Hi, I've been to Club Alize twice and can recommend it, the two bed apts are great, two bathrooms so no need to share with the kids, it's in a good location, just look at the reviews on here, it speaks for itself.
Personally I've never done All Inclusive as that's part of our holiday trying somewhere different to eat each night and a chance to meet new friends. As for drinks and ice creams, we tend to go to Tansas or Gima and stock up on Coke Fanta etc, and my girls loved the ice creams at Alize.
Drinks for myself, I always buy a bottle or two of Bacardi duty free on the way out, so I can have a couple before we go out at night, as I never find the drinks very strong in Marmaris. Hope this is of some help, Maggie

Thanx Maggie thats helped loads, do you no if there are resteraunts that will do vegi food as my wife is a vegitarrian and can you give me an idea of prices ie for snacks , icecreams , and full meals thanks again.

As someone who lives here, and who, on their first visit ever to Turkey stayed AI, I can suggest that you would be mad to!!!

AI in Turkey (if you stick to 5 star) is of a great standard these days, but as mentioned by maggiemae, you need to get out and about and sample the real Turkey and the real Turkish food (which is fantastic). Self catering is best for this.

You can eat at all budgets, there are plenty of local restaurants (lokanta) where the food is superb, Turkish and cheap. Or you can go to very expensive restaurants, and everything in between.

Again, the advice on alcohol is good - spirits are expensive here - so stock up in duty free.

You can buy all the ice creams, soft drinks etc you can buy in the UK, and not expensive so don't worry.

Scunner

Oh, and vegetarians will have a great holiday here - there are so many meat free dishes.

Scunner

Couldn't agree more with the comments above. The food is great in the restaurants and cheap, and couldn't be easier for veggies - you could live on meze!

Quite true of course - somewhat oddly perhaps, I live in Fethiye, the med is 100m from my front door, we eat in as many authentic Turkish restaurants as we can find, and we go on holiday 2 hours along the coast at the all inclusive Letoonia Belek!

Scunner

I've never done AI in Turkey but went for three years in Cyprus, I wouldn't recommend it in Turkey as food is so cheap, I'm going back to Icmeler next year for the 5th year self catering, compared to Cyprus AI it's about £1000 cheaper. The food is great and so much choice.

You don't say whether your partner eats fish or seafood as a vegi, but this is the place to go if they do, fish planks are to die for.

To give you an idea of prices, we went last September and the most expensive evening meal for us was about 120YTL (£43) that was for 2 Adults, a 13 year old and and 10 year old, that included Maincourse and sweet for all plus drinks from 8pm to about midnight.

Don't go AI, experience the varied restaruants and meet the people.

Finally I am going back in July, Holiday plus all spending money will by about £3000, the AI in Cyrpus at the same time is £4200 plus going out to escape.

Live the dream, go SC and eat out and make life long friends in Turkey

Dave

Roll on July 2007

You are right there, when you say "Roll on July 2007." 29 weeks on Monday and counting!!!! Think this is called wishing your life away haha!!!

Hi
We visited Turkey for the first time last year (already booked for next year) and stayed all inclusive. The food was fine although not all of it was traditionally Turkish. Having said that a lot of the restaurants were advertising steak and chips, lamb shank, pizza, chinese and indian food!

Financially it was a good option for us - all our food and drink was paid for, but we ate out a few times and went out for a drink most evenings. Because the all inclusive price was so reasonable we could still afford to eat out some of the time. It's surprising how much you can spend on snacks and drinks and ice creams.

The only downside we found was that it was very easy to stay around our hotel because it had a lovely big pool and a nice atmosphere. We had to make ourselves go out and look around this beautiful part of the world.

We're AI again next year, so I guess it's just horses for courses and all that.

Merry Christmas all, by the way.

