41 days, around 8000 kilometers, 8 countries, two plane flights, one mom, one dad, a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old. And of course our faithful Land Rover Defender camper. Lots of wild camping. Beautiful beaches. Juicy melons and crispy bread. Colorful hot air balloons over dramatic landscapes. The friendliest locals. Dirty hands and torn pants. From our home base in Slovenia to Istanbul, a flight to Egypt and back, continuing the journey to beautiful Cappadocia, exploring the Turkish Mediterranean and Aegean coast, and finally the Greek peninsula of Halkidiki. Such epic journeys as this one are always difficult to put into words, so this post will be really long. For us, these are unforgettable memories, and for some of you, I believe, a great help in planning similar overland road trips around Turkey.
Places: Istanbul, Egypt, Burj al Babas, Nallihan, Tuz Golu, Cappadocia, Mersin, Barbaros, Gazipasa, Alanya, Side, Denizkent, Aspendos, Antalya, Kargili Dere, Kas, Patara, Kaputas, Gerenlik, Ölüdeniz, Kayakoy, Kidrak, Fethiye, Dalyan, Marmaris, Datca, Akyaka, Pamukkale, Pamucak, Ayvalik, Tavaku, Canakkale, Nea Karvali, Sithonia and Cassandra (Chalkidiki).
How: our LR Defender camper
Accommodation: campsites, wild camping, hotel, apartment
WE TRAVELLED IN TÜRKIYE AND GREECE WHEN MILA WAS 4 YEARS OLD AND LEO WAS 1 YEAR OLD. READ MORE ABOUT TÜRKIYE AND GREECE WITH KIDS IN THIS POST.
FROM SLOVENIA TOWARDS EAST | Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria
Off we go! This summer was extra long and busy, so we couldn’t wait for our well-deserved vacation to come. We pushed it back to the end of the first week of October, after we had already thrown ourselves into the snow on Vršič and spent the first night in DOLENJSKA, with Sandra and Bojan in SOTESKA, just like last year when we waved it off towards Georgia and Armenia. If you’re in these parts of Slovenia, be sure to stop by their Vagabund cafe bar next to the beautifully renovated castle.
The night was quite cold and we continued to SERBIA early. Since we were not in a big hurry, we decided to spend the night in the smaller family CAMP PLUM, which has a great location near the highway on the outskirts of the town of ĆUPRIJA, and the price is affordable. I recommend it!
The next day we arrived at the already familiar SAKAR HILLS CAMP in BULGARIA, just before the border with Turkey. We were here last year too and will definitely stop by again the next time our journey takes us to this part of Europe. We were greeted by wonderful warm sunny weather and were excitedly waiting for the morning when we would finally breathe the Turkish air we love so much.
FROM BULGARIA TO TÜRKIYE | Kapitan Andreewo / Kapikule border crossing
The last day of a long drive for a while. The highway to Turkey is really a bit of a drag, but we managed. This time the procedure at the border was already familiar to us, but we were waiting long hours, and it was raining terribly. We already had the HGS sticker for Turkish tolls from last year, but if you do not, make sure to get one just after the customs on the turkish side. Somehow we made it through and continued towards Istanbul. We didn’t intend to visit the city this time, but we still couldn’t avoid it completely.
KARABURUN AND ISTANBUL | the Black Sea coast and a quick visit of Istanbul
Although we were looking forward to our first wild camping spot somewhere along the coast, we actually ended up deciding on a reasonably priced hotel right on the Black Sea beach in the fishing town of KARABURUN, north of Istanbul as the weather wasn’t the best. A special kind of adventure awaited us, as we flew to Egypt during this road trip through Turkey. We spent the afternoon on the beach and were once again amazed by the beautiful Turkish children’s playgrounds. During a longer walk, we found an excellent fish restaurant, ESKERE, where we splurged a little (too much?) on all their delicacies.
We stayed two nights at the hotel, so the next day we only left our things for Egypt in the room and drove with the rest to Istanbul, to our friends place. We met Emre and Hande in Turkiye last year, and they kindly let us use their garage to store our Defender, which saved us the expensive parking at the airport. And since we were already in the city, we stopped for a couple of hours at the nearby, huge shopping mall VADISTANBUL. On the way back, we ordered an Uber and fell into bed, exhausted.
I have already written a lot about Istanbul on my blog in this post at the link below. It is definitely a wonderful and very special place, we love it and despite visiting it several times, we will definitely return again.
