My little family is planning a trip to Turkey at the end of October. It's just my husband, myself and our 7 year old son. This trip will be a bit unusual. We will fly out of London to Istanbul for a few days, then on to the Hatay Province to visit with some Syrian refugees in the camps there. After that we are hoping to visit another, more relaxing location, Antalya? Bodrum? We have just under two weeks. I know the middle section is a bit unusual but it's actually an interesting story. My son has spent the summer fundraising for a Syrian charity. This should come to an end in October and the charity has invited us out to meet some of the children that he has been working so hard to help. They will coordinate all the logistics of that section of the trip.
We are struggling however, on the last portion of the trip. We were hoping to go to Antalya to relax on the coast but can't get a direct flight from Hatay. We would have to fly from Hatay to Istanbul then down to Antalya. Or we could fly direct from Hatay to Bodrum. Or we could travel from Hatay to Adana then direct to Antalya, but that's a 2 1/2 hour drive (at least) and I wouldn't want to rent a car, leery of public transport in that situation, and would hate to impose even more on anyone connected with the charity.
Thoughts or suggestions? I'm sure some people will have some interesting thoughts on the middle section and while I'm open to comments, it's not really up for debate. Thanks!
Turkey with a Twist and a 7 year old
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Shamelessly bringing this back to the top myself!
No shame in doing that. I do it with my trip reports but it does not help.
I recommend that you spend your relaxing days at Silifke/Kizkalesi/Tasucu. There are some decent hotels although no 5 star ones, very interesting natural and historical places to visit, good food.
A very local area with very warm sea water and sandy beaches your son will enjoy. He will also love the Heaven and Hell sink holes, the Asthma cavern, the Olba antique city among other places and visiting two bonafide fortresses which were possibly used by and/or against pirates.
The distance from Adana is not very long.
I also strongly recommend that you rent a car. Driving will be very easy, traffic no problem and the flexibility immesurably useful. You can then fly back from Adana airport.
This means that you will miss Antalya, but you can always plan for another trip for the whole Lycian Way, which really needs at least a whole week to really relax and sightsee.
I hope fervently that you will report back on your travels. We receive so many different stories about some of the so called "refugee camps" where Al Kaide fighters are being trained by Turkish, American and British specialists to be sent back to kill not only government forces but anyone they do not like.
These special camps are of'course forbidden to all regular visitors including MPs of the Turkish opposition parties.
The close to 80,000 (possibly more by now) other residents of the camps are probably composed of :
- the jobless and destitute who thought they would at least be fed in Turkey and came not because of the internal strife but because they were close to starvation.
- Members of some minor moslem sects who were discriminated against by the government.
- Members of other moslem sects who were discriminated against by the armed opposition who are recklessly killing anyone who is not a proper moslem according to their beliefs.
- Those who got caught in the crossfire and did not wish to take sides but were forced to.
- Those who did not have passports and those who could not get any money or valuables out of the country.
- agents of the Syrian regime
- agents of the at least ten or more opposition groups.
- agents of Turkey, Iran, USA, Britain, Israel, Iraq, Northern Iraq, China, Russia, France, Vatican, Egypt, Al Kaide, Hamas, PLO, Moslem Brotherhood, Jordan, Germany, and possibly other countries.
Good luck and safe travels.