wandered over in search of our scraps just a few metres from the aquamarine waters edge.

Another excursion took us to our original destination, the quaint town of Selcuk, 30 minutes away. The Saturday market was buzzing and the colourful array of fruit, vegetables, olives, nuts, local cheeses, herbal teas and spices was mouth watering.

Traditional Turkish life is evident in Selcuk and the square is full of tea drinking elderly men, playing board games. Large columns span the town and each summer migratory storks arrive from Iran, to breed in the gigantic nests.

This natural attraction has never been marketed to visiting families, who are well catered for in the Kusadasi region. Europe’s biggest aqua park, quad biking, snorkelling, fishing and horse riding are among the activities on offer.

Having visited other areas of Turkey, I notice the concentration of Irish in the Kusadasi region. Clare man, Seamus Glynn, runs a number of popular Sunway hotels. Irish company, Wings Abroad is run by Tayfun Gokpinar and his Cork wife, Thecla.

Mammy, Mary from Tipperary and the holiday makers from all corners of the country lapped up the craic and conversation at the Golden Day Wings. The hotel staff had a great rapport with guests and did Cork, Kerry and Dublin accents with hilarious proficiency, and some spoke gaelic.

Once again Turkey succeeded in surprising and unveiling another unexpected gem.

Kusadasi is not only a worthy destination but a fantastic base for Irish mammies to go exploring.

Flights

Turkish Airlines

www.turkishairlines.com

Package holidays

www.wingsabroad.ie Tel: 01-8719444

www.sunway.ie Tel: 01-2311800

www.falconholidays.ie

Accommodation

Four Star Kusadasi: www.goldendaywings.com

Five Star Altinkum: www.venosa.com.tr