How long have you got? This is a crazy title for a web page but again, we've got to start somewhere so here goes. Let's forget about the obvious stuff for the moment. We'll get around to lying on the beach and walking around Ephesus a bit later on. We're going to mention a few things that you may not have thought of to whet your appetite and this stuff will all be clickable as fast as we can type.
The opportunities for activity holidays offered by Turkey's varied landscape are beginning to be realised. The World Air Games chose Oludeniz as a venue recently and this has helped to publicise the variety of options there are for fun, extreme or otherwise. Several tour operators on the South Coast have worked out that there is a market in specialised tours so, whether your interests are along the lines of birdwatching, retracing the footsteps of Saint Paul, painting watercolors or truck safaris you'll probably find something that's tailor made for you. As the holiday season approaches we'll be featuring links to operators who will be able to help you organise your trips in advance or just answer your questions about what's possible.
 There is plenty of skiing in Turkey. If you're used to Europe you might not find it particularly challenging but its not expensive. The major resorts are Kartalkaya (accessible from Ankara and Istanbul), Uludag (Bursa and Istanbul) and Erciyes (Kayseri, Cappadocia). The facilities are being improved rapidly as developers begin to realize that there is money to made. The recognised ski season here is January to March but in reality there's often snow about in October or November. Equipment hire is possible at all venues and the most economic way to ski is to avoid the resort hotels. To ski on Mt. Erciyes, for example, you can stay in Kayseri and bus up and down the mountain every day. At Kartalkaya you could do the same from Bolu and it's certainly day-trippable from Ankara
Whether you want to jump off a 6000 foot mountain and paraglide down to Oludeniz's picture perfect lagoon or try your luck on some white water rapids it's all here. Whereas a few years ago you might be justified in fearing for your safety when taking part in these activities the industry is maturing to the point where you can be fairly sure no one will put your life in danger through negligence. White water rafting is taking off here and can make for a very memorable day or two. Diving is also a growth sport, every coastal resort in the South has diving boats and you can arrange for everything from one day beginners courses (with the old inflatable life jacket thingy) to PADI recognised certification courses.
You'll probably end up on a boat trip while your here. Daily trips proliferate, a great way to snorkel and swim in the more inaccessible bays. There are also ferry services (in the summer) to Greek islands such as Rhodes and Kos. The ultimate boat trip is, of course, the Mavi Yol or blue road. A week on board a motor boat can be a great experience but it's probably best enjoyed with a group of friends and organised in advance. We're currently putting together a site in conjunction with boat captains from Marmaris and Bodrum and hope to be able to give you much more in the way of information soon.
If your tastes run to the more pacific you may be interested in the opportunities for hiking and climbing that Turkey's numerous mountain ranges offer. We'll be running features on these activities and others in the near future.
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