I was much the same the first time I visted Turkey.

Marmaris and Icmeler are nice places to visit, and can provide you with peace and quiet, or if you fancy it you can go down the town to meet busy nightlife.

Icmeler sounds like it may be the better option for yourselfs, Icmeler is about 10minutes away from Marmaris 1.30hrs xfer from dalaman, it is much smaller, and I believe it has a better beach.

You (or your wife especially) will love the shopping there, food and drinks prices are average. The Turkish people are lovley you will find that your resort staff will do anything they can to keep you happy.

Accomodation in Turkey is generally basic compared to other destinations, it depends what you want from your appartment/room. If you are looking for luxury then book a 4*+ if you just want a low cost holiday with an adequet room go lower.

You will be amazed at how much money you save compared to other destinations.

The temerature in may will be around 25oC during the day, and drops to around 10oC on an evening which is a little nippy, but much warmer than the UK at that time of the year. Pools will generally be too cold to use unless you are brave!. Sun is plentyful and you should be able to get a nice tan if relaxing on the beach or by the pool is your thing.

There is many daytrips also, you can visit Dalyan, TurtleBeach, Ephesus, and much much more, excurisions are bookbable via your tour operator however to save money book with a local company as tour operators/reps make profit on those sales.

Turkey is so low cost that it is well worth trying, for the cost of a weekend away in England you can goto Turkey for a week. Just remember to take some shopping money and watch your baggage weight on the way back

I, personally would go for Bitez. There are one or two AI there, but the restaurants are so good and plentiful that you would want to try a different one every night.
Have you looked on the Turkey resorts? You can get a good idea from that about the different ones. The Bodrum peninsular is very cosmopolitan, not too many visitors from one country. Antalya area has many German and Russian visitors, so we Brits tend to feel pushed out.

I like Side best as It has an old town and roman ruins that you can wander around.Its also the most "Turkish" resort.There are some very good 4and 5 star AI hotels on either side of the old town which are about 30 minutes walk along the beach.Everyone has their own favourite and its hard to decide.I went to Kusadasi in 1992 and hated it but went back the following year to a hotel in between Marmaris and Icmeler and loved it .I went to all 3 last year and will go back this year to which ever one has the best offer!.

by what you are saying i wouldnt go to marmaris or icmeler i like both places but they are geared up for the brits with plenty of bars playing music etc, marmaris being the busiest. you would probably be better in 1 of the quieter more turkish resorts, someone has recommended bitez i havent been there but have read good reports, we love akyaka, that really is paradise ,but fairly quiet with beautiful scenery and beach, have a look at the link and see what you think
, im sure other people will come and recommend different places, if akyaka is too quiet then olu deniz is lovely too

http://akyaka.com/index.php

Have to agree with Bodrum peninsular - especially Bitez (we will be back there in September). Check out the resort reports for places like Bodrum itself, Turgetreis and Yalikavak.
The Turkish people are very friendly and welcoming and, as long as you go with an open mind, you will have a great time.

Can't suggest where to stay as I stick to Gumbet but all I can say is that you will love the people and the country. Before we first visited in 2005, our family had had some of the same thoughts and never really fancied Turkey. After first visiting in September 2005, we returned in September 2006 and are going in both June and September this year. We have made some good friends over there and when we return, it's like going home!! Go and enjoy.

I cant recommend where either, as only Marmaris I have been to.
First time was July 2006 and I loved it so much I went back in Sept 2006. I am still in love with Turkey and its wonderful people and I go again April 29th this year and also Sept 25th.

I am sure you will have a fantastic time whichever part of Turkey you choose.

