CW: Vague narrative including mentions of (Gender-based /Sexual) Harassment and "Men"
The final travel blog of the summer season! The return to normal budgeting and schedules! What a way to see the season out than Antalya and Side...
Instantly, Manavgat waterfall has to steal the show - beyond gorgeous views; it's hard to resist diving in. Although the surroundings were a bit confusing, I saw something shiny and found a really cute gift opportunity - handmade mini models, glass jewellery and trinkets (guess which ones I chose). We managed to get to the waterfalls through an excursion run-through or package holiday with Jet2, which isn't what I've ever really experienced on family trips, but it meant that we also got to see Mosques, Bazaars and markets, and, my favourite, Dickman's clothes emporium with the TK Maxx of cheap 'designer' clothes. I've never felt so close to whatever the Classics version of Legally Blonde is then in that shop discussing whether I should get the Gucci Dionysus or Chanel classic crossbody bag. Chanel won by the way, and I entirely blame the TikTok accounts that restore classic and designer handbags.
The hotel- Can Garden Resort - also gets a shoutout, but it was at a decent price as a four/five-star resort and all-inclusive. I've seen a few videos and had a few thoughts about sustainable and responsible tourism and eco or off-the-beaten-track holidays vs all-inclusive luxury resorts, but this has enough tension as 'no ethical consumption under capitalism' and 'you have to act as if it is possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time'. So I'm enjoying my bottomless cocktails in a bitchy little swimsuit whilst the world is still going. But with a metal straw.
Also, a warning that may be more obvious for some than others. The Beach - sand - is hot in summer. Ridiculously hot. Wear flip-flops.
The Temple of Apollo and other Ruins in Side were a beautiful history-nerd day out that we accessed through a local public (mini) bus service. There were a few things that charged for entry along with a museum, but I didn't find that particularly necessary as there was SO MUCH TO COVER ALREADY. Bask in the expansive ruins of empires local and reaching Turkey, but don't fall for the 6 Euro orange juice trap, no matter how hot it is.
I had no idea how famous Turkey is for leather goods. - My purchases were in the catergories of leather, tea, herbs,' designer labels', nazaar trinkets, natural oils and toiletries. Another thing that slipped through my radar was Hammam treatments. Goddamn, Go. It was incredibly peaceful, and allowed an authentic cultural experience along with an insane self-care day. I got an amazing massage but I definitely would've felt weird getting it alone, from a man, purely because it was a little uncomfortable at times, but that has the potential to be more to do with me than Hammam manz.
Although I wasn't travelling alone, I found taxis to be okay. In Turkish Lira, they are relatively cheap and bus taxis are also a very good option but much smaller than you'd think - more like minibuses but I was down for that. In terms of Haggling - don't be that Brit Abroad (dick) but judge the shop and act in discretion I guess. I also didn't know that most places would accept euros as well, or, more likely prefer it, but I'm not a finance student so I don't know what that means in the broader context. Although I probably should
The last thing I really wanted to cover is the Male attitudes in Turkey. I'm unsure of how accurate or accurately sensitive this is, but I was told (more warned) that I would receive attention as a mid-size woman of colour, and my personal experience matched that for both better and for the worse. There was also a video on TikTok from @Jessica Robertson, who films a man who has allegedly followed herself and her friends into their hotel room and is persistent/insistent on staying until they scream. In the comments of the video many people share similar experiences, whilst others say they had no issues. It's a very volatile subject when talking about a culture you/ I know very little about but my experiences were on both ends of the spectrum. A lot of unwanted (and a little bit wanted) attention that escalated very quickly, so if you're someone who finds situations like this uncomfortable, I'd definitely go with a company. Still, these experiences don't speak for everyone, and don't speak against the other sites and experiences of being in Turkey.
So my main takeaways for the Summer 22 seasons are:
Don't psych yourself out
You are allowed to say no, you don't owe anyone anything, it's your holiday - doing what you want and when - RE: Athens panic attack and men in turkey
Speaking from very generalized experience or knowledge is sometimes enough to get a conversation going.
Bring one adapter and an extension lead to feel very very smart - but also don't bring this if you'd only be needing one thing at a time - I brought then only used one or two plugs out of four
Listen to yourself and your body
Stay calm, don't be scared to use prayer rooms in airports if you need time away from people
Double check dates and times the day before
Crossbody bags! They don't have to be ugly! I and my friend ended up getting the same dickies crossbody bag so they're definitely not all basic or ugly
Don't resist customs and culture but don't force it either - don't be rude and refuse to try foods like snails, cover your shoulders or head in religious places etc, but don't overstress about 'looking and acting like a local' or how you react to personally uncomfortable situations. Your personal experience is valid.
And try to stay as present as you can. I found myself distracted by issues at home, in my phone or in my own head, but I wish I had more time travelling. RIP Summer 22 x
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