Turkey - a favourite destination for vacation

What is it that brings us back to Turkey for vacation? And what is it that brings us back not only to the same city, but even the same hotel?

In the first part of August, we were back from 15 wonderful days in the small town of Side on the south coast of Turkey. It is located between Antalya and Alanya, and it is part of the bigger city Manavgat. We spent the same amount of days there also last year. Rune was also there alone back in 2008.

Having been there before and having done some sightseeing then, this year we had no other intention but to enjoy the hot and sunny weather and relax.


Why Turkey?

So, why then Turkey? The main reason is the climate. It is sunny and no rain. And it is hot. Sharon would be satisfied with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius or maybe up to around 35 degrees. Rune, on the other hand, is most satisfied when the temperature exceeds 35 and preferably lies around 40 degrees Celsius and even above. And that we get in Turkey. Sharon spends most of the time in the shadow and she also prefers some breeze. Rune spends most of the time in the sun and does not mind absence of breeze. He even goes for walks during mid day when the temperature is at its highest.

The highest temperature during this year's stay was 48 degrees Celsius. At least, that was what we registered. And of course, at that time Rune was going for a 30-45 minutes walk!! Only after observing and being with Rune in Turkey, Sharon has really come to an understanding how much Rune loves that climate. You may be among those who have heard Rune express his love for sunny and hot weather, but only if you were actually there together with him you would really understand...!

What we also have discovered in Turkey is their great food. Turkish buffet at our hotel was good. So was the food we had at some restaurants in Side. But the greatest food experience was when having lunch at a small and local restaurant in Manavgat.

Why Side?

Side was kind of a coincident when Rune first went on vacation there back in 2008. A rainy start of his vacation in Norway and a forecast of more rain made him go to a travel agency. He wanted to go to a warm place and he did not want to pay extra just because he was travelling alone. Some of you may not be aware of it, but when travelling the per person price is usually lower when you do not travel alone. Therefore, this was one of his requirements. After a few minutes, he came out of the travel agency with a two weeks ticket to Side in Turkey.

When going on vacation to relax in a warm climate, it is nice to stay in a smaller city. Checking in to a hotel 10 km outside the small town of Side therefore was ideal. Beautiful beach, pleasant hotel and a nice and cosy old town at the habour became a good surprise. The security level is also quite high. There are several nice restaurants, for example Ocakbasi. Here, you do not just get very good food but also a very hospitable treatment.

So, Side is a good choice for us  -  and it might very well also be a good choice for you.

Why the same hotel?

You may understand why we go back to Turkey and why we go back to Side. But why the same hotel? Well, if you go on vacation mainly to enjoy the climate and relax, it is nice to arrive in a place where you know the place and where you feel comfortable.

Sunwing Resort Side West is a place where we can relax. We stay in an apartment with a bedroom, a bathroom, a living room and kitchen. And a balcony. We can fix food ourselves or we can eat out. The food at the hotel food shop is expensive, but there is a cheaper food store in Manavgat where we can get food for our stay.

Every hotel has its own beach restaurant. The beach restaurant and the people working there is also a reason why we stay at the same hotel. They are service minded, hospitable and friendly.

Sahin and Rune 

Yasemin and Sharon

And we were treated like VIPs....! On four different occasions, we got a free fruit plate, arranged by the cook Arif. Just take a look at this master piece:

We thank you Turkey, Side and the guys at Sunwing for a great summer vacation!

Final report from our stay in Kenya

We are back home in Norway. But before we kind of summarize our stay, let us shortly tell you about our last morning in Kenya. We spent the last night at Sharon's aunt Jennifer in Nairobi. After a very early breakfast, we drove to the airport around 4.30am. It was raining cats and dogs. Parts of the highway to the airport was flooded and it was dark. No street lights. It was a challenge to keep track of the road without diving into flooded water. About half way, we passed a car with its wheels up in the air and with major damages. After 30 minutes, we arrived safely in the airport.

