Reviews of Turkey

Recently there have been a couple of articles in the Scottish press criticising Turkey. This may be political manoeuvring following the murder of a Turkish asylum seeker in Glasgow, but I feel it is unfair not to respond to the negative image portrayed.

We holidayed In Olu Deniz this year and I can honestly state that it is the best holiday our family has ever had. Even the teenager from hell enjoyed himself. I have given information under a number of headings to help casual readers.

We were in Turkey for the first two weeks of July. It was hot to begin with and just got hotter. Midday temperatures reached 40 degrees in the shade. (Midday Scottish summers also reach 40 on occasion, but it is Farenheight, not Centigrade). There was no rain but one evening we saw a cloud – this was such a rarity that it was a topic for conversation. Evenings fall quickly and it is dark around 9pm but the temperatures remain hot. A HOTEL WITH AIR CONDITIONING IS ESSENTIAL.

Turkey remains cheap. Visiting tourist attractions sees admission charges of under a pound and shopping around gets a large beer for about 70-80 pence. Three course meals with drinks are around £6 to £9. Fake designer wear is available for a couple of pounds for T-shirts and a fiver for jeans. Leatherwear is top quality and ridiculously cheap. Over the last year prices have risen by around 50% but the exchange rate has kept pace. This means you get the same amount of goods for your pound as you did last year but for Turks it is half as much again. This makes Sterling a very desirable currency – you will get better prices paying in pounds or Sterling travellers cheques as they hold their value. This is useful when haggling – which you should do for any worthwhile purchase. Expect to knock off 30 – 505 without much effort.

Despite horror stories most hotels in this resort are modern if a bit basic. Service is generally first class and food is of a good quality. We stayed at the Hotel Meri, which offers an all-inclusive package of free food and drink in summer months. Other facilities at the hotel include free watersports, pool, table tennis etc. Many of the bars also have free pool tables and the staff are keen to challenge you. One problem is that the infrastructure isn't always there - some hotels are an oasis of light on an unmade up road with no pavements of streetlighting.

All the bars are good with plenty of shade and cold drinks. The resort is small enough for you to get round them all. Everyone will have there own favourite. The kids loved the Secret garden while I was drawn to the Buzz Bar (with Internet access at about £1 an hour). There are occasional happy hours and if you are determined you can negotiate discounts.

The main beach is mainly shingle at the waters edge and gets very hot in the sun. There is a much better beach in the lagoon half a mile out of town, which is gently sloping and sandy. You can pay 40p to get in via the National Park or visit for free by going in through the bars and campsites on the waters edge.

There are a number of worthwhile attractions in this area. We visited Sakrasent Gorge, some Roman ruins, Dalaman Mud Baths and the Turtle Beach. We arranged excursions through independent operators in the resort at less than half the tour companies prices. The guides provided are very friendly and helpful.

The intrepid (which included me on my last day – just in case!) can sky dive on a tandem chute from Badadag Mountain (6500 feet) landing some 40 minutes on the beach at Olu Deniz. If you are brave enough it is a wonderful experience. Scuba diving is also widely available.

This area is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern and the Muslim culture is not so staunch. Many people will join you for a drink and postpone that days call to prayers. They all appreciate the value of tourism to their economy and go out of their way to help you. Most of the staff in restaurants and tour companies have degrees in tourism related subjects. The Turks are genuinely friendly people and everyone will talk to you and tell you about themselves. When we ate out the waiters joined us for coffee and cigars.

When you walk along the main tourist drag you will be regaled with offers of paragliding, great food and cheap drink. If you are not interested just say so – no one will be offended and they will chat to you regardless.

This was a wonderful holiday in a first class resort. Go and enjoy it before commercialism destroys it.

PS Please excuse any poor spelling of Turkish place names.