Who loves adventure travel? I DO! Yes, I absolutely adore going on adventures and have tried some challenging activities while on my travels.
From volcano boarding in Nicaragua and hiking through the Atacama Desert, to kayaking in Finland’s archipelago and zip-lining through Costa Rica – these are the posts to fuel your adventurous side.
12 hours before I boarded my flight to Marrakech for the start of my Morocco trip, I was still packing. For some reason, despite visiting the country three times before, Morocco drew a massive blank as to what clothes to take and what items might be useful. I knew it wasn’t a place to be gallivanting around in hot pants, but forecasts were suggesting highs of 30 degrees. Erring on the side of caution, I massively over-packed, zipped up my case, and dosed off for a precious two hours.
A traditional Hamam in Alanya isn’t necessarily a relaxing spa experience…!
“While you’re here you should definitely try a traditional Turkish bath.”
These were the words of one of my guides when I arrived in Alanya, Turkey a few weeks ago. Over three days I was whisked from beaches to caves to restaurants, and now, just ten minutes after returning from a jeep safari, I found myself in the ladies changing room at Çemberlitas Hamam.
As mentioned in my recent spa review of the luxury hamam at Dolphin Square, the hamam (also known as Turkish bath) isn’t an activity done for pure relaxation. No, it’s a cultural experience with an emphasis on cleansing. It’s also a place where people go to catch up with friends and family. Parents take their children and friends go together. It’s a communal experience, with most of the time spent in the hamam chamber – a beautiful marble room with sinks around the outside and a large heated marble stone in the centre. Men and women have separate facilities, although at this hamam, the sauna and steam room were mixed.
After a sauna and a steam, I entered the hamam chamber in my bikini unsure of what the protocol was. I was swiftly pointed in the direction of the shower then the jacuzzi. One thing to note, when I arrived I wasn’t told what the experience would involve, so I spent the whole time apprehensive about what was going to happen next.
