Review of Turkish Coast: Bodrum to Marmaris

Sunflower Plus Series

Turkish Coast: Bodrum to Marmaris
Michael Bussmann, Gabriele Tröger, Brian and Eileen Anderson, Dean Livesley
Summary: Bodrum walks, car tours; Bodrum walking; Marmaris walking

“Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be...Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you'll live as you've never lived before.”

This quote from Erich Fromm sums up the journey of discovery I like take before I even pick up my passport jump on a plane. It's a journey I never tire of, especially when I have limited time at my destination. As someone who loves immersing themselves in the destination before I arrive, it's disappointing when there's a lack of printed literature available. Sure Bodrum and nearby towns are mentioned in the main guides - but the 5 pages in D&K just didn't cut it for me. I want details about the surrounding area's, and like to use the author's descriptive narrative as a springboard to form my own soaring images of each destination. Somehow, reading about these places on a computer screen, just doesn't have the same feel.

Before my first trip to the Bodrum Peninsula I searched high and low for a guide book about Bodrum - with no luck. Fast forward a year. I took a side-trip to London, and shopped at Waterstone's on Regent Street. If you've never been there - it's a destination itself, and highly recommended. There, in the travel section, I found the pearl in the oyster - "Turkish Coast - Bodrum to Marmaris" - an intriguing guide.

Along with the standard fare of other guides - Getting there & Getting about and Recommended Accommodation and Restaurants, the rest of the content follows an easy to read format. The introduction section includes and A-Z summary of Practicalities about Turkey, as well as an palatable historical timeline. This is followed by sections focused on either specific town's (e.g. Bodrum and Marmaris), specific area's (e.g Bodrum Peninsula and Gulf of Gokova), and three Excusions with easy to read site plans. All of this content is printed on white pages, but the jewel of the book is what's printed on the peach coloured pages.

These peach pages hold the details of 20 great walks, half of which are in the Bodrum Peninsula. Each walk is summarized with the duration and grade, and includes details of how to get to the starting point (with some helpful tips on how to communicate to the driver when you want to off the Dolmus at an unusual point!). For many of the walks, there's a shorter version you can take, and each of the walks is illustrated with a map of the route, which includes key points along the journey and the places where photo opportunities should be maximized.

Next time I visit Gumusluk - I'm going to try Walk 2 - the Karakya circuit from Gumusluk inland village.

Time: 2 1/2 hours

Grade: Easy, but the paths are very stony underfoot; ascent about 150m

Travel: Dolmus from Bodrum or Gumusluk to Gumusluk inland main village

Start: With the Mosque/PTT on your left, head seawards, but after just bout 30m turn sharp right into a narrow cobbled trail..............

Even if I don't get to do all 20 walks, my mind can journey thru this strange new world.....