Blackpool?

Hi Loulou, If you love Marmaris then you will love Kusadasi. We returned from here on friday having stayed at Fortin Hotel. Plenty of Beaches to choose from and loads and loads of Nightlife. We went through Thomas Cook but I presume other Tour Operators go there. As an afterthought, there is always Bodrum, which is the Blackpool of Turkey.

I thought Bodrum was small with a castle and beautiful marina? Is it really like Blackpool? I was thinking of visiting next year? Only been to Olu Deniz/Fethyie so far and was looking to branch out a bit and try a different region.

We're in the same situation, been to Marmaris for the last three years, but next year would like to try a different region of Turkey, maybe Bitez or Olu Deniz. We like self catering so we can try different places to eat each night, and also meet new friends, does everywhere have the same atmosphere in the bars with getting up and dancing like in Marmaris.Any help much appreciated Maggie

We're in the same situation, been to Marmaris for the last three years, but next year would like to try a different region of Turkey, maybe Bitez or Olu Deniz. We like self catering so we can try different places to eat each night, and also meet new friends, does everywhere have the same atmosphere in the bars with getting up and dancing like in Marmaris.Any help much appreciated Maggie

chris i wasnt keen on bodrum area, there a plenty of nicer places in turkey to try, you would be better try icmeler than bodrum, cesme is nice too

maggie i love olu deniz, such a scenic place its a lot quieter and nicer in my opinion than marmaris, but if you want party party place then it will be too quiet for you

karen

Lol Laurence, but no thanks
Thanks for the replies guys, i have actually been looking at Kusadasi.

Lou

have to disagree and say Bbodrum is a lovely family place, not resembling blackpool at all.

well, not the bits we saw, we went in may so maybe in july/aug its different.

beautiful castle, marina, lots of back streets to wander around,

we are trying icmeler next year, but we loved bodrum.

Hi Karen, Olu Deniz does sound very nice, we are not party people, but we will have our 16year old daughter with us and we generally just like to meet nice people and enjoy a drink or two, where would you reccomend in Cesme, haven't seen it any of the brochures i've had.Many thanks Maggie

the hotel we stayed at isnt available any more, its a lovely small town with a small harbour and castle over looking the bay, it attracts a lot of rich turks, turkish film stars etc, the only thing i can suggest is have a look at this website

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g298004-Cesme-Hotels.html

olu deniz is lovely too ,

olu deniz, icmeler, akyaka and cesme are my favourite places in turkey

loulou....we had some friends over this week, they have been coming to Marmaris for years.... they had never been further than Icmeler. There is so much outside of Marmaris, datca,orhaniye,akyaka,selimiye,bozburun,sogut,turunc,ciflik,amos,sedir, bordubet.. all fascinating little places well worth a visit...
Where ever you decide ,enjoy and explore!!!!!

Thanks again for all the replies
i have visited Icmeler and Turunc but no where else while ive been in marmaris I do love the place but i wanted to see if any other resort resembled it at all. I bet i end up booking again for Marmaris, i just cant decide

Thanks again
Lou

I hold my hands up, it was Gumbet, just outside Bodrum where we stayed and for us, it was just too cheesy when you walked down the streets. I am talking about what the locals said as we walked by, the things they were shouting were so corny and so un-Turkish.

maggiemae, have a look at Kalkan through Thomson, it sounds like it might just be your kind of place. We stayed at Hotel Nur, see report. We rate Kalkan 2nd only to Icmeler which is simply a beautiful place. Be warned though, Kalkan is not a place for people with walking difficulties. I cannot praise the people enough for their outward friendliness, we will certainly go back there at a future date.

Maggiemae

We too, have a 16 year old daughter and also took her friend with us to Olu Deniz in July.

They both loved it, and we felt it safe enough for them to go out on their own in the evenings. It is a very safe feeling resort. its the most scenic resort too (in my opinion), with the beautiful blue lagoon closeby.

Is olu good for young kids?
mine are 11,9,6

loulou

i have a 6 yr old and she loved olu deniz, we used to go to the suara beach area of the lagoon, its so calm and warm and fairly shallow for a while so the kids were quite safe as far as seas go, the scenery is wonderful, having been to turkey more times than i can now remember and to lots of resorts olu deniz is one of my favourites. i have 2 teenagers too and they were both happy in olu deniz, they were old enough to wonder off on their own

I was in the same boat Loulou, I love Marmaris {been going for 12 years}and was very worried about trying somewhere else but about 2 weeks ago I took the plunge and opted for the Orka Villas in Overchic {SP } and I am hooked don't think I will return to Marmaris for a while after this last holiday, adored every aspect of this region, one week was def not enough, the beaches and scenery in the surounding areas are stunning

chazy x

Glad you 'confessed' cruisecontroller I had always understood that there was a world of difference between Gumbet and Bodrum. Phew!

Re Olu Deniz and its suitability for children my 13 and 11 year olds enjoyed it this year. It was just about busy enough to hold their interest. The lagoon was good, my eldest swam from one side to the other. Safe enough for me to let them pop to the shops on errands, but not in your face in the way that I imagine Marmaris would be (sorry Marmaris if I've got you wrong )

Hi,me and my family went to Gumbet in May,it was our 1st visit to Turkey.We had a brilliant time,the locals were so friendly,okay we did get a bit of hassle for the 1st few days,but after that it was fine.
There are loads of nice places to eat very reasonable.The locals were all brill with my kids,the beach was a bit on the small side but still plenty of room for everyone,with ton's of free sunbeds,the waterpark was a great day out too!!!We also visited Bodrum on quite a few occasions and found this great for shopping and the markets here are great,especially if you want clothes,we never found it at all like Blackpool in Bodrum,the marina was beautiful!!So many lovely places to eat here too!!!
We also got a taxi to Bitez and spent the day here,it was gorgeous,a lovely beach and again the locals were so lovely,the restaurant in which we had our lunch even gave us a free lift back to Gumbet in there mini bus!!!I would definately recommend this area for a fantastic family holiday,my kids loved it so much they wan't to go back again next year!!!!
Luv,Maz,xxx.