Friends of ours had visited Olu Deniz before and recommended it to us. We have fallen in love with the place!There are plenty of bars & restaurants, we loved the Help bar for their smoothies, especially on a hot day,(I recommend the "Go Bananas"!) & we had a couple of great evening meals in the Buzz Bar. In fact we didn't have a bad meal all holiday. The Restaurants & Bars do have people outside to try to get you to go in (it's their job after all) but they always do it in a friendly way, so please don't just ignore them, a smile & a "No thanks" or "Maybe tomorrow" is all thats needed.We were told that there are rules in the resort which stop restaurants pressurising you too much, we heard that if they are caught doing this they can be shut down for a couple of nights!They are lovely people and will usually have a laugh & a joke with you, so chill- you're on holiday!. The Tequila bar was also one of our favourites . The staff are mad & "Captain Jack" is lovely. You can find anything from Kareoke to a quiet seat on a beanbag on the beach here. As for the Lagoon...Simply beautiful,everything you've seen on postcards & more. We wanted to see it from the sky by going Paragliding but didn't quite summon up the courage,maybe next time!! We did go on the Jeep Safari which was an experience! but a great laugh. don't put your best clothes on though but do take your sense of humour! Would also recommend the Turkish Bath & a massage,you feel very clean afterwards,to say the least! We went on a boat trip, which was fine,but the only disappointment for me,personally, was Butterfly Valley. When we got off the boat you had the choice to stay on the beach or walk up the valley. We knew it was a bit of a walk to the waterfall at the end, but thought it would be worth doing to see all the lovely butterflies! Wrong! It was May when we went, so maybe it was the wrong season or something, but I think I saw 2 butterflies. That could have been because I was too busy checking where I was walking, or climbing! As for the rocks you have to tackle to actually get to the waterfall...don't go without your climbing gear, a rope & crampons!! We managed the smaller rocks & the wading parts and almost got to the end but eventually we had to give up. There is a small fee to get on to the valley walk. I really think there should be a warning about the difficulty of some parts and some assistance in the higher places you have to climb. If you are a seasoned walker & climber, (or have very long legs!) you might be fine.Try it for yourself if you wish, but you have been warned! For us this was the only disapointment of the whole 2 weeks and by no means spoilt the enjoyment of our holiday, just a glitch! One of the things we did like about the resort was that, although the bars will stay open until 2am they have to lower the noise level at midnight, so don't go if you want to wander the streets at 4am with gangs of drunken people & party.although there are a couple of nightclubs if you do want to stay out later. All in all we had one of our best holidays ever in Olu Deniz and can't wait to return.Hopefully in September!

The beach looks great but it is very stoney at the waters edge, you really do need shoes of some kind. Be wary of touts on the beach offering trips to restaurants, they ain't all that they seem to be!! A friendly, moderately lively resort. Will be more atractive when they finally finish rebuilding the road into the resort, when we went (may 2007) it was a joke!

marmaris is a typical holiday resort with lots of bars and restaurants so you would never be stuck for choice, the beach is only narrow and would probably get too crowded in peak season but we will definitely visit again

Tha local people, especially traders that we met whilst wishing you to purchase from them were nothing but friendly but not forceful. The first saturday night was extremely windy causing damage to shop windows and glass cabinets, by sunday lunchtime all was clean and tidy.A turkish shave is a must.

First visit to Turkey and certainly won't be the last. Loved Olu Deniz and the laid back lifestyle. Beach excellent, bit disappointed with Blue Lagoon (the paying section) very pebbly, however Sugar Beach around the other side is a lovely sandy bay with sunbeds, beanbags, cafe/bar a must for anyone staying in Olu Deniz.

Took a few days to get used to the Turkish traders trying to get you to buy things or eat in their restaurant but soon got into the way of life.

Main beach very nice but a drop in the sea so beware if you have children. Blue Lagoon nice but take footware, it's very painful on the feet. Sugar Beach was lovely, very laidback and excellent bar and relaxing beanbags to chill on.

Loads of barbers for the men to have the traditional shave, just over £3 for cut throat shave with the burning off the hairs and massage, well worth it for us ladies to take pictures of.

the resort was quite quiet, although there was a range of different bars but with a relaxed atmosphre.
The beach was nice but its a bit peppaly so deffinately wear some shoes. The blue lagoon was very nice, and worth visiting.

We enjoyed Olu Deniz as it had a lovely beach and it was a fifteen minute walk to the beautiful blue lagoon area. There are plenty of shops,restaurants and bars all within walking distance. There is also a regular bus service to Hisaronu.Lots of sports activities available at the beach.

OLU DENIZ IS THE PRETTIEST RESORT I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. IT IS VERY CLEAN AND VERY FLAT. THERE IS PLENTY TO DO DURING THE DAY AND PLENTY OF SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.ALTHOUGH THE RESORT IS FAIRLY LOW KEY YOU CAN CATCH THE DOLMUS UP TO HISARONU FOR TWO AND A HALF LIRA ABOUT £1 WHERE IT IS LIVLIER. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING RESORT.

Olu Deniz, the place of our first visit to Turkey, but one that will NOT be our last, in fact, we loved it so much, we have only been back 3 days and are already booking to return in 6 weeks time! And are also going back to look at Villas and apartments because we loved it so much!!!

