You’re looking to broaden your experience by visiting somewhere different and do things that you’ve not done before. Enter Turkey. This country with its city of Istanbul which stands at the gateway where East meets West has much to offer anyone who comes here on a spiritual retreat or soul-searching journey. Here are a few suggestions.
Visit the Pammukale thermal springs
Located in Denizli province in south-western Turkey, the natural site of the Pammukale thermal springs is a true opportunity to revitalize the mind and the body. Quite possibly Turkey’s most popular site, and a UNESCO World Heritage site too, the travertines of the site – a stack of calcium carbonate shelves – are filled with warm, blue water packed with revitalizing minerals. The best plan is to stay nearby overnight and make the most of the site early the next morning before all the tourists arrive.
Go white water rafting in Belek
Physical to the core, white water rafting in Belek, situated on the southern Mediterranean coast, is a team-building exercise. It’s all about the challenge, pitting you and your team of rafters against the elements. Sure, it’s a touch scary, but it’s also mightily exhilarating. White water rafting is your chance to conquer your fears and choose life on the edge.
Explore Side
Side is on the southern Mediterranean coast of Turkey and is renowned for its long beaches. However, take the time to not just laze on the beach, but to explore historical attractions in Side, like the 2nd century BC Temple of Athena, and the theatre, combines tourism with an exercise in appreciation. While you look around at these ancient sites, you’ll appreciate all that has happened before, all that Turkey has been through to become the eminent country it is today. If you stay in Side after dark, you’ll be able to get some magnificent shots, as a spotlight picks out the ruins with dramatic effect.
Take to the water with some scuba diving
Scuba diving is an opportunity to see another pleasant side of Turkey, experiencing the country below sea level. Go diving in Belek and, as well as facing your fears, you’ll be able to explore wrecks and come across an array of sea life. If you’ve never been diving, this is your chance to develop a taste for something new and broaden your experiences as a traveler. Once you’re in the water and seeing the marine beauty, you’ll soon understand why so many people love to go diving!
If you search hard enough, there’s a definite spiritual side to Turkey, which you can find through enriching activities such as exploration; life-on-the-edge and experience-building pursuits like white rafting and scuba diving; and calmer things to do – as is the case with visiting the Pammukale thermal springs – that allow you to relax and reflect. Make the most of your visit to this country to discover its experience-widening riches and find out something new about yourself too.
Photo Credits
Thermal Springs by Marcel Oosterwijk on flickr – some rights reserved
White Water Rafting – pixabay public domain
Temple of Athena – Wikimedia creative commons
Scuba diving by Vassili Tzvetanov on flickr – some rights reserved
Guest Author Bio
Chrysty Miles
Chrysty Miles is a travel enthusiast who loves exploring the world. She had been to different countries tasting the goodness of the world.
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