hi ovaick or hissaronu would suit you look on holiday lettings for your appartment or villa.

its a good area with olu deniz only 15mins by dolmus and fethiye only 10 mins you have water parks fine hotels villas with private pools and shared pools good medical facialities kids hire ie travel tots for cots bouncy chairs etc to save on carrying and of course wieght plenty of local shops as well as migros and azda and bim supermarkets

Thanks for the tips. I have been looking into Olu Deniz/Fethiye area and it sounds appealing. However, I have read that the beaches can get very busy during peak season (we are going mid-aug). Got some more questions for you now..
1 - Are there any hotels/resorts with villas that have a private pool in the Olu Deniz area?
2 - How easy is it to drive in Turkey? I loved driving in Cyprus but I have heard that Turkey is very chaotic.
3 - Whilst doing some research i found Altinkum near Bodrum. What's this like? Is it a child-friendly area and not too busy?

driving in turkey is easy just abide by there laws and you wont have any problems
not sure about hotels with apartments and or private pools
bodrum is lovely as is most of this coast line on the southwest

Have a look at the Bodrum Peninsula, there are some lovely resorts there, from lively to laid back and quiet. The scenrery is also gorgeous and it is very easy to get about by dolmus (minibus). I have seen some lovely villas advertised around too.

Okay..thanks for all the help.
I have narrowed it down to two destinations
1 - Hisaronu
2 - Turgutreis (near Bodrum)

Now I need a list of things to do (for the adults and kids as well as a family as a whole).
Both locations have nice beaches nearby, but we need some other activities also, eg scenic drives, ruins, waterfalls etc.
Any ideas which area will be best for this? Can you give some links to websites that will help with my research?
I am tempted to hire a car and drive around myself but would probably prefer to book with tour guides.

hi

ive been to both hisaronu and turgutreis and in my opinion , hisaronu location is far nicer, the lagoon area in olu deniz is much more child friendly with nice sandy beaches whereas turgutreis had a very stoney, pebbly beach and beach shoes are needed to get in and out of the sea, my daughter hated it so much so refused to go in the sea. turgutreis is also more expensive than hisaronu area to eat out. the scenery in olu deniz is far nicer than turgutreis too, turgutreis was ok but wouldnt return whereas we are going back to olu deniz in oct and have been a few times already

cyprus drive on the same side as the road as the uk whereas turkey doesnt and the drivers are a bit crazy in turkey so you need eyes in the back of your head !!!

The Bodrum Peninsula is very scenic and there is lots to see and do. I love to get on a bus at Bodrum and just go off to see some of the surounding resorts and villages, near to Turgutreis is Gumusluk, a charming little village with an island there called Rabbit Island and you can walk across to it, although here aren't actually any rabbits there

For the kids there is a waterpark not far away and a boat trip is always good fun, so is a jeep safari.

In Bodum you have a castle, the ruins of the Mausoleum of Halikarnassus (one of the seven wonders of the world) and an ancient theatre. If you fancy travelling a little further afield you can also visit Ephesus.

I don't think there are any waterfalls around.

Here are a few links for you on Turgutreis and Bodrum for you

http://turgutreis.biz/
http://www.bodrum-info.org/
http://www.bodrumlife.com/
http://www.bodrum.org/
http://www.bodrum.com/

Back again.

I have decided on a villa in Hisaronu.
It is a few miles away from Olu Deniz so i wanted to know is there any point me hiring a car? Is it easy enough to get around using taxis/dolmus (especially with a 3yr old and a 5mth old)? Can I hire the car from Hisaronu once i am there?

Now i need to make a schedule of things to do for the week we are there. Any tips?
We want to see/experience the real Turkey as well as the touristy parts. Also would love some good restaurants that do authentic turkish dishes. Dont mind travelling but not too far with kids in the heat.

yes car hire is very easy in hisaronu as far as traditional turkey is concerned if you hire a car take a drive to patara and kas going down towards antalya
and stop at some of the road side restaurants its great they don't speak english so a phrase book is a must but they are so friendly also just 20 minites outside fethiye is kemer country park food is nice and cheap- and the views are stunning also there is saklikent, tlos, yaka park, kidrak beachpicnic beach etc
if you have a modern tomtom sat nav there is a map for southwest turkey too many restaurants to list