Hi there ,

I first went to Icmeler when my children were 11 . 8 and 6.

I decided to be brave and give it a go after many years of booking 'familyplus- superfamily' type places.

It was with trepidation that we set off in to the unknown havingbooked DIY , we were willing to risk the cost to see if all of the reports about Icmeler were true.

Although , you will not find the 'english family pubs' of spain , everywhere you go will be geared towards children.

Entertainment in the resturants/bars is mainly the waiters dance routines which they will be very jeen to involve your kids in, this will be a Turkish mini disco but much more personal as not the masses there that you would find in a hotel.
Bars will also have dance acts and Turkish wedding/evenings.

My kids loved it and now look disapointed if we mentition going any where else.

It really does not do this resort justice if you stay in the apartments each night.

That said , If you like the 'brit fix' and are concerned about being out each evening with small kids then you would probably be best picking a large tour op complex such as the mytravel aquariams apartments.

Everyone who's advice I ask tells me that Icmeler is the best resort for families

Listen to this advice as it is correct

Was originally going to go A/I, but cannot find a really good one so am now thinking about going S/C

In my opinion self catering in an apartment would be better for you with young children as you will have a fridge to store drinks for the kids and you also have the option to make a snack for yourself in the afternoon and if you do choose an apartment then try to select one in a small complex rather than one with 60 70 apartments or you will have 100's of kids running around and will be fighting for a place by the pool.

Do the restaurants cater well for children, do any of them have small play areas or anything like that

Yes most of the restaurants and bars do have somewhere for the kids to chill out.

I realise that Turkey is not going to be as commercialised as Spain/Greece etc and that this might not necessarily be the case. Are the bars child friendly at all, or more aimed at adults

There are lots of bars where the waiters will get the kids up and dance with them and if they see that they are being too friendly with the kids first off and scaring them they will back off and let the kids relax and enjoy themselves till they get to know them.

John

Lololol that never came out right but you should be able to pick the bones out of it.

John

Ha hA hA... I know what you mean John...

I have taken my family to Icmeler twice and have not got a grumble at all apart from the coming home bit. It really is geared up for familys.

My wife and I went to Turkey for the first time in July 2005 with our two kids aged 5 and 8. We stayed in Icemeler and loved every minute of our holiday. The locals were very friendly and everyone speaks to the kids and makes them feel important. If you have never been before, you may find the idea of your nightly entertainment being provided by the restaurant waiters a bit naff. If so you will be pleasantly suprised how entertaining, and professional, most of them are.The restaurant/pubs like'Venice' are fantastic for kids, and they are encouraged to join in, without being pressured to do so. (NB Most of the girlfriends/wifes needed little encouragement to participate!). When we visited in 2005 we noticed that there were many famillies in Icemeler with teenage children. Icemeler was perfect for them as the music/dancing in the restaurants/pubs was open to all, and enjoyed by visitors of all ages. The boat trips from Icemeler are fantastic value and our kids loved the trip to the mudbaths at Dalayan.
My kids constantly ask me to play the music, both Turkish and international, that we heard in Icemeler, so as to remind them of their holiday there. Going to Turkey again this year, 2006, as we enjoyed Icemeler so much. Trying somewhere else as we don't like to go anywhere two years on the trot, but will return to Icemeler.

Icmeler is lovely, ideal for kids!

I just wanted to thank you all for all your replies - it really does sound like a lovely family resort. I think it is one of them things that you cant really imagine until you see it for yourself! It will make a lovely change from the normal, totally commercial places that we usually end up at!
We have now made our mind up and are going to take the plunge, so thanks again everyone, you have been really helpful.

we are a family of 6 going to marmaris first 2 weeks of july, kids 16, 14, 7. 3

whats the difference between icmeler and marmaris

thanks pam xxxxxx

the difference mainly are ,icmeler has a nice beach marmaris doesnt, icmeler is a lot smaller and not so much hassle, marmaris is a lot livelier and more party atmosphere, loads more shops ,bars, clubs etc to choose from, i like marmaris out of season but not in season too much like blackpool for me,in my opinion icmeler is nicer but everyones idea of a holiday is different, im sure you will have a good time and you can go to icmeler if you prefer it ,its only 5-10 mins on dolmus

ellie_meg - you took the words from my mouth - i always refer to Marmaris as a Turkish Blackpool - glad to hear someone else of the same opinion.

you dont have to worry about children in icmeler

turkish people love them and will fall over themselves

to help more so in restaraunts it a great place

kennyc

Brin, did you go to icmeler and what did you think? If you did I hope it lived upto the previous replies.

Icmeler is great for kids, we have been taking our Grand kids since they were small, now they are older they take them selves, they love it, every one is friendly, KIDS, they cant do enough for them, you will not be bored.
Most of the eateries have places for the children to play, I would recomend self catering you can plese your self then.
The apartments and hotels have belly dance shows, Michael Jackson and break dancing and of course the waiters who are all good looking and can dance briliantly, hope you enjoy.

How about going to Lykia World in Olu Deniz, we are going this summer and I have heard nothing but good reports about it, have restaurants specifically for children and also Childrens paradise which is water slides etc. Kids clubs that seem to run all day. There is a thread on here just do a search for Lykia world