Kosmar - Cheap Holidays to Greece and Turkey

If you're anything like us, when you go on holiday you enjoy seeing how the locals live. That's why we often choose to stay in Ortakent, on the road between Bodrum andTurgutreis, where traditional village life carries on alongside the fledgling tourist industry. After a leisurely breakfast watching the villagers go about their business, a pleasant half-hour walk along a valley among the citrus groves and fig trees takes you down to the wide, sandy beach at Yahsi, a favourite with the locals themselves. At the other end of the day, you can stroll around Ortakent at sundown admiring the well tended gardens, and the remains of Mustafa Pasha Tower, a famous medieval fortification, before sampling some delicious local dishes in one of the village restaurants. The name Ortakent translates as "middle town", and it's certainly a great central base for exploring the whole area by hire car or dolmus. You can head off to a choice of beach resorts by day, and nip into Bodrum to indulge in an evening of shopping and bopping at sundown. Or you may prefer just to stay put, and enjoy the traditional Turkish charm of Ortakent itself. We'll drink to that!