If like our family you have saved for the past year for that all important summer holiday and if your looking for culture, relaxation, touring or simply a good time you will find it in Turkey in abundance. The Bodrum Peninsula is well placed for so many activities that you don’t have time to get bored and kids will be kept entertained.
Our family consists of myself, partner in mid 40’s with five kids 10 – 21yrs between us so we opted for a villa with private pool and hired a people carrier to get around.
The 3 older kids 17, 19 and 21yrs were more interested in ‘the party’ scene and detaching as quickly as possible from the parents hanging around them once they had been fed and watered at night. We need not have worried they found plenty to do in the bistros of Yalikavak. Once they met up with new friends they ventured into to Gumbet and Bodrum where bars, discos and nightclubs are overflowing. They went on a diving day out and a jeep safari and rated both good. They went to the local market and bought various copies of designer clothing they liked. Actually, I was surprised they got out of bed given some nights they didn’t get in till the small hours! I was apprehensive about letting them loose and made sure they had their mobiles with them however am please to say both my son and the girls had no problems and rated their holiday as ‘brilliant.’
The younger two, 10 and 12 year olds also had a great time – it seemed where ever we went they made new friends. Although our villa had a pool we did spend time around the communal pool on the complex as it had a restaurant, gym, flume pool and tennis courts. We ate in the restaurant a couple of lunchtimes and the food was good.
We took the younger two to the beach a few times where they had rides on a banana boat, another day all we did a boat trip and the younger two visited Bodrum Castle.
Prior to the holiday we had told the kids we wanted to see a little of the historic sites and felt the older ones should come to see that it was not only sun, sea and clubbing that was in Turkey. It was met with mixed view to say the least. We gave them the option of four places we had wanted to see and they settled on Miletos in Didim where there was huge Amphitheatre and ‘Cotton Mountain’ = Pammukale. I am pleased to say they loved it. The younger ones were more taken with Pammukale than Miletoes and we got to see what we wanted to! It was a long drive but we stopped often for drinks and food was delicious!
Most night we headed into Yalikavak and on other nights to Bitez and Gumusluk for meals all were good and much cheaper than you pay in the UK.
At the end of the holiday we took a day trip to Kos by boat that we enjoyed. It was very different to the small part of Turkey we had seen.
The boat docks in the marina and you have about 6 hours to explore which is more than ample and it’s only 5 minute walk into Kos and the historic sites of Hippocrates tree, Kos Castle, Agora ruins, Ascelpeton – you cant help but visit them all as they are en-route to the center and worth a walk around. We had a lovely Greek lunch and sat in the square watching the world go by as the older kids went off looking around the shops which all lead off the square plenty.
Overall we felt the holiday in Yalikavak was excellent we all got some free time to do as we wanted plus spend time together.
