For a huge number of our compatriots, Turkey is associated with a wonderful beach vacation during a vacation. And although this country is actually much more multifaceted, it is really worth going here to lie on the beach - with relatively low prices and a relatively small distance from our country, the tourism sector of Turkey offers excellent service for foreign guests.
If a trip alone or for two practically does not put forward any special requirements for the hotel, then families going on vacation with children want to see the conditions necessary for the kids so that the vacation is unforgettable for them. Hospitable Turks are ready to help here too - you just need to choose a suitable hotel for this.
We take into account the location of housing
Turkey is a rather big country, its coastline is very stretched, and therefore there are quite a few resorts. The country is washed by four seas - the well-known Black, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean. At the same time, it is illogical to go to Turkey for the Black Sea - we also have it, and the climate from the Krasnodar Territory will not differ much, not to mention the fact that this zone is not considered a tourist zone, therefore, although prices are low, there is also a service same.
The coast of the Sea of Marmara is hardly suitable for "beach" tourists either - it is relatively small and a huge number of ships constantly pass through it, which does not contribute to the purity of the water area.
The Mediterranean and Aegean coasts remain, but here, in both cases, there are some nuances.
For example, at the beginning and at the end of the season - in late May and early October - it is better to go to the Mediterranean resorts, since the climate here is warmer and more humid, so even at this time the sea will be warm.
In July-August, it is not always worth going with children, because the heat in southern Turkey during these months can be incredible, but if you already decided to go, be sure to choose resorts on the Aegean Sea - the climate here is cooler and drier, because in summer the conditions are better for normal rest.
Mediterranean resorts
There are many resorts in Turkey, but our compatriots are most familiar with eight of them. It is worth starting, perhaps, with the Mediterranean resorts - they are a little more famous.
Antalya
This city can be safely called a tourist center not only on the scale of the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, but also the main resort of the whole country. It is not difficult to come here even with little ones, because a large international airport that accepts flights, including from the post-Soviet countries, is located right on the outskirts of this 800 thousandth city.
Many of the beaches here are made of sand, which is ideal for children, but there are also platform-like coastlines. The city and its surroundings are home to numerous tourist attractions and entertainment for visitors.
Side
This small town is a paradise for people who want to relax by the sea in the old surroundings and far from major tourist centers.
The population of the city is very small (about 11 thousand), therefore it is much quieter here, but hotels will offer children all the necessary entertainment.
Kids will love the sandy beaches, but they will have to drive 60 km from the airport, which can be a problem for the smallest ones.
Belek
This city is even smaller than Side (up to 7 thousand inhabitants), which does not prevent it from being one of the most famous resorts in the entire region. The fact is that the development of the tourism sector in Belek began somewhat later than in neighboring cities, therefore, since the niche of mass tourism turned out to be occupied, the locals focused on developing tourism for the rich. Adults should visit this city as one of the largest golf centers in the whole world.
Although there are no historical sites directly in Belek, it is very convenient for excursions to neighboring cities from here. A feature of the resort is the presence of a large number of pine and eucalyptus forests, thanks to which the local air is very beneficial for health.
Antalya airport is relatively close from here - some 30 km, and sandy beaches are considered one of the best, but you will have to pay a lot for a vacation with children - the status of the resort obliges.
Kemer
This resort is the only one on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, whose beaches are not made of sand, but mainly of pebbles, so you should go here with a little eye - you can't run barefoot on such a beach.
At a relatively small distance from Antalya (40 km), the city amazes with the wildness of the surrounding nature - it is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and back in the 60s of the last century it was possible to get here exclusively by sea.
Today, the 20-thousandth Kemer is considered one of the most beautiful resorts in Turkey, distinguished by crystal clear water and mesmerizing beauty of rocks, as well as an abundance of ancient relics.
Alanya
Alanya is considered the most remote resort on the Mediterranean coast: it is located 120 km from Antalya airport, so you should take care of the transfer in advance, otherwise the long journey will tire the kids.
