Why there is no single answer
Asking whether a hamam is safe is a fair question, but the answer is not the same for everyone. Every guest books the same Basic programme. What differs is the person taking it, and heat that suits one guest may not suit the next.
This page does not try to reassure you, and it does not try to worry you. It describes what the session asks of your body, the situations in which the hamam is not recommended, and the ones where your doctor should decide before you book.
The restrictions below are the ones on our record, passed on in full. We do not soften them, and we do not add medical explanations of our own.
What the programme asks of you
It is easier to judge a hamam once you know what goes on there. Inside the hamam, the Basic programme runs through the stages listed below. The order can differ between hamams, and so can the timing, which may also shift with how full a session is.
Heat usually comes first: dry in the sauna, damp in the steam room. The scrub and two kinds of massage come after it. Keep every one of these stages in mind when you read the health notes further down.
- Sauna: hot, dry air.
- Steam room: warm air, thick with steam.
- Kese: a scrub over the whole body with the kese mitt, carried out by an attendant.
- Foam: a foam wash, and a massage with the foam.
- Oil massage: the basic aromatic oil massage, which lasts approximately 20 minutes.
- Rest: time to relax before the ride back to your hotel.
Three reasons not to book
The hamam is not recommended in three situations, listed below. If any of them applies to you, we ask you not to book it.
The third, sensitivity to heat or humidity, comes down to how you personally cope with both. If either has been hard on you before, in a sauna, a steam room or a hot summer, take that as a reason to leave the hamam out, not as something to push through.
None of this is our judgement of your health. These are the restrictions on record, and it is better to read them now than after you have booked.
- Pregnancy
- A heart or circulatory condition
- Sensitivity to heat or to humidity
When your doctor has the final say
A second group of guests should not make the decision alone. If any point in the list below applies to you, get your doctor's opinion before you book.
We give no medical reasons here and make no decision for you. That belongs to your doctor, who knows your history. What we can offer is a plain description to take into that conversation: heat, steam, a scrub over the whole body, foam, and an oil massage.
If your doctor has no objection, one step remains. Tell the hamam about your condition yourself, before your session starts.
- High blood pressure, or low blood pressure
- A skin condition
- An operation in the recent past
- A recent injury
- Any other medical condition
Allergies, meals and alcohol
Any allergy should reach us before the oil massage. Put it in the notes when you fill in the booking form, so it is part of your booking from the start.
A medical condition is different: that is for you to tell the hamam, before your session. Your doctor's go-ahead comes first, and it does not replace that conversation.
Eat only something light before you set off, and leave heavier meals for later. Drink no alcohol at all beforehand, not even one glass.
The programme does not come with drinks or refreshments, so pack water along with your swimwear.
Children, booking and changing your plans
Children come with a parent. Which hamam you are taken to is decided by your hotel and its transfer area, and the rules for younger guests are that hamam's rules, not ours. The massages are planned with adult guests in mind, so we ask for every child's age at the booking stage. Read the health notes above with each person in your party in mind, children included.
Before you book the Belek Turkish bath, look through what the Basic programme includes, and also what sits outside the price, so you know in advance what the day covers. Both the hotel pickup and the return drive are covered by the price. Your pickup time is confirmed by us once you have booked, before your hamam day. It differs from hotel to hotel, and it is when the transfer collects you, not when the hamam begins. The whole trip, there and back, lasts about 2.5–3 hours.
Nothing is charged online. If your health changes after booking, for example you learn you are pregnant or your doctor advises against the hamam, you can cancel without paying anything as long as you do so at least 24 hours before the day of your hamam. Our questions and answers deal with the rest of the day's practicalities, and anything they leave open can come to us on WhatsApp.
Questions
Should I book the hamam if I am pregnant?
No. Pregnancy is one of the three situations in which the hamam is not recommended, so we ask you not to book it while you are pregnant.
Does high or low blood pressure rule me out?
That is for your doctor to decide, not us. Get medical advice before you book, and if you do go, tell the hamam about your blood pressure before your session starts.
What if my health changes after I have booked?
Cancel with us if your doctor advises against the hamam or you find out you are pregnant. It costs nothing as long as you cancel at least 24 hours before your hamam day, and as nothing is paid online, there is nothing to refund.
