Aloft Bursa Hotel

Aloft Bursa does not only offer one of the best accommodation alternative in Bursa, it also offers a very good design, probably the best in Turkey. The hotel is at the hearth of Bursa, Nilufer District and offers a central location and nice accommodation to both business and leisure travelers. The Bursa city center (Ulu Camii area) is 20 TL or 15 minutes taxi ride from the hotel. If you are OK to walk a little, you can also take public bus from Aloft Bursa to the Bursa city center.

Aloft Bursa is a new hotel. It was opened in 2013. I have previously stayed in Aloft Bangkok and there realized that there is also an Aloft hotel in Bursa (the only Aloft in Turkey I guess). So when I was in Bursa, I have decided to stay in this hotel.

The warm and small hotel / hostel environment of Aloft Bursa, coupled with its friendly staff makes it a very nice stay. The design of the hotel is unique and quite colorful but comfortable. I must say the bed was ultra-comfortable, 40’’ TV was great and the room offers a comfortable retreat to both watch movies (if you have a laptop or a USB memory, you can connect it to the TV and watch your movie from the TV) or sit in the table and work while enjoying the view. I loved the bathroom in Aloft Bangkok and I loved the bathroom in Aloft Bursa too. The large bathroom area is ultra-stylish.

Overall, the room is so trendy and relaxing that, you would not like to leave it to go out.

The Wi-Fi  is available in every corner of the hotel so if you are one of those carrying a laptop around with you or just glued to your smartphone, you will love this hotel.

Aloft Bursa has a nice but small swimming pool and fitness facility.

What I liked most in W XYZ Bar are the cocktails and the comfortable couches to just lie down and relax. And I also loved the breakfast. But I did not love the fact that it was not free. It is also not very cheap but the total price of breakfast + room is still acceptable.

Summary : If you are looking for a nice hotel in Bursa, with a great design, comfortable stay and affordable price, Aloft Bursa is one of the best alternatives you have.

Bosphorus Cruise – Full Bosphorus Cruise and Short Bosphorus Tour

One of the things you must do in Istanbul is to take a Bosphorus Cruise. This unique experience will let you see both Asian and European shores of Bosphorus and Istanbul’s magestic silhouette from a fantastic angle.

But which Bosphorus Cruise you should take? You will be flooded with many cruise operators in Istanbul. Most of these are private Bosphorus Cruises and they are usually disappointingly short, expensive tours on small boats. The best Bosphorus Cruises in Istanbul are those 2 tours operated by Istanbul’s Sehir Hatlari: 4 Seasons Bosphorus Tours.

Sehir Hatlari operates 2 Bosphorus Cruises: Full Bosphorus Cruise and Short Bosphorus Tour.

Full Bosphorus Cruise takes 6 hours. It starts from Eminonu Terminal ( immediately east of the Galata Bridge) and stops in Besiktas, Kanlica, Sariyer, Rumeli Kavagi and then reaches to Anadolu Kavagi which is at the northern entrance of Bosphorus to the Black Sea. The Istanbul liner (large conventional ferry boats unique to Istanbul) will stop here several hours before sailing back to Eminonu.

This tour is very popular among foreigners and locals so be there early for the queue. In the high season there are 3 departures per day. The cost of Full Bosphorus Cruise is 25 TL per person.

Here is Full Bosphorus Cruise Timetable. As we have written it is a long 6 hour tour but a very good one.

If you do not have time for the long one there is also a Short Bosphorus Tour. This is a 2 hours tour which also departs from Eminonu and after stopping at Ortakoy returns from Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. This tour basically covers southern Bosphorus, which hosts almost all of Istanbul’s famous historic artifacts.

Short Bosphorus Tour is 10 TL per person and here is the time table.

Below, you can see the Sehir Hatlari Bosphorus cruises on the map.

Istanbul Sehir Hatlari Bosphorus cruises map

If you cannot take these 2 tours there is a private company named TurYol which operates 1.5 hour Bosphorus Cruises which will cost 12 TL. This tours are more frequent and they return from Fatih Bridge. They are transportation only so no tour guide. If you would like to go for private Bosphorus tours, it is better to buy it as a part of a full-day Istanbul tour package.