At the same time, remoteness also affects prices - they are relatively low here. As a result, the city with a permanent population of 95 thousand people has about 160 thousand beds in hotels.
Massive flows of tourists not only from post-Soviet, but also from European countries have a positive effect on the level of development of local infrastructure, which is inferior only to the capabilities of Antalya.
Resorts on the Aegean
The Aegean coast of Turkey is distinguished by the fact that its beaches are almost entirely pebbly. This means that the smallest can expect disappointment here, because you can't build castles on the seashore, but a less hot climate provides cities with their advantages.
Marmaris
Marmaris is well suited for those tourists who want to see the "European" Turkey. Here, the Greek islands of the Aegean Sea are just a stone's throw away, so the city doesn't seem Asian at all.
The thirty-thousand-seat town receives up to 400 thousand tourists per season, but only the bulk of them come without children, because this is a real center of nightlife with numerous bars and nightclubs. However, the beautiful nature, the opportunity to swim right away in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, as well as the availability of interesting excursions to the Greek island of Rhodes contribute to the fact that opportunities for families with children are also presented here.
True, many experienced tourists advise staying with kids not in Marmaris itself, but in its surroundings - it is much quieter. You should fly to Dalaman airport, but you will have to travel about a hundred kilometers from it.
Bodrum
One of the northernmost, and therefore the most peaceful Turkish resorts. The city is known for its antique objects almost more than for its beaches, although you can come here by the sea.
It is worth choosing Bodrum if the vacation is planned for the hottest part of summer - it will definitely be cooler here (the average temperature in June-July is 27-28 degrees), in early June and late September you should think carefully before going here with children. but May, a resort for the whole of Turkey, will be too cold here.
Fethiye
Fethiye is a very unusual "English" resort, because of the 70 thousand local population, at least one tenth are British permanently living here, and in general this place is very popular among the British - it is visited by up to 600 thousand people annually from this country alone.
To appreciate the beauty of the local nature and the unusual combination of Turkish and English cultures, you will have to overcome an additional 60 km from Dalaman airport, but such a vacation will surely be remembered.
Hotels
There are thousands of hotels in the resorts of Turkey, hundreds of them are suitable for a comfortable stay with the whole family, including children of any age.
You can find many hotel ratings on the Internet, but all of them, of course, are somewhat subjective - at least there is no person who has visited all the hotels, and the infrastructure is updated every year, and all tourists have different tastes.
For this reason, it is better to compile a review of hotels not according to the principle of a hit parade, but in the form of individual examples of the amazing quality of service for young tourists - at least so that novice tourists have something to start from when evaluating a particular hotel.
The search for the desired voucher is greatly facilitated when using special services such as OnlineTours: you can see the offers of the largest tours in one place. operators, read reviews on hotels. The price for the tour will include the flight, the transfer to the hotel, and accommodation.
4 and 5 stars at an affordable cost
In Turkey, the concept of "star rating" of hotels is somewhat blurred, so a 4-5-star hotel can be either luxurious and super-expensive, or relatively modest in terms of prices and level of services. Perhaps the ideal solution would be to find an average option - so that it is comfortable for adults and children, and so that prices do not "bite". As a rule, such establishments are concentrated in relatively inexpensive Alanya. Let's consider several examples of hotels of this type.
Lonicera World 4 *
It is considered one of the best inexpensive options for families with children, as it is located in a relatively quiet and very picturesque place. For general orientation, locals can say that this is Alanya, but in fact the hotel is located in the resort area, 22 kilometers from the city center.
There is all the necessary entertainment infrastructure for adults around, and the hotel itself provides a private beach with free sun loungers. The hotel area is shared with Lonicera Resort & Spa Hotel 5 *, therefore, you can use the entire infrastructure of a five-star hotel, except for their restaurant.
Here you can easily rent strollers for the little ones. The hotel has special chairs for babies in the restaurant. Children's disco, playground and swimming pool are a great addition to families with children.
