A Taste of Turkish Delight..

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So I'm new to this travel blog malarkey, but having a massive passion for all things travel and new I thought I'd give it a shot. I am not sure why I never had any desire to ever visit Turkey, maybe it was tarnished with a cheap image that attracted the wrong crowds and was a popular haunt with those looking for the cheapest of the cheap with tacky bars and low key hotels. But not one to judge a book by it's cover come January I found myself booking a week all inclusive to a hotel In Ovacik. Having moved jobs within travel in the last year and seeing a lot of our customers after various areas and accommodations and hearing a lot about the surrounding areas and attractions, I bit the bullet and gave it a try for myself. No one was more shocked then me when I surprisingly found myself falling in love with this little delight of a country. Ovacik was once as I hear never a resort as such, but its slight buzz with shops run by friendly locals and restaurants really add the ambiance. It is the perfect location for those who prefer not to be in the centre of the hustle and bustle but near enough to enjoy a mix and only a short walk or dolmus ride away.

The streets of Hisaronu are lined with opened front shops, the sparkle of the blue Turkish eye never far from sight in some form of keep sake, water pipes wrapped around displays and trays are lined with the sweet smelling sugar covered Turkish delight in all colours, variety and flavours. Far from the chocolate coated rubber you get here, this stuff is in a different league, shop keepers are keen to share the various sweet flavours and don't be suprised if by the time you move onto the next shop you have sampled the majority of those on offer. Shop keepers and locals are friendly and all dying to get your attention, if like me your a shopper make sure you have your bartering head on, this is where that extra luggage allowance will come in handy if you too buy every fake good and keep sake in sight.

But it's not just the busy shops and ambiance of the buzzing bars serving the local Efes Lager or pretty cocktails that caught our attention, like everyone who enjoys travelling we tried to fit in as much as we can whilst there without over doing it. The Jeep safari gave us the perfect opportunity to take in the real side of turkey. Roads lined with green vegetation, beautiful waterfalls, local cuisine, windy roads and the amazing Saklikent Gorge and the mud baths were just a few of the local wonders we had the pleasure of taking in on our time there and for such trips starting from £13 you really can't go wrong.

At the end of our trip we finished our last afternoon with a horse riding trek booked via one the local stables where we trekked to the beautiful views of the blue lagoon via the tranquil fresh green forests and the hidden hotels tucked away, the only sound breaking the silence being the chime of the bells hanging from the goats playing in the grass.

Turkey has lots to offer and is most certainly a delight, I urge travellers and holiday goers alike to give it a go, you never know you may suprise yourself, I know I did!

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