Gumbet, Turkey - 2008

I have been to Turkey around ten times now! Quite by accident I found a little gem in Gumbet on the Bodrum Peninsula and have not been able to stop going back to the same place ever since!

I usually go to Turkey in May or June as the weather is beautiful and hot but not too hot! I fly from Gatwick to Bodrum which takes just under four hours and then a 40 minute transfer to ‘The Bagevleri Hotel’ in Gumbet. It is a small family run bed and breakfast hotel just off the main road of Gumbet with a lovely pool area, bar and restaurant and only five minutes from the sandy beach.

There are lots of restaurants in Gumbet including my favourites …. ‘The Bombay Cottage’ where you can get a gorgeous Indian buffet and the ‘Columbia Steak House’ right across the road from the hotel. There are lots of shops to buy ‘fake’ designer gear and lots of bars and nightclubs. The larger resort of Bodrum is only a five minute bus ride away where this a lovely harbour area, castle and lots more shops and bigger bars and nightclubs including the world famous ‘Halikarnas’. Another resort near to Gumbet worth a visit is Bitez .... A smaller, windurfing resort with a much quieter beach, some nice shops and some lovely restaurants on the beachfront.

There are many things that are a must for me whilst holidaying in Turkey …. A turkish bath is a great way to start your holiday as after the bath you have a body scrub that removes all your dead skin so you are ready to get a gorgeous tan with out peeling! A boat trip along the coast on a Gulet making lots of stops for lunch, fishing and swimming in the sea and another stop at Camel Beach for a quick ride along the beach on a camel. We find this a good day to try some watersports aswell, as a speedboat brings the banana, ringos and jetbikes out to the boat. The Gumbet market is worth a visit or take a trip into Bodrum or Turgetreis for one of the bigger markets. A day at the waterpark, the dolphin swim park or a try at horseriding in the hills are some other things worth considering!

My favourite trip is a jeep safari including lunch at a Turkish village, as well as a remote beach stop for a swim, lots of waterfights and other suprises throughout the day.

There is so much to do and see in Turkey but still have that well needed relaxation. The Bagevleri Hotel is so perfect and the staff here look after us so well that I think I will carry on visiting here for many years to come!