There is also a night cruise in Bosphorus by Sehir Hatlari but this is a summer only cruise and only operates on Saturdays. Named Moonlight Cruise (Mehtap Gezisi) the boat departs from Bostanci and visits Kadıköy-Eminönü-Üsküdar-Beşiktaş-Rumeli Kavağı and stops over Anadolu Kavağı for 2 hours. Highly recommended if you can catch one because Bosphorus and Istanbul looks much different in the nights.

Best places for scuba diving in Turkey

Best places for skuba diving in Turkey are Bodrum (in Muğla) ,Kas (in Antalya), Dalaman  (in Muğla), Fethiye (in Muğla), Ayvalık (in Balıkesir).

If you enjoy scuba diving you can find beautiful underwater world in Kas ( in Turkish Kaş ).
Kaş which is a district of Antalya Province of Turkey. It is 168 km West of the city of Antalya.
You have to arrange boat trip for diving from a local diving club that you can find easily. These boats have all kinds of diving equipments such as diving suits and B.C. You can hire them on daily basis. You can also enjoy your lunch on boats that is included to trips.

In Kaş, there is a big pebble beach which faces the Greek Island – Kastellorizo, in Turkish :Meis .
On the right and left hand side there are two caves  in the sea. Both caves are not deep and can be entered from 7m to 9m. Divers can ascend in the caves which are both quite big. One of the caves is called “cold cave” because its always 14 degrees Celsius. Even when the water in the hot season is 30 degrees.

* Güvercin Ada, good for both experienced and beginners. You can make wreck and reef dive.

*Light House: There is an Ottoman Ship Wreck at 22m depth. Also a reef dive is possible in this area. Groupers are Kaş’s local fishes. The depth of dive is usually arround 18m.

*İnce Boğaz: It is at the side of the Peninsula. The other side is the biggest natural  Bay of Turkey, Bucak Bay. Carettas prefer this place. Flat rocks lays in the dive site 20m

*Stonehenge: It is an antique shaped stone dive max. 20m to 26m. You can also see caretta here.

*Hidayet Bay: There are two diving areas. One is great for training because it is quite shallow and the other is about 35m deep that 2 star divings can enjoy. You can see a lot of grouper fish and stingrays.

*Üçkaya: The top of the reef starts at 7 meters and goes all the way down to 35 meters and more. The best is 25 meters max. There is rich underwater life in this area.

*Panorama ,Işık Reef and Heybeli:  These three diving areas are very interesting but are quite far away. Divers usually go on to these sites on special request .

*Canyon: The Canyon is an amazing site to dive at. First, you are in a flat area which goes only 5m to 10m and then a sudden depth starts which resembles a canyon. It’s an impressive site to sea. There is a French cargo shipwreck at 25m and its propellers are at 40m. There are also caves and under rock areas which make the dive even more exciting.

*Flying fish : It is a reef, which starts at 5m and goes very deep. There is an Italian war plane with 3 propellers that crashed for unknown reasons during the Second World War and fell. The engine of the plane becomes visible at a depth of 40 meters, the other parts and the tail go down to the depths of 60 meters. Around the wreck there is still some unexploded ammunition. Except for the engine, the other parts of the plane lie under the sea complete, but of course time has done a lot of damage to the fuselage.

Phuket Kata Beach Orchidacea Resort

Phuket island is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Thailand. Although it is gradually falling victim to mass tourism and losing its natural beauty, Phuket still has a lot to offer for its visitors. It is easy and relatively cheap to access Phuket, there are many cheap flights to Phuket from around the region and also there are plenty of international flights directly landing to Phuket Airport.

It is important to know the wet and dry seasons if you are planning to travel to Phuket for holiday. The wet season is from April to November. As its names suggests the disadvantage of this season is rain but as long as it is not monsoon season, it is still quite OK and also everything is cheaper in this period. Dry season provides long sunny days but it is more expensive relative to wet season.

Here is a detailed guide for accomodation in Phuket named named where to stay in Phuket where we have told that Kata Beach is our favorite. If you are looking for relatively a calmer, family friendly place for holiday on Phuket awat from the busy nightlife of Patong, Kata Beach in the south west part of the island is one of the best places to stay in Phuket. A few minutes south of Karon Beach there are actually 2 kata beaches, 2 kilometer long one with white sand is Kata Yai and the smaller one on the south is named Kata Noi. We like Kata because it still keeps its village feel, it feels more family-friendly, and very peaceful compared to Patong.

