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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

anyone been to Turkey?

9 replies

vmcd28 · 21/10/2011 14:18

We have decided to go on a holiday next summer, and Turkey seems fairly reasonable, price-wise.

Any recommendations?
We'll have a 7yo and a 20mo.
We like places with historical interest, loads of restaurants, family friendly bars, and preferably a square or harbour with some atmosphere for relaxing after dinner with a glass of wine.
The boys both have blond hair, as do I - I know blond hair got a lot of attention in years gone by. Is it still like that or do they not care about these things now it's more touristy?

OP posts:

hayleysd · 21/10/2011 20:53

We went to turkey in may and we had a 6 year old and 17 month old and they were always talking to our youngest not so interested in the eldest, it was fine though they weren't over the top.

DooinMeCleanin · 21/10/2011 20:58

Dd2 has very light brown hair, dd1 is blond. Both love Turkey. They both got equal amoounts of attention from waiters etc. but it was good attention, not the ott stroking and grabbing you hear about.

The turkish adore children and go out of their way to accomodate and welcome them. It's the best place I have been so far for family holidays with young children.

We often stay in Marmaris, which is a bit tacky for most poeple's taste, but I love it. There is history and culture all over Turkey (although, maybe not so much in Marmaris) and boat/coach trips offered to most places at a reasonable price.

smugmumofboys · 21/10/2011 21:05

We stayed with a Turkish friend this year and people were all over the boys - esp blond DS2 (7) - like a rash. It was fine. The boys got used to it although they were a bit by about day four. It was very good-natured and it didn't bother me in the slightest.

Original poster

vmcd28 · 21/10/2011 23:11

Thanks, everyone, very much. That's good to know it's not done in a weird creepy way... Years ago I went to Tunisia and I felt very uneasy the way some people looked at me.

What about costs of things? I.e meals, wine, beer etc?

OP posts:

DooinMeCleanin · 21/10/2011 23:21

When we there last year the price of an average meal for a family four was around £30 including drinks. The soft drinks are what cost the most but during high season a lot of places have BOGOF on all drinks.

Local beers and spirits are cheap but you pay more for the well known brand names. Beans are extortiante for some reason around £2 for a tin of Heinz, but if you have a child like mine who will only eat beans most places will swap the chips for beans. You have to make sure you ask for local spirits or they'll give you and charge you for the dear stuff. I'm not sure about wine because I don't drink it.

Trips cost us in the region of £80 to £150 depending on what they were. Boat trips are much cheaper.

You can often get trips cheaper if you pay in English money because the tour guides keep hold of it and exchange it after season when the rate is better for them, so it's worth keeping hold of some sterling.

timidviper · 21/10/2011 23:31

We went to a large all-inclusive resort near Side this year which was very nice (although DCs are grown up now) and I know there were some nearby that seemed aimed at younger families. Side had fantastic ruins, nice bars, harbour, etc

Original poster

vmcd28 · 22/10/2011 12:06

Timid, was it a pain being just outside Side, or were there plenty restaurants etc on the way to the centre, iyswim?
One resort we're looking at is 1km outside the centre, but I am assuming there will be plenty of shops etc en route.

Dooin, thanks a lot for all the info - it really helps a lot. That's interesting re using sterling! The locals know all the tricks!

OP posts:

diabolo · 24/10/2011 19:04

Turunc (near Icmeler) was utterly gorgeous. Nightmare mini bus rode over a mountain led to a beautiful tiny, little village on the sea. Nice beach and enough to do, but the views and diving/snorkelling were to die for.

Everyone there was so friendly I didn't want to come home.

I've also been to Tunisia (which I HATED) and Turunc was nothing like that. No-one tried to sell us anything, no-one making a fuss over blonde DS, just really nice, friendly people.

If the call to prayer came while you were in a restaurant or bar, they would apologise and say they were going to pray for 10 minutes and then come back and treat you like Kings.

I will certainly go back again.

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 03/11/2011 11:27

Hi vmcd28, I have just come back from Turkey, we go there all the time and I lived out there too for a few years.

My children are now 7 and 4 but they have been since they were tiny babies. Turkish people love children no matter waht colour hair they have, mine are half Turkish and have dark hair but they are still fussed over all the time and only ever in a nice way.

Our favourite part is the Bodrum Peninsula, there are several really nice reosrts there and I think somewhere like Yalikavak, Bitez or Turgutreis may be what you are looking for. The good thing about the Bodrum Peninsula is that the resorts are all within 45 minutes to an hour from the airport.

It can be cheap to eat out in Turkey, especially if you eat where the locals do, beer is cheap, local spirits are reasonable but wine is quite expensive and anything imported is very expensive.

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