Her şey arkadaşlarım İsmail ve Esin’in kabul edemediğim daveti ile başladı.

Bonjuk Bay’e çaba ve sonuç odaklı yüksek yoğunluklu iş hayatım yüzünden gidememiştim.
Bir iki hafta sonra anneler günü dahil yaşayacağımız hacim sonrası dinlenmeye ihtiyacım olacağından minik bir kaçış planladım.

Pazar sabahından Salı akşamına bir İstanbul detoxu bana iyi gelecekti.
İlk önce ekranıma düşen tanıtım filmi ama daha sonra da mailime yollanan manifesto, prensipler ve davranış etiketleri ilgimi çekmeye yetti.

Dalaman’dan binip mekana beni getiren transfer minibüs iki saat sonra bir tepeden kıvrılırken kuş bakışı gördüm koyu.
Cennet ayaklarımın altında idi.

Lüks bir ortam aramıyordum, gerek upstate New York’ta, gerek Tulum Meksika’da bu tip communitylerde bulunmuştum. Ama açıkçası çadırda uyumak, glamping denilen deneyim Türk kültürü ile nasıl örtüşecekti bilemedim.

48 saattir İnstagram story’lerime yüklediğim görseller herkesin ilgisini fazlası ile çekti.
Bonjuk Bay benim için 100% keşfetmeye değer, ama herkes için değil.
Burası bir otel değil, bir tesis hiç değil, tatil köyü de yanlış tanım olur. Burası bir deneyim odaklı, aile ortamı.
Hayatın kaos olduğunu bilen, bu yorgunlukla yarışmak istemeyen, farkındalık edinmiş insanların buluştuğu bir cennet kapısı bu koy.

Benim en çok aradığım ritm, sevgi, saygı, duyarlılık, ve bunun gibi yumuşak hisleri paylaşmak için yaratılmış bir yuva. Kendimi kaybedip bulduğum, gerçek manada huzuru hissettiğim bu topraklar halen maddesel bağımlılıkları tatmin etmek, birilerine görünmek, gardırobunuzu sergilemek, çılgınca kadeh devirmek için gelinen bir yer değil.

Ama deniz inanılmaz, yemekler muhteşem, insanlar candan, horoz sesli sabahlar davetkar, güneş batımı nefes kesici, sohbetler sıcak ve derin.

Herşey gerçek, ve sahteliğe pek yer yok.

Sanırım yarın gözlerim yaşlı ayrılacağım buradan. Yeni dostluklar kurmuş olarak, ayaklarıma dolanan Bobo’yu kucaklayarak, dahi ev sahibimiz Mehmet’le helalleşerek ve kızlarla gülüşerek.
Aşağıdaki manifesto ve prensipleri okuyun. Size uygunsa, sizde Bonjuk’a uygun olabilirsiniz. Ama beklentilerinizi evde bırakın. Beklenmeyenlere teslim olun. İşte o zaman benim gibi aşık olup geri gelmeyi bekleyemeyeceksiniz.

Community in Heaven

It all started with an invitation that I could not accept from my friends Ismail & Esin to travel to the south of Turkey.

Due to my heavy work load, I simply could not make it at the time.
Then, knowing well that Mother’s Day would add a humongous intensity to my flow, I wisely scheduled a three-day escape to a Bonjuk Bay accordingly.

I arrived to Bonjuk Bay on Sunday at around noon, with my departure scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
I knew I needed a mental detox from my hectic life in Istanbul.
As my transfer mini bus approached and I glimpsed the bay from a hilltop dirt road, what I saw took my breath away.

The introductory video I had received prior to the trip; the manifesto and philosophy I had read had given me a sense of what to expect. However, one has to physically experience this vista to fully appreciate the magic.
I had experienced similar environments in upstate New York and Tulum Mexico, so I knew not to expect luxury.

