Great news that you got it all sorted and are happy with the alternative......and I would have been *giving off* too Now you can sit back and just let the excitement build

Great news, well done 

Great news Ells!    

Now I have to trawl the interweb to get to know Altinkum a little better now!  

that's great Ells - have a fantastic time!

That's great news, Ells.

great  

I missed your first thread but £100 is not a lot extra to pay to make the difference between a bad hol and a fab one

It's not Barney but they wanted £500 to start with.  Their first offer was to knock £57 off  Glad the manager was in agreement with me that they weren't giving me any decent alternatives other than cancelling.

glad you stuck to your guns   if you hadn't we may have seen you on watchdog or holidays from hell

hope you have a lovely holiday

You may well have seen me on Crimewatch for crimes against Thomas Cook staff had the manager not been so nice!  I'd been stressed out all weekend thinking we might have to cancel.

Aw resuuuult! Luv it Ells, I'm excited for you!

Lol Blizzie

Great news Ells, hope you all have a fab time hun xx

Btw it's your fault to forum is covered in holiday adverts

awww...   am dead chuffed for you Ells... 

holidays cost a bloody fortune..    its tragic when they end up being ruined by something... 

Enjoy xx

glad you got it sorted 

Love the pic Blizzie....I think I did that face upon leaving the travel agents!!

Sorry Jen  but at least it's better than the mature ladies!!

Thanks ditty and Pengy  I'm back to being excited again now.....could have cried today when it seemed the only option was cancelling!

Haha love that pic!

Result Ells - have a fab time 

Cheers velvet 

Wahhh.. I know it well

Great news

 brilliant

Ells, very pleased you got it sorted.  You just need Gyps to come in and tell you about your new resort, I do believe she is our resident expert on Turkey. 

oh look there she is 

Well done Ells  LOL at that pic!

Thats where my house is I spent a year and a half in that resort. *should set up some sort of travel advice bureau*

I was thinking about you and the house the other week and wondering.  

You really should set up a Gypsie Travel Bureau. 

Well spill then!!  Where's good for a night's entertainment?  Good food?  Places to avoid?  Places to see?

Ohhh god, where to begin. The beaches are pretty rubbish if im honest, and not very clean. There are 3 beaches, the main beach, the top beach and the bottom beach. By the bottom beach (where you will find some pubs called linekers and the british bar) you can walk to the end of the beach and up and over the hill, just 5 mins away you will find a pretty quiet and clean little cove /bay of a beach , perfect and much nicer than the main beaches.  Boat trips from the main beach are a good laugh, and the sea is perfect for swimming.

The saturday market is an experience to see tourist crap and also eat and buy local food, look out for the large flour pancakes they make with potato, spinach and local cheese...delish! 

The temple of Apollo is nice to visit in the evenings as well (when its shut) because there is some nice little restaurants (one in particular) that you can eat in and overlook the beautifully flood lit ruins. 

Hire a car and go and find the ruins of Priene, near the villiage of doganbey. They are MUCH more spectacular than the temple of Apollo, and in the middle of nowhere, located high on a hillside, its like stepping back to ancient times, you wont see a car or hear a sound, it is really well preserved and spectacular, YOU MUST VISIT IT, as not a lot of tourists will, and its a hidden gem (google it). While you have the car you may as well take it just the short journey from there to the national park where you can see all sorts of wildlife, you may be lucky enough to spot some wild big cats, wild bore (i saw one of them) snakes, all sorts of birds and amazing stuff. Take your cossies because its dotted with lovely little beaches, and you are likely to be the only non Turkish people there.... I like discovering things like that in a holiday. The drive from didum (altinkum) to priene is not far and on a near desolated road, so dont be put off.

you will be sold/ see all the other usual attractions, ephusus, pamukkale (dont bother with pamukkale  its not what it used to be), the aqua park for kids is good. There is also another aqua park in Kusadasi which is close and also worth a visit. If you go on a Turkish night (which you got to do) and can see one advertised in the caravanseri in Kusadasi, then go to that one. You can also go swimming with dolphins in bodrum, which is meant to be good (not done it), those excursions are sold locally.

cant think what else, dont trust any 'helpful' Turkish person to do any deals / buy anything for you as a 'favour' they are taking a big cut of your money Nomatter HOW friendly they are.

thats all i can think of for now... if i think of anything else ill let you know (bet you wish you hadn't asked).

Oooh sounds like I will have to keep a look out for lots of stuff then What's the weather like in May Gypsy?  And how long is the bus ride from Bodrum airport to Altinkum?

Bus is about 2 hours 2 and half hours form bodrum, weather in may is hot, not boiling but definitely beach weather, but a cardigan at night because it will get chilly as soon as the sun goes. Actually much nicer than going in august when it is sometimes unbearable.

Awwww f*ck the kids are gonna be grumpy wee sods on the bus lol.  I think we arrive in Bodrum at about 1am...could be even 2am.  

ahh but then by the time you get into altinkum you should hear the morning call to prayer from the minaretes .... i adore that sound, its very atmospheric. Then you will know you are on o'liday

Prayer calls are good 

Its a lovely sound

What is it?    is it like church bells?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5aMcuMUh1c

Ahhhh right.  Kind of like church bells then.....only with more notes