Hi guys!!!!
So I’m learning to not make promises I can’t keep. Lol. I know this post was supposed to go up on the weekend, and I have no excuses, so let’s get right into it.
Like I said in my last post, Fethiye was full of activity for me. We planned a trip with Animal’s Excursions a tour company we found on Trip Advisor to visit the gorgeous Gizlikent waterfalls and the Saklıkent National Park (Kanyonu) in Fethiye, as well as other exciting places, but when my friends went on their walk on Çalış beach, they found other cheaper options, so we all signed up for one of them instead - Survivor Jeep Safari.
Right on the promenade, in between the restaurants and hotels, there are several tour agencies and companies with little offices and kiosks for you to pick from for activities that range from boat trips to safari trips to paragliding and many more. We signed up for the Safari trip (190TL) the next day, and Paragliding (450TL) the day after.
The excursion starts early, so as early as 8am, our Jeep was at our hotel to pick us up. We had sandwiches packed for us by the hotel since we were missing breakfast, and headed out with our Jeep.
After stopping to pick up the remaining passengers, we all headed to a parking lot where we met with all the other Jeeps and their passengers. The fee for the trip was cheaper than the one at Animal’s, but we had to buy all our gear, (water shoes cost 30TL, water proof phone pouch cost 30TL) including renting the water gun, (30TL) and also pay if we wanted to engage in activities like zip lining and water rafting which cost 60TL each and 100TL for both.
We were then educated on all of the do’s and don’t’s of the trip, as well as everything we’d be getting up to. Our instructor spoke in both Turkish and English, so it did take a little time. We also took photos in our individual groups, and then it was time to get on the road.
So even though we were asked not to use our water guns on the road, things did get a little rowdy and very very wet. We didn’t expect it to get that wet, so my friends decided to opt out just before we got out of town, as it was a bit too rowdy for them. If you don’t like to play especially with water, this isn’t for you. I love to play so this was unexpected, but right up my alley. It would be wise to dress for the occasion in active wear, next time I intend to be super ready.
We stopped a couple times on the way to our first stop for the day - the Gizlikent Waterfalls to fill up our water buckets and engage the rest of our convoy in water fights which included a lot of screaming, laughter and all round fun.
About an hour later we arrived at our first stop where we took photos in front of the first waterfall of the day, explored the back of the waterfall including some interesting wall sculptures, and a door that led somewhere I didn’t know cause it was locked. We also had some time to drink tea at the this lovely little bar that had fish swimming right on the countertop.
After taking photos and drinking tea, we all got back into our jeeps and headed to the next stop, which was the Gizlikent Şelalesi (waterfall). The ride was fun with the other passengers singing turkish songs. The countryside was also really gorgeous, with mountains and trees everywhere.
We soon came to a car park with an open shed in front of it, where we stood as a group, and once again received instructions from our instructor, and also paid/signed up for activities like rafting and zip lining. We also paid an extra 5TL to go see the secret waterfall here.
After the lecture, we all trooped past the cabanas around, down the path to find the waterfall and enjoy the area in individual groups. Most people came with their friends, family or spouses, so we were allowed to explore by ourselves.
If you enjoy nature, especially water you would feel at home here. It was the most gorgeous walk through a moving shallow stream with trees, shrubs, and small water falls all around. This is where the water shoes really come in handy, as you have to walk in the stream with lots of rocks around. I remember being so excited to photograph the beauty of it. It was all so beautiful. The green, the water, everything was amazing to see and look at. It was just marvelous to see God’s work.
We were shown a little secret waterfall, as well as a deeper part of the stream with another small waterfall as we headed to the main waterfall.
We eventually came to the main waterfall which is the main attraction of Gizlikent Şelalesi. All the different tour companies had people taking photos here, so we all had to wait our turn to get on the little wooden podium. It was worth the wait tho, as I did get some of the most gorgeous photos from our team photographer whom we paid 200TL for all the photos he took of us after the excursion was over.
After seeing the waterfall and taking photos, the 45 minutes we were given to explore were up and it was time for lunch. The tour company provided lunch at the cafeteria right by the cabanas. The cafeteria, a shed with simple colorful wooden tables and chairs reminiscent of a traditional Turkish diner (döner) had the buffet table as well as the oven for baking fresh Traditional Turkish bread in one corner. In another corner there were people with refrigerators selling water, cold drinks and icecream for prices varying from 2.5-10TL. As is normal with Turkish diners there was a cat around and about.
The food was traditional Turkish food with different salad options, a few sides like bulgur and pasta, bread, and the option of either chicken or fish. Since we were in an area with water, I chose to eat fish.
After lunch, it was time for Zip lining Which was an oddly peaceful experience. I’m not the biggest fan of heights, but something about being so high up above the trees, going at a reasonable speed, and just feeling the rush of the wind against your face in the summer heat was soothing. I spent time just thanking God for the opportunity and saying a little prayer. We each took a trip to and fro, and that was it. I wished it lasted longer, and I also wished I took my phone with me for photos and videos. If you go, it’s totally safe to do so, as long as you hold on tightly to it.
After the zip lining experience, we got back into our jeeps, and headed to Saklıkent National Park (Kanyonu) to see the canyon and go rafting in the Esen river. We parked a couple minutes away, and walked down to the Canyon entrance gate. The mountains were such a beauty to behold.
We had to pay 9TL to get in at the canyon gates, and then we were allowed to explore the Canyon freely and go as far as we wanted. There’s a steel/iron walkway as soon as you get past the gates that serves as both the entrance and exit point. It’s right by the side of the rocks, so it’s a little narrow and sometimes foot traffic is heavy.
The Canyon itself is extremely beautiful. It’s one of my favorite works of art from God that I’ve seen so far. With gorgeous brown and grey rocks, smooth and shiny as a rock can be, and clear blue water rushing at wonderful speeds over smooth pebble like rocks everywhere it was easy to enjoy nature at the Canyon. It’s a nature lover’s dream.
Further into the Canyon, you’d find an even deeper stream with clearer blue water that was way too fast and cold for me to go more than shin deep. It had a tiny waterfall in the back, and some people did get really far in to take photos.
After a fun time exploring the Canyon, it was time to go rafting with the group. We all assembled at the Esen River, where we were each given an inflatable raft that resembled a floater and a paddle and then pushed into the flowing river. This was my absolute favorite activity of the day. The view from the river at the mountains is something that’ll stay with me for an entire lifetime. I’m actually in tears thinking about it again. I spent some minutes just thanking God and singing praise songs as I let the current carry my raft along. The current is so fast that if you don’t use the paddle, you’ll still move along at a nice speed, but you need the paddle to steer as I did get stuck on the river banks once, and had to use the paddle to get back in the water. The entire experience was amazing.
Our last and final stop for the day was the mud stream where we could all take mud baths and enjoy mud fights. I didn’t have my swimsuit on, so I couldn’t engage in the mud bath with the group, but I did get some photos of them enjoying themselves. After the mud bath, we sat in hammocks and on carpets with pillows and relaxed while eating Traditional Turkish pancakes and drinking Traditional Turkish tea, and looking at photos from the official photographer until it was time to go home.
The ride back to our hotel in Fethiye was peaceful and beautiful as I watched the sun start to go down with the gorgeous and fascinating Akdağlar mountains in the distance. Fun fact: They’re called White mountains in English, because of their white tips.
It was a good fun filled day, and I definitely would recommend a visit here if you’re in Fethiye, and you love playful outdoor activity.
Look out for my next post on our trip Paragliding in the Ölüdeniz mountains.
Love, Yoma.
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