For the last three years I have travelled across Europe, Asia and the Middle east solo. I want to share my experience and address some issues that come up as a result of being a solo female traveller. Before that I travelled on a budget backpacking around Asia and the Americas.
Why I love Dalyan,Turkey
Thinking about Turkey for me drums up images of beautiful mosques, intricate pottery, breathtaking landscapes, and constant incredible weather. Turkey has an extensive and coloured history (the Ottoman Empire and of course Ataturk) and this just adds to the beauty of it.
I have visited Turkey 3 times in the last 6 months and it just gets better every time I go, and I learn to accept it for it is and for it isn't.
For example: you can't get smoothies in Turkey, not where I stayed anyway which granted was a really small town. During my first trip there I spent a lot of the time annoyed that I couldn't have my raspberry, oat milk, wheatgrass, and oat bran smoothie and instead all that was on offer was fruit syrup smoothies (they aren't smoothies!). But instead I should have appreciated that I could pick oranges,pears, lemons off trees and drink fresh pomegranate juice.
So when I back the second time, I revelled in the fresh fruit, pomegranate juice and the resolve that I when I move there, I am going to open a smoothie stall.
Another example was the food. The food for vegetarians is immense and vast in Turkey, there was so much variety, which much to my unexpected joy as I was expecting the food would be the same as here...meat.
Aubergine, or patlıcan is featured a lot, they stuff it full of other vegetables and cheese and then bake it, they stick in casseroles with loads of onion and mushrooms and they serve it cold, their version of Shakshouka with delicious Turkish bread.
The food is seriously delightful, its cheap and its healthy, they serve fresh green salad with ripe tomatoes and a really light dressing with anything you order.
Something I had prepared for, but was pleasantly surprised was the reaction I would get from men. I didn't once feel uncomfortable, threatened, unlike many other Islamic countries I have visited (Tunisia...Egypt). Turkey was a refreshing change, again I went to a very small town, and ended up falling in love with a Turkish guy, but I met him towards the end of my trip.
Where I stayed
Accommodation is cheap, I stayed in a well equipped self catering apartment for £135 for a week and it was very close to town. If you want more of a luxurious apartment, try Osmanli Hani apartments.
Dalyan is a very small town, next to a river, to get to the beach you can take a mini bus from the square (20 min journey) or a boat (40 min journey). The beach itself isn't fantastic, its nice and its clean, it is a breeding ground for loggerhead turtles so its had a protected status since 1988. This means there are certain areas you cant lay down as the turtles lay their eggs, but its all well sign posted and just go where the sun beds are laid out. You do have to pay for sun beds, but its not expensive. The beach even has a hospital thats free to enter, where you can see lots of turtles recovering from injuries.
When I want a relaxing holiday, I want somewhere thats quiet, not too touristy,I want to sit in the sun, read books and magazines, listen to music and just laze about. Dalyan is perfect for this type of holiday, if you are after a clubbing holiday, don't come here. Its quiet, there are bars but no clubs and they all shut at 2am and there is a ban on alcohol being purchased from supermarkets after 10pm too.
Getting around
There isn't a lot in Dalyan, a few supermarkets, lots of little corner shops, bakeries, butchers, and lots of restaurants and shops. There are no shopping malls, no American or British chains, and no cinemas. So you won't need a car and there is no need for a bus either.
I rented a bike on the second trip and it was such a positive. safe experience. The roads are wide, and there are lots of cyclists so drivers are used to giving wide berth and not being impatient. The bikes are delightful, they all have baskets for storing all the essentials for a trip to the pool/beach/park and what they all come with bells too. You can leave bikes anywhere without the fear of it getting stolen, unlike here, there is no faff of locking and unlocking, you just stick the bike stand on and away you go.
The thought of cycling down a tree lined, red brick road, the sun shining on my face, a light wind blowing my hair just enough to cool me down with a basket full of delights to entertain me for the day, is the day dream when I look out of my office window at a cloudy London skyline.
Best time to go and getting there
I have been throughout the year and this is what I have discovered so far:
April is warm, its not boiling in the day but you'll get a nice colour however its cold in the evenings so take a coat. No mosquitos in April, they obviously find it too cold too.
May (mid to late) is a lot warmer than April, and you don't need anything for the evening unless you eat inside, but this isn't common in Dalyan, everyone eats outside.
June is beautiful, I had blue skies everyday, the evenings were gorgeous but the mosquitos are out.
October is very similar to April weather, but it is chilly at night, you'll need a coat and trousers for the evenings. Thankfully, no mosquitos.
I found the best deals and the most reliable airlines were Thomas Cook and Monarch. I had the worst experience with Pegasus Airlines and I would not recommend them to anyone.
Dalyan is a beautiful, quiet, peaceful town and I would recommend it for solo and multi group travellers.