The Orchidacea Resort which sits on a hill overlooking the Kata Yai Beach is our favorite hotel in Phuket. It is easy to access to nearby Kata Beach but you need to climb steps to reach your room so if you have problem with climbing steps, it is not a suitable place for you. But climbing the steps worth since the view is great. Honestly we preferred this hotel when we have travelled there first time because it is high up in the hills and memories of the tsunami was fresh at that time.

Phuket Kata Yai Beach View from Orchidacea Resort

The hotel is comfortable but average. The rooms, cleanness and service is overall satisfactory. And the price is just right. There is an active orchid nursery housed on the grounds of the resort and the resort takes its name from this nursery. If you stay there do not forget to visit more than one hundred varieties of orchid on display.

South end of Kata Beach has good coral reefs for snorkeling and there is also a nice Thai food restaurant named Restaurant Mama Kata. The Thai Food here is average and there are definitely better food in Kata but the view is just awesome. It is a wonderful place for a romantic dinner watching the sunset over the Andaman Sea.

If you stay in Kata do not miss Kho Saam Haad, “Three-Beach Hill”, a hilltop overlooking Kata Noi Beach, Kata Yai Beach and Karon Beach as well as the Pu Island. This hill is situated on the road between Kata and Rawai. The road to there is fairly quiet and although it is possible to walk up to this viewpoint from Nai Harn and Rawai, it’s a bit of a challenge.

View from Kho Saam Haad a.k.a Kata View Point. First beach is Kata Noi, the middle one is Kata Yai and the one at the top is Karon Beach. Patong is to the north of Karon Beach. Orchidecia Resort is on the hill between Kata Noi and Kata Yai (on the other side).

Where to stay in Termal (Yalova)?

Yalova Termal is one of the first places which comes to mind when talk about thermal and spa tourism in Turkey. With 2,000 years of thermal springs’ history, Yalova Termal is world-renowned place. Termal is only 12 km away to central of Yalova, is quite easily accessible place with the proximity to the big cities like İstanbul, İzmit and Bursa.  In addition to the spa, with the beautiful nature between two valleys, Thermal is ideal for a day trip or weekend escape from the city.

Thermal is only 2 hours away by ferry to Istanbul and 1 hour away by highway to İzmit and Bursa. And it is a place to go for all seasons. It is beautiful in the spring, when nature comes alive or autumn with glamorous defoliation, even though, thermal center is more enjoyable in winter months.

The first Turkish baths of Yalova Thermal Spring Resort were built by Byzantine Emperor Constantine (312-337) about 1600 years ago. And then, it was an important hot spring resort in the Byzantine period, but it could not compete with the spas of Bursa which is the first capital of Ottoman Empire and has been always in the background until the rheumatism of Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan, mother of Sultan Abdülmecit, was healed here. Thermal came to the fore with the investments made in the last period of Ottoman, and then it has gone forgotten with the everlasting wars and disasters. In the Republic Period, it has gained again its fame and popularity with the help of Atatürk who liked here.

The healing waters of Yalova Thermal Spring Resort and its Turkish baths are beneficial to the rheumatism, digestive system, liver, gallbladder, kidney diseases and gynecological problems.
So where to stay in Yalova Thermal? Thermal offers good options with hotels providing services to domestic and foreign tourists. We are going to recommend a few hotels that stand out. Let’s begin with five star hotels.

Limak Thermal Boutique Hotel

Limak Thermal Boutique Hotel, the historic hotel who the first guest is Atatürk, is reconstructed by Limak Tourism Group in according to its original and welcomes guests. There are 100 square meters of thermal pool, Turkish bath, sauna, steam bath, and massage center in the spa center of 5 stars Limak Thermal Boutique Hotel and the thermal water with a private Jacuzzi in every room.

Limak Thermal Boutique Hotel

Black Bird Thermal Hotel and Spa

4 stars Black Bird Thermal Hotel and Spa which is opened with the architectural style of the White House in June 2013 welcomes guests with comfortable and stylish rooms. Indoor Thermal Pool, steam room, salt room, sauna and private treatment rooms, a private hot tub rooms and male and female-specific Turkish bath are offered to the guests. Thermo water ranging from 32-43°C with fluoride is beneficial in the chronic phase of rheumatic diseases, chronic low back pain, joint disorders, soft tissue disorders, orthopedic surgery, neurological disorders, stress and sports injuries, gynecological problems and it has rejuvenating effect to skin.

