January 12th, 2010
I’ve travelled to Turgetreis at the end of September and wanted to share my experience. I haven’t written a review before but had the most fabulous time I had to! It was my first time to Turkey and really didn’t know what to expect. We booked a last minute deal so went with the opinion - you get what you pay for! I travelled with my friend, we are both girls in our 30`s so expected to get lots of hassle. How wrong we were. From the moment we landed the local people were so friendly and helpful. We travelled with First Choice on a package holiday and stayed at the Mandalinci hotel. The reps were friendly and not too pushy selling their excursions. They knew a lot about the area and gave invaluable advice. We stayed on a Bed and Breakfast basis but weren’t up early enough so can’t say what it was like! The hotel was clean and the reception staff very helpful. Would definitely stay here again.
The weather was great, really sunny and about 26`C in the day getting cooler at night. Got a fab tan!
The town itself is stunning. The main beach is huge with lots of sun loungers and umbrellas. There was a breeze off the sea all the time which was lovely. The sun loungers were free which is a bonus, I’ve never been anywhere where you didn’t have to pay before! They are owned by the various bars along the beach so as long as you are buying drinks from that bar you are welcome to stay there all day. The waiters even come down to the beach to serve you. We walked along the seafront down to the marina. WOW! There are so many yachts and boats. A millionaire’s paradise. I wish! There are designer shops around the marina too but are expensive. You can take a boat over to Kos or Rhodes in the Greek Islands but we didn’t get time.
The beach is gorgeous
Back along the seafront, the streets are like a maze, the resort isn’t that big but it’s easy to forget which street you just walked down. There are loads of restaurants. The Turkish ones are very cheap down the side streets and sell all kinds of food. The Turkish pide (pizza) is my favourite dish. It’s freshly cooked, very tasty and only costs about £2 and it’s huge! You get free salad too! If you eat along the seafront at the fish restaurants it’s a lot more expensive but perhaps worth it for the sea view? We preferred to eat cheaply then we could afford to go out for longer at night! There a loads of bars in the resort. On Bar Street, which was right next to our hotel, it’s just one street full of lively bars that open till late. They play English music, serve all kinds of drinks and I was surprised that they have big screens TVs for the footy! Paddy’s Bar was my favourite, the service is really good and the owner and his wife come over to sit with you. There are quieter family bars around the corner if you are travelling with kids.
Grab yourself a bargain
On Saturdays, the local market is held in the main square. One side is fresh fruit and vegetables grown locally and the other side is for the tourists. All the usual fake T shirts and handbags. We each bought a “D&G” handbag for about £8 each which was reasonable. Oh, the stall holders do enjoy haggling with you so make sure you get a bargain! We met some people who were staying Self Catering and said the supermarkets there are good but we didn’t go.
We were advised before we went to use the local buses to get around, a daunting thought in a different country. We decided we wanted to go to Bodrum for the day so thought we would try out the local bus (called dolmus, which means stuffed). I don’t know what we were so worried about! The rep was charging about £12 each but the bus was only £2! And it was air conditioned! The bus station in Bodrum is right where the market is (Tuesdays) and you can’t get lost. Buses run all the time. I would definitely use the local buses again. The seafront in Bodrum was stunning and you can walk round the castle but as we were just there for the day we didn’t get time. I might look at staying in Bodrum next time.
Overall, my Turkish holiday out lived my expectations. Can’t believe I’ve never been before. See you in Turkey next year!!
Laura V
Tags: holidays in turgetreis, holidays to turgetreis, turgetreis holidays, turgetreis turkey
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January 12th, 2010
My husband and I have been to Turkey several times, though always to the Dalaman region. Our travel agent recommended the Bodrum peninsula though I was a little reluctant as I’d heard it was all party party party. We looked into the resorts in the area and decided on Yalikavak which seemed to have everything we wanted.
On arrival at Bodrum airport, the luggage came through quickly and we were soon escorted by the rep to our transfer coach. The journey only took 50 minutes and the scenery on the way was stunning. Very mountainous and the sea is so blue. We arrived at our hotel, Kivanc Suites which were lovely. Very clean and friendly, just what we wanted. Our room overlooked the gardens which were very pretty. We arrived in the afternoon so after quickly unpacking we decided to have a walk to the nearest bar to get a drink!
Stunning views
Bearing in mind we were a little unsure what to expect from the resort, it was perfect. The pedestrianised area down to the marina is beautiful. There are lots of bars, local and English which are ideally located for people watching, my favourite hobby! There are shops too, and the Thursday market is fabulous. As you reach the end of the pedestrian area, you come to the marina where you’ve got a lovely sandy beach and lots of beach front restaurants. There are sun loungers and large cushions on the beach and they are all part of the respective bar they are outside of. There was no charge to use them if you bought a drink so that’s what we did. We had lunch on the beach a few times, some restaurants have tables and chairs set up on the beach. The choice of food was fabulous though we are pretty boring when it comes to food. The food and drink along the beach front were more expensive than in the main street but the views are stunning. The nightlife is low key which was just what we wanted. There are lively bars with music near the marina but a lot of the restaurants had live music and even belly dancers which was lively enough for us!
We took the local bus in to Bodrum for the day which took about 40 minutes. What a shock! Id been led to believe it was the Turkish version of club 18-30 but it was amazing! We only went during the day so can’t say for the nightlife. There are shops and stalls galore and the castle was beautiful. The bars along the beachfront are very trendy though expensive and you could get lost in the maze of cobbled streets! Apparently you can visit the Greek Islands from Bodrum port too which we will do next time.
Castle of St Peter
Had an amazing time in Turkey, Yalikavak is beautiful but think we will stay in Bodrum next time as there is more to do. Glad we tried it!
Sue P
Tags: holidays in yalikavak, holidays to yalikavak, yalikavak holidays, yalikavak turkey
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March 20th, 2009
I don’t usually write holiday reviews but we had such a great holiday to Altinkum last September that i thought id share my experience. I went with my husband Charlie and our 3 year year old daughter Lola. We stayed in the Esra apartments for a week and had a fantastic time.
One of the pools
The apartments are really clean and spacious and our apartment overlooked the pool. The staff are all very polite, friendly and very helpful and really made our holiday. The maids cleaned our apartments every day and our towels where changed every other day. We only stayed twice for the evening entertainment and it was really good and they put so much effort into making everyone have a good evening. The pools where really great especially the one with the slides, Lola has so much fun going down them with her dad.
The Beautiful Beach
The beach is not that far from the apartments and is beautiful, the sea is so warm and clear and is perfect for cooling down in. The beach is patrolled by lifeguards which is a nice sight. On an evening we headed to dolphin square which has lots of nice bars and restaurants and found they all offered a good service and a good choice of dishes even for Lola. Theres also plenty of restaurants lined the sea front, our favourite had to be Victoria. The market in Altimkum is fabulous but does get very busy. We bought some lovely souvenirs and became a dab hand at bartering. I would recommend the Esra apartments to anyone as we had a lovely time.
Mrs T Stubbs
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March 19th, 2009
I went to the Cornelia De Luxe Resort, Turkey with my husband for our honeymoon in September last year. We chose this hotel as it had really good reviews. When we arrived we where amazed by how beautiful the hotel was. The hotel is kept so clean and immaculate and the staff are all very helpful and polite and cant do enough for you. We paid extra for a full sea view room but it was worth it as the views from our balcony over the beach and Mediterranean Sea were spectacular.
The Beautiful Cornelia De Luxe Resort
The pools are amazing and cleaned every day and have plenty of sun loungers and parasols around them. One of the pools has 3 water slides which are great fun. The hotel has its own private jetty with sun lounger and was just perfect for relaxing in the suns heat. The beach is lovely and clean and has plenty of shaded areas where we just relaxing and caught up on some reading. You can pre booked the restaurant in advance which is a blessing as they do get busy. Where ever you eat the food is superb and the service is excellent. The drinks are free flowing and the spirits are not cheap substitutes which is a welcome change.
Their is also 24 hours room service which is included in the all inclusive package, we ordered room service for breakfast a few times and the service was brilliant. The cocktail bar is lovely and relaxing and the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail or 2 before dinner. The evening entertainment is fantastic and they put a lot of effort into making everyone have an enjoyable time. The gala night was particular good and is held outside and the food is fantastic. Before we left we both had a traditional Turkish Bath which was truly amazing, its not included in the all inclusive package but is worth doing. The hotel is amazing and we would recommend it to anybody wanted a truly relaxing holiday. The market in Belek on a Saturday is really good and i managed to haggle for an amazing handbag.
