Dalyan Mud Bath, Marmaris

...the local countryside, visiting the Dalyan rock tombs and ancient city of Kaunos etc etc.

I discovered the location of the mud baths whilst on a boat trip down the Dalyan River. I noticed a horrible stench - like rotten eggs. Looking around the boat all the 'newbies' to the town were all looking around and probably thinking the same thing I was...... I was getting ready to be impressed when the captain of the boat shouted - "sulphur ...
...do on a trip to Dalyan - it is the mud bath. From reducing one's mental age to about three and thinking throwing mud pies is funny to the tingly skin for hours afterwards the experience is great.

Everytime I look at the photos of me and my girlfriend caked in mud I have to crack a smile. We have never been so dirty.

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Me and my girlfreind experienced our first holiday together in September 2006 in Dalyan.

One of the most enjoyable experiences was the Turkish mudbath - that's right I had more fun than white water rafting down the Dalaman RIver (although only just - this is an adrenaline rush that has to be experienced), going on a jeep safari round the town and through the local countryside, visiting the Dalyan rock tombs and ancient city of Kaunos etc etc.

I discovered the location of the mud baths whilst on a boat trip down the Dalyan River. I noticed a horrible stench - like rotten eggs. Looking around the boat all the 'newbies' to the town were all looking around and probably thinking the same thing I was...... I was getting ready to be impressed when the captain of the boat shouted - "sulphur pools next to the mud bath!"

All of the childish adults on the boat, just like me, just grinned.

I was intrigued............ for the rest of the excursion I was asking the captain about the mud baths - what were they? What did you do there? How do I get there?

The following day my girlfriend and I chartered a boat to the mud baths. It cost about £8 (Turkey is sooo cheap) and the captain was to take us over there, wait till we were finished and then bring us back to the main docking point in town.

It was easy to tell when the boat got close to the mud baths. The rotten egg smell was in the air. Usually - I would have held my nose in disgust, but this time I inhaled harder. The stench got more and more pungent. It was disgusting, but at the same time nice.

The boat moored up and we jumped off the boat. From the river you can't see the actual bath or it's surroundings. A very short walk from the water's edge a small complex comes in to view.

It costs approx 40p to enter the complex, which consists of tables, chairs and seating areas, a souvenir shop, photbooth, drinks and pancakes outlets etc. This place was well geared up for tourism!

As we entered we saw the mud bath and the sulphur pool. A big sign gave the directions - roll in mud, dry off, wash it off and take a dip in the sulphur pool.

Getting in the mud bath was a really wierd experience. The feeling underfoot is quite unnerving. As I entered I slowly crouched down. It was then an Aussie bloke yelled at me to stop being a poof and chucked a handfull of mud at me.

I glared only to find this bloke had a massive grin on his face, and he was covered from head to foot. I realised this bloke was not being threatening but that was the way everyone behaved in the mud bath. It was then a mud fight broke out.

There we were, a load of supposedly adults, caked in crud chucking mud pies at each other. I was laughing so hard my eyes were streaming and my ribs started to ache.

Once I had smeared mud ALL over my body, face and neck I jumped out and stood in the sun - along with everyone else. It was like we were all reptiles basking in the light. People were jostling for the best position to get the most rays. It was surreal. During the forty odd minutes it took to dry off we stood there talking to the Aussies we had jus met and compared hotels, what we had done etc etc.

Once the mud had dried and started to crack it is time to go and wash it off in the showers. The phrase Power shower does not come close. If you like a jet of water so hard it causes the first signs of bruising then you will absolutely love this! A word of warning though - the mud gets everywhere, and I mean everywhere. It is also a bit of a pig to get off.

Once the mud has been washed off in the COLD showers then it is time to hit the sulphur pool. At a very warm 40 - 45 degrees. It is the sulphur pool that smells, but once you come out and dry off you can't really smell it. It is really strange and a topic that kept coming up in discussions over and over for the remainder of the holiday.

Once I was fully dry the tingling sensation is divine. It is not the same sort of tingle experienced when tea tree shampoo is used it lasts for hours and hours. My skin was so soft. It had never been like that before. Even better, my girlfriend's skin felt just the same. ; )

If there is one thing you have to do on a trip to Dalyan - it is the mud bath. From reducing one's mental age to about three and thinking throwing mud pies is funny to the tingly skin for hours afterwards the experience is great.

Everytime I look at the photos of me and my girlfriend caked in mud I have to crack a smile. We have never been so dirty.

 

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