1

This is doable provided you are prepared to use overnight buses.These make good use of otherwise 'dead time'-and save on a nights hotels costs too :)
I just checked flights on your routes but they are expensive unless you have a generous budget.
So as a plan;-
11/12/13/14/15 -Istanbul.
15th night board bus to Goreme.There are 2 companies-
https://online.metroturizm.com.tr/BuyTicket.aspx 22.00 is good for you.
http://eticket.ipektr.com/firms_41/Kara2.aspx?199224208190210227202218202252274248239214208184230223180240202252265248205180208206202224252201223227179211181229207248233180222202224252193216222190210190248227180222202198252266274265266276274269276267274179
Buy your ticket a day or so in advance.Turista Travel on Divanyolu in Sultanahmet sell bus tickets.
16/17/18/19-Cappadocia
19th board bus from Goreme to Muğla.You will need to then take the local bus for Datça as there are no direct buses.These run hourly,take a little over 2 hours.
http://eticket.ipektr.com/firms_68/Kara2.aspx?258283267249269286261277261311333307298273267243289282239299261311324307264239267265261283311270248292284248256260280307292239281261283311268288254266238307286239281261257311325333324325335333328335326333238
Again as you arrive in Goreme buy your onward ticket.
20/21/22-Datça.
22nd board night bus from Datça to Istanbul.You'll arrive breakfast time on 23rd which is comfortable for your outbound flight.
https://www.pamukkaleturizm.com.tr/vizyon2010/Pages/SeferSorgula.pk?ZiETsVaVg4j0eaWRjkwMP2EHrvWbCYLBZkYBC5nJC495cv1Y0%2bIT5TXCIk3esn2Q#aTop
The 17.00 bus arrives at Esenler otogar 07.50.So you'll have time to stretch your legs grab some breakfast before making your way to the airport which isn't far away.Probably a better bus than the other time alternative which is earlier-
https://secure.kamilkoc.com.tr/SeferSorgula.aspx?k=1154&v=1094&g=30-5-2012&yks=1

You may wish to knock a day off Istanbul or Cappadocia to add an extra one to Datça depending which appeals to you most.BTW,the buses are safe and comfortable to use and as a female(I'm guessing from your user name you are),you will only be seated either alone or with another female,never a male.Otogar staff and bus crews are very helpful to visitors so don't be afraid to ask.
One important point;use the search box at top right hand corner to read up about a nasty little scam operated at Nevşehir Otogar.Read how they do it and then sit tight and don't fall for it.

Hope this is a help!

2

Wow, Sarikanarya! You just helped me tremendously with planning my whole, entire trip! Many, many thanks to you, my friend! I believe that what goes around comes around. You definitely have some good Karma coming your way : ) Awesome...

3

You're welcome! I would like some good karma defo-and a nice Korma too :)
Just thinking on...if you decide to add a day on to Datça then take it from Capp.rather than Istanbul.I don't know where you are coming in from but I suspect long haul which means your first day you'll be tired and pretty jet lagged and may want to take it a little easy just get your bearings and rest up a bit.
Post up any further questions you may have and when you get back home please post up a trip review on the sticky at the top of the page(the only accepted payment on the forum!).These are such a help to other travellers.Happy travels!

4

Would you suggest I purchase all of my bus tickets online, prior to arriving in Turkey? Or is it easy enough to purchase tickets upon arrival?

5

Purchasing online outside Turkey is not possible with most companies I'm afraid and TBH buying a day or two beforehand is sufficient.As I said as you arrive at each place go and buy your ticket then before you come out of the otogar.This way you know it's done and you know where you need to be and at what time etc.
When you buy your ticket to Goreme make sure it says Goreme on it and NOT Nevşehir,this will also help you skip the scam I mentioned.
Muğla is pronounced Moo-lah and Datça is Dat-cha

6

You're a gem! Teşekkür ederim, Sarikanarya : )

7

Hey Sarikanarya,

I was hoping that you could help me out with deciding upon where to spend my time along the Mediterranean coast. I am having a hard time narrowing my options down. Here are the places that I am considering:

Ephesus (definitely want at least a day pit stop here)
Datca
Bodrum Peninsula (I'm gathering it's pretty expensive/ flashy/ super touristy here?)
Fethiye
Kas
Olympos
Kabak

Ahh, too much to decide from. Right now I'm leaning towards Ephesus for sure, and either Datca, Olympos, or Kabak, but I'm open to suggestions. What do you think is the most worthwhile?

