Alanya – Turkey
This summer me and my friend booked a vacation to Alanya, Turkey for a week. We took advantage of the inflation that the country was having during that time period and booked flights to this beautiful city at the Mediterranean sea.
Traveling
We had a direct flight to the airport located the closest to Alanya. We flew 4.5 hours from Hamburg to Antalya. After landing, we had a shuttle booked to drive us from the airport to the hotel. Since Alanya is a two hours drive away from the airport, I recommend booking a shuttle to your hotel, too. It is very common to get picked up by a shuttle at that place, which is why when you walk out of the airport you will be surrounded by an unbelievable big parking lot, full with shuttles. With the information we received prior our trip from the shuttle provider we booked, it was very easy for us to find our hotel transfer. Then, we arrived at our hotel.
Hotel
Our hotel was only about 50 meters (≈ 160 feet) away from the beach. Our room came with two separate twin beds, a balcony, a bathroom with a shower, a tv, and a mini fridge. Additionally the hotel offered breakfast and had a pool open to their guests.
Weather
Alanya has around 300 sunny days so if you book a vacation to that city, you should definitely pack enough sunscreen. When we traveled in June, we constantly were having at least 30º Celsius (= 86º Fahrenheit) every day. Depending how cold or warm you like you want the weather to be, you can read here which month is the best for your visit in Alanya.
Beach
My friend and I went to the beach on four days of the week. Usually your hotel offers you to rent beach loungers for a day for two to four euros per lounge. They always come with an umbrella which is the main reason I recommend renting one. You can also rent one at the beach. Since the UV index was super high during our visit, it was hard for us to not get sunburned, even when we were wearing sunscreen and just laying under the umbrella.
Some of the parts of the beach have rocks, so water shoes might be useful on your trip if you want to swim in the sea. When choosing a place at the beach, you should take a look at the water to see if in the water are rocks or sand.
Food
Every evening my friend and I were walking down the promenade, chose a restaurant, and enjoyed a nice dinner. Almost all the places offer exactly the same menu, so when choosing a restaurant you should more look for the location and how comfortable you feel with the restaurant instead of what is on the menu. Also, the prices at the restaurants are usually low. You will end up paying around 7 to 15€ per person for your meal and drink.
If you are a Starbucks fan, you should not miss out on your opportunity to get a cheap iced coffee there. I couldn’t believe that prices in Alanya were less than half of what they were in Germany or the US. As a dessert, definitely try the typical Turkish treat “baklava”. It is a pastry usually made out of puff paste, soaked in a sweet syrup, and having pistachios in it. But, do not buy too many. Although the pastry looks small it can be very filling.
Shopping
The touristic place offered a lot of stores where my friend and I went shopping. Especially in the evening, when it was not too warm to walk around, we visited many stores. There are a lot of stores that offer fake branded clothes, but also normal clothing stores with cute dresses and shirts. You will notice quickly that it is common there that the sellers wait in front of the stores and talk to you. They will saying things to you and ask you questions in order to talk to you and sell you things. When this happens, I recommend ignoring the calls and walking past the vendors without paying attention to them. Don’t feel bad about it, but be confident.
To-Do
There are not many must dos in Alanya for tourists. However, there is one thing you should include when planning your trip to this Turkish city. In the evening, after having dinner, I suggest to try out the “Alanya Teleferik”. You can take a cable car and drive up the mountain during sunset. Once you arrive at the top of the Alanya’s mountain, you can visit the old castle of Alanya. From there you have an awesome view, which is even prettier when the lights are shining in the darkness. We paid less than 15€ for the two tickets and they were worth the experience.
Conclusion
If you want to go on a low budget trip with your friends and family, I definitely recommend Alanya. However, if you are looking for an adventurous vacation, this is not the right place. Alanya is a place to relax and get some rest, not a place where you will do something different each day. I had fun on the girls trip and I would go there again, if I had the choice.