ISTANBUL | TOP 25 THINGS TO SEE & DOEGYPT | 10-day trip from Cairo to the deserts and Sharm el-Sheikh
In the morning, an Uber was waiting to take us to the nearby airport and we flew to Egypt for 10 days, to visit my aunt and uncle. Airfares for flights directly from Istanbul are much cheaper than from Slovenia, so we got a good deal. Lukas, my eldest, also joined us, so we really had a mini family reunion. We started in Cairo, in between we explored Wadi Hitan NP and the Western Desert with a rented car, visited the interesting pottery village of Tunis, and camped in tents on the beach in Ras Mohamed NP near Sharm el-Sheikh, from where we then flew back to Istanbul. Great adventure! If you are interested in more, I have already published a post on the blog, read it by clicking on the link below.
ISTANBUL | from the airport to the city and to Otto Karavan
It’s been a short night and after landing in Istanbul we still didn’t know where we were going to sleep. First we had to get to the Defender, which was waiting for us in a garage in the Maslak area. The Uber from the airport took a little longer than last time, but the real problem was more getting from Maslak out towards the east, especially because we were there at the worst time of day. We’ve definitely never been so stuck in a traffic jam with the Defender as we were here. Pedestrians were overtaking us as a joke. At one intersection I had the feeling that this was it. That we would be stuck there for a whole week. And I still don’t understand how we got there without a scratch on the car, because the whole time it was more about millimeters than centimeters and of course without following the rules. Bravo driver. Well, at least the kids found the constant honking really funny.
In the end, we spent 3 hours driving for 30km. Not to mention that it was already dark and we still didn’t know where we would sleep. Then I just found a campsite, near the old Sabiha Airport, OTTO KARAVAN KÖYÜ. We arrived at our destination literally destroyed, but a day like this is also a part of the journey.
BURJ AL BABAS & NALLIHAN | interesting stops on the way to Cappadocia
In the morning we took the time to have two cups of coffee and reorganize things in the car, we used the washing machine at the campsite and got rid of the last bits of Egyptian sand from our clothes, kids ran around the children’s playground and we studied the route for the next days, then we pushed on. I think that day was the real start of our Turkish road trip, even though we had already covered almost 2000km and it was already the 16th day of the trip.
We stopped at a nearby larger store and stocked up on fruit, vegetables, bread and other Turkish delicacies for the next few days, then passed Izmit to a small town called MUDURNU, in the vicinity of which we wanted to see a very special ABANDONED TOWN. And indeed, practically in the middle of nowhere we saw dozens of uninhabited villas that resembled castles from Disney fairy tales. The infamous, never-finished, neighborhood of BURJ AL BABAS is fenced off, but if you really want to go inside, the options are open, despite the security guard at the ramp. We saw it all from the road and from one viewpoint.
A little further on, on the Beypazari – Nallihan highway section, we drove for the first time ever on the so-called MUSICAL ROAD. There are numerous grooves precisely cut into the asphalt, and if you drive on them in accordance with the speed limit, the vibrations of the tires create a melody. In this case, it was Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca. The melodies are supposed to prevent drowsiness while driving and maintain a steady driving pace. It was definitely fun.
The landscape became more and more interesting and after a total of 4 hours of driving we finally arrived at the NATURAL RESERVE NALLIHAN, which is known for its colorful hills and as an important bird sanctuary. We initially wanted to stay here a little longer and maybe go on a longer hike, but then we changed our minds due to the wetter and colder weather. We spent the night at one of the restaurants above Lake Sariyar Bajari, where we had a rather expensive dinner. In general, Turkey seemed quite expensive again, the inflation of the last few years is really noticeable.
TUZ GOLU | one of the largest salt lakes in the world
We woke up to yet another rainy morning and quickly set off towards Cappadocia. On the way, we crossed the SECOND LARGEST TURKEY LAKE, which is also one of the largest salt lakes in the world. TUZ GOLU greeted us with sun and beautiful views. Instead of taking the main road, where you can find dead-end Turkish photo spots and viewpoints, we took a narrow gravel road between Bozan and Sereflikochisar. A good two hours later, we were already walking around the town of GÖREME in Cappadocia.
CAPPADOCIA | 9 days of “wow” moments
You know that feeling when you’ve been wanting to go somewhere for a long time, and then you get there, and you’re not disappointed, but everything is even more beautiful than you imagined? Well, for me, it was Cappadocia. Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, it’s partly commercialized as a result. But yes, there are still wonderful hidden corners to be found. And that’s exactly why we stayed here for 9 days!
I would love to share with you all 839202 photos I took there, but of course that’s not possible. That’s why Cappadocia deserves a special post, which has been published on the blog for some time now. However, I can’t completely leave it out here, because it was definitely our highlight of this overland trip.
We arrived late in the afternoon and after a quick stop in the charming town of GÖREME, where, by the way, there are many unique CAVE HOTELS and restaurants with panoramic terraces, we drove to a larger plateau above the famous RED VALLEY. It was love at first sight. That evening sunlight, that peace, fantastic views of that insanely beautiful landscape. A top place for wild camping. And a lot of space to run around without disturbing anyone.