It was an interesting stay. The reasons why we went to Kenya at this time, was for Rune to experience Christmas in Kenya, for Rune to meet more of Sharon's relatives, and to enjoy the December sun.

The sun was there and it was warm. But the hours of warm sun was fewer than expected and fewer than what is normal for this time of the year. Toward the last part of our stay, it even rained quite a lot during some of the days. But luckily, we also got good times in the sun. Christmas Eve lunch in the White Highlands Inn was enjoyed while the sun was burning hot. That day is one of many good experiences in the sun.

Christmas in Kenya is quite different from Norway. We have been writing more about this topic in an earlier report. The feeling of Christmas was hardly there, which was also an interesting experience. Rune very much understood why Sharon had been struggling to answer questions from friends in Norway how Christmas is in Kenya.

We managed to meet almost every relative that we were hoping for. Even if we decided not to drive as much as we had planned for because of the bad road standards, we found other solutions how to still meet relatives. We met family members and relatives in Eldoret and the nearby areas, outside Kericho, in Nakuru and in Nairobi.

It was nice for Rune to get to know more of Sharon's family, and it was nice for Sharon to introduce Rune to a much bigger part of her family. We also got feedback that the relatives were happy to meet both of us.

According to our plans, our stay was more or less a success. In spite of less sun and more rain. And in spite of bad experiences at Rosewood Cottage.

Our visit to Kenya has been a learning experience for both Sharon and Rune. Coming back to Kenya on vacation when living in Europe and being married to a white man is quite different from living in Kenya. Despite the fact that Sharon has been growing up and living in Eldoret for most of her life, coming back after having moved to Norway made her see things with different eyes. Having a white husband also attracts quite a different attention.

When it comes to seeing things with different eyes, one of the things that looks different is the roughness of the society. At one point while there, Sharon expressed: "I want to go home!". Meaning back home to Norway.

In addition to meeting and getting to know more of Sharon's relatives, it has been a learning experience for Rune how it is to live in Kenya. In so many ways he has seen and experienced things that a tourist is never close to see or experience. Being part of a Kenyan family in its depth and width is much more of a learning experience than even living in Kenya as a foreigner for someone who does not have a family there. Our travel reports have not covered such things or at the most they have just touched the edge of a few things.

Loaded with experiences and knowledge, we are back in Norway. Some of you will probably ask and get answers that will touch a little bit more of our experiences.

Thank you for following our travel blog. Now, our travel blog will rest until our next travel. Where and when our next travel will take place? Time will show. Until then, feel free to visit our web site www.henjum.net to keep on track with us in Norway.

Village Market in Nairobi - a nice place

The Kenyan capital is crowded. The city also has a major traffic problem. You may be stuck in traffic for hours. One of the places where you can enjoy some quiet time is the Village Market.

It is located outside the city centre and it is surrounded by nature.

We even found a calender for 2013 with pictures of Kenyan wild life. Together with Sharon's brother, Herbert, we enjoyed a nice lunch in the food court area.

If you go to Nairobi, we strongly recommend that you visit the Village Market.

Nakuru National Park

We spent a couple of nights at Sharon's uncle Philip and aunt Martha in Nakuru. We also got the opportunity to be with one of their daughters, Sharon's cousin Joy who was home for Christmas vacation.

In the evening of 29th December, we had fellowship and dinner at Sharon's uncle Robert and aunt Rose and their daughter Essy.

We started Sunday 30th December in Lakeview African Gospel Church with nice African worship rhythms.

We had Ethiopian food for lunch. It was a good choice, Joy!

Then, we drove into Nakuru National Park. We were there until about 6.15pm. Due to much rain, the lake had expanded and many roads were closed or not possible to drive on (see picture below).

We were not lucky to see neither lion nor leopard. But we got to see the white rhino. And we saw many lions in Maasai Mara during our last visit to Kenya back in 2009. Leopard is still an animal that we have not yet seen in Kenya.

Below, you will get a glimpse of our afternoon in Nakuru National Park: