Can someone tell me what it is like on an all inclusive family holiday in Turkey?

[Tumtr]

The closest thing I have done do this sort of holiday is a half board hotel in puerto pollensa? Other than that most of my holidays are Cornwall type breaks in the uk. Or city breaks abroad. But all the kids friends go to Turkey . Am I missing out ? Are they amazing? They seem quite expensive the ones I am looking at so not sure if I should book or not

All inclusive holidays with children are great. I love not having to think about what we're going to eat when, don't have to keep track of spending on drinks, ice creams snacks etc! We went to an all inclusive resort in Turkey last year and would definitely go back.
Tip would be to pick a resort with lots of options for food as going to the same buffet restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner could get a bit boring.
Just be mindful that Turkey can get very hot in the summer months so pick when you go if you don't do well in the heat.

I would be either first week August or second week October. So not sure if August too hot and October too cold. I am veering towards August as don’t want a cold holiday

Just came back from oludeniz area, we stayed in the liberty lykia hotel, the food standard was incredible. Amazing for kids, scenery incredible.

August is too hot for me in Turkey I would definitely go early October out of the two. Not had a bad holiday in Turkey and AI is easy with kids. Definitely check reviews for food but generally have found it to be good though bear in mind there are lots of nationalities that holiday there so the buffet can have interesting dishes as well as the more standard ones but it’s fun to try.

Liberty Lykia was always great for us. The kids’ programmes were v good. The Turkish people love children it seemed to
me

We were in Turkey (Fethiye area) last October half term, so late October, and the weather was glorious. Mid to high 20s and warm sea (pool cold). I’d be nervous about August temperatures, I can cope with heat but anything above 35ish gets a bit much for me.

Turkey is great for AI with kids. I always find you get good value for money there. Avoid Lara Beach tho - awful area. We went in April and it was warm so you'll be fine in October for sure. August is v hot. My sister got married out there in August and it was 42!

Oh is Lara beach not good? I seen other threads on here recommend it. What about side? We need to fly to Antalya as that’s the best flight times from our local airport.

my dc are actually teens now. But wondering if they been missing out on all inclusive holidays for their childhood !

In terms of AI you can get great value for money. You need to choose the right hotel for the kind of vibe you want. School summer holiday in Turkey is too hot for me. Right now the feel like temp is 36c.

We’ve been AI to Turkey in early October and the weather was lovely. I’d imagine August would be very hot.
We were at The Hilton in Sarigerme, was lovely but not much to do outside the hotel, there is a little village with shops and restaurants but still a taxi drive away

Are the beaches nice? I once went to Cyprus and found the beach there terribly disappointing . But are Turkey beaches more picturesque?

Like you OP, my kids are now both teens and we've mostly only ever done SC type holidays. But I have been hearing about Turkiye for years now and am done with SC, so booked an AI in Antalya (Side) for next April!

@TumtrLara beach is fine, It’s just a small town built around all inclusive hotels. You can get a bus or taxi to Antalya if you want cultures etc. I was there last year and it was great.

I’m taking my DD in 3 weeks to Side and we can’t wait. No thinking about snacks, ice creams, drinks, lunch etc. My dd she gets free rein for a week re food, drink and a bit of shopping that mum pays for.

The worst thing about Turkey is the people on the flight and the airports when you get there.

The country is okay. I prefer Greek beaches.

Ah exact same situation. I wonder if you will be thinking “should have done this years ago”

AI in Turkey or anywhere will depend to a degree on what you pay and your expectations and priorities.

I don't particularly think it's good value because I'd only go somewhere that had multiple a la carte restaurants where you can sit outside and that sort of place is very expensive. Having to queue up at a buffet three times a day is not a nice holiday for me.

I much prefer to self cater and eat out for lunch and sometimes dinner, combined with easy food from the supermarket. Comparable in price to buffet AI but a far nicer experience and likely better food.

Grand yazicci turban in marmaris is amazing!! Like seriously amazing!! And if you like a full English there’s a few bars nearby that do them!! I love the place that much I went there 2 times last year! The only issue with Turkey is the travel. It’s a trek from the airport!!!

@BjorkdiditSC is my idea of hell if it involves only eating out once a day. I don’t want to trail around supermarkets looking for “easy” food to eat. The ones I pick have multiple a la carte restaurants that we can use yes it’s a lot more expensive than self catering but I’m not spending a week cooking so it’s a win for me

Quite possibly. My dh is not keen on AI though. So it could go either way for us 😆

pick somewhere close to a decent town, preferably with more than one dining option- so some restaurant type options as well as the cafeteria style as it gets a bit samey after a few days is my advice. For teenagers I also looked at entertainment… do they offer activities during the day such as football, tennis water volleyball or even archery . There are some great hotels and it’s a beautiful country with lots of history so do your research and enjoy

I love a good AI and have never been disappointed with Turkey. Was a bit let down by Ibiza last year but with AI I get an actual holiday- my kids are 11 and nearly 8.

I haven't been to Turkey, but having always done SC in the past we went to an AI place in Spain a couple of years ago with kids aged 5-teen and I was totally converted.

Yes, the food isn't going to be as nice as going out to restaurants but it was still good and just not having to think about shopping, food, accommodating kids preferences and so on made it a proper break for me.
One kid wants to eat burgers 4 times a day? Go for it.
Another only wants chips, yoghurt and cucumber? Doesn't bother me.
Kids nagging for drinks and ice creams every 5 minutes? Go to the bar and help yourself!
Youngest went to kids club and mini disco, oldest played football and water polo - I sat by the pool with a mojito and a book

You probably aren't going to be soaking up loads of culture and visiting local taverns but it's a different kind of holiday.

Where in Spain did you go?

We went here https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/spain/valencia-region/costa-blanca/benidorm/hotels/magic-natura-animal-waterpark-and-polynesian-lodge-resort.html

We went beginning of October and maybe were just lucky but the weather was amazing, sunny and around 24-27c every day.

We’ve been to a hotel near Side twice at October half term. It was 26/27 degrees in the day which was perfect for us, it did chill off in the evenings but nothing that a jumper couldn’t fix.

The sea was a lovely temperature. The pools were in the fresh side but the heated one was perfect.

We chose a hotel with 3 a la cartes and a gym for the kids. An unexpected hit was the pier out into the sea that they loved diving and flipping off. That was used more than the water slides!

We had some shops and bars within a few minutes walk and also got the local bus to a big bazaar.

We all had 2 really enjoyable holidays.