The next morning we were woken up really early by the sounds of hot air balloons being inflated and we rushed outside to where our first unforgettable sights awaited us. Wow! This can rightly be called breakfast with a view.
This day we went a bit sightseeing, and a bit running errands. First to ORTAHISAR, to the mechanic and to a nice viewpoint, and a bit around the city center, where we discovered a great children’s playground, and a few days later the best pide. This was followed by a couple of random sights and finding a new spot for WILD CAMPING. Approximately in the same area as the first night, but on the other side of the canyon. Camels carrying tourists walked past us, we also saw a couple of moderately kitschy scenes for engagements and photo shoots, but of all we were most impressed by the brutal sunset.
The next day, the hot air balloons did not fly. And so it was for the next few days. So yes, you have to be quite lucky for all the weather events to coincide. We went to explore LOVE VALLEY, which is also great for hiking with children. We also drove to RABBIT VALLEY, WHITE VALLEY and a couple of open-air museums and the town of AVANOS.
In the end, we found the absolute best place to camp, where we stayed for several nights. We loved it so much, it was paradise if you love wild camping. We parked in the shelter of the rocky slopes, where we had pure peace. Not far away, our kids discovered beautiful caves and tunnels, in which they enthusiastically played hide-and-seek and “house” and so on. Imagination really knows no borders and often we really don’t need physical toys to have a good time.
In the following days, we visited UCHISAR CASTLE, detoured to Ortahisar a few times to the children’s playground and got the best bread in Göreme, walked through the SWORD VALLEY, ROSE VALLEY and RED VALLEY. We found a laundry and put our dusty clothes to wash. We also met a great Slovenian family who traveled to Georgia with their five children by car. Kudos to them!
The next night we went to PANORAMA CAMPING because we really needed a proper shower. They also have a swimming pool, but of course it was already closed this time of the year. I recommend it if you are not into wild camping rough, it is a great starting point for exploring Cappadocia.
On our fore last day, we were reunited with Diego, whom we met last year in Armenia. Diego is traveling from France to Japan with his van so he already stopped by our home in Slovenia in August, and now we met again in Cappadocia. Of course, we took him to our hidden spot and we spent a great afternoon and evening together, with good food and a glass of wine and interesting travel stories.
The next morning, bam! Finally, the hot air balloons rose again into the sky. It couldn’t be more beautiful, as some of them took off right from “our backyard”. Don’t forget, if you are wild camping on large open flat areas, always park as close to the edge as possible. Otherwise, it was really, really cold, it was around zero at night and we watched the balloon take off dressed in whatever warm clothes we had and wrapped in blankets. But yes, you can easily forget about a cold nose with such views. Totally worth getting out of our warm beds for this.
The time has come for a bitter farewell. We didn’t plan on staying that long, but honestly, there’s so much to do here that a good week goes by way too quickly. Definitely the HIGHLIGHT OF THIS TRIP and I’m sure we’ll be back.
Please read the already published CAPPADOCIA POST, where I describe all the sights, places and valleys in more detail, our hikes and impressions, etc. at the link below. Of course, there are also more photos there.
CAPPADOCIABARBAROS BEACH / EGRIBÜK KOYU | from Cappadocia to Mersin and the Mediterranean coast
Beach time! After a 3-hour drive from Cappadocia, we arrived in hot MERSIN and drove a little further along the coast, to BARBAROS or EGRIBÜK bay. We expected a little less crowd, because we were far from the only ones there, but this is still a top location for wild camping. We quickly made ourselves comfortable and put out the table, chairs, toys, towels and other stuff.
Even though we had a excellent beach days in Egypt not long ago, this jump into the sea was still a real treat. Mila immediately found a Turkish friend with whom she built sandcastles, after they exchanged melon for tangerines. In the meantime, intoxicating aromas from the bbq were coming from all sides and so we also prepared dinner. Another brutally beautiful sunset with a view of the island of Cyprus, only 50km south, and the children falling asleep to the sounds of the waves. This is what makes me easily give up the comfort of a hotel room.
BARBAROS – GAZIPASA | along the coast between banana plantations to Koru beach
Our plan was to drive the entire coast to the Greek border, so for the next two weeks, with the exception of the detour to Pamukkale, we stayed by the sea. We had more than enough time and, as usual, we planned our stops spontaneously, depending on the weather and our current mood. And although we liked this bay quite a bit, the next morning, after a beautiful sunrise and a leisurely breakfast, we decided to continue our journey west.
On the way to Gazipasa, to our surprise, we were accompanied by endless areas of BANANA PLANTATIONS and huge GREENHOUSES with shining white roofs which dominated the landscape. In search of the next bay for camping, we found ourselves in a labyrinth of narrow roads between banana trees and the kids were excited, because for the first time they really saw how bananas grow up close.
