I travelled to Turkey for two weeks over the summer holiday, to the Alanya region. We were based just outside of Antalya, so that was the main city that I visited, along with the Side region.
I stayed in a villa with a group of ten friends, which meant that we all lived, cooked, and cleaned together. This provided a challenge due to the sheer number of us. The Antalya region itself hosts a variety of long, sandy beaches. The area is also a habitat for turtles, and therefore a highlight of the trip was going on a boat trip and seeing the animals for ourselves.
Visiting the Karain cave in Antalya was also a great day out, as it is the largest ever inhabited cave. We climbed through near the cave opening, and used the clay found on the cave walls on our faces, as it apparently has great healing properties and is a great facemask!
On our visit to the town of Side we had the opportunity to visit the Hellenistic Temple and the surrounding ruins, which are of a Greco-Roman origin dating back to the 3rd Century BC. A main feature of the ruins was initially used as a theatre, and is in a style very similar to the classic Roman amphi-theatres.
I was also really looking forward to the food in Turkey, and it definitely did not disappoint! One of their main dishes was called Pide, a boat-shaped bread with a filling inside. My favourite was definitely the cheesy options, but meat and vegetable options were also available. When we ate at our accommodation, it was often easy meals like bread and cheese, or pasta, due to the big number of people we would be feeding every day.
I really enjoyed my time in Turkey and would definitely like to go back! The weather was incredibly sunny, and the natural landscape and geography of the region is gorgeous. The sunsets that occurred on the coasts were breathtaking, particularly from the mountains overlooking the city and the sea.
I am thoroughly grateful to the Murray Edwards Gateway and travel fund for allowing me to enjoy this opportunity!
Kate Wade
Law