The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/1471792
e number of amenities, restaurants, and activities hosted and arranged by the resort is extensive. Staying at the resort is an experience that can best be described as akin to exploring a secret city where anything you want is at your disposal. If you are looking for outdoor activity, the concierge can arrange a luxurious yacht day, adventurous water sports, horseback riding, golfing, sailing, or arrange a day trip to downtown Bodrum. Guests can also jump into a Jeep or ATV and go on an exciting safari, partake in one of the daily gulet tours, or arrange a trip to the Greek island of Cos. For guests who prefer leisurely activity, days can begin with a long breakfast, either served to their room or at one of the many on-site restaurants. Later the Kempinski can arrange a visit to the Carpet Village in Etrim where local master weavers show and explain the history, techniques, and patterns seen in local tapestry. Turkey is also known for its wine and coffee, with a number of wineries in the region where guests can spend the day tasting the locally produced spirits while enjoying the views of the landscape. Travelers with a penchant for culture and local history can arrange transport and an itinerary to visit architectural sites that are considered part of the Seven Wonders of the World, along with a number of ruins and remnants of ancient cities. Notable spots in the region are the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus and Ephesus. Both are Wonders of the World and on any amateur historian's bucket list as sites that are truly a once in a lifetime visit. e Amphitheater is perhaps the most restored, and is the closest site to the resort. Completed in about 4 A.D., the theater has a robust schedule of live events throughout the year. Visitors who look close enough can still see inscriptions of ancient sponsors on the seats. Another stunning ancient Greek site is the Temple of Apollo in Didyma most notable for its crisp white stone and fluted columns. ere are plenty of architectural wonders to be discovered here such as the smaller buildings that existed within the temple which even included an amphitheater of its own. e Iconic Stoa in Miletus is one of the more serene and visually stunning ruins in the region with pools of accumulated water and intact pathways that make this site look like it doubles as a portal to another world. It would be a mistake to not arrange a visit to the Pamukkale whose name translates to "cotton castle."Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, the terraced springs are a natural structure of pools rich in calcite that keeps the walls of the pools a crisp cotton white. VUE ON | TRAVEL VUENJ.COM 55