Blackbird Thermal Hotel and SPA

Thermo Vital Hotel

3 stars Thermo Vital Hotel is a little outside of the center of the Thermal and covered with pine trees in a lush green nature. It has spacious and comfortable rooms, a spa and bath, and thermal suites which are ideal for families with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is particular to the quiet, restful, clean and comfortable thermal hotel seekers.

Green Thermal Hotel

3 stars Green Thermal Hotel in Gökçedere district stands out with surrounding shopping facilities, rooms, baths, in-room Jacuzzi with thermal water. Even, the hotel is clean and comfortable to the families with two children.

You can have a look to Yalova Termal Hotels page for a wide range of thermal hotel list, comparative hotel room rates and user reviews. 

Kavala, an Aegean virgin

(Greek: Καβάλα) As we heard a lot about Kavala, we’ve never given a chance since Thessaloniki is just 2 hours away from this city, we always gave a miss to this city. Finally we made a trace trip on last October and stop by in Kavala for one night.

While I didn’t learn much about its history, as I made a quick search and I ended up with Thassians (the people from Thassos islands) who founded this city several centuries before, and they called it Neapolis, which means “new city”. What a contradiction for Kavala since it’s one of the oldest one in Greece currently! Oldie but goldie.. Let’s go on.

Old Kavala is settled on the skirts of a hill with a castle on the top, and the harbour at the bottom. New districts are settled on the coastal line, with most big hotels (and the one I stayed, Hotel Esperia as well) in the town. The main attractions of the city is in the small streets of old town and some parallel streets of the coastal road.

The main historical monuments in the city are the great aquaduct, which is built in Byzantian period and restored by the Ottoman empire Suleiman the Magnificent, the Kavala Castle which has a great view of peninsula, the Imaret, biggest edifice of the Ottoman period, which is used as an hotel now, and the Town Hall which is built by an Hungarian trader at 1895. There are signs and tables for a walking path and also informative tables about the buildings or the streets you’re in front of. You can visit many things on this path in a whole day and you can enjoy delicious Greek food while you’re having breaks.

Kavala Old Town

I strongly recommend you to watch the sun go down from the Kavala Castle. It’s one of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen. After you’re finished with the city walk, it’s time for a great dinner at the harbour. You can enjoy many restaurants along the harbour. We’ve chosen Panos&Zafira (by the help of the kind receptionist of Hotel Esperia) at the corner of Plateia Karaoli and Dimitriou. We had many samples of Greek kitchen with an extremely competetant price.

In the morning we had a nice cup of Greek coffee in a café while the sun started to warm us again, watching the quiet sea. There are regular buses to and from Thessaloniki. From Kavala, you can also go to Thassos Island.

I’ve to accept that Greek food is as great as Turkish food. I’d expect some likeliness, but not this far!

As the weather didn’t let us to do, but we’re definitely sure that the beaches would give us a lovely chance to swim in an amazingly crystal clean and quiet environment in a warmer period. I’ve heard that it’s getting too crowded in the summer period but late summer, let’s say September would be a great choice of time to visit.

Antipaxoi

One last note about this beautiful city: Kavala is famous for its patisseries and a special cookie named as the city. Don’t hesitate to buy some for your friends..

If you are planning to visit Kavala and stay in Kavala, take a look at this Greece Kavala hotels page.

Bangkok Night Life : Red Light Districts

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A day trip in Paris

If you want to make a day trip in Paris on your own, you should be better to stay in a hotel that is near a metro station . If you will stay in a central place you should pay more but if you prefer budget hotels you have to be a little bit away.  As you will be away from the center you should be better to use metro an easy way to reach your destination fast and timely.

A good budget hotel near Porte de Vincennes metro station will work as a place for accomodation.

Hotel is also near a 10-minute walk from Nation Train Station providing direct access to tourist attractions and Disneyland Paris, Hipotel Paris Nation Gare de Lyon can be reached by elevator rooms decorated in a simple style, are equipped with satellite TV and a private bathroom.Hipotel breakfast is served every day in the hot weather, enjoy your breakfast can be enjoyed in the hotel’s private garden. A luggage storage service, such as a 24-hour reception and room service, there are additional amenities.

Avenue Champs Elysées, Le Louvre and Place de la Concorde  and other  attractions can be accessed directly by the local transport links.

