One Night in Bodrum
Beach front in Bodrum, Turkey
One Day in Turkey is Not Enough!
We have said it before and will say it again; It is absolutely amazing what you can experience in one day! Especially if you get up at 3 am to catch a flight from one country to another in order to get to a third. Case in point.
Our flight from Tbilisi Georgia to Bodrum Turkey, via Istanbul, departed at 6:05 am. The hotel had arranged a cab for a reasonable fare (about half of what we were quoted at the airport when we arrived).
We were early but still surprised to see huge crowds in line for security. The 737 left on time and we arrived in Istanbul at sunrise. Looks like a beautiful city and we hope to explore it one day.
For now, we were en route to our Greek island of choice, Symi. Bodrum, our destination for the day, is located on the Mediterranean Sea and has a twice-weekly ferry to Symi Island.
The beach in Bodrum, Turkey
Missing a Flight in Istanbul
The lineup at the passport control in Istanbul was horrendous and we quickly realized we would probably miss our connecting flight unless we jumped the line. They had thirty checkpoints but were only manning three on this busy morning. There were lots of anxious faces in the crowd.
We decided it would be a waste of energy to panic as many people seemed to be in the same situation. We did miss our connecting flight but got new boarding passes at the Turkish Airline counter for a flight three hours later. We soothed our souls with a Starbucks as the 3 am start to our day began to take a toll.
Restaurant staff setting up table and chairs for the evening along the beach in Bodrum
Arriving in Bodrum on the Aegean Sea
The plane to Bodrum, an old beater purchased from Ryan Air, got us to Bodrum safely. Then we took another cab from the airport to our hotel, which was located within walking distance of the ferry terminal.
We had only booked one night as we were anxious to get to Symi to relax. Bodrum was a much larger city than anticipated with hundreds of hotels, countless restaurants, gift shops, and cafés.
An interesting scene played out at the end of the afternoon as restaurant staff cleared the beach, leveled and cleaned the sand, and then set up dining areas along the entire stretch. We have seen restaurants along the beach but never done to this methodical extent.
Sunset and a bottle of wine with a friend along the beach in Bodrum, Turkey
Hotel in Bodrum
We stayed at the Çapacı Hotel in Bodrum. The nightly rate was $45.00. The hotel was located right on the corniche and was conveniently located close to the ferry terminal. It was nothing to write home about but then again, we were not looking for luxury, so it was okay.
Bodrum has a wonderful vibe and we could probably have spent two or three days here taking in the atmosphere. It was very affordable.
However, our goal was a quieter, more idyllic, tranquil, and authentic scene. As usual, Di had done the research and Symi Island seemed to be the ticket. We hopped on the early morning ferry and were on our way.
Travel Photography From Bodrum, Turkey
Plenty of scooters in Bodrum
Shopping in Bodrum, Turkey
Arts and crafts in Bodrum, Turkey
Scooter transport
Two men take down beach chairs for the day in Bodrum, Turkey
Dining on the beach in Bodrum, Turkey
It’s been a long day traveling from Tbilisi, Georgia, to Bodrum in Turkey
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Photos in this article are captured using a Fujifilm X-Pro2. Lens: XF 23mm f/1.4 R (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done in Lightroom. I have made use of Fujifilm film simulations in this article.
