Tucked away in the Taurus mountains, away from the crowds of Ölüdeniz, is a valley that opens onto a bay.



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This July my young son and I discovered the beautiful Kabak Valley, adjacent to the famous Butterfly Valley, which is known for its rare tiger butterflies. Kabak Valley is one of the last protected areas on the Turkish Mediterranean coast.

After a hair-raising dolmuÅŸ ride on a twisting mountain road that overlooked the spectacular green-blue sea, we arrived at Full Moon Camp. This is the first of several camps we encountered, and the only one at the top of the valley. It was recommended to us because it’s the only one owned and run by a local family, and this -- together with its small swimming pool of fresh spring water -- made it sound like the best choice for us. High up, Full Moon is blessed with soft breezes and a magnificent view. We stayed in what my son called a “tree house,” but was actually more of a wooden bungalow. Inside was an adequate bed with room on the sides to move around and leave baggage, and there was a lock on the door outside and a lovely balcony where I sat in the mornings with my book. The amazing thing was that there was a constant gentle breeze, and in the evenings it even turned cool.

Most of the family live in a house on top of the valley, although one of the five siblings, Mustafa, lives with his German wife and their new baby in the house below. The meals are served on a shaded terrace surrounded by plants outside the kitchen. There’s also a small bar, but my favorite place was the wooden deck that looked out onto the valley, with pillows, soft carpets and a hammock. There you find room for everyone, and it’s the best view and the best breeze. We spent lots of time there playing chess, backgammon, reading and chatting with the other guests.

The overnight price included breakfast and dinner. The breakfast was a standard Turkish breakfast with honey from their own bees. The olive oil and olives came from the surrounding olive trees; the grape pekmez and some of the jams were homemade. The milk and cheese came from the cow and the goats up the hill, and all the vegetables were from the garden. All the food was carefully prepared by Musti’s mother and her daughter-in-law, starting early in the morning when they baked the bread in the wood stove. The evening meals were just as fresh and delicious -- all Turkish cuisine, though not too oily. We usually had a choice of around five or so dishes and a main dish of either fish or meat. Among my favorites were the okra and eggplant dishes, the fresh yogurt, the homemade pomegranate syrup and the mountain thyme. While we were there the cactus fruit was also in bloom.

On the first afternoon we made our way down to the beach following the red and black painted signs for the Lycian Way, an easy foot path for healthy legs. The Lycian Way is an ancient 500-kilometer trail that winds through the mountains of southwestern Turkey. This small section of it is a very pleasant 20-minute walk down through the olive groves and pine, sandalwood, citrus and carob trees.

The trail leads around and through some of the other camps. Each camp has its own character and history. Passing through them, I noticed that the crowd changed from couples and families to a more “hip” Ä°stanbulite scene. Signs appeared for yoga, therapeutic massage and organic food. I later heard that the Turan Camp has more experimental cuisine, with a selection of nine plates for dinner each night, and that the Sultan Camp does a quality check on its spring water so that you can fill up your own water bottles.

Each camp offered different activities and menus, but they all had the classic wooden bungalows and those inviting wooden decks with either sea or mountain views, some more shaded than others. Most of the camps also had fresh spring pools. The Reflections Camp offered arts and crafts, the Sultan Camp a variety of meditation therapies and yoga courses. Some camps had more of a bar atmosphere with music, and some seemed better adapted for children. One day on the beach we even saw a juggler.

Some of the camps organized hikes and boat tours around more secluded bays such as Paradise Beach or Pirates Cove. However, I have heard that the boats are crowded, and alternatively I know you can hire a fishing boat from one of the brothers at Full Moon. Natural Life Camp offers scuba diving and paragliding and has a Wellness Club with reiki and aromatherapy. The few hosts that I met were all friendly, excluding the various gossip about the competition -- something to be expected when a group of businesses compete side by side.

The lower valley is protected, although there were a few signs of unfinished concrete constructions. Apparently a hotel project has been halted. I understood there is also a controversy regarding turtle eggs on the beach and the silence required for them to hatch. All the owners of the retreats have regular meetings to discuss these and other problems. Some of them are friends, some relatives and a few are foreigners.

When first choosing a camp I thought we would stay at Full Moon and then try out some of the other ones closer to the beach later on. After some quick impressions my son and I decided to try Natural Life Camp, the closest to the beach and seemingly the most posh. The pool was beautiful, with flowing warm water. The grass was tailored, the music Italian and low. There were many people buzzing around cooking. There was even a shop if you felt you had brought the wrong “look.” The beach was a five-minute walk. There were children’s toys around and lots of shade, so we booked a bungalow for the next night. Our decision to spend a night out seemed very natural to our host at Full Moon, and we even left our bags (they were the wheelie-types and very inappropriate for the walk down).

What fun to go on a new adventure at the bottom of the valley with only a towel and some nightclothes! Natural Life has a choice of accommodation -- one higher up with balconies with views, the other more economical choice down below with no electricity, but which is nicely situated on a lawn. The camp was very clean and inviting and decorated in a homey fashion, but unfortunately we didn’t end up staying there. Inside our bungalow was a military tent that had to be zipped closed at night; it let the air in through the netted windows, but there wasn’t the slightest breeze. So, disappointed, we made the journey back up the mountain in the early evening in time for another delicious, fresh and simple dinner at Full Moon.

During the week we stayed at Full Moon we met a variety of people. There was a honeymoon couple from Ä°stanbul, a Brazilian Ph.D. candidate with her Parisian husband, an engineer, two women from Barcelona, a couple of medical students from Manchester, a retired Australian gentleman, an English teacher from Ä°stanbul and a Welsh airline hostess with her two teenage children. A big Danish family came through for dinner one night, all tired and smiley from a long day’s hike. We all shared the same table at meals. The atmosphere was always cheerful and relaxed.

What I really loved about Kabak was that you were always outside. You could choose to lounge around with a book, be alone or socialize; you could take long hikes through the mountains or long swims in the sea, adventure through caves or hang around in the fresh water pools. You could sunbathe or participate in any of the many organized activities offered. It never felt crowded. We didn’t see more then three or four people whenever we went out walking. Unfortunately, we did miss out on the waterfalls in the woods this year, opting for a more laidback holiday. Next year I hope to return with more energy.