A day trip in Paris could be started from Eiffel Tower than National Gallery and then Moulin Rouge.

It takes nearly 45 minutes  from Porte de Vincennes to  Eiffel Tower by metro. You can have different metro choices to go Eiffel Tower. I prefered  to took M1 metro from Porte de Vincennes station after 11 station then took M8 from Concorde. Just 3 station later you will be in Ecole Millitaire that you can see Eiffel Tower and  15 minutes away by walk.

If you are visiting the Eiffel Tower alone, or with friends or family, you should buy an individual Eiffel Tower ticket. Prices is different if you choose to use elevators(lifts) or stairs and prices are not expensive.  Eiffel Tower has 3 floors . I prefer to buy ticket for 2nd floor by lift and paid 8 euros not so expensive. Form the 2nd floor you can see a marvelous scene of the city, Paris.  Eiffel Tower is really crowded all the time and you have to wait for queue for lifts. If you lucky as me, you can listen native tourist guide from your own country when you are waiting in the queue!

After you visit Eiffel Tower , you can go a modern natioanl art gallery in Rue Pompidou, Musée national d’art moderne . I prefer to took M8 metro from Ecole Millitaire to Republicique and then transfer M11 metro to Rambuteau.  Metro station is just one minute away from the gallery in Pompidou.

Eiffel Tower

It is a really an interesting art gallery by its exterior design and by its exhibited artworks. The architecture of the museum winned the Pritzker Prize in 2007 and the Pritzker jury said the Pompidou “revolutionized museums, transforming what had once been elite monuments into popular places of social and cultural exchange, woven into the heart of the city.”Also The New York Times has noted that the design of the Centre “turned the architecture world upside down”.

You can find interesting paintings and sculptures in this art gallery for a good day trip in Paris.
After visiting this modern art gallery in Rue Beaubourg you can go Moulin Rouge in half an hour.  You should take M11 first to Belleville for 4 station and transfer to M2 metro for 8 station to Blanche. From Blanche metro station Moulin Rouge is nearly one minute away.

Where to stay in Koh Samui?

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Where to stay in Maldives?

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Where to stay in Cappadocia?

With its alien landscape dotted with “fairy chimneys”, Cappadocia is once-in-a-life-time experience offering a lot to its visitors. Shaped by ancient volcanoes, water and wind, this central Anatolian location has a very long history and other than the landscape, it offers a lot of history.

Cappadocia is one of the most popular tourist locations in Turkey. But it is a little remote if you want to visit it from other popular locations like Istanbul, Antalya, Turqoise Coast or Izmir. It takes a 12 hours bus ride from Istanbul to Cappadocia and 9 hours bus ride from Antalya to Cappadocia. A better option is taking a plane a plane to Cappadocia. There are flights from Istanbul to Cappadocia and you can transfer in Istanbul from other cities.

Let’s try to answer where to stay in Cappadocia question. Wherever you stay in Cappadocia, the most authentic accommodation in the region is to stay in a Cappadocia cave hotel. Not all rooms in cave hotels are in caves and “cave room” does not mean a primitive accommodation if you choose your hotel right. Choose the hotel carefully because cave rooms can be very humid and sometimes cold if the hotel does not have technology to make them comfortable. It is also not advisable to stay in a cave hotel if you have respiratory problems.

Urgup (Ürgüp)

Ürgüp is the hearth of Cappadocia and is the most developed town in the popular tourist area. Cappadocia night life usually means Urgup night life and the town offers many facilities for tourists. Besides this, most of the best hotels in Cappadocia are also in Urgup and it is the best connected town to the attractions in Cappadocia.

In the last few years, it became very popular to convert stone houses and caves to hotels and this created an excessive supply of hotels in Ürgüp. So, it is not difficult to find a cheap hotel in Urgup or a very reasonable price for high end hotels. Most luxury Cappadocia hotels are also here.

If you are new in Cappadocia, want to taste the Cappadocia night life and looking for a luxury Cappadocia hotel, Ürgüp is the best place to stay in Cappadocia. Staying here will put you right next to night life, many restaurants, bars and attractions in the region.

For hotels in Ürgüp and details like hotel room prices, customer reviews and more, you can check Cappadocia Ürgüp hotels page.

Göreme

Göreme is famous with its “Fairy Chimneys” and must-see churches, many of them carved in stone. This small town with 200 hotels, hostels and motels is the second most popular place in Cappadocia to stay after Ürgüp.