The resort is very compact, due to the mountains on either side, but its location is stunning, the scenery beautiful, its extremely clean, and a very laid back friendly resort. The local people are extremely friendly and welcoming, and by far some of the nicest people we have ever met on our travels. Travelling as a single parent, I like to feel comfortable and at ease where I am, and certainly had this in the bucket load within this resort!

Although with drop offs its about 1 ½ hours transfer, it is worth every single minute of it. It’s a resort ideal for those with families and children, as well as couples who prefer a less busy night life. Bars are open late (although down the main street the music has to be turned down etc after midnight) which means it is a lot quieter than neigbouring Hisaronu, yet there is still plenty of activity late into the night especially at some of the beach front bars and restaurants. There weren’t so many groups of same sexes here, so was far less roudy than a lot of resorts can be, it is very laid back, certainly not a rushed resort, but plenty to do to walk around in the evenings.

There are plenty of excellent restaurants, we ate in lots of different ones and loads deserve a mention, our favourite had to be Captain Hooks (attached to the Asena hotel) its food was outstanding, and some of the best meals we have EVER had were eaten here. We also ate at the Honey Moon which had outstanding traditional Turkish food too. Other good places were Sugar and Spice, Sultan Pepper and Waterside, but we didn’t have a bad meal anywhere! All of the restaurants offer childrens menus too, catering for those fussy little ones like mine! But prices are good, and you get excellent portions, excellent food all of which are excellent value!

The locals are the most friendly people I have ever met, and it made for a pleasant walk in both daytime and evening, especially travelling as a single parent! I have never felt so comfortable or so at ease as what I did in this resort! I had reservations before I travelled because of the forceful “hassle” I had heard of, but I was pleased to say that this was not my experience of Olu or anywhere while we were there, I know that it does happen, but I found the local people nothing but polite, respectful and friendly. It was often the tourists whose attitude was the worst! But the locals are definitely one of the bonuses of this lovely friendly resort, remembering your name, and conversations that they have had, remembering people from the year before, something we would never get to experience here at home!

The main beach is sand and shingle, but quite big stones going into the sea, you can purchase plastic and beach shoes in resort from about £3, these are really needed tho. There is quite a sharp slope into the beach and the waves can be very strong, adults often struggled to get out of the sea without being knocked over, but if you are ok with this the beach is lovely! We actually preferred it to the lagoon, which if you want still quiet waters, with either shingle beach or sandy beach if you visit one of the private ones such as Sugar Beach etc you can visit, just walk along the main beach. You can hire sunbeds and umbrellas on the main beach for 5 Turkish Lira per item (£2.00) for the day, but plenty around. Or you could go to the beach café and lounge on one of their very comfortable bean bags, an excellent place to have an early evening drink and watch the paragliders come in as the sun sets over the mountains.

The scenery is stunning in the resort, with mountains or a sea view, it is truly beautiful.

We were recommended to take a mixture of Lira and Sterling which we did, however during our stay, we found that mostly in the resort that Lira was used more so than anything else, there are plenty of cash points to get money from. There are several taxi ranks too, so transport is not a problem, or a short stroll over to the main road to pick up the Dolmus (we used neither during our stay).

You can book trips through your rep, however these are a lot more expensive than what you can buy down in the resort. If you are looking for a reliable but excellent agent, walk down the main street to the bottom towards the beach and visit the people at Lagoon Travel, if you do go and see them, say hello to them from Karen and Bradley! They are just past infinity jewellers! on the right hand side, they will look after you! Although there are many, prices are all comparable but there is an excellent choice, with some places offering you free Market trip if you book 2 others! But definitely cheaper than booking through reps and we had some wonderful trips!

If jewellery is your thing, there are several excellent Jewellers down the main street, if you are looking, I highly recommend visiting the guys at Tria, they are on the right hand side as you walk down the street, pop in and ask for Rodney (Jakub!) their service excellent and their prices were excellent compared to some of the others in resort. I purchased a wonderful beautiful pendant which they had made for me as a surprise because I said that I liked the stone, and cannot wait to return to buy the matching earrings, bracelet and ring! A lot of customers there were already repeat customers, but you can sit and chat over a glass of Raki or apple tea, something that you get to do as you walk down the street. But cannot recommend this jewellers enough!

Also a small selection of shops selling your “genuine fakes” although it is a little more expensive in Olu than in neighbouring Hisaronu!

All in all, a lovely resort, a fabulous place to visit, and when it was time to return to Gatwick, I felt as if I was leaving home behind! Cannot wait to return, to a place, which has something very special about it! I have never been able to describe a holiday as perfect . . . . until now!

Second time to Turkey (Bodrum last time - very nice and traditional).

Liked Olu Deniz very much and it will be even better when they have finished the approach road.

Domus very easy to get about on, they will stop for you anywhere, and cheap.

Beware of incorrect information on paragliding, I was told by 'East Riders' I would fly from 2000m for 35-45 minutes at a cost of £50. I went from 1200m for 10/12 minutes! They also tried to sell me a DVD of the flight for £30 including a tee shirt!

The boat trips bought locally are good value at £5 including lunch but beware of the cost of drinks sold on the boat (they were more than the trip costs) and no prices were available.