Mary x

Hi there and welcome,
From what you have asked about then I would think that Olu Deniz might be about right for you, Not ott with the night life, but a very good place none the less, the beach is not to my liking ( it is mainly shingle ) but at the side of the beach there is the famous lagoon with a few bars around that i have been led to believe are quite nice.
It is also not far from some of the more famous land marks , such as kaya koy ( the old ghost village )
Fethiye is also not far it has a marina, the local well known market where you can get anything and everything at bargain prices, also saklikent, tlos, yaka park are all within an hours drive. alternatively use the public transport as we all do, they run very often are also cheap, they are called dolmus, ( pronouned dolmush ) they all have certain routes which they must stick to, the local ones there run between Fethiye and Olu Deniz and then back again, normally there is about 5 minutes between them.
My opinion is, for what it's worth, you will love Turkey as we all do, if you choose the right place to start with, go to the wrong place and you may never go back again.
Not wanting to upset people that go to other parts of Turkey but I think personally Marmaris would be to ott for a first timer, ( it certainly was for us )
Also Hisaronu, although I love the place, is mainly bars, not really what you want.
Just please do your homework first before booking anywhere.
The Turkish people are very friendly, more so than the greeks, they can't do enough to please you and try very hard to make sure that you have a nice holiday, I'm sure that with a little fore thought and homework that you will love the place and want to go back again and again.
enjoy Kev

Not wanting to upset people that go to other parts of Turkey but I think personally Marmaris would be to ott for a first timer, ( it certainly was for us )

Marmaris was my first time in Turkey last July and I loved it so much I returned after 11 weeks, with 2 holidays booked for this year!

Mary x

I'm in the middle of planning a 10-day tour around the North Aegean in small pensions ... because all I could find in various brochures were all in resorts, often isolated from the real Turkey. Is this what you are looking for? If not, please choose carefully as there seem to be very few family type hotels being offered by major tour operators only gilded cages. Real Turkey is nothing to be afraid of, the people are friendly, the food generally good and wholesome, and the welcome warm, with few ulterior motives. OK there are the usual hustlers to be aware of, but you can still enjoy the sights without too much stress.

Hi Cabinessence, For people visiting Turkey for the first time, I always recommend Icmeler. It is not as full on as Marmaris. It has got the beach and a really good selection of Restaurants. You can walk, bus or take a water taxi to Marmaris.

Because you don't give any indication of your age, please don't be offended by what I am about to say. Another resort is Kalkan but it is not for people with walking difficulties as it is on the side of a mountain, though it doesn't have a beach, they do have swimming platforms, even though it is a fishing village. For a sensational beach you have to take a short bus ride to Patara Beach. A Hotel I can recommend is Hotel Nur, see Hotel Review, we are returning here in September.

I am sure that many members will agree with me when I say that once you have been to Turkey you won't want to go anywhere else !! If you do come, just remember, make the time to talk with the Turkish people, they are genuinely interested in you and what you have to say and they most certainly won't forget you. They have fantastic memories for people who have treated them well.

Les

Many thanks for all your replies - they have certainly given me food for thought.

Hi there
Prior to 2004 my husband and myself were pretty much like you, didnt realy fancy turkey. wasnt any real reason why, it just didnt appeal. I worked with a woman who raved about it and went about 3 times a year, I used to stick my fingers in my ears and hum when she went on about it (not literally, but you get my drift)
following a motorbike accident my husband and I wanted a very cheap sunny holiday and ended up in turkey in kussadasi at the eke apartments. we spent a week relaxing sunbathing and because the hotel was small we made lots of friends. we had the best holiday ever. we have travelled quite a bit.
the following year we went to fethiye to letoonia a different type of holiday but Fethiye is totally beautiful. we going back to fethiye this year with our daughter t a small hotel and cant wait. we went to las vegas last year for my 40th and I spent a lot of the time wishing I was in turkey. At work i am now the one talking about how fab it is and there are probably people with their fingers in their ears humming!!!
hope you fall in love too
hugs
la x

Hi!

Based on what you say I think Side would be just right for you. As was mentioned above there are some really good 4 and 5 star AI hotels on the outskirts of the town, with many of these on a lovely sandy beach. You could look at the Hemera as it has just been modernised. This part of Turkey is very international, Germanss, Russians Dutch predominate but more and more British using this resort as the quality of accommodation and service is supposed to be superiorr. Also bear in mind that early May might not be as warm as you think and a warm sweater might be required in the evening. We are off here in July, hopefully no sweater required!LOL! Finally I agree with lots of folks on this list, There is definitely something different about a holiday in Turkey,not exactly addictive but certainly some ingredient which makes you want to return year after year. Lots of info on this site which is worth trawling through, if you go you will I'm sure have a great time.