Unlike Ürgüp, Göreme does not have a colorful night life.  Still, the town is quite a noisy place especially in the evening. If you are really looking for a calm place in Cappadocia, try Çavuşin Town.

For hotels in Göreme and details like hotel room prices, customer reviews and more, you can check Cappadocia Göreme hotels page.

Goreme, Cappadocia

Uçhisar

Uçhisar is the highest point in Cappadocia and offers a very good view of Cappadocia. The town is increasingly getting popular among visitors and you can find a quite wide range of accommodation here.  The food here is also quite famous.

For hotels in Uçhisar and details like hotel room prices, customer reviews and more, you can check Cappadocia Uçhisar hotels page.

Where to stay in Bodrum?

Bodrum, one of the most popular holiday resort in Turkish Riviera, offers fantastic beaches, unique yatching and cruising experience (see blue voyage a.k.a blue cruise), plenty of ancient ruins to discover, beautiful bays and coves, very colorful night life with bars, restaurants and night clubs and if you are sailing a very nice Marina. The promonade and the man-made but beautiful beach is quite a nice place for evening walks and the city indeed offers two different parts: an eastern half which is a typical mediterrenian resort and the western half mainly catering to marina.

Although you can swim and sunbath in the beach in Bodrum center (this is a man-made beach but quite nice), the nicest beaches of Bodrum are outside and a little far from Bodrum. So when people talk about Bodrum, they also talk about these nearby seaside towns and beaches but these are not districts in Bodrum but rather separate towns. Ortakent (20 minutes drive or bus trip to Bodrum), Yalıkavak (35 minutes), Gümüşlük (35 minutes) and Bağla (25 minutes) are some of the most known beaches. Most people staying in Bodrum prefer nearby beaches of Gümbet and Bardakçı.

Bodrum night life is the second most colorful in Turkey after Istanbul. Bodrum Bar strip (Bodrum Barlar Sokagi) runs parallel to the sea and offers many bars, night clubs, restaurants and cafes. For many Turks as well as foreigners, Bodrum holiday is something similar to an Ibiza holiday: sleep, sunbath and swim lazily all the day in a nearby beach and store energy for the night. Dine and start drinking in the evening. Then starting from 10:00 PM bar hop, dance and party until the next morning.

If you are in Bodrum for the night life, it is better you stay in Bodrum’s pretty city center. You can find all types of accomodation in and around Bodrum catering to all tastes and budgets. But usually Bodrum center and surrounding districts offer small hotels, motels and hostels. If you are looking for a typical luxurious Turkish beachfront resort, you will need to stay outside Bodrum. Here we will cover some of the places you can stay in and around Bodrum.

Bodrum Castle and Bodrum Marina

Bodrum City Center

Bodrum city center seems like a typical Mediterranean resort at the beginning. A nice beach and promenade and bars, restaurants and night clubs behind. But this is also ancient Halicarnassus of Caria where  Mausoleum of Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World once stood. Although ancient city disappeared in time, you can still find remnants of the old in Bodrum.

The western side of Bodrum has a large marina and yacht club. The seaside here caters mostly to boats and their guests. The eastern side has a nice promonade (fantastic in the evening to take a nice walk) and the beach between the Castle and Halicarnassus is great for swimming. But if you decide to stay in Bodrum, visit Bitez and Gumbet for swimming. The natural beaches and the sea is just fantastic in these two small towns.

If you want to be near the “action” in Bodrum, right next to Bodrum night life, you should stay in Bodrum city, as near to sea as possible. For hotels in Bodrum with their prices and guest reviews, you can check Bodrum hotels page.

Gumbet and Bitez

Gumbet is just 3 kilometers away from Bodrum center and has a very nice beach drawing a gentle arc in a small bay. This 1 km long beach is great for swimming, sunbathing and water sports. This place was once a sleepy fishing village but now is a mini Bodrum with its own share of hotels, resorts, bars, restaurants and night clubs. Especially popular among British tourists.

Bitez is 4 kilometes to the west of Bodrum and is almost a part of Bodrum now thanks to the fast construction effort. Bitez offers blue flag beaches and you can find some of the best hotels and resorts of Bodrum in this small town.