Well, since we didn’t find any bay that we liked enough, we landed at KORU BEACH, on the outskirts of the town of GAZIPASA that afternoon. This time we weren’t allowed to park directly on the beach because it is an important habitat for TURTLE NESTING, so we parked right on the edge of the nearby grassy area. The good thing about this location, besides the beach of course, was the nearby RESTAURANT, where we had a leisurely late lunch, and a PUBLIC TOILET that was open overnight.
GAZIPASA – ALANYA – SIDE – DENIZKENT | exploring the Turkish riviera
Hello November! The mornings were already quite cold, so we usually had breakfast in our jackets, but an hour later the sun was strong enough for flip-flops and short sleeves. So if anyone is wondering what to pack for such an autumn trip – you really need to take everything from swimsuits to down jackets, hiking boots and flip-flops.
The day unexpectedly turned out to be extremely eventful and after less than an hour of driving we made our first stop in the popular tourist town of ALANYA. We managed to find the last free parking space by the port and thus had a great starting point for exploring and a long walk along the promenade and streets in the old part of the city, where things were already happening in full swing in the morning.
The kids loved the many PIRATE SHIPS which take tourists on different boat excursions along the coast, and we loved the cute little places in the labyrinth of alleys not far away, where there were also a lot of different shops. If you’re into shopping, you’ll definitely love it here.
We also took a quick look at the RED TOWER KIZIL KULE, with its associated FORTRESS AND WALLS, but there are many other historical attractions and panoramic viewpoints in this far southern part.
Here we really felt a strong presence of tourists who were not locals and did not travel like us, but came here to the TURKISH RIVIERA to stay in AI resorts or larger hotels, probably for at least a week or two. There are countless hotels along the main road and the city is actually very spread out. We really don’t like this atmosphere and I don’t know if I would have lasted more than two days, but for a quick stop like this it was quite nice.
When we headed out of town, we found another great playground by the sea and bought fresh fruit at one of the many roadside stands, then landed in a beautiful pine forest on the outskirts of the village of DENIZKENT. There is nothing touristy here, so it is mainly those who, like us, are looking for a nice place for WILD CAMPING. There are a lot of great spots on this stretch of wild (and unfortunately a bit littered) coast. Since it was quite hot, we chose a spot among the pine trees instead of camping directly on the beach.
Swimsuits on, hammock out, book in hand and a nap. Ah, just kidding, with two kids we only got to put on our swimsuits and hang up the hammock, in which they then spent the time in, and we didn’t even get a turn. Nevertheless, we had a great time here! After running around in the fragrant forest, we made ourselves another delicious fresh salad, jumped into the sea and collected a pile of driftwood on the beach, which we temporarily carefully stored in the car, tbut hen secretly threw away before we drove off in the morning.
DENIZKENT – ASPENDOS – ANTALYA – KARGILI DERE | exploring the Turkish riviera
The sounds of birds woke me up just in time for sunrise, which was especially spectacular this time. Another special blessing of traveling in the fall is that the sun only rises around seven in the morning, and we never missed that moment. If the beach had been cleaner, we would have happily stayed another night, so we continued our journey in the direction of Antalya in search of crystal-clear seas.
There are many architecturally and historically interesting REMAINS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE waiting for you in this part of Turkey. Most of these locations currently have a fairly high entrance fee, and even with such small children it is difficult to delve into the tour, so we only visited the ASPENDOS THEATER. One of the most beautifully preserved theaters of this type in the world was located only half an hour drive from our overnight spot and we were early enough that there were no crowds of tourists yet.
After visiting the theater, which Mila and Leo really liked because of the possibility of climbing the many stairs, we went for a walk around the entire complex. Here we saw the AQUEDUCT, AGORA, BASILICA and numerous former ENTRANCE GATES.
Our route took us through the seaside tourist resort of SIDE, but our next stop was in the famous ANTALYA. Antalya is also known as the CAPITAL OF TOURISM IN TURKEY, and in addition to beaches and various options for a vacation on the Turkish Riviera, it offers a lot more. There is also a larger airport here with good international connections and if you are vacationing in this part of Turkey, you will probably fly right here. The size of the city itself surprised us a little, it really is huge and since we had already enjoyed a little history and archaeological remains that day, we only marked one natural landmark here on the map.
While arriving in the city, we unexpectedly came across an Ironman event, which caused many roads to be closed, and we had a hard time finding our way to the famous DÜDEN PARK. Here, we first saw a really interesting WATERFALL from the top, which falls into the sea, and then stretched our legs on the large playground. In the bar next to the playground, we also enjoyed a sinfully expensive iced coffee and a croissant, and then quickly got out of this chaotic city.
Our final destination for the day was MAVIKENT BEACH, which was almost a two-hour drive from Antalya. We arrived late in the afternoon, but to our surprise and disappointment, we didn’t get a single free spot to park our car. Apparently the beach is not popular for no reason, but it was also a weekend, so maybe the crowds were greater therefore too. There might be fewer local visitors during the week.