Mrs E Grimshaw
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February 4th, 2009
We stayed at the Aegean Gate Hotel near Bodrum and it was just like visiting family friends or relatives, you are made to feel sooo welcome and at home. The place is small with only 6 rooms but they are spacious and it makes the place even more friendly especially if the other guests are a friendly bunch like ours were. The owners, Gary and Rory go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need and nothing is too much trouble for them; they arranged our transfer, advised us of the best places to visit and on which days, even recommending excellent restaurants and the best shops to get bargains in. 
The pool was small but as there are never too many guests this was ideal and there was no fighting over sunbeds or putting your towel out at silly o’clock in the morning!! Breakfast is served until 11 which is a good job as we sat up many a night with our hosts and other guests chatting well into the early hours!! We headed into Bodrum on a couple of evenings and did enjoy it but we found ourselves looking forward to returning to the Aegean and putting the world to rights with the others! The 2 dogs Samson and Troy make it seem even more homely and even my doggyphobic boyfriend became attached to them as the week went by!! If it’s the heady nightlife of Bodrum you are looking for then this wouldn’t be the place for you, but if you want something a little more personal and friendly with the nightlife within reach then I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Stacy Beacham, London.
Tags: Bodrum
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February 3rd, 2009
After looking through the first choice brochure for weeks trying to decide where to go in Turkey we eventually decided to book Jasmine Beach apartments for September 2008. It looked really nice in the brochure and what really swung it for us was that it was only 60 metres away from the beach. Our apartment was really clean and what you’d expect for a 3 star in Turkey. The maids came into clean our apartment everyday and all the staff where very helpful. There’s 3 pools where are very clean and set in beautiful gardens.
Jasmin Beach Apartment
There are plenty of sun loungers and parasols around which where very welcome as it did get very hot while we where there. We didn’t stay in the apartment for the evening entertainment as we like to eat out and see what the resort has to offer. The resort is very picturesque with white washed buildings nestled in the hills surrounding the resort. There’s plenty of really good restaurants in the the resort and The Minstrel on the beach is an excellent choice, we ate here a few times and the food and service was excellent. Murphy’s bar has great evening entertainment and has live Irish music every night and has a great atmosphere. There are plenty of other bars and discos throughout the resort, where where simply spoilt for choice and had a great time.
Gumbet Beach
The beach was just across the road from the apartments and is beautiful and offers loads of water sports. You can walk for ever along it or so it seems. There’s beach side tavernas and cafes along the beach which come in very helpful under the heat of the sun. As Turkey is not part of Europe our money went further which is always a good thing. We didn’t do any excursions as we just wanted a relaxing week of sun, sea and sangria. We had such a good holiday that we will defiantly return to Gumbet but this time we will do some of the excursions in particular the lazy boat cruise and mud baths.
Tina and David.
Tags: cheap holidays, gumbet, holidays, turkey
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January 28th, 2009
Ok so it may not be new…. but cheap it certainly is!! Do you usually go to San Antonio, Magaluf or Ayai Napa? Like to party? Then look no further than Gumbet and the Jasmin Beach Apartments. Turkey has its own currency of the new Turkish lira and does not use the euro so everything here is still cheap. We went at the end of August and had an absolute blast! The apartments were small but more than enough for what we needed (we were hardly ever in them though!) and they were very clean. The pools were fantastic and a great place to get to know others as is the beach with loads of bars and restaurants so you never need to wander far if you don’t want to.
Water sports are avaible all along the beach and we tried the banana boat a few times - absolutely hilarious - my sun tan faded faster than the bruises!! We also took a boat trip over to Kos (just to see what it was like really) and went in to Bodrum for some shopping, haggling with the locals was great fun! I got some bargain “designer” bags and sunglasses. But night time was when we got the best surprise!! I thought Turkish nightlife would be…well…Turkish!! You know, belly dancing and weird music type nights, not at all!!! Wow does Gumbet come to life at night! As the sun fades the parties start with neon lights that would rival Las Vegas!!! And the music is fantastic - all the latest sounds blast out into the night we loved Club Tropicana and Xbar and we even found a club that did a foam party - really sorry I can’t remember which one though, but I am sure you will find it as Gumbet is not that big! All in all we cannot recommed Gumbet highly enough as a fantastic party place and sooooo cheap still so go on ….don’t just take our word for it…oh and if anyone can remember where the foam party was, let me know please…that’s gonna bug me all day now!!!!
