Turkey All inclusive info ( never been, never done all in)

Len5

Hi,

I love Turkey been many of times. I know of Holiday Hypermarket have a voucher code on at the moment called SAVE40 so maybe worth having a look. After all every little helps :-)
http://goo.gl/KkrW7q

Kedi_Yavrusu

I am in agreement with all those who say don't do AI in Turkey. Unless you have a lot of money to go for a 5* it really isn't worth it. I wouldn't even do 5* AI because I don't like being tied to a hotel. In Turkey there is so much to see and do and there are so many places to eat out.

In Turkey if you pay budget prices you get what you pay for and sometimes the hotels are really grim!

Especially around Bodrum self catering is the best option, it will work out cheaper than a very expensive AI hotel and you will get the experience of actually seeing the country you are visiting rather than just the grounds of a hotel.

Pollycat

Whilst I personally dislike the concept of AI, I can see the attraction for families who can pay for their holiday and know that food and drink costs will be covered (obviously depending on what is actually included).
The cost of drinks and ice-creams for kids can mount up if you're not AI.

I love self-catering in Greece & Turkey but not all places have their own pools which kids usually want.
And larger AI hotels often have kids clubs and 'entertainment' in the evenings.

I would always advise anyone considering booking AI to check the reviews before booking.
Choosing a hotel because it is cheap can sometimes be a false economy if the food is not good or the location is remote and you want to get out and about without access to a car.


Some people think that self-catering means cooking in the apartment.
It doesn't.
We like SC because you get a fridge (for water and wine, in our case).
We've just returned from 2 weeks SC in Greece and didn't even turn the hob on.
We ate out all the time.

Kedi_Yavrusu

You are so right, we never cook in the apartment, we love having the fridge too for cold drinks and fruit.

We have young children but thankfully they aren't too demanding about soft drinks or ice cream and they don't like kids clubs or kids entertainment. I don't know of many apartments in Turkey that don't have a pool, although I know in Greece they often don't.

You certainly do need to research your hotel and it may not work out as cheap as you think to get a good AI hotel.

MrsE_2

Kedi_Yavrusu wrote: »

You certainly do need to research your hotel and it may not work out as cheap as you think to get a good AI hotel.

I certainly wouldn't book AI as the budget option & I'm a fan of AIs.
I like to book one of the best in whatever area I wish to visit.

I book them because in Turkey or Egypt because.....
You don't have to run the gauntlet of "hassle" 3 times a day to pick where to eat.
You tend to get the best beach front spots.
They have swim up rooms, jacuzzi rooms, that sort of thing.
Peaceful adult only pools :-)
In the Carribean they are the only real option.

I don't have kids, but for those who do, great kids clubs.
For those who like it, evening entertainment - the only hotel I've ever thought the entertainment was any good at was a Sensatori.

PompeyPete

MrsE wrote: »

I certainly wouldn't book AI as the budget option & I'm a fan of AIs.
I like to book one of the best in whatever area I wish to visit.

Sound, but not infallible.

MrsE wrote: »

I book them because in Turkey or Egypt because.....
You don't have to run the gauntlet of "hassle" 3 times a day to pick where to eat.

Don't agree at all. If I'm on self-catering I can eat when I want and where I want. And for me that usually means well away from anywhere where hassle is concerned.

MrsE wrote: »

I don't have kids, but for those who do, great kids clubs.

Aaaagh, worst nightmare! On self-catering you can choose your evening entertainment.

wallbash

I certainly wouldn't book AI as the budget option

NEVER a budget option, but also a holiday maker who sees the great advantage of a great Ai.

MrsE_2

PompeyPete wrote: »

Sound, but not infallible.



Don't agree at all. If I'm on self-catering I can eat when I want and where I want. And for me that usually means well away from anywhere where hassle is concerned.



Aaaagh, worst nightmare! On self-catering you can choose your evening entertainment.

Research, that's what gets you the really good ones.
There's 5 star & there's 5 star.....
In Turkey a stroll past the restaurants results in plenty of hassle.
It's ok for a fun day at the market, but not something I want to do 3 times a day.
I don't really do evening entertainment. A late dinner, a drink or 2 after over looking the water - or listening to it, I'm happy.

Kedi_Yavrusu

It depends on which resort you go in Turkey, if you choose a smaller resort you wont get hassle, it is the big resorts like Marmaris that are like that and I never go there. We are quite happy to chat to people as we walk out anyway and I never feel I am being hassled, it is all part of being in Turkey.

I can't bear being 'entertained' and my children wouldn't go into a kids club either, it would be all our worst nightmares!

zzzLazyDaisy

Speaking as a grandmother who has taken pre-teen grandchildren, nieces and nephews on holiday, I would recommend the AI concept. The children loved it, they could go up to the bars around the resort for drinks, snacks, ice cream etc, without them needing to ask or for me to carry around money. They loved trying all the various unusual food in the restaurant (I usually went for the buffet style restaurant and ate out locally a couple of times for a change).

BUT (and it is a big BUT) in my view the AI concept only works if you can get a good deal on a good hotel. As others have said, AI is not a budget option, what you will almost certainly get at the lower end is crummy hotel, luke warm repetitive food, and less than clean surroundings.

I would suggest that you make a realistic assessment of what it REALLY costs you to go on holiday in a B&B or self catering, including all the drinks, ice-creams and snacks for the children, plus meals, plus drinks for the adults in the evening, and then look for the best AI you can afford. In my view AI is not about cutting costs on the over-all holiday, but about getting the best for your money.

As others have said, don't exclude the Fethiye area, which is lovely and there are a lot of interesting places to visit on the local bus (dolmus) away from the tourist areas.

Personally I have found travel republic very reliable, and extremely helpful on the occasions when something has gone wrong (like my hotel deciding to close for maintenance the week before me and my 12 yr old G'daughter were due to fly!).

I took the children here http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g312737-d654829-Reviews-Hotel_Greenland-Oludeniz_Mugla_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html

a few years ago and they had a wonderful time. It is one of the smaller hotels and (I think) only classed as 3 star, but it was a family run hotel with not much entertainment apart from an occasional visiting musician/singer and had only one pool and one restaurant, so that is probably why it lost stars. But it was clean, the food was varied and very tasty, and the people were very friendly. That was a few years ago now though, so you'd need to do your research.

One other tip - do try the holiday companies, they can often do AI deals at better prices than you can put together yourself once transfers etc are counted in, and you can often beat them down on price by finding the cheapest and then phoning round to see if the others will beat the price (some travel operators advertise that they will beat any quote). When going with a holiday company you also get a holiday rep. I appreciate that not everyone wants or needs this, but they can be quite useful for info and help if things are not quite right. Just don't buy their trips - the guy in the town will almost certainly be cheaper, and may well end up being the one the tour rep send you on anyway!

Also if you are near fethiye or bodrum do try a boat trip, they last all day, include lunch, and are great fun for kids especially if they are confident in water. Beware of having 'seconds' at lunch, and watch out for the price of drinks and snacks though, as they are not included and that is where they make their money.