Turkey villas  offer a holiday so fantastically different.Here's why.

Turkey villas are probably what you dreamed about years ago.Your own private little world in which you decide everything.No "reps", no restaurant timetable,no need for "Do not disturb" signs on your bedroom door..You can tailor almost everything to suit you or your family.There is such  a wide choice of villa rentals available now,at very competitive rates,that there should be something to suit everyone.

We absolutely love staying at our modest villa in Kadriye.We're close to the golf courses,the beaches,not far from Antalya Airport.We're close to the towns of Belek & Kadriye,so shopping is easy;plus there are local shops & restaurants if we don't want to venture far.

 

  Shopping for groceries is all part of the fun of a Turkey villa holiday.Hunting for bargains at the markets for clothes & souvenirs is also part of your holiday.But there are a couple of important things you should also consider when considering your villa rental.

1. Proximity to a hospital.A remote mountain retreat sounds romantic,but what if you fall ill or have an accident?
2. Proximity to a chemist.Chemists (Apothoke) in Turkey have far more freedom than in the UK and many other parts of the world.For non-urgent matters they are like having your local doctor on tap.They are happy to diagnose & prescribe.
3. Ideally you don't want to be too far from a police station.Crime has not been an issue in all the years we've been going to Turkey,but don't take security for granted.

     It sounds negative,but your Turkey villa rental will be easier and more relaxing if you've considered these factors.

Some beautiful Turkey villas. These are in Belek.

Of course,Turkey's villas aren't built purely for holiday villa rental purposes.The rapid development of housing of all kinds in recent years has been the result of Turkey's Government policies,designed to encourage both foreign investment & wider domestic availability of property.

   Mortgages were not available in Turkey until late 2008.This has been a major factor in Turkey not being dragged down by the sub-prime mortgage fiasco of many other countries.Along with the fact that Turkey is NOT in the EU,(this surprises many people),has contributed to the country generally surviving the economic downturn experienced in much of Europe and the USA.

   So,building has carried on,and on,and on.But,there isn't as much villa rental property as you'd expect for your Turkey holidays.Much of it is designed for domestic consumption or expats wishing to relocate to Turkey.If you're heading down this track,you'll need to check out Visas & Work Permits.

   There are all sorts of rental properties available.There are huge detached villas with private facilities to apartments in blocks of tenement buildings,& loads in between.

 Alanya being the main resort,and a big city in it's own right,has plenty of apartments in the city & on the outskirts.Convenience to everything is the main consideration here.Prices for rentals can be fantastic value  if you pick the right ones.

There are some things you get with Turkey villas that you don't get in a hotel.There are also things you DON'T get.

What you don't get in a Turkey villa holiday.

• No getting down early to ensure you get a table at breakfast or dinner.

•   No putting towels on the sunbeds to make sure you can lounge around the pool

•   No wondering what you're going to have at dinner.

•   No listening to someone else's kids screaming & fighting, running around the pool.(If they're your kids it's different!).

Just imagine walking out of your front door to this every morning.A cup of tea or coffee,or maybe freshly squeezed oranges,a dip in the pool before breakfast.A perfect start to the day?

There are so many positives to having a private Turkey villa holiday.

• You eat or have meals at times that suit you & your party.If you've had a late(& possibly heavy)evening previously,you likely won't want breakfast 7am til 10am.

               And if you really don't feel up to cooking breakfast,you can              usually find somewhere that will do  it.Full English,Turkish,or                  continental are usually not too far away.    

• You can't walk around a hotel in your underwear.If you want to eat in your bikini or Speedos in your Turkey villa you can do.Remember,Turkey is a mainly Muslim country,although officially it is a secular state & other religions are common.But it is common courtesy to cover up when in bars,restaurants,shops,& other public places;particularly for women.
  
•     You can listen to your  music,not the piped,looped music of a hotel.Young people in particular like their own MP3 downloads to listen to.But so do older people .If your having a BBQ you probably want a mixed background for that relaxed atmosphere.
  

