Side Shopping
Shopping is a very crucial aspect of many people's life that is hard to ignore even when on holiday. That is why many of us get the search engines running for places to shop simultaneously with flight info and hotel bookings. Shopaholics will forever be shopaholics no matter which part of the globe they are on.
Despite the term shopping simply meaning buying things whether it is necessary or not, shopping experiences are different throughout the world. This is because of what is available for you to shop and when you watch television programs or movies about the Middle East, you tend to see bazaars and stalls by the roadside selling all sorts of crafts. Well that is in fact a reality and one that you can experience if you are by any chance heading to Side, Turkey any time in the future.
With that said, you can certainly expect small shops selling lots of handicrafts and traditional merchandise. All around the harbor you can find many chic little shops selling stuff ranging from jewelry, rugs and Middle Eastern handicraft. Every now and then you will even come across stores selling clothes and some of them actually sell authentic belly dancing outfits. There are a notable number of shacks selling sunglasses around the beach nearer to the harbor and to give it the ultra modern beach feel, there is even a Billabong store near the harbor's quay.
There are also a number of shops to visit in the Manavgat area but what Manavgat really offers you in terms of shopping is in fact what shopping in Side is all about. That is, a huge market or what many would call a bazaar which has basically everything you can think of buying in this part of the world. There is a market similar to this right in the old town of Side but it only opens weekly whereas the one in Manavgat operates twice a week. Even though it takes more travelling to get to, mainly by boat, nobody sees this as a problem as the Manavgat market always attracts flocks after flocks of visitors both locals and tourists every time it opens.
Basically, Side is not a place you can do the typical kind of shopping in super large shopping malls of today's modern life. However, what it does provide which is authentic Turkish or more generally Middle Eastern shopping experiences with its markets and array of shops from those selling local goods to the more commercialized franchises, Side certainly won't let down the crowd which on normal circumstances would be seen swiping their credit cards in their local mall during the weekends. It may not be what you would call a shopping haven exactly, but it certainly does get the shopaholic in you excited in many unique and interesting ways.
Side Hotels
 | Side Kervan Hotel | |
 | La Vitas Hotel | |
 | Leda Beach Hotel | |
 | Victoria Princess Hotels |