Both Bitez and Gumbet are very close to Bodrum center and can be considered a part of city center. Still they keep their small town atmosphere a little. If you would like to stay in these places, take a look at Bodrum Gumbet hotels and Bodrum Bitez hotels pages for more details.

Turgutreis

Turgutreis is 20 kilometers away from Bodrum and indeed it is a separate resort on its own. Named after a 16th century Ottoman Admiral, Turgut Reis offers 5 kilometers of sandy beaches, beachfront restaurants and bars as well as a nice Mediterranean town center. The saturday market here is very famous and draws thousands from nearby towns and Bodrum. Turgutreis offers 5-star luxurious hotels and resorts right next to a developed town center. Its winds also makes it a magnet for wind surfers.

For hotels in Turgutreis, refer to Turgutreis hotels page.

Bodrum map and nearby towns

Yalikavak, Torba, Gumusluk

Yalikavak is one of the most beautiful towns near Bodrum city (25 minutes drive) and is famous for its 29 kilometer long coast and clear sea. It is so popular that it is the fastest growing town of the peninsula. A gentle wind is always blowing here so it is quite “cool” in Yalikavak and you can find quality hotels here.

Torba is a small resort town between Bodrum and Guvercinlik and just 5 kilometers away from Bodrum. Torba beaches and sea is famous but this small place does not offer a lot of things to do. From Torba you can take a boat to Didim, Milet and Priene.

Gumusluk is for those who would like to be away from Bodrum’s hustle and bustle.

Where to stay in Hong Kong?

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Turkey has the third best beaches worldwide

The Blue Flag Awards are certificates of quality which are given to beaches based on the cleanliness and beauty of the sand as well as the bathing quality of the sea (i.e. no waste) flow. Other factors include the environmental management of the area as well as coastal protection.

Judges last month awarded beaches in Turkey a total of 387 Blue Flag awards, ranking the country among the top three who applied. Only Greece with 408 Blue Flags and Spain with 571 scored higher. France (where the awards originally started) was just behind Turkey with 379 Blue Flags while Portugal was next with 298.

Oceanwide Properties MD Suleyman Akbay said: "We are delighted, but not surprised, to hear of Turkey ranking so highly in the beautiful beach awards. Anyone who comes here is always amazed at how clear and clean the water is while many of the beaches are so secluded they are almost pristine. Certainly if it's miles and miles of white sand you're looking for then Turkey is the place to come.
"Fethiye and Kalkan in particular have always been popular with Turkey property investors looking to secure a holiday home in the area, and this news of even more highly praised beaches can only widen their appeal I'd have thought."

Turkey has always enjoyed a highly rated presence in the Blue Flag Awards table. The ranking takes into account European nations as well as South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil,
Canada and the Caribbean. This year, a further eight Turkish beaches, in the Mugla region, were awarded the distinction. Beaches in areas such as Kalkan, Fethiye and other Mediterranean coastal towns and villages have already had a beach bill of health for a number of years now.

Antalya meanwhile boasts 197 Blue Flag beaches - the highest number for a Turkish province - in addition to six marinas with the award. The latter were introduced in recent years.

The Blue Flag awards have been in existence since 1985 and are currently promoted by the European Commission.

Meanwhile, Oceanwide Properties has been marketing and selling properties in the Mediterranean coastal resorts of Turkey since 2005. They are particularly active in the Fethiye, Side and Antalya areas. The company have also recently moved into the increasingly popular Istanbul. UK property investors meanwhile can call into the company's London office for convenience and to make an initial appointment.

Where to stay in Rhodes?

Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese islands and one of the largest Greek Islands. It is a very popular tourist destination with its magical old town in Rhodes city, historic sites, warm weather, fantastic beaches, clean waters and colorful night life. It is easily accessible from Athens, other Greek Islands and Turquoise Coast of Turkey by ferry and there are many airlines flying to Rhodes International Airport from major Greek cities, and many European cities by RyanAir and Transavia (flies from Amsterdam). Many also visit Rhodes as a part of Greek Island cruise trip or Mediterranean cruises offered in summer months. Cruise ships arrive to the port which is right next to the old town.

Rhodes City in Rhodes Island is the most important town of the island. Rhodes Old Town here is the oldest and one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe and most of the Rhodes historic attractions are here. Rhodes City also offers a colorful night life but may be quite noisy and expensive to stay in.

