part IV - Paragliding over Oludeniz

When I first read that Oludeniz was one of the best places in the world to do tandem paragliding, I knew we'd have to try it. I mean, if we didn't do it now, maybe we'd never have another chance with such ideal conditions, right ? (ok, so that's how I convinced A. to go).

I researched several paragliding companies, and the best one seemed to be Sky Sports, so I asked Jeanne to help me book it. Watching the videos at their site (take off and flight) it all seemed quite easy, so I was not very stressed.





Jeanne had us booked for the first flights in the morning, and we were picked up at 8 AM sharp at the hotel. The flights depart from the top of Babadag mountain at 1700 m, but thermals can actually take you up to 4000 m. The drive up the mountain is made in a jeep on a very bumpy road, and it takes about 1 hour from the beautiful Oludeniz beach. The wind conditions seemed to be perfect that morning, so as soon as we arrived we were given our suits and helmets to put on, and after a 15 minute quick setup we were ready to go.



The pilot goes in the back, and the passenger in front, seated in this sort of soft carrier chair, actually quite comfortable. As you can see by the photos, the launch is made from a very steep terrain going down. I was the first one to go, so when everything was ready I was asked to start running... I did run, but not for long. Just like that, in a few seconds, literally after the first couple of steps we were up in the air ... wow, I can't really describe what's the feeling on being up there. It's so peaceful and relaxing, quite the opposite of what most people would think. It really is, I'm not kidding.



And the view .. well, there's no words for that either, so just see the photos and judge for yourself. The flight usually takes up to 45 minutes, and we were up for about half an hour. We flew over Babadag and the Oludeniz beach (one of the most photographed in the world) which is where eventually we landed.











My flight was quite uneventful, but A. said he wouldn't mind some excitement so they tried some corkscrews as well. Not for me thank you, I was quite happy with the whole experience and would gladly stay up there for the rest of the day, just gazing at the beautiful scenery below.



Landing was also quite easy, as we approached the ground the pilot told me to stand up and start walking, and a minute later we were down on our feet again. I was just so thrilled we'd done it, really really happy. It felt so great that I'm sure this wasn't our one and only time. It's definitely an unforgettable experience I would gladly repeat, and which I absolutely recommend.

All paragliding photos here