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Researching Updates

It’s been a busy couple of weeks scooting about the peninsula to gather updates for an updated edition of my Bodrum Peninsula Travel Guide. When I updated my 2019 edition I made some minor tweaks and got rid of outdated information, but for the 2021 guide the updates are more extensive. I’m researching and including more information about local hikes, best places for breakfast, and more background and the significance of historical sites to whet your culture vulture appetite.

Updates for the 2021 Bodrum Peninsula Travel Guide

I’m driving out to Iassos this weekend, which is just past the airport on the way to Milas. I’ve been here before, but this historical site is so large, that we only explored a fraction of it, and I missed out the Fish Market which is tucked down a back street. It’s oddly named, because it’s not actually a fish market, it’s a mausoleum and some elements are similar (on a much smaller scale) to the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.

I’ve also been getting my fill of Turkish breakfast, and have created my own criteria for assessing whether it’s a good one, or just passable. There’s so many places to have a traditional Turkish breakfast, and it’s one of my favourite things to do. This one meal keeps you going all day, and it’s made for lingering over. No rush. No hurry. Just nibble your way through different plates and dishes.

Last weekend I explored the Yaliçiflik area of the peninsula, and explored some of the forest tracks that lead onto the Leleg Way hiking trails. Over the past few years the local Bodrum government have been making more of the importance of these hiking routes, and you may have noticed the signs at the side of many roads that point up into the hills signaling a stretch of the Leleg Way, which was one of the most important trade routes during the Carian times. The path starts in Etrim – home of the carpet village and a tranquil setting or a village breakfast, all the way to Turgutreis. We’ve bought a couple of small carpets there over the years, and have had breakfast there a number of times.

On the way back from the airport the other week just after dawn, I decided to take a detour to Tuzla Lake, and was surprised to be greeted by a large flock of flamingos. I’ve seen photos in the past, and have heard about people going to the lake to see them, but hadn’t expected them to the there. It was a lovely surprise.

I carried on to the neighboring village, and they were hosting a Sunday market. That’s another of my favourite past times. I love going around the markets, even if I don’t intend to buy anything.

So I’ve been visiting each market across the peninsula so that I have up to date information about how big each one each and what they sell. So look out for updates to my weekly market page, and I’ll also been adding new markets to my travel guide.

It’s been an odd year, and many businesses closed their doors temporarily, and others have closed for good. But it’s not all doom and gloom here. There are plenty of new businesses sprouting up, and I’ve noticed an influx of residents from the cities who have made this area their home and have started small businesses to keep themselves occupied.

It’s been a really warm November so far, creating perfect conditions for rushing around to take photos and videos of my new discoveries. The sky is clear, and the vivid blue makes a perfect backdrop for my photos.

If there’s anything you want information about, please just leave me a comment below. And if you have a local discovery to share, I’m all ears. I want this updated edition to my my best version yet. I published my first edition back in 2013, and it’s come a long way since that first travel guide.

Thanks for reading … and if you want to get notified about the release of my updated Bodrum Peninsula Travel Guide, join my mailing list.