Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Tell me about Turkey?
imamearcat · 29/12/2021 20:55
Think ahead to summer holiday this year, we just want a bit of luxury in the sun and Turkey seems to be the best value by a mile??
Struggling to get DH into it though, he loves Greece and is funny about places being 'dangerous' for the kids.
Help me sell it to him!! We tend to be buoy ourselves everywhere but haven't really done a massive AI type holiday yet, but sure we would like it.
Lykia · 29/12/2021 22:13
I'm quite partial to a Turkey AI at the top end of your budget you have:
Maxx Royal
More realistically priced:
Barut is a well respected chain
I can recommend the Voyage Belek
This is where I want to stay next:
Hilton Dalaman
HGC2 · 29/12/2021 22:16
We’ve had several fantastic holidays in turkey, I’d highly recommend it for families, particularly in Belek and side
Figgygal · 29/12/2021 22:20
Been 4 times love it and met my husband there 20 years ago this year so we heading back with the kids
imamearcat · 29/12/2021 22:25
Thanks so much, will check out those hotels.
What are Side, Belek and Lara Beach like as areas / towns? I really liked the look of Side as seemed slightly more authentic with a harbour, old ruins etc?
mnahmnah · 29/12/2021 22:30
Take a look at Club Letoonia in Fethiye. Gorgeous. Dotted villas across it’s own peninsula in Fethiye bay, water taxi across to the town, own beach and water sports, lush green surroundings. Loved it. Olu Deniz nearby is stunning too.
imamearcat · 29/12/2021 22:38
@Lykia they are all a bit more than I was hoping to spend, coming in 3.5 - 4.5k where as I was thinking more like 3, probably a 5 star that's not really a 5 star!
Do you think it's worth paying the extra? On the one side we are not that fussy (we went to Haven in rainy October half term in our caravan and enjoyed ourselves!) but on the other hand it would be nice to have a nice treat and we can probably afford it.
imamearcat · 29/12/2021 23:41
He likes that one @mnahmnah! Probably because it looks a lot like Greece! 
Bananarama21 · 29/12/2021 23:45
We went to lara beach and stayed in the ramada was fantastic, food and entertainment was brilliant for our family of 5. Would go back again
Lykia · 30/12/2021 09:16
@imamearcat you will definitely get a good quality 5 star AI for 5k. The ones I linked were ultra AI whereby food, drinks, pastries and ice cream are on tap practically 24/7. The Voyage has fridges dotted around the resort so you can grab a cold drink, they also have ice cream freezers too.
Jet2 website is a good start. Re: Belek it's mainly wall to wall 5 star hotels. There is a small town there with a market but it's mainly full of shops selling fakes.
I haven't been to Lara but I think that's the same. I've heard Side is nice and is more Turkish however I understand it's a long transfer from the airport.
I went to Bodrum a few years ago and the Bodrum peninsula area was very nice. We didn't go AI for that holiday.
mnahmnah · 30/12/2021 09:40
@imamearcat
Great! It’s much more lush and green than my experience of Greece. Very mountainous and scenic. Fethiye itself is old, with bazaars, spice market, rug stalls etc. I loved it and often think back with fondness.
shhsecretsquirrel · 30/12/2021 20:42
Check out Olu Deniz. Love turkey and the Turkish people and a huge fan of Greece too. Undoubtedly better value to be had in Turkey. Seriously hot in August!
tillytoodles1 · 01/01/2022 22:29
We love Calis Beach just a short ride from Fethiye, but the beach is gravel and probably not suitable for kids.x
TreborBore · 01/01/2022 22:31
I was like your DH, I love Greece after many good experiences there and saw no need to risk Turkey in case it was a disappointment, but it was lovely. Clean, friendly, lovely food, interesting historic ruins if that’s your thing, and fairly easy to get off the beaten track into less touristy areas if you want this.
shivermetimbers77 · 01/01/2022 22:36
Turkey is a wonderful country - beautiful landscape, beaches, food, wildlife and people. Dalyan on the southwest coast is beautiful and you can get a river boat from the town to Iztuzu beach which is 6km of unsoiled beach , which hasn’t been built on as it is a world heritage nesting area for loggerhead turtles. m.youtube.com/watch?v=BI1NuSHE-qI
earsup · 01/01/2022 22:43
Love turkey...used to do greek islands for years now we go turkey...marmaris....a bit tacky but deal was so good...fethiye nicer and olu deniz....just wish we had started to go years ago....also very cheap...wouldnt bother with all inclusive...hotels can be out of town so a bit remote ....its so cheap to eat out in places...and exchange rate is now very good...40% better than a few years ago....good shopping also...met lots of scandanavians buying towels and curtains etc....take a spare suitecase for your shopping !!...people very nice and helpful....we have started to learn the language but english is understood everywhere mostly.
Selok · 01/01/2022 22:48
I am Turkish and it is lovely to read here all nice experiences of my beautiful country. We are going to Marmaris with an English family ( my daughter's friend's family) they also have a 10 yo DS. Your DH will enjoy Turkey as much as he enjoys Greece as we are very similar, food, people, climate etc. Turkey is very child friendly but be warned especially south coast (Antalya, Kalkan, Kas, Alanya) areas are really hot in August- west coast-Marmaris, Bodrum relatively better as you get some breeze too! Enjoy your holidays
Branster · 01/01/2022 22:59
We went to Bodrum it was an all inclusive 5* hotel but I can't remember the name. There are quite a few of these and they have private beaches and everything else you can possibly need. It was so good and especially brilliant for children that we went back to the same place a few years later. They had a mix of hotel rooms or separate accommodation on the same site. You can take day trips to Kos which is Greek so your DH might appreciate this detail.
It was very safe, very clean, the local people were very welcoming, kids loved it and I would recommend it for a family holiday especially as there are other things to do like day trips.
Selok · 01/01/2022 23:34
There is also plenty to do to suit different age groups. If you have younger kids, I recommend all inclusive resorts with lots to do for younger children, evening entertainment is for everyone really! Daily boat tours to surrounding islands great day out too! We looked at Fethiye Letonia Club it is beautiful- as a hotelier myself in my previous life I have friends who are GM of resort hotels in different regions - Letonia was one of the recommendations- the reason we didn't chose this is because we are going end if July and Fethiye is in the border between Agean and Mediterranean regions, so this time of year it could be as hot as Antalya, I can't even bear that heat- but in other times the resort looks amazing
SuckItup22 · 01/01/2022 23:39
I love Turkey. Been several times. Last time being July.
The people are wonderful, it's good value, food is great.
FinallyFluid · 01/01/2022 23:41
Google Turkey's human rights and then decide if you want to go there.
cherrypie66 · 01/01/2022 23:49
The titanic hotel Antalya is amazing on Lara beach we loved it. Not much to do outside the hotel though we went for a walk on day and didn't like it. If your happy to stay in the complex or travel to nicer areas outside I'd recommend
Hotelhelp · 01/01/2022 23:51
We stayed at Liberty Lara Beach and absolutely loved it! Felt so safe and the hotel was perfect.
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