i think it really depends on what sort of thing you like to do as a family, if its chill on a lovely beach, no hassle, typical turkish resort which is reasonably priced then i would highly recommend akyaka its so scenic. have a look at the photo gallery ive loaded a lot of photos on there and this link

http://www.turkuaz-guide.net/gokova.html

if you want somewhere with more to do and a lot more shops ,bars, etc then olu deniz or icmeler are both nice, everyone likes different things out of a holiday, i prefer the scenic places, im not so keen on the busy places full of british bars, blaring music etc so i avoid the big resorts. have a read up on the resorts too. ive been to most resorts over the 26+ years ive been going to turkey with my family we love it

Hi woody and welcome to the turkey forum.

unfortunately some well meaning friends have put my husband off with talk of hassle, picking children out of pushchairs, loving blondes a bit too much etc.

the turks are unbelievably friendly and yes you get the guys outside of restuarants trying to entice you in but the vast majority is friendly banter . If you dont want to browse the menu you say a friendly no thanks and walk on . they also love children and if that has happened it would be done with a warm heart and friendliness . I wouldnt take offence but maybe some people would . and Yes some of the younger turks can be flirty and of course you will always get woman falling for that all over the world but again majority of time friendly banter and harmless .

We have been going to turkey now for around 5 years but have only stayed in Olu deniz Icmeler and this year turgutreis .We always stay a/I. We did enjoy Icmeler , its a larger resort than olu and not quite as scenic but caters more for the self catering market . lots of friendly restuarants with entertainment and all music must be turned off at midnight .

We much prefer Olu . very scenic , more chilled atmosphere but in a plenty to do sort of way . there are a few decent A/is right in the centre too .the club sun city, the olu deniz resort hotel and the belcekiz beach club . I can thorougly recommend the Belcekiz . It very rarely gets a bad review . If you can afford it Lykia world just outside Olu would be a fantastic choice and also have a look at letoonia in fethiye.

there are some excellent A/s which are probably those that you have seen in the brochures down on the med side . (flights into antalya). We are trying that area next year staying at the Hemera in side . From what ive read this side of turkey is more european and many of these A/Is will be in the middle of nowhere. If your happy with that there is a vast choice but if you want to be near to civilisation have a look at the Hemera it gets excellent reviews and very close to side and by the sounds of it some shops, bars etc just outside.

hope that helps a little

If you want something more traditionally Turkish , Have a look at Karens recommendation above or maybe have a look at kas or Kalkan. Not been but kalken looks lovely. you wont find A/Is in these smaller more traditional resorts though .

Hi woodys girl ,if you are used to cyprus then you will be used to the guys standing outside the restuarants asking you in ,just the same in turkey ,as already said just a polite no thanks usually works ,it certainly works for me .The turks love children and they are proud as punch about there own ,yes you will get young men stopping you with your pushchair to see your kids and talk to them ,some of them will even show you photographs of there own kids,there is no danger attached to this and it takes nothing to be polite, as they will most certainly be.As for the blond thing this pops up here now and again ,you should be old enough to decide what is a compliment and what is not ,some people react different to this but i am sure you are not stupid enough to listen to some guy spinning a lot of patter.You will love turkey and its people and after the first time you have been you will wonder what the worry was,go for it you wont be sorry.

Bluepeterno1

Icmeler is quite flat and easy for getting about with a pushchair whereas Kalkan is on the side of a mountain and most of the getting about is done by negotiating hills. Hisaronu is another nice resort. The secret of getting on with Turkish people is to give them just a few minutes of your time and they won't forget it. Be polite to them and they will return their kindness ten fold. Turks and Greeks are very similar in their cultures, just a shame they hate one another !! Like the others have said, once you've been to Turkey, you will never want to go anywhere else, we have been nine times in eight years. Don't get me wrong, we too, love the Greek experience and are possibly thinking of making a return to Cyprus ourselves for 2009.

Les

Turks love children. I lived in Turkey with my older daughter until she was 18 months old and she got so much attention, but always good attention. No-one ever took her out of her pushchair or tried to hold her without asking, people would stop to talk to her all the time and she was given so many little gift, I needed a box to keep them all in!!

Wherever you go you will find everone frinedly, sometimes shopkeepers do hassle but if you just say no thank you firmly but politley they should back off.

