I’m proud to say that my first ever book is completed, and I’m very proud of the result. 27 Things to do in Adana is a 37 page book that can be purchased as an ebook or as a physical book and shipped anywhere in the world.
I believe that this is the best resource in the English Language for things to do in Adana, and I’m very proud of it. I would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word. If you know anyone who is new in Adana, or will be relocating here soon, would you please encourage them to visit www.adanaadventures.com/book ? This would also make a great gift for anyone new to the community.
I also want to mention that I offer a no-questions-asked money back promise. If you’re not 100% pleased with your purchase, I’ll return your money with no questions asked.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions about this product. jakedolson at gmail.com.
This post is a part of my “Things to Do in Adana” series. You can purchase my book 27 Things to do in Adana and see a list of all the posts in this series at http://www.adanaadventures.com/book/.
If you need to get out of the city without driving for an hour, than an afternoon picnic to Sarıçam picnic area might be just what you’re looking for. Sarıçam Picnic area is about a 20 minute drive from the city center or from Incirlik and we’ve charted out the route for you.
There are not many (or any) services there, but that’s not always necessary. Sometimes all you need is some picnic tables in the middle of a forest and a place to make a fire for hot dogs or hamburgers. If that’s what you’re looking for, I’d suggest a quick trip in the car to Sarıçam Park.
We most recently visited this park on a Saturday in late January, 2011 and this was the assessment: There is a little forest of pine trees right off of a main road with plenty of picnic tables and fire pits where one could make a fire and have a picnic. There are some swings and slides that are pretty beat up, but our kids loved them. On the back side of the picnic area is a wooded valley that seems to have some walking trails through it, although we were unable to explore much. I look forward to getting back there with one of the kids to explore more later in Feb.
Getting there is pretty easy. The key is that you have to get on the Imamoğlu/Kozan road. After that, it’s just a matter of looking out for the signs. Below are directions from Incirlik, but the same directions could be used from the city center, only you’d be traveling East on E5 to the freeway exit.
Directions from Incirlik:
Get on the main highway outside the alley (E5) and go west (toward Adana).
Drive half way to Adana until you get to the road that takes you to the freeway (autobahn). You’ll see green signs that say “Mersin”. Turn north (right).
There are two main exits off of that road before getting to the freeway. You want to take the second exit, which will be on your left. Follow the signs that say “Imamoğlu/Kozan”, which means you’ll go up a few blocks and take a right.
Once you get on that road, you’re home free. You just have to drive 10-15 minutes until you get to a restaurant called Hanım’ın Çiftliği. After that restaurant, you’ll see a little picnic area with a rustic little security shack at the entrance on the right. You’ve arrived.
When you see these signs on the right, you're about 1km away from the destination
Now, it’s possible that at high-season, a city official might be there to charge a small fee, but there was nobody there when we visited. I’d recommend going on Saturday rather than Sunday to avoid the crowds, but if you’re going in winter, even Sundays shouldn’t be too crowded.
If you’ve been out to this spot, please leave your feedback in the comments. I’d love to hear what you thought of it.
Here’s a little video that shows the park in all it’s glory. As I said, nothing super special, but a good place for a picnic
This post is a part of my “Things to Do in Adana” series. You can purchase my book 27 Things to do in Adana and see a list of all the posts in this series at http://www.adanaadventures.com/book/.”
If you need a bit of nature but don’t want to leave town, Doğal Park is an urban park in North Adana where you can experience a little bit of the great outdoors right here in the big city. Doğal Park isn’t a huge park, but it offers a lot of options in a very small area (about 2 city blocks probably). Although this park is best suited for families with kids, it’s a place that everyone in Adana should visit once, even if they don’t have any little ones.
Getting There: Off of Turgut Ozal blvd you want to turn south on 78192 Sk south which is across the road from Ikram Dondurma. The park entrance is one block south of Turgut Ozal Blvd. See a Google Map HERE
Park Features
Nature: The park has a lot of big trees and many flowering shrubs and flower beds. There is a constant chorus of birds singing in the trees. If you find a quiet spot away from other people, you can forget that you’re in the city all together.
Animals: There are Ducks, Geese, Turkeys, Peacocks, and Pheasants in cages for the kids to watch and feed along with a lot of well inhabited pigeon houses. The birds seem to be relatively well cared for, although the cages can be a bit dirty.
Play Areas: There are three different play areas where kids can climb, swing, slide, run around, and do all of the things kids love to do.
Food/Drink: There is a little café area where you can get tea, sıkma, börek or tost while you watch your kids play.
Water: There are large bodies of water with waterfalls, fish, and bridges.
Green Spaces: There are plenty of places in the grass to lay out a blanket and have a picnic or just to chill (there aren’t any grilling spots.)
Open Air Theatre: We’ve never been there, but we hear there are public concerts, film showings, folk dance performances and theatre performances in the summer.
Security: The park is continually monitored by private security guards. Despite being in a big city, there is a sense of order and security.
Things that are lacking (I wish they had…)
A good measured walking loop around the perimeter of the park
Picnic tables
Soccer field or basketball court
Better overall maintenance (watch your kids, the play areas can be a bit dangerous.)
I believe that this is the best resource in the English Language for things to do in Adana, and I’m very proud of it. I would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word. If you know anyone who is new in Adana, or will be relocating here soon, would you please encourage them to visit www.adanaadventures.com/book ? This would also make a great gift for anyone new to the community.
