Antalya…was love at first sight. We were enamored by the southern Turquoise Coast that glimmered before our eyes. It’s easy to see how this area explodes with Russian and European tourists during the summer months, but for us, being here in March, it was blissfully slow paced, and sweetly idyllic as it woke up from its winter, sleepily welcoming the spring sunny days ahead.

We arrived at the inglorious hour of 5:00 am after taking a flight from Amman at the horrific (nobody needs to be boarding an airplane at this hour) 2:50 am. Needless to say, we weren’t exactly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when we touched down in Antalya. We had to wait around at the airport until about 7… because of some issues with getting change to buy tram tickets to the center… which we couldn’t because everything was closed, because it was 5:30 am, ugh! So, we grabbed our first Turkish tea, and waited. Once on board the sleek new tram was super cheap ($0.43) and efficient taking us within a 5-minute walk to our door, where our absolutely incredible Airbnb hostess, Feriha, let us check in super early, and graciously allowed us a chance to grab some sorely needed sleep. Soooo grateful!!! When we awoke, we were greeted with a balcony view that baffled us!  We saw huge rugged snow-capped mountains, swaying palm trees, and the bluest Mediterranean water. It was beautiful! Suddenly we were wide awake and so very happy to be in Turkey! 

We couldn’t have asked for better AirBnB hosts in Feriha and Robin. It was truly like hanging out with friends, and we enjoyed having thoughtful political, religious and cultural conversations with them over drinks and breakfast. Not to mention, there were lots of nice little touches including a remarkably yummy Turkish breakfast all for $17/night. By the way, breakfast quickly became a time to celebrate, and our favorite meal of the day in Turkey.

It was time to get out and explore the sun-kissed tourist hot spot of Antalya! Ah…the benefits of low season travel…time to slooooow down!

Roaming these nearly empty streets was so much fun!

Visiting the lovely little marina

We noticed we weren’t the only ones taking it easy…

And free, all-you-can-get-off-the-tree oranges! The kind that are so juicy they cover your face, chin and clothing when you’re done. Divine! (And yes, a worthwhile sticky mess.)

Mandy’s in kitty heaven. One thing about Turkey we love is how they treat their street animals with kindness and generosity, especially felines. There are multiple “cat parks” in Antalya where stray kitties can go to receive food, water and shelter (notice their houses), as well as lots of attention from all the passerby’s. And of course, local residents also get the opportunity to adopt. We wish we could take one, but it might not be so comfy in our backpacks. 

One of the central fountains of Antalya.

Hadrian’s Gate, which was built to honor Roman Emperor Hadrian when he visited Antalya in 130 AD. It is the only remaining triumphal arch leading into the old city remaining. 

We stumbled onto a street which any man should avoid if his girlfriend is hinting for a proposal… dozens and dozens of bridal shops with glitzy western-style gowns, as well as a few offering traditional Islamic wedding dresses.

Inside one of the beautiful mosques we were able to take a peek in. A few respectful things to remember when visiting a mosque…

1. Women must cover their heads
2. Everyone must remove their shoes outside
3. Don’t take pictures of anyone praying inside
4. Don’t raise your voice
5. Wear proper clothing that isn’t revealing 

Taking a break for a Turkish tea. It does not matter how often we tried to dodge this extremely bitter national drink (obviously acquired taste), it always landed in front of us at all hours of the day. And when it did, we were tossing in the sugar cubes attempting in vein to subdue the bitterness. ?

Although we didn’t urm… adore the tea, Turkish food was another story. We “survived” on doners, kofte, kebab, meze (small portion plates) and salads. And all of it…delicious…and cheap. Our average meal for two was about $3-$6. Worth noting, the Turkish Lira has dropped an astounding 40% to the dollar in recent months, making it significantly cheaper to travel here now than in recent years.

The beginnings of our civilization…

In another Turquoise Coast town of Kalkan, toward the end of our Lycian Way hike, we found a small town with a distinctly Greek feel.

The sparkling sea peeks its way through every alley. Notice the Turkish eye hanging from the window on the left. This talisman (even has an emoji)?is said to protect against the evil eye. The evil eyeis a curse or legend believed to be cast by a malevolent glare, usually given to a person when they are unaware. Many cultures believe that receiving the evil eyewill cause misfortune or injury. (Thanks Wikipedia)

This was taken shortly after we met a retired British guy who’d been living in Kalkan for 14 years. He said moving to Turkey was the best decision he’d ever made, and he never looked back.

For our final stop on our Lycian Way walk, we kicked back in the town of Kaş for three amazing days and nights. Kas is ideal for discovering the dramatic surrounding coastline. However, we had already done a lot of exploring on our 100k walk to get here so we were drawn to staying in a bit and “splurging” on probably our favorite Airbnb in a long, long time… ($34/night)…a total score, two bedroom penthouse apartment with a unbeatable killer view and balcony. It was also directly next to the town’s minaret, so we got well acquainted with the calls to prayer, including the 5:30 am one. Note: we learned all call to prayers are issued in Arabic not Turkish. Especially interesting in Turkey because most Turks don’t understand Arabic…

Pictured is a sunset from our balcony. The geopolitical oddity of the Greek island Kastellorizo lies just offshore here. So close you wonder if you could swim to it. This is the furthest east and most isolated of the Greek islands.

Some shots of our fab pad. We also got to really savor the view with our first sip of wine since England ($5 for a local bottle.)

Where the wine was sloshed. 

The Roman amphitheater in Kaş was a relatively quick walk from our flat. It wasn’t particularly jaw-dropping itself, although in incredible condition, but the view and backdrop was spectacular. Even in ancient times they appreciated the ridiculous view!

Walking out onto the Kaş peninsula.

The beach we hung out at for awhile. For obvious reasons ?. The water was just stunning, crystal clear and shades of turquoise water that reminded us of the gorgeous Yucatán Coast in Mexico.

And here come the door pictures ❤️

Another beckoning beach. 

On another day, we picked up the Lycian Way trail heading out of Kas for a short ~10k hike to to another secluded beach in the coastal village of Limanagzi, only accessible by foot or boat. We spent a couple hours in the serene solitude of this picture postcard empty village sitting on the docks and, from time to time, sea turtles surfaced with an elusive flip of a fin. 

Mandy stands next to the vision of her perfect ‘future’ scooter.

Three days in Kaş passed all too quickly and it was so sad to say güle güle. We could’ve stayed another week here, easily! Reluctantly though we headed back to Antalya and were happy to be reunited with our mobile homes.

The day following, we hopped a bus, which are GREAT in Turkey. Buses are the way to go in this country, Super cheap ($5 for about a 3.5-hour ride), efficient, comfortable, and with amenities like TVs and a bus attendant who gives you complimentary drinks and snacks. (Just make sure to keep your shoes on during your journey…we learned taking them off in public is a big cultural no no in Turkey.) Next up… another great wonder of Turkey.