Not far away, we had another offroad spot marked on the p4n app in a pine forest, which Diego had also recommended to us, and we quickly drove over. We arrived at KARGILI DERE bay almost in the dark, found a great spot, and made ourselves as comfortable as possible. We parked a few dozen meters from the shore, as the latter was not accessible by vehicle, and we liked it so much that we stayed several nights.
Fragrant pine trees, the sound of the sea, salty hair and bare feet. Bad signal. Pebbles. And these two. Who really never complain about sleeping in the car, about simple dinners, about a limited amount of toys. Of course, they also argue and there’s a little bad temper here and there, but overall they are really cute and now that Leo is a little older, they are becoming bigger friends and allies.
During the day, there were also occasional visitors who had a picnic or a quick dip in the sea, but otherwise we had the bay completely to ourselves. Well, almost. Right next to the beach, a friendly young man lived in a tent (we assume?), who supplied us with fresh vegetables, tangerines and pomegranates every day. I was already embarrassed to walk down to the shore, because he always pushed some food into our hands, saying “so that the children wouldn’t go hungry”. Turkish hospitality really knows no bounds. To conclude, this was a top location to unwind.
KARGILI DERE – KAS – PATARA | charming town, beautiful bays and impressive sand dunes
We also used this multi-day stop to organize and sort things in the car, wash clothes, and the like, which we don’t have time for when we are changing locations daily. So we took a little break from driving these days, but our heels usually get itchy soon, and we didn’t feel too bad when we left this bay behind.
After a two-hour drive, which offered us beautiful views, we arrived in the town of KAS. I had never heard of it before this trip, but we were so glad we stopped. The beautiful seaside town, which strongly resembles Greece, impressed us with its architecture, numerous cozy bars and shops. When we found out that a DAY TRIP TO THE GREEK ISLAND OF KASTELLORIZO was possible, we almost decided to do it, but unfortunately the connections were more limited this time of year and we would have to stay here for an additional two days. So we passed.
We drove around a smaller peninsula that juts out into the sea on the SW side of the city, but quickly realized that this was not the place for us. Numerous villas with pools and higher-priced hotels, beaches and beach clubs with entrance fees, and of course no suitable place for wild camping. The day was hot and jumping into the sea would have been a real treat, so we quickly drove on.
We tried to stop at the famous KAPUTAS BEACH along the main road, which looked really phenomenal from above, but of course we were much too late to get a parking spot. Past the town of KALKAN we spontaneously turned left into a less populated, wilder area with countless gravel roads and after about an hour of fairly open roads, when our navigation failed us, we found paradise! GERENLIK BEACH ticked all our requirements. A camping spot in the shade of pine trees on a cliff above the beach with crystal clear sea, small pebbles and pure peace. There was only one “problem”, namely, we didn’t arrive early enough. There was already one camper parked at the top, and a naked couple were swimming on the beach, whom we didn’t want to disturb with our (louder) family dynamics.
We were now quite close to the PATARA DUNES and decided to try our luck camping at one of the parking lots there. When we drove through the main town we were a bit overwhelmed because everything is geared towards tourists, lots of shops, hotels and private rooms on offer, and overall it is very clear that the dunes are one of those major tourist hot spots that attract many visitors.
We usually don’t like to sleep in such spots, but surprisingly we found an exceptional place in the pine forest, just above the dunes, from where we immediately walked along the soft sand to a beautifully clean beach with warm sea for Turkish conditions. Only here and there a walker passed by, but otherwise the beach is so long that everyone gets lost and it is really peaceful. The only minus, which didn’t bother us in the off-season in November, is that there is no shade anywhere on the beach and dunes.
We jumped into the sea to cool off, but on the way back up to the car we were really sweating again. Walking up the hill on sand is not easy. Back at the car, we quickly washed ourselves with our portable shower, ate a salad and it was time for another amazing sunset. By now there were quite a few visitors who came to take pictures, but when the sun went down it was just us, a German couple in the van next door and an Argentinian cyclist who was sleeping in a tent.
PATARA – ÖLÜDENIZ – KAYAKOY – KIDRAK – FETHIYE | the nicest beach and limited wild camping options
Probably one of the most tiring days of this overland trip, which started quite innocently. We were thinking to sleep at the same spot again, but due to the worsening weather forecast for the next few days, we decided to move on. A little over two hours of driving to the tourist resort of ÖLÜDENIZ, where we stopped only to leave piles of our dirty clothes in the laundry, and a bit further to the mystical abandoned town of KAYAKOY.