Own zoo and water park will be a great bonus. The minimum price for a room for three (with one child) as of 2018 starts at $ 50 per night, but during the high season you should not count on prices below $ 70.
Justiniano Club Alanya 4 *
The hotel is located even further from Alanya (35 km), but a little closer to Antalya airport (90 km - 1-1.5 hour transfer). This hotel is a somewhat unusual concept, since there are no buildings proper: there are dozens of small bungalows with several rooms on a huge territory.
Usually this hotel is not criticized, but from minor remarks one can single out the sand and pebble composition of the beach, which is not very convenient to walk barefoot, and the lack of a special kitchen for children 2-3 years old (for babies, you can bring food with you).
There is no water park here, but there are water slides in the pool, a zoo, a children's disco and a club, a playground for active games.
For the little ones, they offer stroller rental and the addition of baby cots to the rooms, there is also an hourly babysitting service.
Incekum Beach Resort 5 *
The hotel does not fundamentally differ from the two above-described hotels - moreover, there are no amenities like a water park or a zoo, which does not prevent the hotel from having one more star.
A peculiar luxury of this hotel lies in a gorgeous garden, in which small buildings are buried. From the children's infrastructure, there is a swimming pool and a playground, as well as a children's club and the opportunity to dine in a separate buffet with a special menu. Babysitting services are offered for babies.
It should be noted that the hotel is very popular, so rooms here need to be booked in advance.
5 stars without savings
Wealthy people prefer not to save money in order to be sure of the highest quality of service.
It should be noted that hotels from this section differ from economy-class hotels rather not in terms of convenience, but in location - in particular, many of the ones described below will be located in the vicinity of ancient Side, which itself is a tourist center and offers a lot of opportunities for excursions to ancient ruins ...
In the review, we will try not to repeat the standard list of children's entertainment that is present in almost every hotel, but to highlight the distinctive features for which it is worth overpaying a little to keep the kids happy.
Lyra Resort Hotel 5 *
Some 10-15 kilometers closer to Antalya - and now hotels can afford to raise prices, although the airport is still as much as 75 kilometers. However, the difference in service is also noticeable, because there are relatively few rooms in such a hotel - less than 300 versus 500-700 for cheaper competitors.
75 rooms are suitable for a comfortable family vacation, but there are also several original "bonuses", for example, a special children's park and a specially allocated time when all kids are given free ice cream.
For teenagers from 13 years old, there is a club on the territory.
Club Hotel Turan Prince World HV1
The hotel is located relatively close to the previous hotel, but offers completely different conditions. There are a lot of rooms here - about 700, but they are scattered over a rather large territory, therefore, there are no "extras" in the vicinity of the buildings - only in places of entertainment, and there are also a lot of them.
There is not only a water park and a zoo, but also an impressive amusement park, which includes an impressive Ferris wheel and a large number of other worthy attractions.
Separately, it is worth highlighting the abundance of places for children's bathing - the kids are allocated three pools at once.
Calimera Kaya Sides 5 *
The undoubted "feature" of this hotel is its interesting location - not only is it located in the middle between all the local attractions, but also it is located on a small promontory, thanks to which the sea is here from almost all sides!
On the side where the "big land" is located, the territory also looks good - there is a lake and a forest.
In general, there is a high service with a standard set of quality services, but the "children's" range is relatively poor - there is only a swimming pool, playground and club, as well as a nanny.
Surprisingly, the internet is not included in the room rate, so you will have to pay for it separately. As of 2018, the minimum room rate for a triple room even out of season is $ 104 per night.
Paloma Beach Resort & Spa HV1 is another example of how the good location of the hotel allows the owners to be considered an expensive hotel with a relatively small number of services provided.
Of all the hotels described, this one is the closest to Antalya airport - only 65 kilometers. This hotel is famous for the courtesy of the staff and high-quality children's animation, but there is no extraordinary infrastructure on the territory of the hotel, which means that you will have to go outside the territory to get to the zoo or water park.
