Tommmo

Hi. We are flying Rome to Rhodes in late Sept. and after a few days will cross to Marmaris and pick up a rental car for two weeks and head towards north .
We have driven Antalya-Izmir before but suspect there are special places along the coastline like Datca peninsular etc.
Can someone give advice on a route along the coast that includes quiet little towns,spectacular scenery, small family run pansiyons,ferries etc ? I hope we can get as far as Assos before possibly returning the car to Izmir (no drop off fee) and going on by plane or bus perhaps, to Istanbul.
Promise to be discreet about "secret" places....

colonna

We had a lovely time in Datca about 5 years ago, got hotel and restaurant names from a book and website called something like "Wonderful Small Hotels of Turkey". I can't find the website (and I lent the book to someone), but maybe someone else knows the right name. I hope so, would love to be able to find the website again.

We spent a week on Datca in a small hotel (the family name was "Pumpkin" in English)-- a beach, a bungalow, great food. We also drove out to Knidos, not the best road but worth it. Also went to the restaurants in (I think) Antalya on islets in the river, where ducks beg for your scraps. If you decide to do this, use the highway, not the seemingly more direct route on the map, which is a one lane logging road (3 hours to go 25 miles).

colonna

I found the name of the book and the author: The Best Small Hotels of Turkey [Paperback] Sevan Nisanyan, some copies available on Amazon.

Tommmo

I'll look that up colonna - thanks
Tom

otherchelebi

Welcome back. You are due to see some other interesting areas and sites, quite a few of them raher different from the ones you visited last year.

One bad news regarding the Nisanyan book. he gave away all rights on the book to his former wife, at their rather messy divorce some years ago and the book is not as good or useful as before, and the older editions may not be very helpful because of frequent changes in ownership and quality.

datca peninsula is lovely. the roads have improved tremendously since Colonna's visit. however, it would require possibly two overnights to visit the area and you may wish to push North immediately so as not to miss some areas more different than the ones you visited last year. If you do go to Datca:
- the location of Cnidos is nice butthe ruins are not very exciting
- Hayit buku bay was our favorite and Ogun's B&B had an excellent restaurant and beach with comfortacle cane chairs and good free wi-fi.
- Palamut buku bay, larger bay but again lovely
- Bozburun, laid back pretty town with good food and very scenic.
- Bozburun had three more bays you could drive down and all very nice. But we could not locate any of the historic sites we could see on our map.
- Buy oregano and/or thistle flower honey (possibly at Yaka Koy on the way to Cnidos) they are both very delicate and excellent honeys.
- Have a look at Hotel Chateau Triophia at Yakakoy, the original owner a banker loved Gaudi and had an artistic bent. Had excellent suite rooms two years ago.

If you decide to move up North immediately, and i do recommend that you do not stay in Marmaris:
- if it is late, stay at Gokova
- There are a number of sites from Mugla towards Aydin, near Cine and around Yatagan which we always seem to miss. Tell us if you get a chance to visit them.
- If you take the Milas road, drive towards Miletus, then turn North towards Karine and Doganbey village, have fish at Karina restaurant, visit the old Greek village and the nature museum, then drive back via Priene road to Soke, by-passing Kusadasi and Selcuk, since you've already been there, and continue on the coastal road to seferihisar. Visit Teos, cose to this chill-out town, then move to Cesme to Izmir.
- If you do not wish to go through Milas as in above alternative, continue towards Odemis from Aydin and and then visit Birgi to stay at Cinar Pansiyon. Then visit Bozdag and Sardis.

- This is getting too long, so just briefly your recommended options North of Izmir are:
-Foca (new and old)
- Aizanoi
- Pergamon
- Kaz mountains
- Assos/Behramkale of'course
- Iznik/Nicea, strongly recommended.
- Bozcaad
- Gokceada, off Eceabat after the Anzac memorials.
- TRoy.

If you have time, please have a look at my trip reports on Fodors Lounge, The recent unfinished one also covers Karine and Doganbey. Earlier, "A Trip in Time and Place..." is on assos. Photographs of Karine, Assos, Nicea, Aizanoi, Sardis, Bozdag are at esercelebiler at webshots or eser celebiler picasa, my wife's collections. We have not posted Gokceada photos and have not been to Bozcaada.

If you like, i will also post a little piece i wrote on hayit Buku.

Tommmo

OC I was really hoping you would pop in with your brilliant comments on the route - thank you. Hayit and the other Bukus are on our list,so yes the "little piece" on it would be great.
Turunc was recommended though it looks a bit built up.
Is it an option to check for car ferries that might cross the bays on the route?
One other challenge is how to apportion our time so as not to miss things ,spend not enough time at a favourite or end up rushing at the end of our two weeks...

otherchelebi

Thanks Tommmo,

turunc is a resort mostly for Brits coming to have beach holiday.

there is a ferry between Datca and Bodrum which may be an option, but be aware that it does not run everyday, carries only a small number of vehicles and the times change according to season. (look at our recent report)

It is that challenge that makes your trip fun and why you do not take an organized tour. -

Late September is usually a good time to be somewhat flexible regarding plan and hotel reservations. I would just play it by the ear in your position and enjoy places without feeling forced to rush (if it is Tuesday this must be Belgium?)

One advice from an older friend is to leave out places in between rather than at the end so that you do not finish your trip in a rush and a feeling of disappointment.

I will post my Hayit Buku piece as a separate topic so as not to crowd your thread here. Hope you will like it.

Tommmo

Thanks oc . the car ferry across to Bodrum does seem a means to avoid backtracking and I have noted it can be unreliable.
I've emailed Ogun to ask about Oct. prices etc.
Must confess I found your Hayit Buku piece somewhat inscrutable but that's to be expected to some extent considering our cultural differences I suppose.

otherchelebi

Tommmo, i doubt that it has to do with cultural differences. i usually write like that in my literary endeavors and Turks also have difficulty understanding my writing.

It is like impressionistic painting, somewhat blurry, sometimes with phantom brush strokes.

It may be because of a desire to be different. Even the foremost literary critic of Turkey, called my book "a very different book."

Thanks for remarking on the piece. I really appreciate your reading it also.

Tommmo

Here is Oguns reply from his hotel at Hayit buku...
We can offer you a double room for 50€ per night with breakfast,or 75€ with halfboard.
Price includes sunbeds, Internet WIFI, breakfast...

Looking forward to it

Tommmo

Wondering if I asked about driving Assos to Marmaris there'd be more response?

otherchelebi

Tommmo, maybe i scare people away. That is why i sometimes wait a few days before responding to a new post, and usually do not interfere regarding more standard questions that most previous travelers would find easy to answer.