We didn’t bother too much with where we would sleep, as there were quite a few campsites on the map, and also a few places for wild camping on p4n. So we spent most of the day on what was probably the most beautiful beach of this trip, KIDRAK BEACH. We had to pay a small ENTRANCE FEE to enter, but it was absolutely worth it. We politely went to ask the gatekeeper if we could sleep in the parking lot, but unfortunately he didn’t let us convince him.
We didn’t really care because this bay was so beautiful, and we were almost alone and couldn’t believe our luck. It must be bustling in the summer, but now all the bars and restaurants were closed and it was really quiet. Suddenly it was four in the afternoon and we slowly started to search for a place to stay. We had to find one somewhere nearby, because we had to go back to Ölüdeniz to get our laundry the next day. It probably wasn’t the best decision, but sometimes that’s how it happens.
We drove along narrow cliff roads towards UZUNYURT and KABAK, but unfortunately, apart from the beautiful views, we did not find any places to camp. All the official campsites in the wider area were either completely deserted, closed or only accepting travelers with tents. The beaches here were either inaccessible by car or camping was prohibited.
So we had no choice but to drive to the next tourist destination on the map, FETHIYE. Of course, we got stuck in an afternoon traffic jam and then finally, a little desperate, finally found a mini campsite by the sea, LEON BEACH CAMPING. Extra friendly owners, a young Russian family and a young Turkish man, lived permanently in trailers on site and we were the only outsiders that day. Here, too, the situation was similar and all the other campsites were closed. We arrived just in time for sunset and had dinner in the dark, but were happy we finally found a place to stay. This seemed to be much harder around here.
FETHIYE – DALYAN – MARMARIS – DATCA | turtles, prestige villas, tiny ferry and a new campsite
In the morning we quickly set off to run errands. Bakery, laundry, gas station, and even finding diapers at the store. Then we drove past the city of DALAMAN, where there is also a major international airport, and after a good hour on the road, we stopped in the IZTUZU bay. Although the beach is beautiful, we were not interested in spending time at the water, instead we visited the near by local hospital or the CENTER FOR RESEARCH, RESCUE AND REHABILITATION OF INJURED SEA TURTLES (DEKAMER). The vivid displays of the consequences of pollution of our oceans and turtles with various injuries particularly touched our Mila. I recommend it if you are nearby.
The nearby town of DALYAN completely surprised us though. The road there along the narrow roads was simply beautiful, reminiscent of some exotic landscape in Vietnam or somewhere else in that part of Asia, we were accompanied by pomegranate fields, water canals, lakes and lush vegetation. From there we drove into an absolutely beautiful town with there charming villas, boutique hotels, fancy restaurants and hip bars. Everything was exceptionally clean and somehow completely different from all the places we had encountered so far in this part of Turkey.
We had to take a mini “ferry” to the other side of the DALYAN RIVER water channel, where there was only room for 2-3 cars, which was another unique experience. Apparently, interesting boat trips are possible here, but we were in too much of a hurry for that. We also skipped visiting the ROCK CITY OF KAUNOS, which is certainly looking very interesting. No luck with wild camping that day too – there were quite a few spots marked on the p4n near LAKE DALYAN, but 10m2 between the road and the cliff is not ideal for two energetic children and in the end we drove much more than we wanted that day.
We rushed to the town of MARMARIS, where we spontaneously turned onto the DATCA PENINSULA. Here too, we first tried to find a place for wild camping, but to our disappointment, that was simply not possible. All the otherwise beautiful beaches and bays were now protected by ramps, or too large holes or channels which seemed to be deliberately made in the ground, preventing access. So, a little tired and grumpy, we landed at CAMP CUBUCAK, where an overnight stay right by the sea cost us only 12 euros. In the low season, the camp was almost empty and it was actually quite okay. There was no hot water, the toilets had also seen better days, but the kids playground and beautiful sunset outweighed everything else.
DATCA PENINSULA – ESKI DATCA – AKYAKA | the cutest village and Gokova bay
Before we said goodbye to this peninsula, we had to visit the old town of ESKI DATCA, which is without a doubt one of the most charming we’ve seen on this trip. The journey there took longer than it seemed, as the peninsula is quite hilly, and the roads are winding, with scary precipices. The weather was also annoying us, it was capricious and rainy, lightning flashed in the distance and therefore we ended up having a fairly short stop at the village itself. Firstly due to the weather and secondly because 2/3 of the bars, restaurants and shops in the town were closed at this time of the year.
Didn’t feel like driving much that day, but we still had to move on. First back to Marmaris, then another half hour to the town of AKYAKA. Here we decided to sleep in a campsite again. We paid 30eur for the night at AKYAKA FOREST CAMP, which is really too much for what we got. The location and the spot were okay, but again without hot water, and I’m attaching a photo of the toilets below just so you can understand why we prefer to camp in the wild than in such a camp. Maybe it’s this dirty only out of the main season, but then the price is absolutely unjustified.
