Revised Itinerary: Bodrum VS. Olympos
 

Hi all.

So in our original itinerary we had a day in Bodrum and a visit to Izmir/Ephesus. However a good friends who lives in Turkey suggests the following from the last leg of the trip (this is after spending 3 days in Istanbul):

Saturday
flight to antalya
(drive to olympos right away)

Sunday
olympos

Monday
olympos

Tuesday
Cappadocia (3 options to get there: 9hr bus, 7hr drive or fly to istanbul then fly to cappadocia, maybe there is a flight from antalya)

Wednesday
cappadocia

Thursday
Istanbul

What are your thoughts??

Hi md,

Did they tell you what you would do for 2 days in Olympos?

We very much liked a one-day visit to Efesus.

((I))

Olympos used to be a backpackers' paradise, which it may still be to a certain extent.

The next village, Cirali, is one of the best chill-out locations in the region. You can actually walk from Olympos to Cirali and back, taking about 40 minutes at a brisk pace. Otherwise, it is a dolmus ride to the main highway and back to the coast again. Cirali also has the Fires of the Chimaera, methane gas leaking out of rocks which you can easily climb, and which get ignited with the heat of the sun in the summer, and where evening picnics are great.

I agree totally with Ian and also Michel_Paris.

Either prefer Ephesus and environs like Priene, Miletus, Didyma, Herakleia, Doganbey, Karina, and if you wish, beach time near Ephesus at or near Kusadasi; or fly to Dalaman, rent car, drive to Kas, take a day cruise/tour to Kekova, continue driving to Antalya to return car and fly to Kayseri rather than spoiling your next day with a sleepless night on a bus.

One other thing:

Bodrum is a clubbing and partying location, with upscale and expensive villages like Golturkbuku and Yalikavak, the cheaper areas like Turgutreis, Bitez, Torba, Gumusluk, Guvercinlik, etc. and the town itself, rather too much like Virginia beach, but with a good museum.

If you are into that sort of thing, we like the Divan Palmyra hotel at Golturkbuku. Excellent food and service and grounds but very expensive unless you can get a good discount like we do.

It may not be worth your time to go there just for sightseeing. Most Turks will go to be seen and not to see, as they would be smashed out of their heads most of the time there.

My main concern with the beach is that we will be there the last week of March, I am from Miami and live in Phoenix, so for beach it has be warm, really warm, and I am afraid that I will waste my time at the beach as it might be too chilly for my taste :) And my husband doesn't really like sitting around either.

So I guess then Olympos might not be for us? If we then go from Capp to Izmir/Ephesus, can we spend one night at a beach town? just to kicks and to see the water? I have heard to avoid Kusadasi as it is a turist trap. Would Kas then be a nice beach town for one night in that region?

Thanks again for all the help!

I had not noticed that you were visiting in March.

In this case, I would definitely forget Olympos or Cirali and even Bodrum.

kas would be nicer but it is just too far away.

Kusadasi is a tourist town but there are areas which are actually nice and some decent hotels which will provide you with a good room, views, breakfast and still be only 10-15 minutes from Ephesus. We liked Kismet Hotel when we stayed there only a couple of years ago and once before that also, although its food was not good. It reminded us very much of an excellent hotel at Santa Margharita on the Italian riviera.

If interested, you can also visit places like Srdis and Birgi from selcuk or Kusadasi. (check my wife's photographs at webshots "esercelebiler" and slide show on youtube, and read my "fumbling family...." trip report on Fodors Lounge)