We have been in Antalya for 2.5 months now and yesterday was Mother's Day. We had the most wholesome morning, I woke up to coffee in bed, followed by a fruit platter and Turkish eggs. Kaia delivered a homemade card and my favourite Turkish choccy and baklava.
Not long after Jacob sent me to a Turkish Bath at Saray Hamami which was about a 5-minute drive from our accommodation in Kepez. It's something I wanted to experience while we were here but hadn't got around to it.
A Turkish Bath (Hammam) is typically a steam bath or place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It's a time-held tradition of relaxation, rejuvenation and self-care and is a common part of the Muslim culture. I will be completely honest, I was so nervous and I had no idea what to expect! But it was honestly one of the most incredible experiencesand a huge reminder of why I love travel so much.
Key Tips and Takeaways
leave your phone at home and enjoy every second
find a local offering and avoid touristy places
I paid 810 lira ($40) for 'package 1' and tipped 100 lira
this would cost at least $400 in Australia and be nowhere near as authentic
allow a few hours
take your swimmers but be prepared to be naked
don't rely on your card, take cash
When I arrived I was greeted by a lovely women and asked for 'package 1' which I had translated to "Bath, Pouch, Foam Massage, Oil Massage'. English was very limited. The men's and women's areas are completely separate with a hole in the wall dividing the two. I was given a key and hammam towel and sent upstairs. I put my swimmers on and wrapped around the towel and came back down.
I was then sent to spend 10 minutes in the sauna which was nice and mild, not too warm. I really enjoyed the 10 minutes of silence and disconnect. I found myself 'worrying' about how long it had been, how long 10 minutes was, all of these anxious thoughts when in reality it was the perfect dose of zero stimulation that I needed.
I was then taken through the Turkish bath section. Wow. It was beautiful. A huge room with high ceilings lined with marble and stone with an incredible mosaic-tiled roof similar to those in the mosques. The perimeter had ample basins with pails and in the centre was a large raised warmed stone bed (image above).
I was bathed with a pale then asked to lie face down on the stone. I was then firmly scrubbed up with a woven cloth mitten called a Kese. By this point I just had my bather bottoms on and the lady bathing me was in her bra and underwear. I was asked to lay on my belly, both sides and back. No inch of my body was left unscrubbed (literally).
The next step was a big soap-up and another full body scrub. Between scrubs being completely bathed with pails full of water (which often felt like I was struggling to catch my breath between having water thrown on my face) but there was something so refreshing and freeing about being nearly naked in front of a complete stranger and bathed. There was some frustration from lack of understanding and inability to communicate (no English and no phone for translation) but we got there in the end.
After the soap up and wash off she also washed my hair and next was a big wash-off, for both of us, she bathed herself and encouraged me to do the same. Everything had a wash, all of our clothes, even the key! Then we wrapped up in towels and left the bathing section.
I sat out in the reception area, still in a towel and I was offered a Chai tea. I thought that was the end of the package (I had well and truly been massaged!) So I went to head upstairs but was politely reminded I still had the oil massage to go.
Through to another room I went for an incredibly firm and strong massage, even stronger than the one I had in Thailand! There were times that I was literally grunting and moaning but determined to get the full experience I didn't want ask her to stop or back off. There was hands, elbows, all of it!
Finally she said 'finished' and handed me a fresh towel to wrap myself in. It was interesting, it was an oil massage but I did not feel oily afterwards. Last time I had an oil massage in Thailand I nearly slipped out of my thongs and onto the tiles heading home!
Honestly, it was incredible, I left feeling so refreshed, rejuvenated and free, if that even makes sense. I definitely took that mindset throughout the rest of my day. I found myself calm, present and just really grateful. There were times when I was unsure and maybe a bit uuncomfortable but it reminded me how important it is to put yourself outside your comfort zone and just be in the moment.
As the afternoon continued I could slowly feel my muscles start to ache, but a nice ache, like a 'whoa I needed that' ache. This morning I was sore, but a good sore. Like I had worked out yesterday but all I did was went to a Turkish Bath.
The total cost was 810 lira which seemed wild to me. $40?! For probably 2 hours of intensive treatment from someone so incredibly experienced and talented at their craft. You wouldn't have change from $400 to experience something like that in Australia. Tipping is something that has been neither here nor there for us in Turkiye but I most certainly tipped.
One final note, I (stupidly) didn't take cash, everywhere so far has been cashless without issue but I should have known a local place like this to bring cash. There was a piece of paper on the counter with a Turkish bank account number but I couldn't figure it out on Wise. I very embarassily apologised and waited for Jacob to drop some money back. The ladies were totally fine, incredibly understanding and offered me another Chai tea.
I loved it honestly, it put me outside my comfort zone and healed me in more ways than I thought. This is something that you should definitely experience if you are in Turkiye.
PS: where I went:
Saray Hamami
Yeşiltepe, Ziya Gökalp Cd. 50/b, 07020 Kepez/Antalya
(image above)
Til next time,
R
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