Anyway, we really liked this place, which we had never heard of before! There seemed to be only Turkish tourists around, so it was a nice, laid back and not too commercialized atmosphere. First, we went for a walk along the promenade. Got an ice cream. Watched the boats in the marina. Had a beer and dinner. And then waited for the sunset on the beach. We did nothing special but a day like that is also good here and there.
The most popular thing to do here otherwise is taking a boat ride along the branches of the deep AZMAK RIVER, which flows into the sea right in Akyaka. You can join organized boat trips or rent your own boat. The scenery is truly beautiful, especially at sunset.
AKYAKA – PAMUKKALE | a detour to the world famous “cotton castle”
A french cyclist slept next to us in the tent that night with whom we had some interesting travel conversations in the evening over a glass of wine, and in the morning we set off really early together. 3 hours driving on the D330 road to the famous PAMUKKALE. I really wanted to see this wonder, although I ended the day with mixed feelings. But let’s start at the beginning. We arrived in the not-so-spectacular town of Pamukkale, which is located right next to the famous WHITE LIMESTONE TERRACES, just in time for lunch, so we immediately turned to a typical Turkish restaurant and had pide, ajran and some hot tea. Always yum! Unlike the last few days, we had wonderful sunny weather today, which of course we took advantage of and visited the so-called “COTTON CASTLE” immediately after lunch.
The TERRACE POOLS and PETRIFIED WATERFALLS were truly a fantastic sight! And surprisingly, there weren’t too many visitors. I imagined it all to be a little bigger, but still. The water in the pools is also not always at the same level or ammount, and part of the area was also closed during our visit. But despite this, our kids really enjoyed it, and so did we.
Since you are not allowed to walk in shoes, you are left with only two options. You can go barefoot like us, but if you have more sensitive feet, I recommend socks, but take some older ones, as they may tear. I do not recommend long pants or skirts, because you will be wet at least up to your knees, and I definitely take sunglasses, because in sunny weather the white stone really shines and stings your eyes.
There are several ENTRY POINTS, we entered at the so-called CITY ENTRANCE, but there is also a NORTHERN ENTRANCE and a SOUTHERN ENTRANCE. If you enter at the entrance to the city, like we did, you start at the bottom and walk up. At the top, a large ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE or ANCIENT CITY OF HIERAPOLIS awaits you. We really only took a quick walk through one part of it, as the young man was already visibly tired, and we also had to find a place to spend the night.
Initially, we planned to spend the night somewhere in the SE area of Pamukkale and for this purpose we drove a bit off-road through a piece of interesting landscape over numerous hills, but in the end we decided to check out another spot in the valley from where the balloons were supposed to take off. Here too, the morning HOT AIR BALLOON FLIGHT is very popular, and it is much cheaper (around 55 eur) than in Cappadocia (from 150 eur onwards). So we settled on the NW part of the terraces, at the edge of a slightly larger grassy area. Walking and climbing on the rocks, a quick cold shower, dinner and sleep in the hope that the sound of balloons inflating will wake us up early in the morning.
PAMUKKALE – PAMUCAK | another amazing morning between hot air balloons
And indeed! We were so lucky, about 35 balloons took off above us. A little sleepy, but visibly excited about the event, we made coffee in the dark, put on our jackets or fleeces and watched the event from the moment when the hot air balloon sheets were driven onto “our lawn” on long trailers to the moment when the balloons landed back on the ground. No, it was no less spectacular than in Cappadocia, maybe you never get tired of such scenes. Really wow.
We left Pamukkale excited, but still with a small hint of disappointment. We put them in the “we saw / experienced once and don’t feel the need to go back” drawer. It was time to return to the coast, as the weather was stable and sunny again, and after a good two-hour drive we arrived at the beautiful PAMUCAK BEACH, south of the city of IZMIR.
We haven’t seen so many campers and locals happily picnicking in one place for a while, and we thought it was a great place to sleep. Since we arrived relatively early, we had almost a whole day to enjoy the beach, which was again not the cleanest, but the sea was still pleasantly warm and we had that good vibes feeling, so all was good. In usch places in particulat+r, we try to pick up some trash so we collected some during the day and took them to the bins the next morning. Surely, we are not solving a global problem, but it’s still better than nothing.
The afternoon turned into evening and the perfect sunset was only marred by a swarm of hungry mosquitoes. At that moment, I wished that we too could travel in some huge vehicle where you could actually live inside (with a table and chairs, a fan / air conditioning / heating / a refrigerator and everything you need to spend a couple of hours or a whole day, if you have to) and I looked enviously at the neighboring Unimog from the Netherlands. But despite all the stings, I remembered that the point of our trips is precisely that we are outside all day long. If you travel by car, you are forced to be outside regardless of the weather and other circumstances. So sometimes you suffer a little, but you must take that as it is and try to enjoy it despite the occasional inconveniences.