I suspected that glamping might be my thing, but while I had romanticized the notion of sleeping in a tent, I had never actually done it.
In the ensuing 48 hours, the images I shared through my Instagram stories got tons of interest. Yet I was not sure if this type of lifestyle could be well-executed in the Turkish culture I now live in.

As it turns out, Bonjuk Bay is 100% my vibe, but I must admit that it may not be the right fit for everyone.
This place is not a hotel; it’s not a resort; it’s not a club. In fact, this is an experience-based community. It’s designed for communal living.
It’s a cure for folks who want to get away from the chaos of the metropolis.
People who have the awareness of values that matter will find them selves at home.

At Bonjuk Bay, I found my rhythm, respect for the environment, love for my fellow human beings; all basic concepts that I crave daily. For me, this place restores my awareness of values that matter.
Ultimate peace exists on this bay, but if you are looking to dress-to-impress, luxuriate in an en-suite bath or sleep in Italian high thread-count sheets, this is not the right place for you.
The sea is magnificent, the food is healthy and delicious, people are super-friendly, the sunset is breathtaking and the conversations are deeply intimate.

Everything is authentic, with not much room for the artificial.
I leave this place with tears in my eyes. In my short time here, I formed amazing friendships. I fell in love with BOBO the dog, as well as Mehmet, the genius behind this concept; and all the folks working daily to keep Bonjuk Bay the paradise that it is.

Bellow is their manifesto and the practices that maintain the beautiful flow at Bonjuk Bay. If you feel it’s a fit for you, you might also be a fit for them.

However, please leave your expectations at home and surrender to the magic. Only then will you fall in love with Bonjuk like I did. I can’t wait to return.

BONJUK MANIFESTO:
WHATEVER WE DO, WE DO WITH LOVE
WE RESPECT AND PROTECT NATURE TO ADOPT ECOLOGICAL AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING
WE CONNECT WITH OUR TRUE SELF, INNER CHILD, AS WELL AS EACH OTHER AND NATURE AT BONJUK BAY
WE BELIEVE THAT “YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT” AND CONSUME FRESH HEALTHY FOOD
LOVE, RESPECT, SELF-EXPRESSION AND CREATIVITY ARE MAIN PILLARS OF BONJUK EXPERIENCE
WE WELCOME COMMUNAL EFFORT AND INVITE EVERYONE TO HELP WITH THEIR OWN SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO IMPROVE BONJUK EXPERIENCE.
WE VALUE MUSIC, ARTS, SPORTS, PERSONAL AND SPIRITUAL GROWTH
WE BELIEVE IN TRANSFORMATION THROUGH LEARNING, GIVING AND SHARING.
ETIQUETTE AND PRACTICES THE ONLY RULE IN BONJUK BAY IS LOVE,

BUT WE HAVE SOME PRACTICES TO MAINTAIN OUR FLOW:
WE DO NOT THROW TOILET PAPER OR ANYTHING ELSE IN TOILETS
WE DO NOT SMOKE IN TENTS AND INTERIORS
WE DO NOT ENTER TENTS WITH SHOES
WE PLAY THE GONG WHEN MEALS ARE READY
WE EAT OUR MEALS ALL TOGETHER
WE COME TO THE BAR TO PICK UP OUR FOOD AND DRINKS
WE BRING OUR USED DISHES AND CUPS BACK TO THE BAR
WE GATHER FOR SUNSET TO GIVE OUR GRATITUDE
WE CHANGE SHEETS AND TOWELS EVERY 3 DAYS WITH RESPECT TO NATURE
WE PUT BACK EVERYTHING WHERE YOU TOOK IT
WE DON’T SHARE ANY PICTURES OR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS WITH ANYBODY WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
WE COLLECT ANY TRASH WE MAY SEE ANYWHERE AND PUT IN GARBAGE. FEEL FREE TO APPROACH PEOPLE YOU DON’T KNOW TO GET ACQUAINTED. WE ARE ALL FAMILY HERE