DESTINATIONS — TURKEY
OPEN SEASON
I
t takes more than the end of summer sun to take the shine off Turkey’s tourism offering. June to September marks the high season for sun, sand and sea escapes, but if your clients’ primary aim is not solely to get as brown as a berry in a few days, there’s a lot to be said for holidaying beachside in the low seasons. Temperatures in October and even November
are still quite warm, the beaches are quieter and there are some real bargains to be had. Besides, not everyone wants to visit Turkey in scorching July and August, not least those with little ones.
l FRINGE BENEFITS “After the heat, hustle and bustle of high summer, it is a pleasure to holiday out of season,” says Jane Baxter, Turkey product manager for Ilios Travel, which has a host of off-season options including private villas in Gokcebel on the Bodrum peninsula that feature log fires. She adds: “Families with youngsters at school
can be fairly confident of a warm half-term break and, while November may not be a time to bare all on the beach, it is a time to sit in a beachside or pavement cafe and enjoy the heat of the sun. At this tail-end of the year the sea swimming is also at its best as although the air has cooled down, it takes the sea a lot longer.” Baxter also points out that in the Aegean
region, October and November mark the time of year known as Pastrami Summer, when the sun is said to be hot enough and the air dry enough to cure pastrami. Akin Koc, managing director of Anatolian Sky, recommends Kalkan where the average temperature is 24C in October and 18C in November.
Summer’s end doesn’t signal the end of holiday options for Turkey, writes Karl Cushing
l TIME DIFFERENCE Naturally airlift is a factor as seasonal charters diminish, yet plentiful options remain. Baxter recommends Bodrum, to which charters run from various UK regional airports throughout October, and both Pegasus and Turkish Airlines offer flights via Istanbul from November onwards. “The Bodrum Peninsula’s winter population is sufficient that there will always be restaurants and cafes open throughout the year and there’s a buzzing scene in Bodrum town,” says Baxter. Sovereign Luxury Travel’s programme in
18 September 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 57
TURKEY
travelweekly.co.uk/destinations
PICTURE: NEWMARKET HOLIDAYS
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