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To start with you need to know that
Turkey is a big place and is well over three times the size of
the entire United Kingdom, yet every one of Turkey’s most
popular holiday resorts lie in a 300 mile arc stretching from
Izmir on the Aegean west coast to Antalya on the Mediterranean.
Here you will find
fabulous towns like Bodrum, Marmaris and Kalkan. Once small
fishing villages, they have spread out from their original
harbours to become sophisticated holiday resorts with hotels
ranging from luxury five star establishments with every
conceivable facility, to delightfully simple 1 and 2 star
properties run by the owners and providing amazing value for
money along with a very warm welcome.
Where To Stay
Each of the region’s resort areas
has its own character. Bodrum’s buildings are
no more that two storeys high, all of them whitewashed and
spotted with bougainvillaea and olive trees, whilst lively
Marmaris lies along a huge bay enclosed by pine
covered mountains.
Olu Deniz
(translated as ‘Dead Sea’), is a beautiful lagoon edged with
soft sandy beaches that’s a favourite picnic spot for tourists
and locals alike, backed by pine covered hills where you will
find the village resorts of Hisaronu and
Ovacik.
Different again is Icmeler
a modern resort that has been developed to a grand design with
wonderful public gardens and open spaces.
And then there is romantic
Dalyan, a fishing village by a river, a few minutes by
water taxi from a stunning beach where blue waves play against
golden sands. |
What To See And Do
Wherever
you choose to stay, there are plenty
of opportunities to experience more
than just sun, sea and sand. Everyone
of our clients has free access to a
knowledgeable Holidays 4U
representative who can talk you
through a full range of excursions
that that can all be booked locally.
Turkey is an ancient civilisation
and all along the coast are
wonderful ruins and archaeological
sites... Time Team would be in
their element here. Ephesus, with
its magnificent Roman library and
baths, is one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world. Bodrum’s
superbly restored Crusader’s
Castle tells the fascinating story
of a less well-known piece of
history. Or go to Dalyan and see
the ancient rock tombs carved out
of sheer cliffs, or stay in Side
itself, where in the old town you
can’t walk down a street without
coming face to face with a Roman
pillar.
Not
into history? Then take a boat
trip, come along to a Turkish
night to enjoy traditional Turkish
entertainment including fabulous
belly and traditional dancers
along with astonishing fire
eating, or take a Turkish bath to
see how the locals ease the stress
of everyday life.
Finally,
it’s a shame to be in Turkey and not
take a trip to Istanbul for a few
days. The commercial and historical
heart of the country, the city sits
astride the Bosphorus, one of the
busiest and most varied waterways in
the world. Its modern skyscrapers
contrast with the teeming streets of
its famous covered bazaar and the
glorious old wooden houses beside the
Bosphorus. Hurrying through its
streets are people whose ancestors
came from modern-day Kazakhstan,
Hungary or Egypt... these people are
as varied and colourful the country
they have created.
There’s never a dull moment on a visit
to Turkey...
Stay Active
At all
our resorts there is a variety of
boats and water-sports facilities for
hire. From paragliding to canoeing,
there is no shortage of ways of
getting out to the sea. Near Bodrum is
Bitez Bay, where international
windsurfing competitions are
frequently held, or in Dalyan you can
enjoy hot-air ballooning or cycling.
Turkey is
one of best places in the
Mediterranean to try your hand at
scuba diving with crystal clear waters
and interesting dive sites. There are
professional diving schools (mostly
PADI) in all the main resorts and your
Holidays 4U
representative will be able to make
arrangements for a “try dive” or a
short diving course which are a safe
and low-cost introduction to the
wonders of undersea Turkey. If you are
already a qualified diver don’t forget
to take your logbook and certification
card.
Food & Drink
Although
there is a huge variety of
international cuisine on offer, you
really should try the local Turkish
food - we’re positive you’ll be back
for more! Turkish cuisine is
exceptionally varied, making extensive
use of the fabulously fresh fruit and
vegetables that are grown all over
Turkey. It’s an easy place to be a
vegetarian, but excellent lamb, fish
and cheese are available everywhere.
The
citrus fruits are a local
speciality, but the cherries,
peaches, apricots and figs are
unlike anything you have ever
tasted before. There are hitherto
unseen delights to try – the small
plums called maltepe, for example,
or pistachio nuts freshly roasted
that day. As well as the easily
recognised kebabs and salads,
there’s Borek - little filo pastry
parcels filled with cheese and
Pide - the Turkish equivalent of
Pizza.
And
when you’ve finished try a little
Turkish Coffee... fiendishly
strong the deceptively small cup
can help keep you going into the
early hours.
And talking of the early hours, as
well as wonderful local food there are
local drinks to try - get into the
holiday spirit with the local aniseed
bombshell called Raki which is taken
with ice and water, the very good Efes
beer, or the surprisingly good Turkish
wines which are far from expensive. .
Nightlife
After
dark Turkey offers everything from
smart bars with cocktails as colourful
as the sunsets, through to British
Pubs with draught beer, music bars for
those who like it loud and bars and
clubs open until the early hours (Bodrum
boasts the Halikarnos Disco which is
famous throughout Europe and beyond).
The bigger resorts have a huge choice
of evening entertainment and tend to
be noisier, whilst the smaller resorts
offer less choice and tend to be
quieter.
Shopping
All the
resorts have a variety of fascinating
little shops filled with curios that
can keep you browsing for hours. There
are some first-class carpet shops
scattered around the area, where
colourful floor coverings of many
different styles and prices can be
found, and stylish jewellery shops
where gold can be bought much cheaper
than the UK.
Lighter on the budget are the bazaars
and markets where you can find
wonderful spices to flavour your
cooking when you get Home, or
T-shirts, trainers, clothes and
quality leather bags and jackets at
superbly low prices. Don’t forget that
in the bazaars everyone expects you to
barter, and that’s part of the fun of
Turkish shopping... Most people go
Home needing a much bigger suitcase so
as you haggle for a 6ft hubble bubble
pipe try and think how you are going
to get it Home. |
