The Eastern Question Answered

There was little debate about the choice of family holiday for 2010 and so it has finally been booked and whilst it is some time away I am already excited at the prospect! We shall be returning to Turkey for two weeks staying at the resort of Olu Deniz. This is the place we tried to go to a couple of years ago (when we went to Skiathos) but were unable to get the right combination of flights, accommodation and price. There are a number of sites of historical interest in the area and so a couple of trips out will certainly feature; along with the obligatory boat ride, local markets etc. The hotel we shall be staying in has been highly recommended by a family friend and so is very much a known quantity – they have returned to the same place for three years on the trot as they enjoyed it so much! The reviews on http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ place the hotel as number 5 of the 50 odd hotels in the resort so that is also good news. The venue looks absolutely stunning and in fact a large chunk of the beach is a national park so is well maintained and unspoilt.

I realise that this will probably sound a little on the sad side but I always try and get myself in the right holiday frame of mind by reading up about the area and country I am visiting beforehand in order to have a cultural head start in terms of what to expect. I suppose you could almost describe this as ‘method holidaymaking’. Given my interest in matters Ottoman Turkish this will by no means be an onerous task and I have a small stockpile of reading material with this in mind in any event! From the point of view of travelling to an established resort this probably seems like an eccentric conceit as you will probably experience little of the real Turkey – rather an idealised and tourist driven facsimile. This is undoubtedly true but armed with even a smattering of local knowledge and background and a few words of the language you are able to have an enhanced experience and will be able to take advantage of things that those less prepared may overlook. That is the theory anyway and I have always adhered to this – usually to my advantage.

I am a great fan of Turkish (and indeed Middle Eastern in general) cuisine and the prospect of grilled meat and fish with copious amounts of salad is a mouth watering one. That combination alone is a healthy option so I can console myself with the knowledge that I can eat as much as I like of the local cuisine with a clear conscience! Efes is the Turkish national beer and it is suitably light and refreshing and will doubtless be consumed in quantity – the fridge in the room will be pressed into service for a modest litre or six……..;-)

Sun, sea, sand, great food and plenty of drink and some nearby old ruins to look at; together with the prospect of some quality paragliding (I have tried this once before and loved it!) – What more could you ask for?