Thanks so much, Sarikanarya : )

8

Is this an alternative to Datça or in addition to?As you now want to fit in Ephesus I hope it isn't an addition as it would spread your time very thinly.
From your list I would choose Fethiye as this makes an excellent base for chilling,interesting sight seeing and some lovely walks/hikes.You are withing easy reach of Kaya Köyü,Kabak,Faralya,Butterfly Valley,Uzumlu,Saklıkent Gorge,Olu Deniz,Patara plus ruin sites too.Plenty to keep you busy :)
I have a soft spot for Datça but Fethiye area offers far more to do.
So you can go Istanbul>>Ephesus>>Fethiye>>Cappadocia>>Istanbul......or in reverse of course.1 day Ephesus,3 days Cappadocia,4 or 5 days Fethiye area 3 or 4 days Istanbul.

9

Hi Sarikanarya,

No, this would be an alternative. With only roughly 4 days in this area I think an addition would be too much if I want to actually get somewhat of a feel for the places I visit.

I'm curious, what causes your soft spot for Datca? For some reason it really appeals to me as well. I like that it's not as well known. I tend to try and stay away from tourist traps (very difficult in such a popular and historically rich country like Turkey), which is why I think my mind keeps going back to Datca. I've also been told that Datca Peninsula was rated the "most scenic drive in Turkey" by a Turkish newspaper. This strikes my interest.

If I were to choose to visit Fethiye rather than Olympos, how difficult would it be to spend a day in either Kabak or Butterfly Valley coming from Fethiye?

Also, is the scene in Fethiye as chilled out/ tree house living/ beach bumming as Olympos? Because what from what I've been reading in the Lonely Planet guide, Olympos is spoken of in higher regards for a backpacker than Fethiye is.

Thanks, sarikanarya. I really do appreciate your advice/ input.

10

Haaa,my soft spot for Datça comes from personal reasons.I lived there for almost a year following a pretty traumatic time and the peace and relaxed atmosphere gave me chance to mend and get myself back together again.Plenty of places to roam undisturbed there.It isn't the easiest place to get to so visitors tend to be either more discerning travellers or Turkish people for whom such journies is neither here nor there,but again the more discerning Turks.Basically people who appreciate the peace and beauty of the peninsula.
It is also a port of call for some of the gulet cruises but they only ever stop over night so people don't get chance to see more than a bit of the town.
The bus ride down there is amazing and there are things to see on both sides of the road so you can end up with neck ache if you aren't careful LOL!

Kabak is only around 15-20 minutes on the bus from Fethiye and there are little boats do a half day trip to Butterfly Valley from Fethiye.Or you can climb down the cliff path,some folks do but I believe they may be half mountain goat to do so :) Around Kabak there are plenty of camping sites,log bungalows and tree houses(probably better actually than the famous Bayrams tree houses at Olympos)(not quite so hard party).
Fethiye itself is pretty touristy as is Olu Deniz which is perhaps why it isn't regarded so highly by back packers yet close by there are lots of places which they enjoy.Olympos is still regarded as the ultimate backpackers destination maybe because this was the original hippy haunt of the 60's and 70's and there was no where else with that type of set up at that time.But even there is not quite as it used to be.
I guess it depends on how active you want to be;the Fethiye area has more to see and do but Datça is great if you want a chill out,a few nice rambles and some nice beaches for a swim.....
be scientific...flip a coin :)

11

Merhaba Sarikanarya,

I think it may just come down to a coin flip! But, before I flip that coin please allow me to glean you for a wee bit more of your knowledge : )

Yes, Datça seems absolutely lovely. It continues to appeal to me more and more. It looks like the perfect place for some restful soul searching after coming through a challenging and trying year myself. My only concern is that there aren't many activities to keep me busy. Other than hiking and swimming, what else would one do to keep themselves occupied? For instance, once the evening hits and the sun goes down, is there much to do?

Which place will give me the best of both worlds (beautiful scenery and entertaining activies)? It sounds like there is lots to keep me busy in Fethiye, however I've been told by people who have been that it is much more British than Turkish due to the high amounts of British tourists that visit. This is not very appealing to me.

Right now I've managed to narrow down my interests to staying in either Butterfly Valley/ Kabak, Olympos, or Datça. Sigh... not an easy decision (and a coin only has 2 sides!). So, my question to you is, which area will provide the best of both worlds? If I stay in BV/ Kabak I am only minutes away from the entertainment of Fethiye, but will I be missing out on the true 'hippie/ backpacker" vibes of Olympos if I choose not to go there?

Tesekkur ederim !

12

Rather than just relying on my opinions make use of the search facility to see what others have to say about each place(It concerns me that I may influence you too much to what I personally like).This way you will have balancing views of a few people to help you make up your mind.All 3 places are pretty well documented on the forum.
If you want to be out and about rather than just chilling on the beach then bear in mind that Olympos and Datça have the more limited bus services so days out would need to be planned carefully to allow for when the buses run in each direction(so you don't get stranded anywhere!) and even in Kabak I don't think buses run very late at night.
Evenings in Datça can be spent strolling along the seafront and around the harbour where there are some nice friendly little bars.