Sue x

with three kids you would be better a/i ,just imagine buying three cokes ,three snacks , three ice creams at any time of the day and try to count up how much it would cost you . and thats not counting you and the wife , there is nothing worse when on holiday and kids want this that and everything , sometimes you have to say no , you dont have that problem with a/i just let them go for what they want when they want .me and the wife would not go any other way , our kids are grown up now but when we take the grandkids there is just no comparisson,

bluepeterno1

i would have to say it would depend on the prices you have been quoted........

we always do self catering in turkey as the people are wonderful, the food is good quality and plentiful, and its not expensive.

but in spain we always do AI as the cost of living seems so much higher........

check out the prices for both, but personally i would have to say self catering every time in turkey.

last time in turkey we went for 2 weeks, me hubby and 2 kids over the age of 10, meals and drinks cost us, £600 for the fortnight, but we ate well.
hope this helps!

Try the Belcekic Beach hotel in Olu Deniz, or the Olu Deniz Resort hotel if you want a high standard of AI but at a reasonable price.

We paid about £450 over what we wer quoted for a weeks self catering in a one bedroomed apartment. This was for a family of 4. 2 adults, 2 kids.

I could never have provided the quality and amount of food and drink for that price (even in Turkey), and we budgetted enough money to eat out a few times and go out for a drink most evenings to other bars.

I have never and would never go AI in Turkey, i think there are so many lovely restaurants to choose from it would be a shame to do so. I also dont like the idea of being stuck in a Hotel day and night when there is so much to do and see.

ive been to turkey 4 times this year 2 s/c and 2 all inc, so i know the advantages and disadvantages to both, i agree with a lot of the comments, out of the 2 all inc we went on 1 was fairly bad despite being 5 star the other 5 star was brilliant, when i go all inc i still go out to restaurants and bars etc i dont like being hotel bound, but i usually find that the difference isnt a huge amount and around £200-£400 extra for 2 wks for 3 of us all inc is worth paying for, as no way could i feed 3 of us all day for this amount and all the drinks on top. if i get a good all inc deal then we eat out about 1/4 -1/3 of the holiday anyway as i have had my monies worth and i think the entertainment for the kids is better in all incs generally, but equally i like s/c holidays, it just depends where im going in turkey and who comes with us, i find the all inc mainly good with children in tow, although now my older 2 dont want to come away with us any more so its usually just my little daughter,but if i go without the kids then it would more likely be s/c, but its up to what suits you at the end of the day, write a list of pros and cons and then make a decision lol as no one can tell you whats best for your family

Hi Karen, Long time no speak

I'm like you I would never say don't go AI or don't go self catering. It's a personal choice and up to the individual concerned to make the best choice for their family and a lot is down to their budgets. All we can do really is explain what our own experiences have been in certain hotels and apartments. People know what suits themselves best. I do find it odd though that people think because you go AI you are stuck in the hotel day and night, it's just a convenience thing really, they don't lock you in there.LOL Like you I've done all sorts of hols and have seen people in self catering establishments who never seem to leave the pool side or the pool bar in their apartments LOL Happy Xmas.

hi chris how are you ?

will be strange not going to turkey this xmas and new year as ive been the last few years, but we are going to marrakech on 3rd jan for 5 nights so that should make a change

my next holiday that ive booked to turkey is july so far and thats for 19 nights s/c, we have been the last few easters too but prices are high at the moment but keeping an eye out for any bargains lol

Well to me it all depends how much you can afford,personally with 2 kids i really cant afford self catering.I went away one year half board and we still spent £700 on drinks and ice cream.Add to this that the kids never want to leave the hotel as they make friends and there is no contest.My favourite holiday would be self catering but just cant be done at the moment...nicole

I have tried A/I but must admit prefer sampling different restaurants. There are loads of cheap restaurants in Marmaris. Mind other people, yes you Celine, always seem to get such fantastic prices A/I i can understand why she books.
Welcome back Scunner. Long time no hear. You still renting your Calais villa? That was one of my best holidays ever.

Hi Ma'am

I trust you mean CALIS, I am not aware that I own a villa in France
Sold that particular villa, still renting on the site.

Living near the aquapark, and that does pose a problem - when you live by the sea, where do you go on holiday?!

Glad to see your name again!

Scunner