Jul 28
Wow – is July already over? So we haven’t been so punctual on our updates, but we wanted to finish the honeymoon with our last leg. During our last morning in Istanbul, we woke up brutally early and flew down to Kas, a small beach town in the southern coast of Turkey. (pronounced “kash”)
There are plenty of Turkish beach towns to choose from – some more Euro touristy than others. We picked Kas because A) it was hard to get to so no one could find us, B) very few non-Turkish tourists, and C) the pure beauty. Following Istanbul, we were back to the sweet sounds of the waves and the low-key lifestyle that is expected of any beach town. I like to call it a perfect ending.
Check out the Kas pictures.
Highlights of Kas:
| … | ** After a late night in Istanbul before, we were beat. We flew into Antalaya airport, the hub to most beach towns in the southern coast. Our adventure continued with a 3-hour drive to Kas. I luckily was able to sleep in the car while Tom drove to our destination. I was already reaping the husband benefits! |
| … | |
| … | ** The drive along the Turkey coast was absolutely gorgeous – hard to depict in a picture. We alternated between green cliffs, lots of teasing views of the water, and drove through many small towns along the way (as opposed to the states, where you exit off the highway to enter a town). Each town had a welcome sign with population and an exit sign – all within a lengthy 5-10 km average between them. I mean, small towns. |
| … | |
| … | ** Between the dry weather of the countryside and the moisture from the sea, the coast was perfect for farming, so we drove through many pretty greenhouses that contained tomatoes and the like. There were also plenty of mosques along the way – in what looked like the middle of nowhere. So many mosques that we played “Punch Mosque” – inspired by the classic “Punch Buggy” game. Tom won and punched me many times – should I report this to the police? |
| … | |
| ** When driving, watch out for large herds of GIANT mutant goats. Ridiculously large, bigger than some cows. Shepherds helped us out by moving the goats to the side of the road to let us pass. But if it weren’t for cars, you’d think the highways were built for the goat herding. | |
| … | |
| … | ** We finally arrived in Kas – counting down the km along the way. Kas is nested in a cove of the Mediterranean Sea behind tall cliffs and mountains. For the last 10 km, we were weaving in what seemed like landlocked mountains. Then, we literally stumbled upon Kas as we turned a corner and laid our eyes on an open, vast view of the water. |
| … | |
| ** We checked into Gardenia Hotel, boutique hotel owned by a cute Turkish couple who spend their summers here. Not too shabby of a life. Because it was privately owned and with only 10 or so rooms, we received amazing customer service by the couple. We had breakfast with them and chatted about their travels. We discovered they visit Vietnam every other year or so – giving us plenty to talk about! | |
| … | |
| ** Similar to the surprise of finding Kas, the “beach” and water were also something to discover. From the naked eye, the town looks quaint and quiet with cobblestone streets, shops, and cute restaurants. It’s not until you walk across the narrow street and climb down stone steps that open up to different levels of terraces and platforms, that you see the beautiful blue water before you. Yet another pleasant reveal. | |
| … | |
| ** The “beach” setup was awesome – terraces of free lounge chairs and umbrellas – and only a few people. The restaurant brought you food, drinks – just like a cruise ship. To take a swim, you climb down a ladder or jump off the rocks into the depths of the open sea. | |
| … | |
| ** The evenings were spent in the town square – with children celebrating Ataturk Youth Day with song and dance. Mustafa Ataturk was the founder of the modern Turkish republic and created the secular, western state we have today. | |
| … | |
| ** Backgammon is a cherished way to pass time in Turkey – especially along the beaches. Tom and I played a few games in between our hectic schedule of lounging and eating. We even ended up buying a set to take home. | |
| … | |
| ** Took a daytrip to Kekova, 45 minutes away, where we took a boat trip to the Sunken City. The boat, like most of them, was family owned. The crew was the entire family – husband, wife, and child. They gave us an okay tour of the Sunken City, which was an ancient town destroyed by an earthquake in the 2nd century. Even when under water, the ruins still prevail! We swam in a secluded bay over a ruined church. | |
| … | |
| ** Another daytrip was spent scuba diving. The waters were gorgeous, but I got extremely seasick after the dive. Tom swam like a fish and loved it. Worth the experience though. | |
| … | |
| ** Of course, we continued our food journey in Kas, with our last night at Blue House restaurant. It was literally an old house converted to a restaurant and was designed like the Anthropologie of restaurants. We entered the restaurant into the front door, were greeted in the open kitchen where they were cooking, and were seated on the patio outside overlooking the water. On top of the ambiance, the food was delish! | |
| … | |
| ** Our last day was an early one – waking up before sunrise to catch our flight at Antalaya airport. But it was worth seeing the drive in sunrise – a whole different kind of beauty. | |
| … | |
| ** Wish I could say our flight back was uneventful. But Tom was sick throughout, we barely made our connection in Istanbul, and Tom had cold shivers and bad nausea on our 11-hr flight back to Atlanta. In the meantime, my seat was being kicked by the dude behind me with long legs. But we arrived home safely and happily! | |
| … |
Thanks for sharing in our adventures! Wedding pictures should be ready in the next week or so (finally!), so you should hear from us soon.