Shelley and Gabs.
xx
Tags: gumbet, holidays, turkey
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January 27th, 2009
The massive complex in all its glory!
We had a great time at the holiday village in Sarigerme, Turkey in September 2005. My best mate and I travelled there (both aged 23) for the first time and were delighted with our holiday choice. It was only a short 20 minute transfer from the airport and we had a lovely room on arrival. The complex was massive and set on the seafront with a great sandy beach to enjoy during the day. Both of us agreed that we would have been even more in heaven at the complex if we were both between about 7 and 13! Kids will love it beacuse there’s so many activities on offer. There were huge freeform swimming pools with swimming classes, 5-a-side football pitches, an amphitheatre, a climbing wall and a leap of faith amongst other things, as well as water sports available on the beach. We enjoyed nights either at the bars onsite enjoying a relaxing vodka or two or in Sarigerme village where there was about 3 bars to hop between before heading to the nightclub called the ‘X Club’. There were some great cheap excursions to go on too, including visiting Fethiye market and Dalyan mud baths. Despite it being late September and early October the weather was around 30° C every day too. Overall I could recommend the holiday village, especially to families who will be more than entertained.
Leading down to the inviting beach!
By Ben Charlton.
Tags: Dalaman Region, Sarigerme, turkey
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January 7th, 2009
We’d never visited Turkey before as we’d been a bit apprehensive and heard mixed reviews about it. But when me and my hubby decided to book a holiday we took the plunge and opted for Turkey. We stayed in the resort of Olu Deniz and was surprised at how beautiful and tranquil it was. The scenery is truly breathtaking with the mountain backdrop and everywhere was so green, not what we expected at all.
The National Park with its blue lagoon is truly astounding you do have to pay to go in but it is worth it, it’s full of natural beauty. My hubby had always wanted to try paragliding and there was no better place than here to give it a try. The instructor was very helpful in explaining everything to him then off he flew, my hubby said it was amazing and would definitely do it again. The beach and calm water surrounding the park is so beautiful and not at all busy like the other beaches in the resort. We where recommended to visit butterfly valley but this was a big no no on my part as im terrified of butterflies, but it is supposed to be beautiful. The restaurants are really welcoming and nothing seems to much trouble for the staff, we tried a different restaurant and meal every night and where never disappointed it was all so mouth watering.
There’s plenty of nightlife and entertainment in the resort to keep you busy the only problem we had was fitting it all in. We only booked one week and regret not booking longer as it was one of the best holidays we’ve been on and will definitely go back to Olu Deniz.
Emily and Ashley Thomas, Yorkshire
Tags: Olu Deniz, olu deniz holidays, Turkey Holidays
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January 5th, 2009
I’ve holidayed in the Turkish Resort of Marmaris on a number of occasions so the fact that i return year after year speaks for itself. I have visited Marmaris between the months of May and October and have never experienced a poor day of weather, the days are always gloriously sunny, sea is warm and calm and i alway return back to the UK with an enviable tan. I generally visit Marmaris with my family and a large group of people although i have been alone with my 4year old daughter and still had an amazing time.
Self catering is a good option if you like to do your own thing as you can do your shopping in the local supermarket and there are over 1000 restaurants to choose from that are much cheaper than here in UK. All inclusuive is my prefereed option now as i have children and i’ve stayed in a couple of different hotels with gorgeous food and lots of entertainment. Even when i go all inclusive i can’t help but eat out at some of the restaurants along Long Beach on the sea front as the food and hospitality is unbeatable. There is so much to do for all the family in marmaris, Atlantis waterpark is great fun and is set right on the beach front so the view from the top of the waterslides of mountains and sparkling seas is outstanding. One excursion not to miss in Marmaris is the Jeep Safari…..GREAT FUN!!
You get to go through the lush mountains and pass through tiny local villages with the sun beating down on you, have water fights with the apponent jeeps to cool off and you get a mouthwatering barberque served with fresh salad all in the price of around £30 per person. Night times in Marmaris are great fun and cater for everyone, I usually start in family friendly Turtle Bar listening to the brave karaoke contestants and some evenings end in Beach Club on Long Beach or Crazy Daisy which is on Bar Street and open until dawn. No matter how young or old you are and whether you want a quiet turkey holiday in the sun or a lively week away i recommend a holiday in Marmaris and i guarantee that you will return again and again.
Tags: holidays to marmaris, Marmaris, Marmaris holidays, turkey
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