As for loving blondes, they may make some comments but they are just very friendly people so I wouldn't wory about it.

I would recommend a smaller resort, I lived near Bodrum and there are several places there that would suit: Bitez, Turgutreis, Yalkavak, Torba, Ortakent. Or someone can suggest somewhere in another part of Turkey.

I hope you enjoy your trip to Turkey and you will realise that it is a wonderful country with lovely, friendly people and no doubt you will be going back again.

just a point about the resorts kedi has recommended, firstly bitez,turgutreis and yaklivak are very stoney and rocky going in the sea, my 8 yr old hated this so i dont these beaches are that suitable for younger children, also this area of turkey is 1 of the most expensive areas we have visited and we were there may/june this year and we wouldnt return as prices were very high compared to akyaka, so if you are on a budget choose carefully as some areas of turkey are higher than others and if a beach is important check that too as there are lots of stoney and shingly beaches aswell as gorgeous sandy ones

Myself and my 6 year old daughter are both blonde and have not had any problems with 'being blonde'. All attention we have ever received has been very hands on but not in the slightest bit intrusive. The people who we have met (Myself and hubby have been visiting Turkey since homeymoon in 1998) have been very 'hands on' but certainly not in an intrusive way. Our son was only 2 when we visited Icmeler last year and enjoyed every second. Both children aged 6 and 3 this year enjoyed their hols in Icmeler this year also. Trying to step away from occassionally being reserved in England the Turkish residents are very tactile.

Bluepeterno1, this is the thing, there are never people outside restaurants/shops trying to get you in in Cyprus, at least not when we've stayed, maybe it's reserved for high season, we tend to go in May or October. That's one of the reasons we love it, you are free to wander around as you please and you know you don't have to fend off unwanted attention. We had a holiday once to Gran Canaria, it was awful, we had to hop in a taxi one night to get away from a persistent restauranteur that wouldn't take no for an answer. This experience, combined with the helpful comments of friends (as I mentioned in my opening post) has made us wary of places, I just want to make sure we're not spending over £1k on a holiday we're not going to enjoy. Our 2 year old is very fair, we just want to address a few concerns.

All of your replies have been very helpful, i'll get letting my husband read this thread and then we'll have a look at some more brochures. Thanks to all who responded.

You will love Turkey, as already suggested go to smaller resorts, avoid Marmaris bit to mad for first visit.
They love children, we took our granson when he was about 18 months old, he is very blond, but it wasnt because he was blond he got all the attention, it was because he was a child,he was absolutly made up with all the attention he got especially from the young men they loved him.
I dont think they would pick up your child but if they did and you found it unaccetable just politly decline as they really dont mean any harm.
I know not all children would enjoy the attention as they are all different, we are in Dalyan at present and not much hassle at all, we just have a laugh with them if they do as they are trying to make a living, they dont get much.As already said you will wonder why you worried when you finally take the plunge.
Dont forget to let us all know how you get on

ive taken all 3 of my children since they were babies , my 2 daughters are both blonde and my son dark haired, and ive had no problems with anyone picking them up without my permission, ie this year my daughter stood on 2 bees within 10 mins ,she was screaming and a bar man we knew very well ,came and carried her to his bar to put ice etc on it, but i knew him and so did ellie from the previous holidays,and that was fine i was glad of their help. ellie has blonde hair and curls and often gets admired but never OTT and we dont get any hassle at all in akyaka, i can look at menus outside and someone might come over and say can i help but no trying to get you to come in etc, i say im just looking thanks and they leave you to it, which is fine. the sea in akyaka is shallow for ages so no deep drops and its usually calm. out of all the places ive been to in turkey and thats 4-6 times a year over 26 years this is the least place for hassle and 1 of the most scenic, and best value for money as its mainly for turkish tourists and its in a conservation area so no big ugly hotels , tc have 2 hotels in their brochure this year for what i think is the first time, or theres plenty of villas to rent. i would certainly stick to a small resort, maybe if you tell us what type of things you like to do it might give us more of an idea re resorts

Hi, I liked Cyprus but I much prefer Turkey. The people are the friendliest I have met anywhere.
You were lucky in Protaras, we stayed in Paphos and you certainly do get hassled outside the restaurants. To be honest we were badly hassled and sworn at by time share touts there too.
We have never felt hassled in Turkey, it's just friendly banter.
My teenage daughter gets more attention than I would like but noone has ever overstepped the mark with her.
The Turks are very family orientated, you will feel completely safe wherever you choose to go I am sure.

