So, after a superb start to the year for the JHA, I needed to take a break. We investigated what options and when we could go, and a quick opportunity came up that found us flying out three weeks later to Turkey.
There are a lot of different views and opinions on Turkey, with many people concerned with holidaying there due to safety. This was our second time to the country, same airport again but different area to stay in. at no stage during this or our last trip did we ever feel unsafe or concerned with our surroundings, in fact, I’d go so far as saying we experienced some truly wonderful hospitality while there.
Marmaris is nestled into the west coast of turkey on the Mediterranean Sea and sits in the Turkish Riviera. It has a vibrant nightlife, a beautiful marina filled with super yachts, and some incredible locals.
We spent many of the days there walking from our hotel down to the marina (about an hour along the beach) enjoying the views and the constant friendly approach the locals showed you as you passed. The Bazaar there contains over 300 shops too to allow you the opportunity to pick up some great ‘authentic replica’s’ and ‘genuine fake’ goods.
What really impressed us was the freshness of the food and the open approach of the staff there. We travelled with our 2-year-old boy, and every venue welcomed us in as a family and made a lovely fuss over our son. I’ve seen more pictures of children from the workers there keen to show what they had at home than I have in my life in Jersey. It was so relaxing and welcoming, with a very attentive staff always on hand.
I’ll talk about one experience over lunch we enjoyed: the venue was called The Golden Plate. It had some outside seating and a small interior and certainly didn’t look like the next Michelin star. I was talking to the owner as we walked past and a few minutes later we sat down in the shade of his restaurant. A family owned place that had opened 5 years before, we were served some of the freshest seafood we have had in a long time. The whole bass they prepared (my son loves fish) was then filleted by the owner at the table, who then spent time going through it thoroughly to make sure there were no bones for him. It was these sorts of details that really impressed us.
So, a whole bass, two plates of calamari, a plate of shrimp, a plate of gambas, a salad and a ‘few’ drinks later, we left the restaurant having paid only £50 for the pleasure. The value for money for us there was really good. The final touch for me was while talking to the owner, and me wanting to find some spices to bring home, the owner personally took us to the main spice store as it was away from the main high street. It was just the final of many little touches that made us feel really appreciated there.
We wouldn’t hesitate to go back to turkey, Marmaris or somewhere near there due to the experience we had. My only advice would be to take time researching any hotel you are staying in as the star rating, they use isn’t as well governed as ours. It just takes a bit more research online to find out what the venues are like.
If visiting Turkey, have a shisha, try the local food and make sure you enjoy a Raki.
