Visit the Turkish town for plenty of ancient culture and spectacular scenery – plus lots of holiday fun in the sun
WITH the credit crunch biting and the euro at an all-time high against sterling, Turkey is emerging as the top holiday destination for Britons. Bookings are up by 20% on last year and are set to soar further if, as expected, the financial climate rem
ains in crisis.
And, talking of climate, there are few other countries where you'll get more rays for your readies. Combine the weather with more World Heritage Sites than you can shake a fez at and a friendly welcome wherever you go, and you have a delightful destination for two weeks of R&R.
BEFORE YOU GO Get rid of all your Scottish banknotes – you won't be able to buy a thing with them. But English notes are widely accepted anywhere you're likely to want to splash your cash. The Turkish economy is not especially stable so don't bother with the local lira.
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES Monarch (
www.monarch.co.uk) flies from Glasgow to Dalaman every Monday throughout the summer, from £289 return.
GETTING AROUND Little pink buses take passengers between the city and outlying hotels, while yellow cabs are plentiful (don't be scared to haggle over the fare – but do it before you get in rather than once you reach your destination). Alternatively, pick up a water taxi at the harbour. A return fare from our hotel, half an hour along the coast, cost Û5 per person.
WHEN TO GO In the height of summer, temperatures hit the 40s, so unless you're a serious sun-worshipper, wait until September, when the sea and swimming pools will still be warm but you won't get third-degree burns.
TOURIST TRAIL There are two aqua parks in Marmaris – Atlantis is right on the beach and features a wave pool, water slides and rubber-ring rides as well as a bowling alley; Aquadream is further away but much larger and has wonderful views down the hill towards the coast.
Take a boat trip on one of the many traditional wooden gulets moored in the marina. Or venture further afield with a day trip to Rhodes – a catamaran leaves twice a day for the 50-minute journey to the island and tickets cost Û50 (
http://rhodes.marmarisinfo.com).
Inland is the Unesco World Heritage Site of Pamukkale (
www. pamukkale.com), with its white calcium pools stretched like paddy fields down the mountain; travel along the coast to see the stunning tombs carved out of rock at Caunos (very Petra); while in the other direction is the ancient biblical city of Ephesus, once the trade centre of the ancient world.
GOING NATIVE This is tricky in a resort so geared towards tourism. But you could try heading for the Keyif Bar at Netsel marina, a favourite with the locals and a welcome relief from the full English on offer everywhere else.
WHAT TO BUY The market has fakes galore, from Fendi handbags and G-Star jeans to international football tops and trainers. Again, you're expected to haggle, so never pay the price you're quoted first – try halving it and working your way up from there. Be prepared for a certain amount of amiable hassle – every bar, restaurant, shop, stall and stretch of beach you pass has its own dedicated tout desperate for your holiday euros.
More ethical shopping purch-ases include some great ethnic jewellery (these are serious statement pieces), rugs and colourful glass lanterns.
NIGHTLIFE At night, the main strip in downtown Marmaris (named, appropriately, Bar Street) has the feel of Blackpool on ecstasy – in a microwave. Ibrox, Parkhead and Anfield pubs rub shoulders with 1960s bars, while Talk of the Town is the ultimate in entertainment, if drag shows and Elton John tribute acts are your thing.
Stay closer to the marina, in the shadow of the castle, for more high-end bars and restaurants – and a spot of fantasy yacht-buying as the sun goes down – and partake of a little hubble bubble when the mood turns mellow.
WHERE TO STAY Club Magic Life (don't laugh – they even have their own theme tune) is a self-contained, all-inclusive resort approximately half an hour outside Marmaris. Complete with watersports, tennis courts, swimming pools, private beach, football pitches, table-tennis courts, volleyball, hammam and full-time entertainment staff, you need never venture beyond its gates. Rooms, which are little lodges scattered around the hillside, cost from around £500 per person for seven nights, including flights, with Thomson (
www.thomson.co.uk).
It's fabulous for families, but if you prefer not to have your post-lunch dip interrupted by a lively game of water polo, go down the private villa route. Prices start from around £600 for a house sleeping six, complete with its own pool. See
www.ownersdirect.co.uk.
WHERE TO EAT Pinarbasi Caglayan is a pretty countryside restaurant in the village of Cetibelli, surrounded by streams, fountains and ancient plane trees. Around 13km inland from Marmaris, it is a family business specialising in traditional Turkish cuisine and seafood. The village breakfast – featuring local pine honey, olives, home-made jams, cucumber, egg, sausage and freshly baked bread, all washed down with little glasses of Turkish tea – is a delicious slice of local life.
CAN YOU DRINK THE WATER? Nope, it's bottled all the way. Unless you can stomach the local firewater, called raky.
The full article contains 911 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