VIP
The "presidential" number is considered an obligatory attribute of an adult wealthy person, however, even the richest have a desire to relax at sea with children.If the thickness of the wallet allows, you can organize a truly unforgettable vacation on the Turkish coast - fortunately, hospitable Turks are ready to do everything possible to make rich guests of all ages satisfied.
Truly luxury hotels are not concentrated in any one place - there are relatively few of them, so they are heard, even if they are far enough from each other. It is worth highlighting a few of them to give the potential tourist an understanding of why a vacation can be so expensive.
Ela Quality 5 *
Ela Quality can safely be considered one of the best family hotels in the whole of Turkey, since children's infrastructure is presented here in all imaginable and unimaginable forms. If earlier you thought that the presence of a children's club at the hotel was good, now think about it: this hotel has four children's clubs at once, each of which is designed for a certain age category.
Parents of their youngest toddlers have access to bottle warmers and sterilizers, not to mention the microwave.
In addition to standard entertainment, there is also a special children's cinema and a computer room, and during the day's rest, you can leave your baby in a special room where he can sleep under the supervision of a nanny.
Parents can ask the staff to bring all the necessary baby items from a bathtub and pot to clothes, furniture and even toys!
The possibility of renting a PDA allows you to let your child go anywhere, because information about his whereabouts will always be at hand.
Teens, as well as adults, may love the fact that stars and celebrities are regularly invited to perform at the hotel. Of course, such a pleasure costs a lot - for the most modest room in April 2018, you will have to pay 220 euros per day.
Paloma Grida Village & spa 5 *
This is a hotel also located in Belek. In many ways, it resembles the above-described option, only the amenities here seem to be slightly curtailed - for example, instead of four children's clubs, only two are presented by age group.
In general, the range of services and entertainment here is somewhat smaller, but there are also advantages - in particular, it has its own water park and amusement park, but the more famous competitor, with all its advantages, does not have those on the territory.
A separate point, which will certainly interest budget travelers, will be the lower price for rooms - you can stay in a room for three for a day here even for $ 147.
Wow Kremlin Palace 5 *
This is a place for those who, even in sultry and interesting Turkey, still miss Moscow. This hotel is located in Antalya, but its creators did everything possible to make the territory resemble the Russian capital - for example, such sights as the Kremlin and St. Basil's Cathedral, the building of the Historical Museum and the Resurrection Gate are reproduced here almost in full size.
Compared to the above-described hotels, this hotel does not have any incredible children's infrastructure, however, the very fact of its location in Antalya (in the city, and not in its vicinity) solves this problem - a huge city allows itself to find entertainment for every taste.
True, each time you have to pay extra for entertainment, but the rest will still be unforgettable, because the children of wealthy parents are not only Muscovites, so they will have the opportunity to discover the capital of Russia and sunny Turkey at the same time.
Gural Premier Tekirova 5 *
Located in a small but well-known resort village Tekirova, from where even Kemer is 17 kilometers away, but the lack of "public" entertainment only encourages the founders of the hotel chain to build their own entertainment on the hotel territory. For example, the owners were not too lazy to place a pirate ship in the children's pool and create an artificial beach around it, although there is also a water park and a good sandy beach on the seashore.
For the little ones, a special changing room has been created, for slightly older children there is such an original convenience as a special children's toilet.
There is only one kids club here, but it is very large and is divided into four sections for different ages. Parents can rent a stroller or babysit, but both will have to be paid for separately.
Important factors when choosing a hotel
Adapting to the age of the baby
What is good about Turkey for families with children is the attitude of local tourism staff towards children. Many tourists say that there is literally a cult of children here - every self-respecting hotel tries to hire the best animators who would necessarily speak the language of the child and be able to come up with dozens of ways to cheer him up while the parents are resting in complete peace.
At the same time, large hotels offer to leave children in special clubs, where there are not only animators, but also various games - both board and computer.
