My Turkish holiday this year has been one pure adventure, from my Istanbul trip to my shameless Hisarönü weekend, its been non-stop! Last Monday saw me embark on my eleventh or so Jeep Safari, a trip that I know very well! Let's see if I saw any wild animals!?
Ready, set, go! Leading our convoy of Jeeps we made our way out of Fethiye towards the smaller towns and villages of Mugla province, Turkey. This full-packed trip doesn't stop for one second, well maybe for the ocassional rest stop every so often. Myself alongside my auntie Mandy, uncle Fudge and cousin Laura all watched the countryside change as we hurtled down the road at a high speed! Our first stop would be at Tlos, the site of a Greek ruin which was one a thriving community whilst Turkey's Greek population called this country home. Taking five minutes to marvel at the site and to be welcomed by our tour leader Semi, we had officially begun our Turkish Jeep Safari experience!
We didn't have any time to loose as we were back in the jeep's and on the road again. On thing to leave at home is your camera and phones because this trip is all about getting soaked by the opposition in the form of other jeeps that pass from other companies. Also watch out for the adorable children that stand on the side of the road to wet unsuspecting tourists as they pass in the jeeps, we were subjected to a series of soakings! My auntie Mandy took some boiled sweets along with us to throw to the village children as their eyes light up when they received a sweet from our passing jeep! So, sit back and enjoy the ride!
Moving ever closer to the Saklikent Gorge we made a short stop at Yakka Park, an oasis of calm at the foot of the mountains. Here we lazed in the Turkish seating areas whilst the other members of the trip braved the ice cold mountain waters, I had done this before and didn't plan on reapeating such a task again! Our time at Yakka Park was short but really sweet as we enjoyed a chocolate Turkish pancake (Gozelme) which was made by the village woman. As the day progressed it was time for us to move on to our next stop.
Subject to Turkish tourism law we visited a Turkish Carpet Factory,but having done this trip several times we opted to enjoy a cup of Turkish tea whilst everyone else saw what the fuss was about. At this point of the day we were nearing the halfway point. Arriving at Saklikent Gorge we took our seats for dinner, a simple but fulfilling meal that consisted of two chicken skewers with rice and salad. Usually on past Jeep Safari's we would of make our way into the Gorge to marvel at its beauty and to dip our feet into the sub-zero freezing water, but this time we lazed once again with the white water in our view, what's the deal with this mountain water? It's just too cold! Luckily I wasn't feeling to clever because my aunt, uncle and cousin decided to raft down to the foot of the mud-baths that we were going to. I opted to stay in the jeep for the short drive down to where we would meet the rest of the convoy! A wise choice I tell you!
It was time to get stuck in the mud! We were ready for our natural beauty treatment, well our tour leader Semi said that we would look ten years younger after our appointment with the mud! During my time in the mud-baths I quickly established I had no chance getting my footing right, so it was a great splat in the mud for me! Overall it was a side-splittingly funny ten minutes or so in the mud, now we just had to wash this matter from our skin! Washing ourselves free of this quick setting mud proved to be a interesting exercise as the river we used had a very strong current! Never-the-less we completed our muddy challenge with little stress!
Our drive from the mud-baths and onwards to our final location was simply breathtaking. We drove through Kumluova and the surrounding areas, where we were greeted with a wide array of beautiful views as we made our way closer to Patara Beach. The amount of character that oozed from these unassuming places was simply amazing! This truly makes me believe that the Fethiye Jeep Safari is the best value for money tour in the region as the amount of places we visited warranted the price of the safari!
Our Jeep Safari had come to an end, well not before a refreshing swim in the waters of Patara Beach. This beach has to be one of my favourites in Turkey, it just goes for miles and miles! I love this stop because it allows everyone to take some time to prepare for the drive back to Fethiye without having to rush. We enjoyed our time in the sea, got changed and had some food before returning to the jeeps for the final time that day. As I have previously mentioned this day out only gets better, through the years it always seemed to drag on forever but this time around the Jeep Safari experience passed through seamlessly without any hitches or delays. The drivers/guides work tirelessly everyday through the tourist summer season, only having one day off a week at the most but they do a sterling job. We used Cadianda Tours and I would definitely use them again if I decided to embark on another Jeep Safari!
Well, I personally didn't see any Giraffes, Lions or Rhinos but I had a fantastic day seeing the sights that I did see!
Çok Çok Teşekkür Ederiz!
Joseph Harrison
