EXPLORING KAS, TURKEY: TOP THINGS TO DO

It took a while to get through all my holiday photos, but finally here’s my round-up of things to do and see in Kas, Turkey!

1. Tandem Paragliding

I was initially VERY reluctant to try this but seeing that Kas is one of the few places that offers this experience and after much persuasion from my travel buddies, I eventually took the plunge. Most of you know that I have a fear of heights – my hands get clammy when I climb up grilled staircases and I cried the last time I walked on the glass floored lookout point off a cliff in Canada! Embarrassing times I know … but I wasn’t going to chicken out this time and it turned out to be one of the highlights of my holiday.
We booked our experience via the Larsoy Travel booking office for 450TRY per person, but I think the main guys who actually run the activity are from Fly Lycia where we were dropped off at the end – I’m not sure if the price is different if you book directly, so probably worth checking this out just to be safe.
We were picked up from the tourism office at 9am and the journey took approximately 30 minutes to reach the take off point from a height of 650m up Asas Mountain. My pilot was Cenk who was very friendly and professional throughout – he has been flying for over 18 years so you can be assured that you will be in safe hands! We also took some really cool selfies and videoclips from above!
We were up in the air for about 20 – 30 minutes before ending with a soft landing at the old port of Kaş. We paid an additional 100TRY for the photos and videos which are definitely worth keeping for the memories.

2. Kekova Boat Trip

We went on the group boat tour that takes a whole day, usually starting at 10am and finishing at approximately 6pm. Again, we booked ours via Larsoy Travel down the road from where we stayed, which cost us 125TRY (lunch included). It’s the perfect way to spend a day outdoors whilst exploring Kekova Island on the beautiful turquoise waters with plenty of swimming opportunities. Check out my previous post to find out more.

3. Friday Market

Only open on Fridays as the title suggests, it’s a good place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as some souvenirs which are sometimes cheaper compared to the shops. I was well chuffed with my Turkish coffee copper pots (cezve/ibrik) that I bought for almost half the price of what I would have been charged at the souvenir shop. However we did buy some Turkish delight boxes which we later found out to consist mainly of cardboard packaging, so don’t be fooled by appearances! I loved their selection of teas and would recommend buying them loose, which costs about a third of the price of a pre-packaged selection. Also, don’t be afraid to haggle as everyone does it!

4. Antiphellos Theatre

One of the well-preserved antique theatres from the Greek and Roman civilizations, this small Hellenistic theatre sits 500m west of Kaş’s main square. It was built in the 1st century BC and restored 300 years later, after the great 141 AD earthquake. Climb to the top tier of the theatre to enjoy a view of the city of Kaş and the vast blue waters of the Mediterranean. It is a particularly popular spot during sunset to while away the evening with some drinks in hand.

5. Local Restaurants/Cafes

I found some lovely hidden gems during my stay in Kaş. There are plenty of restaurants dotted around the town offering views overlooking the coast, but my favourites were mainly tucked away in the quirky little streets. I was particularly a fan of places like Pell’s Gece and Bijout – read my previous post on my favourite eating spots in Kaş via this link.

6. Explore the Colourful Streets

As opposed to the busy streets of Istanbul, Kaş offered a much more pleasant holiday experience for me. The town itself was much prettier and had more character to it. I felt safe and at ease wandering the streets on my own as opposed to getting really creepy/disconcerting stares in Istanbul. There is of course the well-known bougainvillea lined street, Dogruyol Cd, just off the main square where you can find shops housed in traditional townhouses. At the top of the street is the King’s Tomb, an elevated 4th-century BC Lycian sarcophagus, two lions’ heads on the lid, mounted on a high base.

7.Sunbathing

There are plenty of beach clubs dotted along the coast which hotel guests can enjoy for free, or if you’re an outside guest, you can pay a minimal daily fee. You can also hop onto the water taxis in Kaş harbour and head for any one of the three beaches on the peninsula opposite at Liman Ağzı, where all three of them have cafes. We paid 40TRY for the day which was redeemable against food/drinks and allowed us use of the sunloungers and swimming in the calm water of the cove. If you’re looking for a bit more of a workout, you can also hike there (3km) on a pleasant section of the Lycian Way footpath, which begins at Büyük Çakıl Plajı.

8. Live Like a Local

Even though hotels tend to have a more luxurious feel to it, sometimes the more meaningful experiences come by when you live with a local. I had the pleasure of staying with my host Selver in her humble abode. We had some really nice chats during my stay and she gave good local recommendations whilst we sipped away on Turkish coffee in her beautiful garden.

We didn’t make it to Kaputas Beach this trip which I think is about a half hour drive away and is supposed to be quite pretty (although it’s quite likely to be packed with tourists during peak times). We did however pass by it on the way to and back from the airport.
If you’re renting a car it would probably be easier to access some other neighbouring locations like Demre and Fethiye, which would normally take a couple of hours by public transport.
I would have also liked to have visited Meis Island, otherwise known as the Greek Island Kaştellorizo or Castellorizo which is just a 30 minute boat journey across the water from Kaş Harbour, but I guess there’s always next summer!

And that’s a wrap! I hope that you’ve enjoyed following my travel adventures and that you might find some of my travel tips useful in future! Apart from my next trip back to Malaysia, I haven’t quite got anything solid planned as yet, but who knows what might come up at the last minute …
There will still be plenty of reviews and write-ups coming up so remember to hit subscribe.

Until then, follow my dance adventures around London on Instagram @the_cheeksterx

The Cheekster, signing out x

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2 Comments

  1. October 16, 2018 / 8:16 am

    Okay, the Friday market and the restaurant/cafe scenes are more me… but tandem paragliding sounds amazing!!

    • October 16, 2018 / 9:27 am

      Haha yes the tandem paragliding was amazing! But yes everything else was really fun too 😀 x

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