08/11/2010, 7Nts
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23/11/2010, 7Nts
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04/01/2011, 7Nts
B & B 3*
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30/11/2010, 7Nts
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14/11/2010, 7Nts
B & B 3*
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23/01/2011, 9Nts
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B & B 3*
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Antalya is Turkey’s fourth largest city, with palm-lined boulevards and an attractive shopping centre. The old town - Kaleici - has pretty wooden houses and steep, winding streets that are lined with cafés and shops selling the traditional Turkish carpets, t-shirts, leather goods and fake designer wear. For conventional high-street shopping, Ataturk Boulevard is the place, as well as in the modern city centre. There are ancient city walls and a picture-postcard harbour with historic buildings and old wooden-hulled sailing ships moored alongside luxury cruisers in the marina.
Around the city there is a city bus and dolmus (minibus) network, as well as plenty of taxis. Hire of cars, scooters and, for the brave, bicycles are all readily available.
There are plenty of sights to see, including the Yivli-Minare (13th-century minaret) and the streets of the old town (with Ottoman houses). The national parks of Termessos (ruined city) and Duzlercami are also worth a trip, as are the Karain caves and Pamukkale hot springs. Finally, for the history buffs, the ruins of Aspendos and Perge can be visited.
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Bodrum is a wonderful resort for those who enjoy exploring, with wonderful ruins and warren-like backstreets. Whilst there is a beach in the resort, even better beaches are just a bus ride away.
In the narrow streets of the old centre, a small selection of international names are interspersed with the usual tourist shops selling such items as shoes, handbags, jewellery and fake designer gear. There is also a street market, at its most extensive on Thursdays and Fridays, near the bus station. The marina includes a small arcade of exclusive shops.
Bodrum has a hectic nightlife, with many music bars in the centre and waterfront areas. There are some impressive nightclubs including a large open-air venue on the edge of the resort. This is popular with both tourists and Turkish people.
The Dolmus (minibus) services all parts of the peninsula and neighbouring towns. For further afield trips there are intercity buses.
You can take a ferry to Kos and Rhodes, as well as beautiful coastal cruises. Ephesus is reachable, as is Pamukkale with its limestone formations. There are some stunning villages and bays of the Bodrum peninsula that are also worth an excursion. Finally, the ruins of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, should be seen!
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Dalaman is a historical and beautiful region that has a lot to offer including wonderful beaches, lakes, mountains, thermal baths, historical remains and many sports.
Nearby Dalyan is in the centre of a broad delta and at the head lies the 7km sandbar called Iztuzu beach where the endangered Loggerhead Turtle has returned for hundreds of years to lay its eggs. It is a 6km long beach, and a sanctuary for the sea turtles. Nearby you can also enjoy the Kaunos acheologist site and see the carved tombs in the Limestone mountain while cruising along.
The Dalaman Valley is very fertile, and produces an abundance of fruit and vegetables, which are put to great use in delicious local dishes. The town itself has many shops, resturants, bars and tea gardens. It has its own huge natural beach and hosts lots of wildlife.
Marmaris is one of the bigger resorts in the area. It is large, lively and tourist-orientated, and prides itself on having something for just about everyone, especially those bent on rousing nightlife. This large, long, narrow resort runs parallel to the seafront over 3½ miles. It has 3 main areas: a busy, attractive harbour with working fishing vessels and Turkey's largest marina; here can be found the resort's main selection of tourist bars and restaurants. Next to the harbour is the compact Old Town, with its narrow lanes, bustling bazaars, local restaurants and boisterous late-night bars and clubs. To the west, stretching along and back from the beachfront, is the busy, crowded, traffic-infested and much more modern tourist area, with a pleasant palm-lined seafront promenade that runs all the way to Icmeler.
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Turkey's largest city, Istanbul measures roughly 7 miles by 7 miles and encompasses a collection of diverse areas.
In the Old City, the ancient districts of Sultanahmet, Beyazit and Eminonu perhaps hold the greatest allure for tourists, owing to their high concentrations of world-famous historic buildings. But the area around Sultanahmet has almost become a sanitised tourist village with renovated Ottoman houses now home to cafes, souvenir shops, travel agents, hostels, hotels, bars and internet cafes. Across the estuary known as the Golden Horn lie Beyoglu, the one-time haunt of 19th-century European aristocrats, and neighbouring Taksim, Istanbul's "downtown", where many of the city's largest hotels and conference centres are located. On the opposite shore of the Strait lies the Asian side of Istanbul, which is less developed and more relaxed.
If it’s beaches you’re after, then head to Princes' Islands (reachable by boat) to find clean, although busy, beaches.
For shopping the Grand Bazaar is the place, with 4,000 shops offering all kinds of items made of copper, brass, gold, stone, leather and glazed earthenware, as well as books, carpets, jewellery and clothing. Get ready to bargain with the sellers! There are modern, fashionable shops near Taksim, on pedestrianised Istiklal Caddesi.
You can eat out cheaply near the Blue Mosque, and get seafood at the Galata Bridge and in Kumkapi. Kebabs come in all shapes and sizes and can be found on almost every corner, while boats on the Bosphorus offer freshly cooked fish sandwiches. Wine is expensive and not particularly good.
The resorts in the Izmir area include those along the Aegean Coast - Kusadasi, Ozdere and Cesme.
Kusadasi
Kusadasi is a sprawling city that has spread in all directions from the old centre. It is a busy port for cruise ships and a ferry service to several Greek islands operates from here. It is close to many of Turkey's most famous historic sites, including Ephesus.
If shopping is what you want, bargains and a good selection of crafts can be found in the Grand Bazaar, set in the winding streets of the Caravanserai (Old Town) area. The selection is one of the largest of all Turkish resorts.
There are plenty of water sports available during the day. Kusadasi is a great choice for those who want to party, and at night in the centre behind the harbour front the place really comes to life. There is an excellent choice of local cuisine, fast-food snacks and a particularly good selection of fish restaurants close to the harbour.
Çesme is a great choice for families and anyone preferring a relaxing, small-town atmosphere.
It has an old centre and lovely beaches. It is home to beautiful weekend and holiday homes for the well-to-do inhabitants of Izmir.
The most notable landmarks are the stone castle and the caravanserai, both constructed during the 16th century. Both face the attractive harbour and are backed by narrow, winding streets of old houses, while the principal shopping street leading out of town from the harbour is kept traffic-free. Shopping is based around the main street and side streets which are liberally sprinkled with emporia, typical of Turkey, selling oriental rugs, jewellery, leather and a generous selection of general souvenirs. The town is linked with the small, modern beach resorts of Boyalik and Ilica, popular with windsurfers. To the north is the fishing port of Dalyan and the secluded beach of Ayaseranda.
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