travel turkey

A Muslim Mom’s Travel Tips to having a blast in Kuşadası

Here’s an ideal holiday destination if you want to balance beach bliss and sightseeing!

It’s not as well known to people outside Turkey, but this is one of my favourite beach destinations in Turkey – it has much more natural feel and has lots of history and things to see.

I’d say you could get : Resort (70%) + sightseeing (20-30%) which is perfect for me with two kids under 7.

Sightseeing :
1. Ephesus ( ancient city and ruins) – full post on this here

2. House of Mary (May Allah be pleased with her). I didnt know about it, so it was fascinating and heart warming to visit.

3. Castle / town centre walk – for the castle there is small climb up, sweeping views. Covered spots. Worth it to discover a new view and beautiful setting. The town walk is short, but it was still nice to stroll through and get an ice cream to cool down.

4. Marina and Boat ride – 1 hour trips gives you a lovely view of the seaside and town. It was lovely and cool on board. There are several boats along the walkway so we just chose the first one leaving as they are all similar prices.

Next time: I’d like to check out a water park in Kusadasi to add a different activity to the resort stay.

Duration: 3-5 days for a relaxed break in this city to check out the sites and to relax at the hotel. (we would jump into the pool every day after touring!)

How to get here: Fly to Izmir, 1 hour drive to Kusadasi

Alhamdulillah, though it was so hot mid July, we had a blast. I’ll share a longer blog post on Maryam AS house soon 🙂

So if youre looking for a little adventure and history besides beach fun , I hope you add Kusadasi to your Turkey summer ☀️ itinerary Insha Allah!

What’s your ideal summer coastal holiday split between beach and sightseeing?

Discovering Ephesus, Turkiye

Step back to a 2000 year old city filled with history and mystery! 

Alhamdulillah, it’s been on my bucket list for ages, so I was so grateful when we were able to visit this important historical site last summer.

It was fascinating and exhilarating viewing this remarkable archeological site- once a thriving Greek/ Roman city.

What’s to do there?
We basically walked through different significant ruins, including the underground city reflecting on pervious civilisations that lived there and created this city. You need about 2-3 hours.

We began the day with a visit to House of Mary (Maryam, may Allah be pleased with her) – see next post about that.

Top tips:
– the reviews are right that there’s limited shade! Dress cool, carry enough water and snacks
– we combined it with a stay at the beach in Kusadasi
– we carried a water spray bottle and umbrella to stay cool
– rocky, uneven path but stroller needed for smaller kids.
– we paid a guide which helped to bring it alive otherwise you’re just looking at piles of stone!

viewing the underground city
water spray bottle was a lifesaver!

We learnt alot from the guide, and found every area fascinating.

There’s so much to take in, I loved the whole vibe (albeit an extremely hot day )

Do you love historical sites? What strikes you about Ephesus? Would you go?

Kicking back in Kemer

Read more about our holiday in Kemer in Antalya: A splash in the sea, a stroll on the beach and a journey back to prehistoric times! 

This summer, we decided to explore Kemer, Antalya, intrigued by the DinoPark I’ve had on our list for a while. But we also discovered a new region on the Turkish Coast, with lots of kid friendly and family fun.

Things to do in Kemer

1. Kemer Merkezi : town centre, clock tower, pedestrian shopping street, statues in garden (1-2 hours)


2. Kemer Marina  : Halk public beach with very pebbly sand!, restaurants, playground near beach (2-3 hours)  


3. Dinopark : Goynuk  (3-4 hours) See special  post on Instagram.


4. Moonlight Park : private beach clubs with softer sand , Yoruk Park : historical display of Turkish tribes plus majestic sea views (1 hour – depending on time at beach) 

Other things to do : Mount Olympus Teleferik (cable car) which we didn’t do this time, but I was very tempted to do so hopefully next time!

Food:
There are plenty restaurants around. They range in mid to high prices. I recommend the Dominos as it was as super cool inside with the airconditioner and the menu and food was good.

Getting around: 
Taxis were charging set rates in €. 100 TL for basic 10 minute journeys.
Walking is possible but it’s quite hot. I recommend strollers or scooters for kids to get around. 

I recommend 2 -3 days in Kemer , including spending some time at your hotel pool to break up the daily outings. Your itinerary with small kids could look like:

Day 1: Travel + chill at hotel pool. Take a walk in town centre in the evening and have dinner. 
Day 2: Olympus Teleferik . Moonlight beach, Yoruk Park, Marina walk + dinner
Day 3: Check out of hotel and visit Dino Park, Goynuk on way back to airport (or another area in Antalya past airport eg Lara, Side, Belek)

Have you been to Kemer or is it on your bucket list? Let us know in the comments what you loved most or what you’re most excited to see. Let’s create a travel community right here!

What to see and do in Ayvalik for a beach break with small kids

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