Day 8 – Kuşadası to Bodrum

I had booked the 8am bus from Kuşadası otogar (bus station) that takes 3 hours to reach Bordum. The bus station is about 20 minutes downhill walk from Hotel Stella, but the hotel host, Hasan, insisted that I take a taxi, and it’d cost about TL 10 to reach the otogar (taxis are metered in Kuşadası).

But I was taken for a ride and it costs double, TL 20, to reach there!

Buses from Kuşadası to Bodrum There are a lot of bus companies that run direct service between the coastal cities of Istanbul, Izmir, Kuşadası, Bodrum and Çanakkale, which means you can go to any bus station and either pre-book your tickets or wait for the next one. And then there are smaller bus companies like Aydın, Suha, etc. that run ‘taxi’ service (pick-up, drop-off) between these cities. Although all the services may cost the same between cities, some may cost less so it’s always best to shop around.

 
I was booked on one of those taxi-service bus, Aydın, by Hasan, and costs TL 25. Upon further inquiry, I found out that Kamil Koç direct service from Kuşadası to Bodrum costs TL 15 (inclusive of snack service and wifi on board).

The bus takes 3 hours, stopping at Soke and Milas, each for 10 minutes.

Having booked at Bodrum Backpackers hostel for 3 nights, it was a pleasant 10 minute walk from the bus station to the hostel, passing through the two main one-way streets of Atatürk cd. (runs parallel to marina) and Cevat Şakir cd. (leads to the marina), that has all the souvenir shops, cafes, restaurants and main offices.

Bodrum Backpackers Value Location Cleanliness Rooms Service Breakfast included: No. Address: 37/B Ataturk caddesi, Bodrum, Türkiye Website: www.bodrumbackpackers.net Good location, but everything else is pathetic! If you are looking for really cheap accommodation in this tourist town of Bodrum, then this is your place. It’s located centrally, just walking distance from Bodrum Castle and the marina. And yes, the host, Mehmet, is very helpful and speak English. That being said, there are a lot of cheap and (I’m sure) better option in this city. Bodrum Backpackers should be your last option to even consider. They don’t have any rooms with private ensuite bathroom, which is fine because many hostels around the world have that. A single bedroom with shared bathroom costs TL 35 per night, which is cheap, but for an additional TL 10 per night you can find pensions that has cleaner rooms. The owners made excellent BBQ dinner, which was the only best part of being there. This is where the fun begins! The single bed room had a bunk bed to sleep two, where the upper deck just had a mattress, with no sheets or pillows. The room was more rectangular than being square, and so small that if two people were to walk side by side, one would have to wait for the other to pass. It was the month of April when I was in Bodrum and yes, for some people it does get cold at nights with the winds coming in from the sea-side, and the bedroom did not have any blanket. Forget a blanket, they did not have anything to cover yourself to sleep. I had to ask for a blanket and all they said was “we have two blankets (which actually were throws) but they are taken, so here’s a bed-sheet”, with that weird smirk on his face and continued “c’mon man, it’s summer, so you don’t need a blanket”. Yes, I do! Being on the road away from home, there are things you need to check over the internet and almost every establishment over in most countries have wifi these days. It’s essential to plan your trips when you’re backpacking. If you are advertising that your hostel/hotel has free wifi, please make sure it works and is available for your guests to be connected. This was not the case here. The wifi shows up in your smartphones or computers, but fails to connect. Mehmet asks you to go downstairs (on the 2-storey building, upper floor being the rooms and sitting area, middle floor being the office and ground level just to enter the building) to the ground level and try connecting. If you’re lucky it will, mostly it won’t. Last, but not the least, bed bugs. Yes! You read that correctly. I woke up with bites on my arms and legs. And upon complaining to the owners, they showed disappointment but I didn’t think they did anything about it. This is where I stop and let you decide.

 

Bodrum lies on the south-west coast of Türkiye and is a getaway town for locals and tourists. Having close proximity to two important destinations – Rhodes & Kos in Greece, and Marmaris in Türkiye – there are not many sights to see in this city. You can take a day trip to Marmaris by taking the ferry to Datça.

After checking in, headed to the promenade for lunch at Marina Bomonti Cafe for lunch – şiş (sheesh) kebab with fries, bread and Ayran (yogurt milk). The restaurant, similar to most of them, faces the marina promenade and is reasonable in terms of price of food. The owner was very friendly and I invited him over to have chat with me, which was great because I got to know a lot about the city and sights to see and visit – whether they are worth the money or not.

 
Based on recommendations, I started walking along the marina and then uphill, for 45 minutes, to the ‘famous’ Bodrum Windmills. Facing northwest to catch the coastal winds, these windmills made of stone and lined with wooden planks were used from the 18th century until the 70’s as a means to grind flour for the local people. Although a common sight the windmills are now derelict but still rest among the olive trees on the surrounding hills. Seven of these windmills (only two are in rather good condition) are on a hill which separates Bodrum and Gumbet, which is a fantastic location for great panorama views, especially if you go at night. On one side of the view you have a stunning view of Bodrum, and on the other side a glorious view of Gumbet.

It’s possible to walk to the windmills, but remember that it’s an uphill walk and not a pleasant one. You can always take the dolmuş from the mosque next to Bodrum Castle, or the bus station, that goes to Gumbet neighborhood and get down at the base of the mountain. Costs TL 3.

As recommended by the owner of Bomonti restaurant, this is not a good sight to visit, unless you want great views of the city, especially in the night.

Walked back to the city, and on the way to Bodrum Castle lies the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Except for a few fallen columns and a small museum, nothing of the Mausoleum stands anymore and it is a complete waste of time and money (costs TL 8) to visit this.

Next and the last place to visit was the Bodrum Castle, which houses the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology (costs TL 20 for both castle & museum; extra for different halls inside the castle, 9:00am-4:00pm)

The views from the castle are excellent.

After not so eventful day of sigh-seeing, I walked back to the marina to view the sunset and spent some more time walking around the city.

Since I was not able to go to Rhodes or Marmaris, this is when I decided to leave Bodrum for an extra day in Fethiye/Ölüdeniz and visit places around there, which turned out to be a wise decision.

Dinner was at Bodrum Backpackers where the owners served BBQ chicken, beef and fries, all for TL 10.

Note: All values in USD, unless otherwise mentioned, are approximate and based on the exchange rate at the time of publishing. Each cost is for one adult. The exchange rate at the time of publishing is assumed to be USD 1 = TRY 1.80.
 

What	Cost	Notes
Taxi to Kusadasi otogar	TL 20 or $11.10	One way
Souvenirs in Kusadasi	TL 3 or $1.70	Fridge magnet
Bus from Kusadasi to Bodrum	TL 30 or $16.70	By Aydin bus company, one way.
Bodrum Backpackers Hostel	TL 70 or $38.90	For two nights. TL 35 per night for single bedroom
Lunch at Marina Bomonti cafe	TL 26 or $14.40
Mausoleum	TL 8 or $4.40	Entrance fees
Snacks & Water	TL 5 or $2.80
Souvenirs in Bodrum	TL 3 or $1.70	Fridge magnet
Bodrum Castle	TL 20 or $11.10	Entrance fee for castle & museum
Dinner at Bodrum Backpackers	TL 10 or $5.60	BBQ dinner
Toilets	TL 2 or $1.10
Total Costs	$109.50	Per person
Overall Costs	$927.80	Per person