Altinkum

This family friendly Turkish resort of Altinkum sits on the Aegean coast and has three fantastic beaches. The beaches are such a hallmark of this resort that its name reflects this as Altinkum translates to “golden sands”.

This resort is smaller than its neighbouring resorts of Bodrum and Kusadasi but this is to its advantage. Its size means that it is not a frenetic and more relaxed than its neighbouring resorts and well suited to families. Altinkum is a favourite resort of the British and therefore caters to our demands more so than other resorts, with British food and drink being served in many of the establishments.

As mentioned above the standout attractions of Altinkum are its beaches. It has three beaches which are wide and shelve gently into the Aegean Sea making it very family friendly. The beaches are not just a sun seekers paradise as there are numerous activities which depending on energy levels will keep everybody happy and not just those who want a good tan.

During August and the Turkish holidays, Altinkum does get a lot busier and the main beach seems to be the one everyone wants to use. If you prefer a quieter beach then try either one of the other two beaches as they are not as popular.

The Turkish for haggling or bargaining is pazarlik. You can expect to do this in many stalls and bazaars where either there is no price or you think that the desired item is too expensive. Start your bidding at around 50% of the offered price and walk away if the price goes above 75% - although you can go lower or higher. The key is to ensure that you are happy with the price you are paying.

You can hone your pazarlik skills in the markets and bazaars of Altinkum and other surrounding towns such as Aydin, Soke, Akbuk and Yenihisar where you can find souvenirs. Top things to look out for are copper, pottery, embroidery, leather and other traditional local hand crafts.

A note of caution is that there are some shops selling "copies" of designer clothes which is a polite way of saying counterfeit. Just be careful when buying these items as their quality may not be as good as the originals.

Altinkum is a resort which attracts many families. This is due in no small part to the many family restaurants and pubs which rely on satisfying their needs. This means that there are various food options which will keep the fussiest of eaters from fading away to a shadow as well as local dishes for the more adventurous.

Top of your list of places to go must be the outstanding Didyma. This is the temple of Apollo which took over 150 years to build and was never completed - ancient Turkish credit crunch!

Another place worth visiting (although don't drag your kids if they don't want to go as it is not that exciting) is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - Mausoleum of Maussollos. Situated quite close to Bodrin, this site, now in ruins was built in 353 BC as tomb for Mausolus and family.

Also visit Pamukkale - "Cotton Castle". This is a spa which has formed from calcium deposits on the edge of a mountain. These calcium deposits have created natural bathing pools which have made this place very iconic - you cannot fail to see it appear in nearly every marketing picture of Turkey!