Turkey - Side vs Alanya

theshoefairy

I am travelling to Turkey in May of this year and are looking to book very soon. I was just wondering if anyone knew what the busiest place to stay would be between Alanya and Side?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Turkishdreamer

Are you asking which is the busiest as in 'wanting to stay at a buzzing, lively resort' or 'want a quiet holiday?

There is no comparison that can be drawn between Alanya and Side. Side is one of the only areas of Turkey that we have chosen not to visit, its reputation precedes it. Also that particular area of Turkey is predominantly frequented by German tourists, who from past experience we have felt uncomfortable with. It is also an area that is prone to harrasing and unnecessary haggling, so not a good advert.

Alanya, however, was a lovely area, although haven't visited the area for 3 years. The Turkish people were friendly, approachable and helpful beyond belief (this is normal for all Turkish people we have the pleasure to know and have come into contact with). However, only today we were talking to somebody who went to Alanya in October last year and was amazed by the number of Russians in the area.

We are off to our property in Turkey tomorrow again. The Dalaman area, have properties there and are intending to move permanently later in the year. Would always be my recommended area.

wallbash

We visited Side a couple of years ago , had very mixed views. Some of the ancient ruins are nice ( not wonderful ), poorly displayed compared to places in Greece. Going in May you would avoid the crowds , horrendous in the evenings. Believe the authorities have tried to curb the 'hassel' while window shopping .
But Turkey is great value , weather is HOT in July and some of the hotels are among the best I have ever stayed in.

Ponkle22

Tell us what you are after and we can then advise.

Does it *have* to be one of those areas or can other areas be considered?

theshoefairy

Thank you for all of the replies.

We want something with decent nightlife and plenty of choice. We have considered other areas such as Marmaris and Gumbet but we don't like the look of the beaches in these areas really. I was thinking of Altinkum but not heard too much about that.

Alanya seems to have everything as far as I can tell, nice beaches, historical sites and also a good nightlife.

businka

Side is ~ 60km from Antalia airport, whether Alania ~120km. so, it's 1.5hr transfer against 3hrs. Alanya has more sandy beaches, but russians - loads of them really make the place "lively". I have been to both, and prefer Side bettre, though it's smaller place.
It is an ancient amphitheatre there, where we have seen "Lord of the Dance" performance - absolutely must-see! 200 persons dancing simultaniously turkinsh national dances and all that oriental stuff.

hxm

I haven't been anywhere else in Turkey to make a comparison, but it sounds like you'll definitely get what you want in Alanya. I stayed a bit further out from there because I don't want or need "Nightlife" and there seemed to plenty of it there. Alanya has a very nice beach and harbour, loads of shops, also lots of places to book excursions. The transfer from Antalya was 90 minutes

sheilavw

We like Hisaronu, you have nearby Olu Deniz and Fethiye, have at least a week a year, started going in 1999.