However, such clubs are largely designed for a certain age category, therefore, in the case of each hotel, you need to be interested not only in the availability of children's infrastructure, but in opportunities for kids of a particular age. In particular, you should find out if it is possible to go to such a club for free (entrance fee is included in the price of the voucher), or if such a service is additionally paid.
While everything is relatively clear with children of primary and secondary school age, the situation with the smallest remains incomprehensible to many parents.
The local tourism industry offers a lot of excursions and other entertainment, but you can't leave a nursing or one-year-old toddler with other children. For this case, almost in every Turkish resort there are nannies-nurses who will look after babies 1-2 years old individually, and from 3 years old - in small groups. However, this point should also be clarified in advance, even before buying a ticket.
As for adolescents under 15 years old, they are often close to adults in their hobbies.
They, as a rule, are interested in active games (at least the same table tennis), therefore, it is necessary to clarify the availability of tennis tables or courts, basketball courts, football fields and other similar infrastructure at the hotel.
Nutrition issues
The main point when choosing a hotel for a beach holiday in Turkey is the menu offered by the hotel kitchen. The fact is that most Turkish holiday hotels offer all-inclusive packages, when breakfasts, lunches and dinners (and even snacks) are already paid for in advance. This allows vacationers not to worry about additional spending, while eating tasty and satisfying.
Another thing is that children are often more picky about food - they are allergic to some products, they simply do not like others. The best Turkish hotels do not forget to take care of young visitors, offering them a special children's menu, which includes a large amount of carbohydrates for active games.
Numerous sweets are an important component, many of which are prepared in such a way that even their active use does not harm health. However, in cheaper hotels this service may not be available, so if you want a luxurious menu for your baby, do not forget to clarify this point in advance.
Particular attention should be paid to planning the nutrition of those children for whom certain foods are contraindicated for health reasons. Again, in large and expensive hotels owned by world famous franchises, this problem is easily solved, but in inexpensive hotels far from the main tourist centers, parents sometimes have to look for the necessary products on their own.
To prevent this from happening, you should contact the hotel in advance and ask if their kitchen has the ability to provide recommended meals for the baby.
Spectrum of entertainment
Adults, tired of the constant hassle, will be quite satisfied with the extremely simple rest, which consists in a simple reclining on the beach surrounded by silence, but the kids are unlikely to like this - they need entertainment.
Excursions to ancient places are unlikely to be interesting even for many schoolchildren, not to mention preschoolers, and even the highest quality animation is also unlikely to leave an impression for a lifetime.
Therefore, a good family hotel should be a miniature resort town, offering a wide range of children's entertainment.
- Any large hotel should have a special children's club, where children of the same age could play board or active games with each other, watch a movie or even just chat, given that tourists from other countries can tell a lot of interesting things.
- Hotels with their own water park are insanely popular among children, where you can not just swim in the pool, but also ride the water slides, and ideally get to know real dolphins and turtles.
- Lunapark with numerous attractions is considered one of the favorite children's entertainment, and if in our area these are usually found in crowded central parks or periodically come "on tour", then in Turkey every worthy family-type hotel should have its own amusement park, where its little guests could have fun at any convenient moment.
- Even in Turkey, not every hotel has its own zoo, but if there is one, its presence will be a very important argument for the kid in favor of choosing this particular hotel.
Beaches
When choosing a resort for families with children, many parents pay great attention to the choice of the beach and do the right thing - if the child is small, he probably loves to play in the sand, and he will hardly like the pebbles, which are painful to walk on. In this context, the Mediterranean coast of Turkey offers excellent sandy beaches, with the exception of Kemer, famous for its coastal pebbles.
Pebble beaches are only suitable for teenagers who can refuse to sculpt sand castles and are able to consciously wear shoes even on the beach. If there are teenagers in the family, you can safely go to the Aegean coast or to Kemer.
As for the famous Antalya, you should be careful when choosing a hotel, since most of the local beaches are made of sand, but there are also ordinary concrete slabs descending to the water.
