Red Magazine

Magical Turkey

Red Weddings

Jo Connolly

One of the many good things about marrying a Kiwi was the chance to have two weddings. After our English do, we were off to New Zealand to do it all again. Unsurprisingly, after all that flying, we didn't want to travel too far for our honeymoon. We both love beach holidays and we fancied splashing out on luxury accommodation. We were also looking for a country that had interesting culture and plenty of historic sites to visit.

I wasn't instantly taken with the idea of going to turkey - it's not the usual destination that you would associate with the holiday of a lifetime. But, we'd gone to Turkey when we first started dating, so it seemed romantic to return 14 years later. And we soon realised that it ticked all the right boxes, especially when we discovered Exclusive Escapes, an independent company that has the most amazing luxury villas I've ever seen.

We chose a two-part holiday, staying in Kaş for the fist week, which is quiet and very Turkish, at Villa Ela. On the second week, we moved to Kalkan, a slightly busier resort with a more international vibe. In both places, our villas were top of the range with personal swimming platforms, so we could enjoy the clear waters with some privacy. We felt thoroughly spoilt, especially by the wonderful staff who came every day to clean, and even offered to get our groceries when we felt too lazy to move.

On the days when we did manage to head out in our complimentary jeep, we found that the dramatic, fortress-topped island of Tilos and the ancient site of Xanthos more than satisfied our cultural needs. To chill out again, we took a relaxing gullet cruise along the coastline, stopping at tiny coves, where we slathered ourselves with natural mud from one of the coves - apparently, its anti-ageing properties are better than Crème De La Mer.

Our evenings were very low-key and relaxed. Both Kaş and Kalkan have wonderful, winding cobbled streets, colourful shops and excellent harbour-side or roof terrace restaurants, offering stunning views. When you feel like dressing up and dining by candlelight, there are a handful of exclusive restaurants, but we also lost ourselves in the maze of little alleys and back streets looking for smaller, local places to try the fantastic Turkish food. It was just one of the many things that made us fall in love with Turkey and its people. 

Our honeymoon was luxurious enough to feel like a once-in-a-lifetime holiday, but was made extra-special by the beautiful scenery, amazing culture, and relaxed way of life.