Many visits Rhodes for sun, sand and sea. For those there are many small beach-side towns in Rhodes offering a seafront stay in Rhodes with many waters sports and activities but also a calm and almost rural environment for those who looks for a relaxing Mediterranean holiday. Some of the most beautiful beaches of Rhodes are Lindos, Kalithea, Faliraki and Ladiko.

If you choose to stay outside Rhodes City, there is an efficient bus network on the island and if needed there are taxis. If you need a taxi make sure that the taximeter is opened because some drivers conveniently forgets to open it and overcharge their customers.

Rhodes is also very nice base to see other Dodecanese islands from where you can take daily boat tours to them.

Where to stay in Rhodes? Here we will introduce some most popular places to stay in Rhodes and a few details about them so you can choose the location of your Rhodes hotel wisely. For orientation in Rhodes, refer to the Rhodes map below.

Rhodes map and major towns and villages

Rhodes City and Old Town

Rhodes City is the largest town in Rhodes and where the historic old town of Rhodes is. The town is just magical and when you step inside the protective walls you feel like you time traveled to medieval times. This is a lively place and you will stay in the same buildings and walk in the same streets where Knights of St. John lived 600 years ago. You need one full day to see old town and if you are specially interested in history, you may need to spend 2 days.

Rhodes City is one of the most popular places to stay in Rhodes. The Rhodes City hotels inside the walls are popular but they are expensive and the place can be noisy especially in the night. A better option may be to stay in a Rhodes City but just outside the walls.

For hotels in Rhodes city, their price comparisons and customer reviews, you can check Rhodes City hotels page.

Rhodes City Old Town

Faliraki, Kalithea and Reni

12 kilometer away from Rhodes City, on the north-east coast of Rhodes, Faliraki is the most “happening” resort town in Rhodes and also offers some of the best beaches in Rhodes. People usually store energy in the beaches in the day and then when the sun sets, they pursuit fun and pleasure in the narrow streets full of bars, night clubs and restaurants. Faliraki also houses the largest waterpark in Europe, Faliraki Water Park which has a section specially designed for children.

Kalithea sits nicely between Rhodes Town and Faliraki. There are many water sports you can enjoy here like snorkeling in Kalithea’s underwater caves and is a quiet, laid-back place to stay while being very closed to Faliraki and Rhodes Town. The beaches are not the best here though. Reni  is some 2.5 Km from the village Koskinou and offers nice beaches and many hotels and rented rooms to stay in.

For hotels in these towns with their price comparisons and customer reviews, you can take a look at Rhodes Faliraki hotels and Kalithea hotels pages.

Lalysos and Ixia

On the north-west coast of Rhodes, Lalysos is the second largest town in Rhodes and offers an endless beach, clear-blue waters and large hotels ans resorts. The town also offers restaurants, shops and a colorful night life. Open to winds from the north, Lalysos is “the” place to head if you are in windsurfing. Ixia between Lalysos  and Rhodes City is also known as a windsurfing location and has large number and variety of hotels extending as far as your eye can see.

For hotels in Lalysos and Ixia with their price comparisons and customer reviews, you can take a look at Rhodes Lalysos hotels and Ixia hotels pages.

Lindos and PefkosLindos is a small village in Rhodes but offers the most impressive archaeological site on Rhodes. The acropolis and interesting ruins scattered within the town plus the dramatic natural landscape makes Lindos a must see in Rhodes. The hotels, villas and apartments here also offer fantastic sea view. The place is crowded by tourists in the morning but in the afternoon gets calmer. Hotels are outside the village so if you want to stay in this interesting village, you need to rent apartments.

Almost a nice kept secret Pefkos is a small resort near Lindos with a blue flag sandy beach and a laid back nightlife.

For hotels in Lindos and Pefkos with their price comparisons and customer reviews, you can take a look at Rhodes Lindos hotels and Pefkos hotels pages.

Main beach Of Lindos - Rhodes

Archangelos, Kolymbia and Afandou

Located almost midway between Lindos and Faliraki, Archangelos offers a nice family holiday location in Rhodes with very nice beaches. Afandou between Faliraki and Archangelos is near Rhodes golf course (Afandou golf). Kolymbia offers a a kilometer-long beach of sand and pebble, a handful of cafés, bars and restaurants.

For hotels in Archangelos and Afandou with their price comparisons and customer reviews, you can take a look at Rhodes Archangelos hotels and Afandou hotels pages.

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