The Experience of a Lifetime: Paragliding in Ölüdeniz

Have you ever seen a picture or video of someone flying in the air hanging from a parachute, and you think to yourself how on earth does that work? If you have been to Switzerland or perhaps Nepal, you might have come across this unusual activity.

Well, here’s how it works. First, you get hooked up to a parachute with your guide in tandem behind you; then, you jump off a cliff as your parachute catches the wind, fills with air, and dangles you in defiance of gravity. This might all sound a bit terrifying, so let me answer the two questions, probably running through your mind.

Yes, it’s fun, and no, it’s not dangerous.

While some folks might enjoy the scenery and peacefulness of a hot air balloon ride, but for other thrill-seekers like me, you can’t leave Turkey without paragliding over the beautiful mountains and city of Ölüdeniz.

There are a lot of companies offering paragliding tours over this beautiful town, all with impressive websites and very similar features and benefits. This makes picking the best company quite a chore. Several factors have to be considered.

• Safety: It’s an extreme sport, so you don’t want to feel unsafe or find yourself in the care of an amateur.
• Pricing: You don’t want a tour that’s overpriced as many tourist activities can be
• The Experience: Well, this is the whole purpose of paragliding, the booking, logistics, and trip up the mountain, are all just necessities for the experience soaring above the beautiful mountainous scenery, it all has to be done correctly, however, and all this depends heavily on the tour guide you choose.

After doing my due diligence online, sorting through many competitors, and countless reviews, I decided on the company with the best and most recommendations. “Get Your Guide” provided a safe, thrilling, professional experience that I highly recommend.

Flying with them proved to be the best decision. From the online booking to the expert tour guide and, most importantly, to the exhilarating flight, they didn’t miss a beat. Their talented staff expressed the perfect combination of hospitality and professionalism. It was the experience of a lifetime.

Booking and Logistics

Now, this is the major issue with tourist activities. You try to book a fun tour or make a reservation, and you find yourself struggling with an ad-filled website filled with unnecessary information. Luckily I didn’t run into that problem. The booking button was easy to see with the price marked next to it. I picked a date and time, which I felt was perfect for my spouse and me. The availability of our selected time was confirmed within seconds. The payment was a walk in the park, and an agent was assigned to us immediately.

Unfortunately (for him), my partner chickened out a day before, however canceling her trip was stress-free and straight-forward with no run around about fine print hidden fees and whatnot.

Trip to the Peak

The journey up the mountain to the take-off site was quite enjoyable. The minivan was comfy with leather seats and air conditioning. The ride was just about as comfortable as a ride up a mountain can be. My advice during this part is to relax, plug in your headphones, and enjoy the beautiful view of mountains and lagoons.

Flight

After about an hour, we finally arrived at the take-off point. The take-off point was filled with many tourists, but our agency stood out with its professional looking guides wearing sturdy shoes rather than the flip flops that seemed to be the norm. This puts my mind at ease, and when you are jumping off a cliff, the feeling that you are in safe hands becomes paramount.

We were given a crash course on procedure and safety. Next, we were paired with our pilots. Next thing I realize, I’m running towards the edge of the cliff as my parachute catches the wind and lifts us off the ground.

Common Myth: Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t jump off the cliff before the parachute lifts you from the ground.

After a first few minutes of excited screams, I finally got my wits about me and opened my eyes. There are no words to explain that feeling. You are soaring like an eagle over one of the most beautiful places in the world while taking in the majestic beauty of the mountains between which alternate the beautiful beaches and lagoons. Looking down on the people at the beach and the houses below us, I could understand why birds always seem to have an aura of pride about them. The view was surreal, offering a perspective that just can’t be duplicated through the windows of a plane. Paragliding is, no doubt, my favorite means of flying.

The pilot did everything possible to make the flight an unforgettable one.

• He carried out thrilling maneuvers such as flips and turns.
• He gave me the reigns to take control, which was freaking cool. Though, of course, only for a few minutes (they are big on safety like that).
• He took control of the camera now and then to free my hands for the perfect pose.

After 35 minutes of adrenaline-filled fun, the landing was a letdown. Not that I was expecting a crash and a few broken bones (my subconscious was), but peacefully gliding down and walking smoothly on land was a wide contrast to the exciting flight. In retrospect, I felt like a superhero landing in the midst of an awestruck crowd.

Summary

Paragliding is fantastic and is something I look forward to doing again. It’s an out of this world experience that is no doubt the most exhilarating way to fly. It is very safe without compromising the thrill that makes flying fun, the same thrill that inspired man’s first desire to fly.

I would recommend no other website than “Get Your Guide” they are hands down the best in the business. Every aspect of their operation is professional and friendly. If you are looking for a great price and the best quality service, they are undoubtedly the way to go. Oh, did I mention that they have tours in five different languages German, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, and English?

Nevertheless, if you are a skeptic like I was, you can check out their page and see the reviews and photos for yourself, though I can promise you your experience will be just as unforgettable as mine.

You can check it out here.

Enjoy