• You don't have to dress for dinner.Remember you're in a predominantly Muslim country.If you are in a hotel women in particular are expected to cover up when not at the beach or poolside.But in our Turkey villa some days we don't get out of our swimwear.Evenings can be very warm from May to October.A nice shower to freshen up,then just relax with a nice wine or an Efes beer. BBQ's are a popular theme for holiday makers & are a great way to socialise.
  

• You can accommodate different  tastes in food.If your child(or hubby) only eats certain foods,you should be able to satisfy their needs.Turkey is fantastic for fresh produce.The fruit & vegetables are so full of flavour;the eggs have yolks as orange as........an orange???And it is all so cheap.Food & drink is such an important part of your Turkey villas holiday,that we'll have a closer look at how you can make the most of it.
  

 

There seems to be a great sense of control when you embark on a villa holiday. If you've researched your Turkey villa properly you should not be disappointed. There is such a huge choice it's important you find out as much as possible about your possible holiday home.

• Start with the broad region. In our case Antalya.

I think Antalya is a fantastic region. It has everything I can possibly imagine for a great Turkey holiday. It has excellent beaches & resorts like Alanya and Avsellar. It has the Taurus mountains for breath-taking scenery and very good Winter skiing. It has an abundance of superb golf courses in Belek and Kadriye. There is an incredible amount of historic and cultural attractions like Aspendos, Olympus, Perge, Side, and more.

Antalya itself is a beautiful historic city. It has a stunning harbour, some superb hotels  and restaurants, and shopping is good because it tends to cater for Turkish people rather than tourists .But, like any large city, some things can be expensive. Not really the place for a villa rental, but further afield....well.

  It offers good shopping if you  go about it in the right way. Unlike  many of Europe's high streets, many  Turkish towns are expanding the number of shops and supermarkets. Not necessarily a good thing in itself but that's what is happening. Planning for the future perhaps.

So there is plenty to do in the region. Plenty of great places to see if you are inclined .But you may not want to spend too much time travelling around, so you need to look at the area that suits you.

THE AREAS

•   Alanya is a fairly lively resort, with plenty of everything; beaches, shops, restaurants, nightclubs, hotels and apartments. We love Alanya. There are  probably too many shops, too many bars, too many restaurants, too many hotels. But that is part of the attraction. It is a typical resort; long sandy beaches, water sports, Burger Kings, MacDonald's and KFC compete alongside Kebab restaurants, European fare, Turkish fare and the occasional Chinese and Indian  restaurants. Choice  is the big thing here.t To get a feel for this buzzing city, take a look at what Alanya has to offer.

• Side, Manavgat, Avsellar, are also resorts but on a much smaller scale than Alanya. There are plenty of good hotels in these towns but  Turkey villas are more prominent than further down the coast. The pace is slower than Alanya and probably offers a more  varied option. Historic sites are in abundance. Beaches are quieter.

There are fewer, though still ample, shops, restaurants, bars,  hotels, etc. They are great places to relax with plenty to do.

• Antalya itself is a fascinating city with immense history and charm. I doubt you would want your Turkey villa holiday to be in the midst of a bustling city. But the outskirts  of Antalya and the surrounding region are certainly worth consideration. The excellent Lara Beach on the eastern side,The shingled Konyalti beach on the western side.Further west  the idyllic fishing villages of   Kalkan and peaceful Kas,  offer some superb villas for a relaxing Turkey holiday.

• Our  particular area is Belek & Kadriye, though Belek is generally regarded as the "senior party".Both are relatively  small towns and that is a large part of their charm.The main administrative centre for the area being Serik,which is not tourist oriented but is important if you are buying a property in the area.It also has good supermarkets , furniture and electrical shops,banks,builders merchants;all the things you would expect in a busy commercial centre.

          The majority of villas  have been built ,as you'd possibly expect, just off the main road that runs from Kadriye to Belek(& then on to Serik).