On the one hand, there is not much difference where to sunbathe, on the other hand, many tourists will be disappointed with the appearance of such a "beach", and we are not talking about children alone.
What is more profitable - to rent a hotel or an apartment?
On the one hand, Turkey is famous for its numerous hotels offering all-inclusive services, on the other hand, domestic tourists usually point out that it is always much cheaper to relax if the tourists themselves buy food and cook. The last statement is true, but only partly - the fact is that it is relevant on the territory of post-Soviet countries and is not always suitable for describing Turkey.
The fact is that even inexpensive local hotels usually offer meals included in the price, and if there are enough guests at the hotel, guests can count on a truly delicious and varied cuisine.
Hospitable Turks cook on a grand scale, and a large number of guests allows them to buy food in bulk, which favorably affects the cost of such a dinner. Consequently, even budget hotels with accommodation and meals offer tasty and satisfying meals for little money.
When preparing food on your own, you can save good money, but also not always - for example, in large tourist centers you still need to find out where the locals themselves buy food, because it will not be cheap on popular routes and in famous cafes.
Even if a Slavic guest manages to find a local bazaar, he can leave here at low cost, unless he can and wants to bargain, but such entertainment is usually interesting for no more than one time, and later very quickly bothers everyone who does not accustomed to this custom.
As for the accommodation itself, for a settlement with a small child, you can choose ordinary double rooms - many family-type hotels offer, at the request of customers, to put a small children's bed there.
If the bed is in the room by default, then it can no longer be considered a double, it is more difficult to hand it over to a couple without children, so you will have to overpay a little for such a room.
Top offers
It should be noted that, although hotels on the Turkish coast do not lack guests, they nevertheless strive to constantly compete with each other for visitors, therefore, actual profitable offers appear regularly, and the tourist's task is to be able to track them. Perhaps, each person will have their own rating of hotels, depending on what kind of amenities they are interested in.
Even inexpensive and rather modest hotels somewhere on the outskirts of Alanya often collect a lot of positive reviews, simply because for someone this is the only opportunity to get abroad and remember their vacation for a lifetime.
If you choose the best 4 and 5 star hotels, then it is usually advised to look for hotels of famous world franchises - they are represented in every or almost every Turkish resort.
These brands are probably known to everyone who travels - Rixos, Amara, Papillon, Paloma, Delphin, Voyage are among them. Moreover, in every resort town there are also high-level local hotels.
Those who have been to Turkey more than once draw attention to the significant difference between hotels of the supposedly the same class. Local authorities do not always strictly monitor the certification of the hotel, and hotel magnates often resort to various tricks so that a modest motel suddenly has five stars in its name.
For this reason, when you come across an unfamiliar name, you should look for comments from other users on the Internet, because the hotel can take the excess due to the abundance of green spaces and beautiful nature around, or simply represent a slightly outdated concept of "five stars".
Useful Tips
Several recommendations from experienced tourists who suggest how to avoid unpleasant surprises due to ignorance of certain local features.
- Choose your hotel location carefully. The location often indicates one or another famous resort town, while in practice it turns out that we are talking about its surroundings, and this may be a remote village. If the hotel provides all the entertainment infrastructure, then this is not a problem, but otherwise you will have to spend time and money on constant transfers.
- The concept of the number of stars in Turkey is vague like nowhere else, so you need to focus not on the number of stars, but on the description of the hotel's advantages and reviews of other tourists. Do not choose a hotel based solely on the average rating from visitors - it can get screwed up, and a completely different, non-family contingent can rest there.
- Turkey is a very multifaceted country, therefore, if you have an adult and diversified child, do not bypass the country's culture. In particular, from the resorts of the Aegean Sea, you can go to the famous Pamukkale or the Greek island of Rhodes - they are worth it.
For a video review of rest with children at the Grand Park Kemer by Corendon 5 hotel *, see the following video.
