· You should visit Patara and stay at the Hotel Patara Viewpoint (Patara Viewpoint). The place has a magic that will envelope you! Organise a 'flight-only ticket' to Dalaman airport, direct from most UK airports. You can then either use the hotel's private airport transfer service (journey time about an hour and a half) or the local buses, which are comfortable and cheap. If you travel by bus, you will need to take a taxi from the airport to the town of Dalaman (about 10mins). Here find a bus for Fethiye (about 1 hour). In Fethiye, change to either a small dolmus (mini bus) that is going to Patara (approx. 1 hour 20 mins.) or a larger coach that is going to Kalkan, Kas or Antalya. Ask to be dropped at Patara junction. It is then possible to take a taxi, a dolmus, or hitch a lift for 2km into the village.

The Patara Viewpoint, situated on the hill overlooking the village, offers peace and tranquillity in a delightful setting and is a perfect base from which to explore. The beach is 2km from the village, as the old archaeological site of Patara lies between the village and the beach. The site, along with the beach, now forms part of a 'protected area.' The vast unblemished stretch of sand (17km long) is still a turtle nesting area. The walk to the beach is beautiful, and in spring/early summer the fields are full of wild flowers. The hotel also offers a 'beach service' in a wonderful 'tractor-trailer', or you can use one of the little mini-buses. There are lots of lovely walks in the area, and if you are interested in archaeology, then there are some of the most important Lycian sites situated within easy access of Patara. The coastline is beautiful and best explored by boat, which can be arranged from Kalkan or Kas (short bus rides away).

Muzaffer (owner of the Viewpoint hotel) also offers very personalised small group excursions through his company, Gelemis Tours. In the evenings, it is possible to choose from numerous, low-key restaurants that serve delicious food. The best of these has to be the Golden Pension. Arif the owner is charming, and his chef serves delicious, freshly cooked mezze, fish, casseroles, salads, etc. There are also a couple of bars. It is also possible to visit the mountain village of Islamlar to eat fresh trout in a fabulous setting, or to pop over to Kalkan, which offers a little more sophistication yet retains the Turkish charm. At the end of the evening, you can then return to relax 'under the stars' beside the cedar wood fire on the Viewpoint's ottoman terrace. To get more information about Patara, search for the Guardian article 'Turquoise Delight' that was written by Annie Mills and published in August 2000, as this sums up perfectly the charm of the place.
Anne-Louise Thomson

· This year we spent two blissful weeks in gorgeous Olu Deniz. Based in the region of Fethiye, on the southwest coast of Turkey, it is surprisingly unspoilt. Known as a paraglider's paradise (watch them jumping off the mountains!), it has many touts along the promenade promoting this gutsy sport, but there's no pressure. Beach-wise, there is a main, shingle beach plus the amazing enclosed lagoon, which you have to pay approx. 50 pence to enter as it is a conservation area. With regard to transport, they have a dolmus. If you prefer water-based transport, try the seven- and 12-island tours that cost next to nothing. You can either join one from the beach in Olu Deniz or have a bus collect you from your hotel and take you to the harbour in nearby Fethiye. Lots of fantastic days out can be arranged at your local travel agent down by the beach, with no need to shop around as the prices are pretty much the same. Even the most luxurious trip would cost you less than a decent bottle of wine at home. Enjoy! We did!
Andrea Blackett

· My son and I lived in Turkey for two years and travelled extensively. You can visit any place under the sun in Turkey because the bus network is first class and bus stations are everywhere. People will be very keen to help you. There are many unspoilt places/beaches around Karaburun, near Izmir, although the local people have summer houses there. It takes a little persistence to get there by bus, but is perfectly possible. Obviously, accommodation will be basic. Foca (pronounced 'focha') is another very pretty, unspoilt town near Izmir. If you don't want beaches, eastern Turkey is stunning - get buses to Trabzon or a boat along the Bosphorus from Istanbul. Avoid Marmaris, Fethiye and Bodrum in high season, but consider Kas (pronounced 'kash') near Antalya. It is a dear little fishing town - there are plenty of visitors but no mass tourism, and you can get boat/bus trips there. If you want to relax, Dalyan is a lovely little town among the reeds, with many turtles.

Because of its 'no high rise' policy, Turkey isn't as beastly as a lot of European places, and visitors often slot in quite unobtrusively. Whatever you may have heard, we found it to be a safe and very welcoming country.
Jackie Cornwall

· Try Olimpos on the turqouise coast. You can fly into Antalya and take a taxi to Olimpos. It's a beautifual place with the addded bonus that you can stay in treehouses. There are lots of things to do there, and I would recommend it to anyone. There's some info and pictures on this site: Olimpos. Enjoy
Droo

· There is a great little spot called Butterfly Valley. You catch a boat from Fethiye beach (three times a day) over there. I was there last September and it cost £4 per night including breakfast and dinner. It's a chilled-out little spot with nothing but a nice pebble beach and hammocks, and it's a short trek to the waterfall to see the Tiger butterfly, which is unique to this place. Unfortunately, though, tourist boats arrive each day at about 11am for about 30 minutes, but then it's back to pure bliss. Accommodation is a hut on platforms with a roof (no full walls), mattresses on the floor and pillows - you need to take a sleep sheet or sleeping bag with you. Showers/toilets are there, but this is more like The Beach kind of scene, not for those looking for private rooms/bathrooms and room service! The meals are all vegetarian but are really great. Just pack your bikini, sunscreen, sleep sheet and a good book. Ahh, to be back there again. You can't pre-book either, just turn up and they will sort you out. I do want to stress, though, that this is a traveller's hide-away. If you don't like to go without your creature comforts, then it probably won't be for you.
Stephanie Carthy