http://www.flyThomascook.com have flights to Izmir (adnan mendres) which I think is the closest airport.(other flight sites that I have used and got good prices with are http://www.airflights.co.uk and INVALID URL It about 10 years ago that we went to Cesme so can't remember if you can fly into other airport. We really liked Cesme as it had lots of nice restaurants,shops and bars without being too busy and very little hasstle. It has a slightly "upmarket" feel . Also a lovely harbour. A lot of turkish people from Izmir seem to holiday there. A turkish bath is a great experience and really good to have at the start of your holiday as you tan much better after one. One of the larger hotels should be able to offer one. There is a beach close by (short trip on the dolmus) at Ithaca. As far as changing money it used to be that the exchange rate changed on a daily basis so it was best to only change money as you needed it This is not so much the case now as the lira is less volatile but it is usually still worth changing most of your money in Turkey as the exchange rate is generally better there. (though this June I got a better rate with the post office here than I did in Turkey! First time that has ever happened to me). Sorry can't be more help but obviously things will have changed somewhat since I was last there. A lovely place though and somewhere I would love to go back to. Hopefully someone else who has been a bit more recently will be along soon to help you out.

Thanks for that, you have made it sound lovely, just what i was hoping for!

The cheapest flights i could find were 375 pounds return, is that good considering its in the middle of august? I saw some flights wanting 1500 return!

Where are you flying from? and what dates are you looking to go?

London airports. 2nd week in August for 2 weeks.

Both airflight.co.uk and flythomascook are showing flights leaving 10th for 2 weeks Gatwick to Izmir at £217-£220 per person (I was looking at August 2006 ) Good luck

have a look at British airways (currently £219 for dates you are looking that) & Cyprus Turkish airlines, they both fly into Izmir from london.

Bodrum is another option, it is about a 2.5 / 3 hour drive to Cesme, but there are a lot more flight options. (xl.com, thomsons, first choice, thomas cook, goldtrail)

thanks so much all I just got flights for 220. Cesme here i come!!!

Things to do, if I can remember as it was 2001 we were there.
Down on the habour they run "donkey island trips" there was a big double decker boat which seemed to have more of a party atmosphere than ours but the trip was still better than the similar one from Kusidasi. The Google Earth resolution is quite good around Cesme.
There is a heated spring at a hotel, it has been harnessed into small swimming pools, but a nice little trip.
With a car you can drive down to Kusi fairly easily either round the coast or back via Izmir. To the North of Kusi you have Ephesus for culture and AquaFantasy and Adaland for fun.
On the boat trip we saw nice beaches to the north of Cesme, but we were at the Club Pomelan just past Ciftlikov. Keep going past the hotel and the road forks, there are nice beaches at both ends of the road.
There is a big street market in alicate (check spelling) and the old bazaar area in Izmir is worth a view. Don't buy the perfume! There was a really nice chap flogging good perfume from his shop in Cesme and also he said hello in various markets. Unfortunately the % was more genuine eau de Toilette than eau de parfum. ( excuse the French)

lots of photos of Cesme Here
http://www.worldturkey.com/gallery/categories.php?cat_id=37&sessionid=961b69bb1c8f8a10e390a60c7ad84930

Thanks Steve and Fionay
Something else i needed to ask, if anyone knows.. Iv been reading old mags in the hospital whilst my daughter has been in there for the last couple of days and i came across a story of a couple who went to Turkey and were inprisoned for trying to bring back a marble door stop thingie. It said there were loads of things that are illegal to bring back from Turkey all with a prisonable punishment! Is there anywhere i can get a list of banned items before i go as i really wouldnt like to get caught with anything i shouldnt have!!

Thanks,

Debby.

Sorry can't help you with the list of banned items but your story made my smile as it remineded me of when I went to Turunc last year with my son and mother inlaw.
It was her first time in Turkey.
She likes to collect pretty pebbles from the beach on holiday as a momento. A day or so before we were due to return she was reading a womens magazine and it had the story you mentioned. She was horrified and was convinced that she was about to be chucked in jail if they found her pebbles on the scanner at the airport. She couldn't get rid of them fast enough and emptied them back onto the beach! I think the item in the article was in fact an ancient artifact (like a piece of the ruins from Ephesus) and you are banned from taking anything of that nature out of the country.

What a coincedence..lol..Thats exactly what i was imagining too!!