Discover Alanya’s Underwater Paradise

Right then listen close and put down that lukewarm Efes for a second because I am about to tell you how to escape the madness of the Alanya strip and find the only place in this town where nobody is trying to sell you a fake handbag or a leather jacket. If you have been roasting yourself on the sunbeds like a jacket potato and you are fed up with the heat and the noise you need to get yourself underwater. I am talking about booking an Alanya diving tour. I have been coming to this part of Turkey for donkey’s years and I can tell you that the Mediterranean is not just for splashing about in the shallows it is a proper playground if you have the bottle to go deeper.

Let us be honest for a minute. The heat in Alanya in July and August is absolutely brutal. You walk five minutes down the road and you are sweating buckets. The best way to sort that out is to submerge yourself completely. An Alanya diving tour is the perfect remedy. It does not matter if you have never strapped a tank to your back in your life or if you think you are the next Jacques Cousteau an Alanya diving tour caters to everyone. Most of the boats here are set up for what they call discovery dives which is basically a fancy way of saying they hold your hand and drag you around so you do not have to worry about a thing.

Now let us talk about the logistics of diving in Alanya because this is where a lot of punters get confused. You do not need to be a certified pro to do this. The instructors on a reputable Alanya diving tour are usually PADI certified and they are used to dealing with nervous Brits who are terrified of sharks. First off there are no sharks here that are going to eat you so calm down. You are more likely to get bitten by a mosquito in your hotel room than anything in the water. The visibility on an Alanya diving tour is usually crystal clear which means you can see for miles or at least it feels like it.

However I need to give you some serious warnings so you do not get mugged off. When you book an Alanya diving tour make sure check what is included. The cheapest price is not always the best option. Some of the cowboy operators might cut corners on the lunch or the equipment. A proper Alanya diving tour usually includes a pick up from your hotel. Do not I repeat do not get a taxi to the harbour yourself. The taxi drivers in Alanya are decent lads but they love a scenic route and the meter ticks up faster than your heart rate on a first date. If the dive centre does not offer a free transfer find another one. Also regarding the price diving in Alanya is generally cheaper than in Europe but with the inflation in Turkey being mental the prices change every season. You should expect to pay a fair chunk for a full day out but it is worth every penny for the experience.

One of the biggest tourist traps on an Alanya diving tour is the photos and videos. You will have a cameraman swimming around you like a paparazzi. When you get back on the boat they will try to sell you the footage for a price that might make your eyes water. My advice is to haggle. Everything in Turkey is negotiable. If they say fifty quid offer them twenty and see where it goes. Do not be shy. It is all part of the game.

Another thing you need to watch out for is seasickness. The boat for your Alanya diving tour will likely be bobbing about all day. If you had a heavy night on the raki the night before you are going to be in a world of pain. I have seen many a grown man feeding the fish over the side of the boat because he thought he could handle a fry up and a boat ride with a hangover. Do yourself a favour and pop a travel sickness pill before you get on board.

The actual experience of diving in Alanya is cracking. You will likely see octopus and moray eels and if you are really lucky you might spot a sea turtle. There are also some cool little caves and tunnels depending on which site the captain chooses. It is a completely different world down there. It is silent and peaceful and for twenty minutes on your Alanya diving tour you can forget about your mortgage and your boss and just float. It is proper therapeutic.

Also keep in mind that the sun at sea is fierce. You might feel cool because of the breeze but that is a lie. The reflection off the water will fry you. Slap on the sun cream in between dives or you will wake up the next morning looking like a beetroot and feeling very sorry for yourself.

So to wrap it all up an Alanya diving tour is one of the best things you can do to break up the monotony of a beach holiday. It is exciting and it is refreshing and it gives you a brilliant story to tell the lads back home. Just make sure you book with a decent outfit and do not get ripped off on the photos and drink plenty of water.

Right I want to hear from the water babies out there. Have you plucked up the courage to go on an Alanya diving tour. Did you see a turtle or did you just panic and swallow half the Mediterranean. Did you manage to barter a good price for your underwater photos. Get in the comments section below and tell us your war stories. Your tips and experiences are what helps the next batch of holidaymakers so do not keep it to yourself. Let us get a proper conversation going. Cheers and happy diving.