hi Karen..the resorts in the Balikesir region are as you know northern Aegean.
the bulk of holiday makers come from İzmir and istanbul...the resorts are not cheap but the area offers some great sightseeing...Troy..Assos..Pergamom..Ã"¡anakkale..are all within reach.
it all depends what you want...if you give a little bit more info on where you went previoulsy and what you like to do..maybe i could suggest some places..away from the Brits.

Hi Shirley
Thanks for you reply.We were looking at a town called Ayvalik I think.In the past we've been to Icmeler & Hisaronu.I liked Icmeler & although we met lovely people in Hisaronu I just felt it was a bit too English .We had to think of our teenagers then but now it's just ourselves we have to please.I would like somewhere laid back with nice food ,drink ,people & scenery

ayvalık seems a nice choice then...are you going independently or which companies go there?
there are also some nice places on the coast road between Fethiye and Antalya..the Kekova region can't be beaten for scenery.
Adrasan has a lot going for it.
for a saner breed of brit kalkan is ok..also Kaş..kemer is pretty with a nice harbour but entirely built for tourism.
Ã"¡irali is wonderful..and there is a member on the forum with a nice hotel there...Caretta..canada hotel..mount olympos and the eternal fire(the chimera) is nearby.
and there are also a few places with tree house accomodation...not for me!!
on the aegean there's Foça and Ã"¡eşme..both fairly laid back...Ã"¡eşme has a lot of ferries going to Brindisi in italy..its a small place
if you want somewhere near a big city..but in a peaceful location there's Lara Beach resort outside Antalya
or Belek the other side of Antalya..lovely beach..huge hotels..popular with golfers.
Alanya is great..and outside there are some quiet places..incekum is one with a super beach ..next door Avsallar is also laid back..has some nice hotels.
Datça is very pretty..bit of a trek from Dalaman..also popular with brits
not far from Mersin there is a wonderful place called Kızkalesi..the nearest airport is at Adana..but i don't think the tour companies in the uk go there...not yet!.its one of my favourite places.
oof..so many choices..but nice to see a bit more of Turkey
i think your first choice of Avalık wasn't bad though...you could have a trip to Bursa from there as well as loads of other places..

thanks Shirley
I think we would have to go DIY as I can't see many tour operators doing this from Glasgow.Our aim is to hopefully buy a small property in Turkey and spend more and more time there when we retire .I want to see as many different parts of the country as I can before I commit myself

there are many from the UK doing this now..buying retirement homes..but as you say have a really good look around first..
there is a forum especially for living in Turkey..turkish living forum..that has a lot of advice on just this..i hope the mderators won't mind me saying that..i'm a member there and i do basic turkish for people wanting to learn Turkish...its one of my hobbies..
if and when you do buy i think its better to locate neare to a large town where there is year round living not to some of the wonderful holiday places that are deserted in the winter months..just a thought for you...
ive lived in alanya for many years..and can't complain..its a normal town with a good mix of foreign residents and good facilities..antalya is super..but anyway have fun planning your holiday...an let's know where you decide on.

hey!i went to ayvalik in oct 05 only stayed for a month....it was so different from tourist bits, i actually found it quite isolating cos you really needed transport to get around then and nobody really speaks english but it is nice but it was so calm and peaceful!it would be an adventure!xxx