One Becomes Two, And Then Three
As regular readers will know, I’ve had friends over for a couple of weeks. We fitted a lot in, including the important part of spending plenty of time together and catching up.
I hadn’t been out on a boat trip for a few years. It was just one of those things I hadn’t got round to. Having my friends over gave us the excuse to spend a day on the water with regular stops for swimming or even jumping on an inflatable behind a speedboat.
We didn’t want a party boat with foam everywhere. We are all a bit long in the tooth for those shenanigans. We wanted relaxed and chilled out. Everyone recommended the same boat. Siesta Boat was the perfect choice.
Booking was easy and incredibly friendly. It couldn’t have been easier. Our sunbeds were booked in the shade, and the drinks and snacks menu was sent to me. What stood out the most was how cheap everything was. Certainly cheaper than the bars on the seafront. Before we’d even gone aboard, we felt welcome and excited. It would only get better.
Siesta offers a free pickup service which takes the stress of arriving before the boat departs out of the equation. The relaxation had kicked in before we started.
The welcome we received from the wonderful Gabi and skipper Eyup made us feel like family. Something very special was happening. We were shown to our reserved sunbeds in the shade, and drinks were served quickly with a smile.
Our first stop was Seagull Bay for a swim. Warm and perfectly refreshing on what was turning into a very hot summer’s day. It would prove to be a habit. I was the first one in and the last one out on every stop. It meant I was drafted as a temporary deckhand, which I loved. I used to have a boat, after all.
The day would comprise five stops, depending on the weather and sea conditions. We enjoyed a second swim before lounging around, reading and chatting until the lunch stop.
Catering on a boat isn’t easy. I have memories of doing a 14-hour sail from Portsmouth to Cherbourg when I owned a 40-foot boat. We put the oven on a low heat and threw in a shoulder of lamb. 14 hours later and it was gorgeous. It’s different when there are 50 people requiring food.
To prepare a lovely pasta, chicken skewer, and salad is incredibly impressive. It tasted gorgeous and was better than some of the local restaurants I’ve been to. To achieve that in the confines of a boat kitchen is quite a feat.
We had two more stops to go. More relaxing and swimming was certainly the order of the day. That was until Dave (have I ever mentioned everyone needs a Dave?) saw the inflatable spinning around behind a charging speedboat. Rachel will confirm that myself and Dave are really two big kids. She’s rolled her eyes at us both so many times over the years, I truly can’t count the number. There was no way we were missing the opportunity to fly over the water, trying to stay seated on an inflatable.
When the two men children had finished their 15 minutes blast around on the water, there was still time for a last swim before we headed back to port.
It’s when the conversation started.
“Can we do this again on Sunday?”
I contacted Gabi, and the booking was made. We even got sunbeds in the shade again. Perfect service with a smile, yet again.
Our second trip coincided with Victory Day and big public celebrations. Giant Turkish flags adorned all the party boats. The atmosphere was quite special, even if some of the other boats were playing music at a volume level Spinal Tap would describe as 11. Thankfully, the noisiest boats had a different itinerary to us. It meant we had another relaxing day with a bonus extra stop for a swim. It meant all the party boats could sail in convoy in a line past the beach with flags flying everywhere. It was one of those times you rarely get to see. Absolutely amazing.
Dave and Rachel flew home the next day. I thought I’d been on my final boat trip of the year. That was until Gabi contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in going on a sunset cruise. I couldn’t resist.
It’s a different experience, as it involves three stops. The first allowed a lovely swim and snorkel in Seagull Bay. Next stop was just outside the marina at Third Beach, one of my favourite beaches in the area. Dinner was served after a final quick swim as the sun went down. It really was beautiful.
One final stop allowed us to see quite how many lights are on the seafront and how bright they are. In some ways, it’s quite cool. In others, the level of light pollution is a touch on the scary side.
I can’t thank Gabi and Eyup enough for the three amazing trips. It has been the ultimate pleasure. I even remembered how much I love being out on a boat after dark. It has a very special feeling.
If you’re in Didim and want to spend a very enjoyable and affordable day on the water you can find out more about Siesta Boat at www.siestaboat.com. I can highly recommend it.
Thank you again to David and Rachel. It really was a perfect summer. Thank you also for the photos. It's very much appreciated.
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