I would second the recomendation for Akyaka as being suitable for children The beach is lovely for children as it is sandy and it is shallow for a long way out making it really safe for little ones. t is one of the most laid back turkish places I have stayed and I have been visiting for 20 years. dont think there are any A/I but there are several hotels where you can stay h/b (though the restaurants are great) We always tend to stay inan apartment as we like the extra space and the kitchen facilities for cool drinks and snacks. It is not a resort for large hotel complexes, lots of bars or masses of shopping but you can catch a dolmus(local bus) to marmaris for a day if you want. For a relaxed laid back holiday though with beautiful surroundings, lovely restaurants and a safe pretty beach its hard to beat

to see more have a look at the link ellie meg gave or try
http://www.akyaka.com/

I would reccomend the Antalya area. Most have good facilities and kids clubs that speak english and baby sitting services and kids meals etc. Pharmacies, nappies and food are easily accessible and the standards of hygiene are excellent. Very family friendly. Avoid June July and August though as its very hot.

I can confirm that the Turkish do have a geniune love for all children. I was in Olu Deniz this year with my 2 year old grand daughter and along with all the usual. Coo chi coo comments, several times they refused any money for small items she decided to grab. ie. lolly pop, fridge magnet, sweets . She however, could not stand all this attention and would cry and try to hide if any waitors spoke to her.

A word on the blond hair bit. We have a 5 year old daughter who is blond and yes the Turks love it as there hair colour is naturally dark but when we were in Cairns in Oz all the Asians were the same with her and wanted their photo with her. To be honest she loves the attention as well so take it as a compliment.

Hi Wendy...first I had to look up the meaning of IYSWIM ...

Acronym Definition
IYSWIM If You See What I Mean

at first I thought you were looking for some very special swim program .. my mistake..

Like all the others have said stick with the smaller resorts and you will have a wonderful time..

Another special place you can investigate is the village of Cirali located about 80kms from Antalya...however there are no 4 or 5 star hotels, holiday companies or package tours to Cirali. The reason why is that Cirali is a small village and does not have the bed capacity of the larger resort towns like Kemer, Antalya, Side, Marmaris etc etc. But that's what makes Cirali so special !!! It is protected by the WWF and limits the amount development in the area.

It is quiet and peaceful village perfect for families, nature lovers and for those wishing to get away from the mass touristic cities or towns. Cirali is still one of the last villages left on the med. coast that has not been taken over with mass tourism.

If you are happy enough taking lovely long walks, biking, hiking, swimming and all things associated with nature then Cirali is a great place for families..

I think it is best described in an article from the travel.timesonline.co.uk from last year..

4 CIRALI, TURKEY

Far from the package-holiday hordes, Turkey has dozens of pristine beaches, among the finest of which is Cirali, a long stretch of fine white sand at the mouth of a towering canyon. The beach, an easy walk from the ruined city of Olympos, is a protected nesting ground for loggerhead turtles. After dark, lights on the shore are extinguished so as not to confuse the hatching babies. On a moonless night, the view of the Milky Way is phenomenal.

You'll find no banana boats or disco bars at Cirali, just a perfect two-mile beach lapped by clear blue water, and walking trails that will take you into the drama of the surrounding coastal mountains.

As seen here with my photos !!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/canmom/2929703498

Barut Lara beach resort
The best I have even been to

Excellent!

Rgds Jeroen

We have taken our daughter to Gumbet since she was 15 weeks old, she is now 3 1/2 and we have just booked to go again next July. We love it and so does she. Yes children get a lot of attention but it is genuinely as the Turks love children. My daughter has blonde ringlets but I don't really think hair colour matters, they love all children! We love Gumbet as children are so welcome in all the bars, resturants etc, they make a huge effort for them, my daughter knows many dances to many songs after her holidays in Turkey, she absolutely loves it and talks of it all the time. Neighbouring town Bitez is also ideal for little ones, the slope into the sea is so shallow, we get a sunbed on the edge of the sea and Poppy will play happily for hours with a bucket and spade, paddling in the shallow waters, it literally stays knee height until you are fairly far out and there is no tide/waves, it's perfect.