As soon as the sun went down, the mosquitoes also disappeared, but the night was far from peaceful due to the constant police patrols that controlled the beach. This was the first time we experienced this on such a scale and although I don’t mind it, because it is supposed to be a guarantee of greater safety, it was still a little unpleasant because of the strong headlights, blue-red lights and occasionally the sound. They left us completely in peace, but they were checking other cars, I am guessing the ones with local car plates. As mentioned, camping outside the campsites, even on the beaches, is generally tolerated in Turkey, unless there is a special sign saying it is prohibited.
PAMUCAK – AYVALIK – TAVAKU | our last night in Türkiye
When we were drinking coffee in the morning with a view of the swaying sea, we didn’t think that in a good 30 hours we would be in Greece. That day we unexpectedly covered a lot of kilometers. We made our first quick stop in the interesting town called AYVALIK, which is connected by a bridge to a small island, where the AYVALIK NATURE PARK is located. We saw flamingos and really beautiful scenery, but somehow we couldn’t find a suitable place to spend the night, so we drove on.
And we drove and drove and drove. It had been a long day, the weather had deteriorated significantly, and so we arrived a little tired at CAMP AGORA in the small town of TAVAK, about an hour south of Canakkale. The super-friendly owner offered us dinner, and since it had started to rain, we were happy to warm ourselves by the fire and had a really tasty meal. It smelled like autumn here, and somehow we felt that our time in Türkiye was coming to an end.
TAVAKU – CANAKKALE – NEA KARVALI | the Trojan horse and a long way to Greece
Another long day on the road, with practically only one real stop, in the pleasant town of CANAKKALE. Although it is a larger town, we really liked it. The main reason for the visit was of course the famous TROJAN HORSE, which was used in the Hollywood blockbuster film Troy. The remains of the former TROY are located at an archaeological site near the Dardanelles Strait, 30km south of the town of Canakkale on the outskirts of the village of TEVFIKIYE, where there is also a museum.
We continued towards the Greek border, over the ridiculously expensive Canakkale bridge and since we had nowhere to stop, we decided to say goodbye to Tukiye. Surprisingly, we only spent one hour at the IPSALA / KIPI BORDER CROSSING, which is really fast considering that we are entering the EU. This was followed by a bit of unsuccessful searching for a place for wild camping, driving on really muddy roads, where we almost got stuck on one slope and last but not least, an evening in a studio in the seaside town of NEA KARVALI. Hello Greece! This was the first time we are all in Greece together, and also the first time with the Defender.
CHALKIDIKI PENINSULA | exploring the “3 fingers”: Athos, Sithonia, Kasandra
This post is already super long, so below I will make this part about our time on the CHALKIDIKI PENINSULA shorter but I am adding a link to an already published post about our time in Greece below. It was great for the first time and we definitely want to return to Greece with our Defender one day again. Now we explored the SITHONIA and KASSANDRA peninsulas and observed the mystical ATHOS, most of which is not allowed to ordinary mortals anyway, from afar.
We found the beaches on SITONIA to be by far the most beautiful and if we decided to go on holiday in this part of Greece, we would definitely come back here. In November, everything was really deserted though, so we could hardly find any open shops and restaurants, but therefore we really had peace. We also WILD CAMPED and no one chased us away. We visited the beaches and bays of KARYDI, PARADISE BEACH, KAVOUROTRIPES, TIGANIA and PORTO KOUFO.
On KASSANDRA we visited the beaches and bays of AFYTOS, GLAROKAVOS, POSSIDI and SANI. In general, we liked Kassandra a little less because it is quite developed and built up. In the pleasant seaside town of NEA SKIONI we treated ourselves to an apartment by the sea and, in addition to exploring the surroundings, we also indulged in a little culinary delight in the only open restaurant in town.
Like I said, there is a longer post about our time in Chalkidiki on the blog and you can read it by clicking this link below:
CHALKIDIKI, GREECEFROM GREECE TO SLOVENIA | long way home with one night stop in Serbia
We leave Greece, cross two borders and 7 HOURS OF DRIVING later we are parked again in CAMP PLUM in Serbia, like exactly 40 days ago when we started this epic overland journey. For 14 euros per night this is a top choice for a transit overnight stay. Theoretically we could have stayed a little longer on the way, but the short days and the decreasing temperatures, plus the snow forecast for our home town of Rateče near Kranjska Gora, drove us away or lured us home.
We still had two borders and an 8-HOUR DRIVE left for the last day, and full of new memories, we fell into warm, soft, and fragrant beds at home. And guess what? We woke up to a beautiful snowy morning and of course immediately set off on our first mini winter trip of the season.
So, what do you think? A pretty good road trip, right? We’ll definitely be back to Turkiye, but we are now also tempted by Greece, which we only managed to get a taste of this time. Oh, there are so many more beautiful places!
