Once againI have a very Turkish tale to tell the story of life along the southern coast of Turkey. But this time I won’t take my readers on a melancholy journey of a Turkey that once was. Because this one is a story about Turkey as it is today – or as it was last week anyway. And in Akyaka no less…
A week ago I visited Akyaka for research and interviews and decided to stay in my favorite hotel, which looks like a castle overlooking the Kadın Azmağı River equipped with duck, geese and swans in the point and the Kite Beach on region is famous for looming off in the distance. While Akyaka is one of most popular summer holiday destination in Turkey – in particular for adrenaline seekers of kiteboarding surf in pristine conditions – in the winter months are a lot more moo-key with compound tourism only of weekend visitors when and if the sun is shining.
Therefore, on that weekend I could only book up until Friday evening car my hotel was closing down for the season (and changing hands, in fact) while all other hotels in city that I knew of filled up quickly up.
However, there was a lovely Turkish-Turkish couple staying next door and we had chatted up until morning of My departure. That’s when they confessed to me that they belonged to the hotel new owners, but they had to leave for a little while and then they asked me if I wanted stay and if I would be afraid to be in the complex on mine, to which I answered “Yes” and “No”, respectively.
They then went on to ask if I would take the keys from the previous owners in their absence. I said sure and then suddenly they were off! Shortly after, on gave me the keys and a briefing of the ins and outs of the hotel, and in less than an hour, I had a whole fortress-like building entirely to myself!
Owners never mentioned what I would be charged but said I could stay for as long as I like even going like this for to suggest that I could switch rooms as they are renovated one. At that moment, hypnotized by the fact that I could continue to stay at home favorite hotel, I said yes to everything, completely forgetting to take the new the owner’s number, even though they had mine.
As you might expect, it’s been a hectic week, with Akyaka’s famous winds open the huge stained glass panel doors of the lobby terrace and me trying to sustain up extremely heavy furniture to avoid it.
I have chosen up deliveries, answered the phone and one even point fixed plumbing problem. But don’t get me wrong this hotel is beautiful, with the original construction of bare stone walls for a striking atmosphere as well as three levels of terraces each decorated with a balcony that could have served as a backdrop for The love of Romeo and Juliet. A few meters further on is the creek that defines the town and the dozens of ducks, swans and geese that greeted me every time I went out on the balcony. Across is a view of reeds which lead at the Kite Beach, which runs along with Akyaka’s signature red sunset is clearly visible from the hotel terrace.
The road where the hotel is located on runs parallel to this stream, so whatever way you walkwhether in town or towards Gökova, there are towering sycamores leading the way. I felt like the Queen of the castle and I even had the keys to prove this, which I took away with me diligently in in case their rightful owners return. But they didn’t for at least a week.
And so, over the lesson of that week I fell in to like with Akyaka. While this hip and young hotspot can be a nightmare in summer for a resident of the southern coast of Turkey like me, during these winter days and I suspect in the spring, it might just be the perfect time to find out what region. And you see, that’s the thing. It turns out There is a trick to visit so high demand places in in a reasonable manner, trick I just found out. Thus began my venture in the world of Turkey’s “apart” culture.
Discover Turkey world of apartments
An apart is, as son name suggests, is a small apartment offered as accommodation in Turkey in all shapes and sizes. Generally, and especially in saturated tourist areas like Akyaka, apartments are built as units of more grand apartment or hotel-like complex.
These accommodations options tends to be more basic and utilitarian versus luxurious, but the whole point of these genres of stays is to be able holiday at an affordable price and to prepare the food in Turkey’s kitchens apartments come with. During the high season, the apartments can also to be expensivein competition with hotel rooms in price, in the off- season them small apartments can be rented at an extremely affordable price rate for extended periods.
For someone like me who has spent over a decade to live in coastal villages in southern Turkey, and I imagine for city dwellers, the concept of be able to rent affordable housing small apartment for a week or a month in a picturesque holiday destination offers relief option for a short getaway. Towns like Akyaka, Kaş and Marmaris, and many more, I guess, have a whole different side for them in winter is just as pleasant as the high season, although in a different context.
If you want take long walks in Benign weather and get a cup of coffee your main social event because it is the off season, then a little retreat away can just to be ton cup of tea.
serious things of location apartments in winter
Apartments in Turkey can be a bit elusive, especially when it comes to booking online. Unlike hotels and Air BnBs, most apartments don’t even have a online presence, you may need to ask the locals to direct you to the best those.
The apartments offer daily, weekly and monthly rates, with the latter being the most affordable option. AT give an example, the daily rate of apart in Akyaka currently starts at around 200 TL ($14.72), but if one had to rent by the month, the price starts at around 2,000 TL.
While the daily rate includes electricity, monthly payment rate offered by aparts does not include electricity, which is of of course a item figure into your calculations. Each apartment has son own electricity meter, so if an apartment is rented monthly, the meter is read accordingly.
the practice of location out monthly apartments with tenants paying for their own electricity is not a new thing. It’s a system it was in place in these genres of apartments for years and it’s done in order to offer longer term discounted accommodation price. With monthly arrangements, you also expect to pay up of face.
Don’t be discouraged if you have pets! I also to travel with my dog and so far every apartment i have visited has told me they will accept us.