A relaxing wellness day in Dalaman — from poolside recharge to exploring the town and discovering a hidden gem in Türkiye's stunning south. Day 6 marks the beginning of my Dalaman wellness holiday.
Time for myself
My day started with a plentiful and delicious breakfast. I have never seen so much choice in a hotel breakfast! Two long rows of different types of cheese, fruits, vegetables, eggs cooked in every possible way, meats, pancakes, cereal, borek (for me – banitza!) and many more. I had a coffee and a tea, and orange juice!
The hotel is great – spacious and clean. The pool is 50 m long, the sun lounges are comfortable, the SPA offers free sauna and steam room (you can use the Turkish bath on your own for free as well), and the gym has everything you need for a full-body workout.
If you want to book Ramada by Wyndham Dalaman – click here.
After breakfast, I took a short break and I hit the gym – the staff at reception kindly opened it early so I had it just for myself. It was nice to have time to do some exercised and stretch properly. The last 5 days were quite intense and physically demanding.
Pool time and sunbathing
I took the executive decision to spend the rest of my trip as a wellness holiday. Digital detox, sunbathing, swimming and SPA. This was a first for me. I went to the restaurant, grabbed a plate and filled it with fruits as the breakfast was still on when I made it to the pool. I picked a sunlounge, poured myself a cup of tea and for first time during this trip I just stopped rushing.
I laid in the sun for hours. Occasionally, I would get up, swim for a bit and then go back to sunbathing. There quite a lot of people around the pool around lunchtime, but by the afternoon, I was on my own again.
I felt the need to explore.
The town
I headed over to the nearest shops. It’s like 40oC and I need water and snacks. The first thing I discovered was that prices here are even lower than the ones in Istanbul. When I say it’s cheap – it’s really, really cheap!
Teaming up with a local to feed cats and dogs
On my way to a local supermarket, I saw two dogs. This weather must be a nightmare for them. I decided I will get them some water and something to pour it in for them. As the prices are so low, I also got some dog food. By the time I was leaving the shop, another dog came about. And a cat. I opened the can of food but was struggling to get the food out.
A local male approached me and tried to help. I am in what I consider to be rural Türkiye and as I didn’t know I was going to end up here, I didn’t prepared with any Turkish phrases. I discovered that many people here don’t speak English and they don’t need to – I came unprepared. But with gestures and a mixture of Turkish, English and Bulgarian, we embarked on a mission to feed the cat and the dog.
The man took a screwdriver out of his car and I got some single-use baking bowls I got from the shop. He managed to pour the food for the dog and then he did the same for the cat. But then the animal started fighting, so he had to separate them but they both had their food. Mission accomplished!
In the end I went back to place where I saw the two dogs from before. Only one of them was left in the area, so I poured some water in a baking bowl and left it for him.
In the meantime, I was juggling with two massive bags full of sweets and treats I bought for about 18 British pounds! I was feeling like I won the lottery with Dalaman. The man from earlier caught up with me and kindly asked me if I wanted a lift. I was quite close to the hotel, so I declined. 5 minutes in the scorching heat later, I regretted this decision.
The locals
This is the thing here – the locals are so nice and friendly. I feel like I travelled back in time and space and I was a child again, spending my summers in a small village in the middle of the mountains, where everything felt safer and kinder.
I feel like I have the Authentic Turkish experience, seeing how locals live for real. Not in a capital city, but in a small town. Everything feels so real, so pure. I decided I should travel more to places where people don’t usually visit.
Dalaman is known for its airport. Usually, people don’t stay in the town, they just pass by on their way to the bigger world-famous resorts and beaches. For me, however, Dalaman is way more than an airport town – it’s the place where I explored the real Southern Türkiye in a way most tourists never do.
The historical place
I found this place as I was walking – a long path with tall palms on each side of it. The only thing that Google Maps knows about the location is that it’s a “historical place”. There was a guard at the front. I went to him and I asked if I could have a walk. I had to explain it with gestures, but he was happy to let me in. I was so happy! I love pal trees! They make me happy.
When I was a little child, I would see palm trees only in the movies and they have become the symbol of the word “exotic” to me. There was a building in the middle of the park and it was also surrounded by tall palm trees. I am still to find out what this place is, but I am very grateful to this security guard for letting me in to take a walk amongst the tall palms and the colourful flowers.
Türkiye feels very safe
I am technically in a Muslim country in the Middle East and I am a solo female traveller. I didn’t have even a second, I felt unsafe. People here are respectful. I got me starring at me in Romania, but none of this here. Also, it feels like everyone want to help me. Even when I am struggling to explain something. It’s nice and homey here.
