We wont be returning to Turkey in the near future . We are somewhat Turkeyed out to be truthful and as others have said we can now go to the caribbean for the same money . In Fact we did Cuba last year for much Less than I could get an equivilent match in Turkey for.

Must admit we do always choose to go A/I for our 2 weeks in the summer . We do other breaks where we like to get out and about but our 2 weeks summer is about being waited on and doing very little. My husband and lads do their diving and I'm happy with book and sunbed .

Same as Lynn really, its a relax time. We've chosen a hotel that has places surrounding and we'll do trips and eat out and about despite the top food reviews, we just like to get out and about as well. But generally in Turkey as we'd done it loads, last year we just stayed on resort mostly. That was Kadikale and it was a top hotel, but there's that little extra touch by the sounds of it from Dominican for us, and it didn't cost us much more.

We paid £650 each for 2 weeks AI last year to Turkey, this year it has cost £800 for 2 weeks in Dominican to BlueBay Villas including transfers, inflight meals and entertainment and baggage.

We will return I'm sure . Turkey holds a very special place in our hearts and our teenagers hold their fondest memories from our holidays there but at the moment it's time for us to try pastures new . This will probably be our last holiday (mexico this year) where as a family we all holiday together . I'm surprised i've managed it this year as they are 20,18 and 14 now . Our next visit is likely to be very different and who knows , maybe not the A/I style we have preferred as a family unit.

Sadly turkey is too expensive now...everyones complaining about the top wack prices...way too much who would of thought the caribbean would be cheaper than turkey with all those fab beaches,,huge beds..great grub...no comparison these days. Anyone know why turkey is so expensive now? I liked turkey but am i mad or what to pay all that money when I can go to the carib for less money and have a better place to stay,better grub. great cheap booze and sunsets like you never see in your life?

I feel sad to say ta ta to tukey but theyve priced themslves out the market...more dearer than nearly anywhere

Agree with groovybaby and lynnwestie. 9 years on the trot to icmeler, marmaris and olu . We need a change, last year we were sick of cha cha slide, country road, etc, and it wasnt cheap, you can get some very good meals out at home now, 2 for £8 that sort of thing, allbeit not with the heat and sunshine, and the price of drinks was going silly, 5 lira for soft drinks was british prices and i dont like Efes that much.

so first time ever going to Domincan in october, still having to pay school holiday prices, but for around £3000 ish including premium seating with thomson, for 3 of us going to gran ventana. its hubbys belated 50th pressy as well.

Am considering cyprus for next year, long time since we were last there. unless we fall in love with the carribean.

Bev

I think you might be a bit disappointed in Cyprus... I've just come back from a quick week there. It has gone expensive probably more so than Turkey.
But I think you'll love the Dom Rep

thats useful to know thanks Jess.

Bev

We're not Can't afford it due to losing £15000 from our annual income ...hopefully next year, or if things turn around I'll book a late deal.

We've decided to try Rhodes this year, after our last 2 holidays being in turkey. Went to Gumbet in 2009 and loved it (we are a family of 3, one child - aged 11 then) Met up with a great family of three and had a great holiday, fell in love with the turks and loved the friendliness and relaxed way of turkey. Lush beach - ok maybe not spotless with golden sand but good amenities and great loungers/hammoks and free !
Then last year went to icmeler, on the basis that its family friendly etc. hated it. Nice golden beach but none of the hammocks, amenities of gumbet - and you had to pay ! managed to spend 2400 in 14 days (half board!)
Turkish people alot different in their attitude and just not as welcomng, less street hassle but alot of leaching after your money.
So we're off to greece, and maybe back to gumbet next yr, cos we certainly didnt get the icmeler bug !

Icmeler is undoubtedly an absolutely lovely resort I personally think that it equals olu deniz fir scenery and turunc is delightful ,however as a regular visitor to the place for over the best part if a decade and i know this will be met with howls of disagreement , there is a negative undercurrent to the place,year after year more and more groups of women are visiting and it is a standing joke amongst residents and seasonal workers alike that they come for the men!!!I know this is absolutely untrue about the majority of visitors but over the years I have witnessed some situations to put it mildly!!I will always visit turkey on the whole I love the place,but having visited other areas sadly my eyes have been really opened and I can say that icmeler us no longer the quaint resort it once was although it has lost none of it's beauty.Some Turks could be held partly responsible fir the tax rises as some are reluctant to pay any ,and revenue has to made somehow,and the resort workers are notorious for this.I also think that the whole tipping system adds to your holiday expense it starts when you arrive tips for the coach driver, tips for the bell boy , and so on

My parents have recently returned from a week in Icmeler - a resort they have visited many times now. They said it was very quiet this time with tourist numbers significantly down and prices very expensive in the restaurants. And as for the price of the wine these days...

I normally visit Turkey twice a year with my other half and we're intending to go later this year. In 2010 we were disappointed by several Turkish restaurants as although prices were increasing the meals seemed to be getting worse/smaller. We've just been to Crete (for a change) and found we could get a good quality, substantial evening meal (we sometimes couldn't eat it all) with house wine for 25 - 30 Euros for two people. A lot of restaurants offered specials consisting of a glass of wine, starter, main course and a small desert for 9 to 10 Euros. Add a carafe of house wine for 3 to 4 Euros with the obligatory complimentary fire water at the end and you're sorted for around £20. Obviously we're talking more traditional Greek dishes rather than fillet steaks. The other nice thing was that a couple of places gave us a free drink (wine and beer on different occasions) which is something I can't recall happening in Turkey for many years!

Having a few beers on the balcony watching the sunset was facilitated by the supermarket having an offer selling 4 cans of "decent" Greek beer for 3 Euros (i.e. 65p per half litre). The normal shop price for 5% beer (Mythos, Fix, Amstel) seemed to be about 1.2 Euros, with bar prices from 2.5 to 3.5 Euros. There was cheaper stuff in the supermarkets but it tasted like you were getting what you paid for it
To round out the family experience my brother reported still finding Spanish bars selling "happy hour" beer for as little as 1 Euro this year. So to state the obvious, it does seem that Turkey may have slipped from being cheap to actually being more expensive than the UK or other holiday destinations around the med. There may be trouble ahead"¦

I was really disappointed with our holiday last year to Icmeler ~ one place I will certainly NEVER return to. But this year we have had our holiday and spent 5 nights in New York followed by 10 nights in Florida (Orlando), we've just returned and had a fab time. May return to Olu perhaps next year as we really liked it there, but I wanted somewhere new, different and to make up for the holiday in Icmeler last year which we didnt particularly like.