Alistair

The entire coastline of Antalya ranging from the city of Antalya to Fethiye is a wonderful way to spend a vacation. Here are some great places to visit after Antalya - Phaselis, Olympos, or better yet Cirali, Myra, Kekova, Kas, Kalkan, Xanthos, Telmessos, Fethiye, Oludeniz, and Kayakoy. I myself am also a bit biased however because I have the opportunity to spend a lot of my time in the village of Cirali as well as the city of Antalya.

This is my opinion. My personal favorite beach is located in the authentic village of Cirali. Cirali is a very small village located about 1 hours drive from Antalya and boasts a beautiful secluded 4 km beach, the ruins of Olympos, the flames of the Chimeara, as well as a protected area by the WWF for the nesting of the Caretta sea turtles. It is a wonderful place for families and the mature traveller and is one of the last remaining villages on the med. coast that has not been taken over by mass tourism. Unfortunately mass tourism has changed the faces of so many beautiful areas along the coast with the build up of so many resorts.

You can easily rent a car for daily trips to surrounding areas like Antalya, Termessos, fish restaurants of Ulupinar, Kekova ( sunken city of Simena ), Kas, Kalkan, Arykanda etc. Also daily boat trips are nice to the surrounding islands. If you like to hike Cirali to Ulupinar is part of the Lycian Way . Cirali only has a few quiet bars playing turkish folk music and restaurants on the beach and in the village center. No discos, or big hotels or all-inclusive resorts, just nice liitle family run hotels and pansiyons.

Here was an interesting article the other day about the Cirali area. Listing cirali as one of "top 20 beach holidays" as reported by Timesonline.

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/holiday_type/beach/article1292126.ece?token=null&offset=12

for more info about this area do a google search for CIRALI or if you have more specific questions about this area I can help you.

I would vote for Olu Deniz . been twice ,going back this year. . laid back but with still enough resturants,bars shops for you to wander in the evening but definately NOT in a brash way and not really a "clubs" place. stunningly beautiful scenery, mountains all around.turquoise sea. Agree the main beach although very big is not fantastic but the lagoon area is a different story. And the best part if you want A/I this is the place for you . there are 3 v.good A/Is right in the centre of olu so you can have the best of both worlds and still eat out some evenings if you want . Have a llok at thge reviews for Belcekiz beach hotel(portland/thomson only) Club sun city and olu deniz resort hotel All A/I.

the best thing about turkey is its people. .

p.s sorry forgot to mention. plenty of trips to go to from here i believe many have been mentioned but dont bother booking them with T/O use the guys selling them in town. but you will not be bored.

lyn

I only know Side and Kalkan, although I have visited Marmaris and Fethiye a couple of times whilst sailing down the coast.
Both Side and Kalkan were very enjoyable and we will return. I too look forward to hearing the first reports of the revamped Hemera, one of the excellent Barut group of hotels.

What sort of holiday do you want if you want all inclusive go to spain Turkey is a lovely country and if you get about and see the locals you will realise you dont want all inclusive in turkey.
The turks are very friendly the food is great but try to stay away from the major resorts ie marmaris kusadasi etc these places are built for brits and its like going to Blackpool in the uk. our favourite at the moment is Turunc half an hour away from icmeler visited twice last year once the year before and going back in June also Patara is a lovely area depending on what you want . Last year we travelled around independantly and seen loads of different resorts and places of interest. If you want info on any of the following please ask. Dalyan, Koycegiz, Akyaka,Turunc, Icmeler, Datca, kusadasi, Selcuc, Ephesus, Denizle, Pammukale, Patara, Fethiye, Kaya Koy, Calis, Gokova, etc. Hope i can be of help to you,

well i want all-inclusive in turkey, as we have kids, this more often than not is the best option when you have a family, and i have no intention of going to spain, not that theres anything wrong with spain, i've been, but i prefer turkey, and as for avoiding marmaris, not a chance, me and the g/f are having a holiday without the kids next year and guess where we are heading?, yep....marmaris.
i have been following a thread on another forum, that started off very similar to your posting, it caused rather a stir to say the least, what we all must remember is that we are all different and we all expect different things from our holidays and resorts.