Olu Deniz- Something for everyone (Olu Deniz)

Member Name: gingerbreadgirl

Product:	Olu Deniz
Date:	22/06/09 (197 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Beautiful location, friendly locals, great food, plenty to do

Disadvantages: 2 hour transfer time, some over friendly locals

I have just got back from a fantastic holiday in Olu Deniz in Turkey. Gorgeous sunshine (temperatures were in the mid 30's- June 2009), a beautiful location and very friendly locals make for the perfect holiday in this resort. We stayed in the Turquoise hotel as it was recommended to us by friends and found it clean, pretty and very, well, Turquoise! We even had a Turquoise TV, although that didn't get very much use at all! There is plenty to do for all in Olu Deniz, which well known paragliding location, and although I didn't have the guts to do it myself I was told it was a brilliant experience, around 40 minutes in the air overlooking the whole resort. There is also a wide variety of boat trips, including diving days and chill out cruises for fairly reasonable prices. Also there is a weekly market in the old town of Fethiye which is well worth a look. At night there are hundreds of restaurants and bars to choose from with every cuisine you could ever imagine! I would recommend traditional Turkish food however. The kebabs were the best I have ever tasted and there was always plenty of grilled fish on offer too. A favourite evening spot for me was the cocktail bar on the main beach. Great to watch the sun go down sipping lovely cocktails and smoking a water pipe (apple flavoured is great, and they contain no nicotine) and the colourful beanbags we sat on were very comfortable! If you fancy a slight livelier night I would recommend a taxi to Hisaronu. This town is packed with karaoke bars and clubs and doesn't really get going until midnight. Taxi prices are reasonable, at around 13TL each way.
I could think of only two downsides: one was that the extreme friendliness of the locals did get a bit much towards the end of the holiday, and it was difficult to walk down the main street to the beach due to shop keepers attempting to sell you their wares. The other was the transfer from the airport, which was just short of 2 hours. We broke the return transfer time up by taking advantage of a 'Dalyan Check Out' trip provided for by our and in fact most major travel companies for guests with later flight times. You get picked up with all your luggage in the morning and get taken first to the Mud baths at Dalyan (great fun and very messy, a highlight!), then on to a boat towards the beautiful turtle beach, stopping off for lunch on the way. Then you get taken to a hotel near the airport to freshen up, eat your evening meal and wait to get picked up again by your transfer coach. A great end to a great holiday!

Summary: A great holiday destination, something for everyone