In a bit of a nightmare of a travel day, due to flight delays and a resulting missed connection, two 90 minutes flights ended up taking 12 hours and we arrived too late for the planned welcome dinner. All part of travel I guess. But no matter the time, it was wonderful to arrive at the beautiful Maya’s house and catch up with her and Aruna… C&Js longtime friends. This is what this whole trip has been planned around and for me, has been a dream for many years. 

When I’m travelling I always feel like I need to maximise every minute… waking up at sunrise to avoid the crowds… walking at least 10kms a day… watching the sunset every night and checking everything from the bucket list… which sometimes makes me into a crazy person. Sleep is for when you get home. I rarely stay anywhere for more than a couple of days… and if I do, there are big day trips planned into every moment. But this trip is different… with most of the activity planned around connection with people that C&J have befriended over the nearly 20 years they have been holidaying here. Relaxing on a sun-bed by the water, long lunches and dinners, music, cocktails or wine while the afternoon sun slants low, hazy as a dream, and paints the water gold… are all the order of the day… or week…

The Bodrum Peninsula, named after the seaside resort town near its centre, is world renowned as one of the Mediterranean’s most glamorous hangouts for celebrities and the jet-setting elite who flock here in the summer months to holiday on the beautiful Turkish Riviera.

And this place is a bougainvillea paradise, which if anyone knows me, will know that leaves me in a constant state of excitement.

And with a mix of exclusive luxury resorts and laid-back coastal villages, various ancient sites for sightseeing (not really my thing), exquisite bays, turquoise sea, mild Mediterranean climate and vibrant night life… there is something for everyone.

But strangely, there are few people around. 

It is the end of summer and the season is all but finished. Which I don’t really understand as it seems like the perfect time of year to me- there is a slight chill in the air in the early mornings and the daytime maximums are 27ish° with a lovely light breeze instead of the blistering 40° or 45°c of a few weeks ago. Even the small number of people actually appeals to me even though it may lack the hectic vibe of the high summer that many people seem to thrive on. And there is the added advantage of being able to get in anywhere, at anytime… if they’re still open. If this were somewhere in Australia, it would be packed at this time of year, but not here… and within a couple of weeks, everything will be closed for many months. 

We are staying in Türkbükü (or Göltürkbükü) in a stunning bougainvillea clad home…

… overlooking the sparkling crystal blue Aegean Sea.

Minutes down the road are up-market boutiques, an array of luxury resorts and hotels, world-class dining and beach clubs that cater to a sophisticated crowd with high budget tastes…

… a world very different from the one I usually inhabit. I walk ‘the strip’ at different times of the day… sunrise of course…

… sometimes later… clicking away as I do… past the array of stunning restaurants and beach clubs with their huge cabanas and daybeds available for rental…

… the beautiful people sunning themselves under the shade of undulating canopies.

So many boutiques selling clothing, home goods, souvenirs and jewellery… so much jewellery.

The beautiful little bay is dotted with luxury super-yachts (we notice one with a helicopter on the back)…

… sailboats, speedboats and fishing boats bobbing along the coast…

… and white villas sprinkled on the hillside. 

We continue strolling the peninsula to Golkoy beach… a little away from the glitterati of Türkbükü… and a little more laid back. I love it here with the crystal clear sea basically lapping right up to the rustic little boutique hotels and this is where I would stay if I was ever to come back again. 

But back in Türkbükü, nestled perfectly into the bay’s lush Bougainvillea bushes with beautiful views over the whole bay,

… and literally just up the road from Mayas house, Maçakizi is one of most luxurious hotels… and we regularly visit it’s gorgeous and vibrant beach club for a swim.

Once again, I am so aware of my privilege as usually swimming here does not come free or even cheap. But as C&J have a friendship with the manager and we are welcomed. I love it here… authentically Turkish yet completely international, modern yet rustic, simple and unpretentious, every detail from the jet set inhabited private beach, to the fine dining restaurant… barefoot and sexy.

Whitewashed suites tumble down the richly landscaped hillside among bougainvillea and oleander;

… then deck after deck for eating and drinking and dancing or just hanging out… all the way to the sea.

It’s hard to explain how much I loved this place… and photos definitely do not do it justice… just lounging while taking in gorgeous views of the bay, listening to music, drinking rosé, swimming in the sea, and chatting with C&J. And each time we come, I just don’t want to leave. Literally heaven on earth!

One evening we head off to Gümüslük and I am thrilled as I have heard about this area over the years and know it is my kind of place… one of the hippest and hippyest spots to hang out in Bodrum. As we approached the bay, the first thing that struck me is the fantastic views… although there are fantastic views everywhere we go. That stunning Aegean Sea! Clear waters stretch as far as the eye can see, and gentle sea breezes carry the scent of salt and adventure.

And the first part of our adventure is the bohemian Limon cafe, hidden high in the green hills… with a hippy vibe and scenic landscape views heading out to sea.

This delightful ‘patched-together’ outdoor cafe has been decorated with relaxation in mind… with its mismatched eclectic mix of vintage wooden chairs and tables, sofas and big cushions laying on straw rugs scattered about the hillside… bright painted sculptures and festoon lighting strung tree to tree. I immediately love it!

The hillside is abuzz… it is a popular spot and it’s perfect to sip on a margarita…

… and watch the sun dip into the Aegean for a glorious Turkish sunset. 

The heart of Gümüşlük is its seaside, and after sunset, we meander down a slope where rows of stalls of handmade art and craftwork, jewellery and knick-knacks, are tended by the artists themselves.

John hates shopping and there was no time anyway as we had a dinner booking at Mimoza… one of the many rustic lantern-lit fish restaurants that line Gümüslük’s sheltered bay filled with bobbing sailboats. The others have all been here before… back in the days when the tables were set literally in the water… but this is not possible anymore although I wish it were. 

Lending to the romantic atmosphere is a spectacular trend of decorating the shoreline. Since this eclectic and bohemian town hugs the sea, Gümüşlük’s proprietors have put remnants of trees painted white and adorned with quirky decorations and colourful, twinkle light filled gourd lamps… which also strikingly hang from the ceilings.

Uniquely picturesque… a different world… fairyland. I’m even thinking of possibly trying to replicate a small part of this at home. 

We had another spectacular evening where I was told we were going to a Thai restaurant to hear a friend, Hakan, play base with his jazz band. When we arrived I was stunned- I was not expecting an architectural, cultural and gastronomic experience and it was certainly not like any Thai restaurant I have been before. 

Situated in the art village called Dibeklihan… with doors that smell of history, works of art, carpets, huge pots, accessories… so many treasures apparently collected from Anatolian cities, take their place in every corner of this village. They are part of the decoration and add soul to this special culture and art space. Doors, stones, ceramics and flower pots from ancient Anatolian houses greet you on the walls and floors. But the ambiance is its most striking feature and it felt like we were sitting in the stunning garden of an old stone castle. And the music was sensational with Turkeys top female jazz vocalist Sibel fronting Hakan’s band. What a night! Just wow!

What an amazing week… so much more than I have, or could possibly write about. So many dinners (at restaurants or in peoples beautiful homes)… or drinks (that weren’t just drinks). We celebrated Johnny’s birthday…

… and the sweetness of life… old friends… and new ones. So much generosity… memories to last a lifetime.  We’ll be back briefly after our next escapde