Trip Report:

Duration : 4 Nights, 5 days

Travel Team : Pa, Ma and two daughters

Transport : THY Ist to Dalaman 978TL flexible rate + Ford Focus Automatic from Hertz 520TL with one additional driver.

Total mileage : about 1,000

Total fuel : 350TL

Lodging: Chateau Triopia 15 k from datca on route to Cnidos. Large one bedroom duplex apart with foldout queen size sofa bed in living room, small balcony and private garden. 640TL total including breakfast.

Exchange rate : $1 = TL1.75 -1.80

Beaches where we swam : Hayit Buku
Palamut Buku
Knidos
Orhaniye
Kiz Kumu
Lovely secluded cove on route o between Hayit Buku and Palamut Buku

Restaurants: Chateau Triopia
Ogunun Yeri, Hayit Buku
Doga, Palamut Buku
Culinarium, Datca
Bozburun, Bozburun
Taj Mahal, Marmaris
Knidos, Knidos
Girit Mutfagi, Marmaris




Purchases : Honeydew
Thyme honey
natural almonds
cloth bath robes from the Saturday Datca market
raw leather sandals for the ladies

weather : mostly sunny 20-26 degrees C daytime and 15-20 degrees at night. Occasional wind.

Sea temperature : 22-23 degrees

There was very little fighting and competing, possibly because of the underpowered car and the many steps to our flat at the Chateau. The children (only 26 and 31, poor dears) did not need to be told to behave constantly and did not run away or disturb neighboring tables at dinner.

The best food was at Culinarium where we had invited one of my high school friends and his current potential girl friend. A vivacious pediatrist who had that twinkle in her eyes but was acting very coy. It was just like our high school years again, but definitely more costly at 430TL for 6 including tip.

The scenery, the coves, the so very private beaches because of the season were terrific.

The ruins were not that exciting. We missed the lovely sounding Bordubet area once again, possibly to leave some place for our next visit.

We would have loved to kayak at some of the locations but there were no canoes or kayaks. However, the female contingent managed to walk to the middle of the bay at Kiz Kumu, a distance of half a kilometer or so, a magic ability that I do not think they will be able to duplicate again.

We will post the pictures of this feat and the nice places as well as the multitude of cats and dogs we fed on this trip at esercelebiler on webshots, as Datca 2.

5 days was just right for the adventure although it meant too much daily driving. The weather was also almost right but could have been a few degrees warmer.

The only problem was the bees because they were brought down to the lower elevations in preparation for the colder weather and had to be dealt with on the beaches and the open restaurants and cafes.

I think I came back heavier on the scales, lighter in the pocket and hopefully at least some months younger.

We all recommend any and all parts of the Datca Peninsula as a slow, serene, healthy, natural escape with lots of sea, small islands, coves, bays, headlands, local produce, good flora, pathways and dirt tracks on which you cannot get lost for more than a couple of hours, and friendly villagers.

Do not go in December, January, February when most places close down and the whole area sort of crawls into its cocoon.

OC