Turkish Delight-Kusadasi!

Day 3 of my cruise on the Splendour (if you missed my Dubrovnik post click here )

When ever I visit Turkey I feel like I’m going home. In fact it was actually home for me for 4 years back in the 1990’s. I lived in the Bodrum area, Altinkum & my last 2 years were spent in Kusadasi.

As the nearest port to one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, Ephesus most people tend to disembark &  jump straight on a coach & head off to the magnificent ruins. And as ruins go it’s definitely one of the most impressive in the world. The tour guides really bring the place to life & make you see what life was like  back in the 10th century BC. Amongst other things you can see the remains of the Temple of Artemis, the Library of Celsus & the Temple of Hadrian. My advice would be don’t go it alone. Without the knowledge of the guides it may as well be a pile of old stones.

As a holiday rep I have visited Ephesus more times than I care to remember, so the day we spent  in Kusadasi involved reminiscing, shopping & visiting old haunts.

The ship docks right in the town, so no need for shuttle busses. As soon as you exit the port you will be opposite the ancient Kervanseray which used to be used as a resting stop for trains of camels in the olden days. Today it’s a beautiful setting for a Turkish Night where you dine under the stars & watch traditional Turkish music & dance. A couple of my guests even got married in there.

Kusadasi is a big town & there is a large bazaar close to the cruise port. There are also 2 local markets. One on a Friday in the main town area & one on a Tuesday which is slightly out of town, towards the Ladies Beach area.

You can talk a stroll along the sea front from the cruise port right up to the Marina area. This will take a good half an hour or so. Alternatively if  you want  to shop there are endless opportunities. Both gold & leather are of high quality & great value. I f you walk up the side of the Kervanseray you’re entering the main shopping area. You’ll know about it as this is where the shopkeepers start to hassle you. “Cheaper than Primark”! “I give you an Asda price” etc etc. It’s all harmless & fun.

 There is a big poster when you leave the cruise port stating that buying copied goods is illegal. Turn the corner & you are right next to the bazaar which is absolutely full of the stuff. “Genuine fakes” are a plenty & if they removed them all from Kusadasi’s shops  there would be hardly anything left open!

If you take a right down any of the little alleys you will find yourself in Kaleici (which means inside the castle). There is no castle, but lots of little narrow streets full of souvenir shops, restaurants & bars. It’s really atmospheric on an evening & has some cool open air bars & discos where the beautiful people hang out until the small hours.

As well as the usual touristy fare, you can get some great authentic Turkish food down these streets as that’s where a lot of the locals go themselves.

If you want to immerse yourself even further in to the Turkish traditions there is also Turkish bath where you can get a good old rub down & get your limbs stretched. Great fun!

There are 2 big waterparks just outside Kusadasi, Adaland & Aqua Fantasy. Boat trips are plentiful & great value for money. You can pick up a full day stopping at different spots with lunch for around £10. If you do decide to go on one  check what time you have to be back on board as the boats don’t generally return until around 5pm.

There are beaches on the outskirts of the town centre which you can reach by the local dolmus bus service. Ladies beach is about a 10 minute journey & Long beach about 20 minutes.

Basically Kusadasi has just about everything you could want in a cruise port – history, culture, shopping, beaches plus great food & drink.

Can’t wait to return home again soon!

To read my Santorini blog click here

Here are some of the trip offered by Royal Caribbean based on 11th October 2014 prices.

HIGHLIGHTS OF EPHESUS

COST $96 Adult &  $73 child

DURATION 5 and a half hours

MY OPINION It’s a good trip to take in the main sights of Ephesus, although quite costly if you have kids. Beware of the dreaded carpet ‘demonstration’. It’s hard sell!

EPHESUS & SIRINCE

COST $100 Adult $80 child

DURATION 6 hours

MY OPINION For the extra 4 dollars I would chose this trip over the previous one as you go to Ephesus plus you go to the lovely traditional village of Sirince, high up in the mountains. You get to sample the locally produced olive oils & wine & see how the locals live.

KUSADASI WALKING TOUR

COST $60 Adult  $40 child

DURATION 5 hours 15 mins

MY OPINION. This tour takes you to Pigeon Island, the Byzantine Castle, an art gallery plus a Turkish bath (a real experience)! This is a bit more of a reasonably priced trip, however you could probably do this on your own for about $20.