Its been two years since we went abroad as a family and we are all really excited to be visiting Turkey for the first time in October just before winter arrives in the UK! We’ve paid all inclusive because 3 of our 4 children have adult appetites and it just makes sense to be able to eat and drink without the worry of the cost. However, Andrew and I both like to leave the complex and explore a little of the surrounding area on the hunt for hidden gems. Having done a bit of research there are three places that we are interested in visiting.
Kaleici Old Town
We fell in love with the old walled town of Croatia and it seems that Antalya has a similar historical charm with its own port. The oldest part of the town apparently has the expected old buildings and narrow paved streets. A little marina surrounded by tall stone walls is home to many colorful boats and there are tourist boats to rent which I know Andrew will be keen to try! There appears to be the typical restaurants,cafes,and souvenir shops which probably means we will come back loaded down with cheap memorabilia but if it helps the children to remember the holiday we dont really mind.

Croatia old town
Termessos Ancient Ruins
My son Oliver is a huge fan of ancient Rome and I recently took him there for his 13th birthday to see the Colosseum in all its glory. He has a real appreciation for the history of a site now and his step brother and sister were fascinating listening to him recount the facts and stories that we were told by the tour guide. For this reason, and because we like a challenge every now and then, Termessos makes for a really interesting excursion. The half ruined ancient amphitheater is set against a stunning mountainside backdrop and the views look incredible. To get to it requires a 20 minute trek through woodland which our kids will love and what a treat to reach the destination, steeped in history and a great chance for them to use their imaginations and visualie a life in ancient Turkey. I think this would be an afternoon excursion to avoid the hottest parts of the day although in October I think we will have a bigger window of time than typical summer in August.

Colosseum in Rome
Sandland
Sandland combines the fun of a festival with the information of a museum. Its an open air collection of over 100 huge themed professionally created sand sculptures which is open both day and night. Reviews suggest that it will be better to go as the natural light is fading slightly because the sculptures take on a new beauty in the dramatic artificial lighting. With it being close to the beach we can also go for a swim and with a cafe, shop and game area for the children it sounds like we could really make a great day of it for very little money.

Sand sculpture in Chile
I’m not sure whether we will visit all of just one or two of the attractions that Antalya has to offer but I’m really excited to get there and start exploring. There are many websites such as holidaygems.co.uk that you can check out and book your own adventure to make some summer memories to keep you warm through the winter months!
Enjoy!
Charlie
This is a collaboration post
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