Bahamas Aparthotel

great small resort.with a larger town area moving away from the centre/front. half hour away from bodrum by dolmus.
we stayed in the Bahama aparthotel, self catering.rated 3star but very similar to a 2star we stayed in in rhodes last year.
if you are too fussy you will always find something to moan about but i was very happy here.
basic rooms but clean,wonderful views out across the bay with magnificent sunsets every evening.
the staff were a lovely family very quiet, always smiling,very respectful and helpful.
200m from sea front and about 1km from resort centre.
the majority of visitors to this area are turkish holiday makers. and unlike some resorts that are purpose built this area seems to have a good mix of real turkish people and life as well as being touristy.
there is the usual 'resort centre' where you will find lots of restuarants and it has a 'bar street' but is by no means a party resort.most people in this part of town (just a few streets)speak some, if not good english.there is the usual touting from the bars and restaurants, some are persistent but not annoying.
the main beach is very narrow and does get full, but it has a magnificent view out to sea and the sun sets directly in front of it so the evening views are stunning.especially nice just after sunset when you can hear the call to prayer from the mosque nearbye which just adds to the experience in my view.
it has a good large supermarket (migros) just off the centre and another near the marina (minos) great if you are self catering and with proper prices, not like the tourist supermarkets you tend to get in resort towns.
there is another area just away from the beach, about 50m across the square .this has lots of smal bars and cafes where you get much cheaper and authentic turkish food, very few of the people here speak english, but don't let that put you off.you can always learn a few words and point at menus if necessary. we found the people working in these cafes much nicer, and they don't 'tout' you in.and the food was lovely.
meals cost anything from 28YTL to 100YTL for starters main and a few non alcoholic drinks. it all depends where you eat, the places on the front are the most expensive, getting cheaper as you move away from street to street, but the cheapest were all in the turkish part.
beer is probably just slightly cheaper than in england 5YTL a bottle of EFES but be aware that spirits and imports are very expensive especially baileys for some reason.
when we were there the YTL (lira) was at 2.1 to the pound. definately take english money the bureau de change behind the mosque charges no commision and the rate is better than in england, plus when shopping you can get a better deal paying with pounds.
try and get lots of change and smaller notes as often as posible as most places , especially the supermarkets never have enough change. 50YTL notes can be hard to get rid of.i would advise you to change some money here but ask for loads of fives and tens.
*if you use the tour bookers in town (one or two around), all doing mostly the same trips but at slightly different prices. really question them about what you do and don't get, they may not tell you all the details unless you ask, such as what is and isn't included.remember turkey is a big country and some destinations they do trips to are very far away. they sometimes bend the truth slightly. we booked a trip to Pammukale and were told it was 3.5 hrs travel with lunch included, it ended up over 4.5hrs and drinks where not included with lunch, but we still enjoyed the day.very tiring though.
some of the bars and restaurants are similar, they tell you what you want to hear to get you in then you may get a bill which is a bit higher than you thought it would be this tends to happen more in the places on the front, but this is the way a lot of resorts work, even here in england.*
do try and use the Dolmus (minbus) to get around the penninsula area.just get on , give the driver your fare,(all fares listed on a card at the front) and away you go.
the dolmus area is behind the migros supermarket. and all buses are clearly marked on the front with the destination.we found a lot of other visitors were reluctant to even try to use them and didn't bother. i genuinely don't understand why. they really are a great way of getting around.made getting to bodrum so much cheaper than the tours and you get to decide what times you go and how long to stay.
i could go on all night about this place, it is lovely.
you can have a typical 'british' time where you sit by the pool all morning, go the beach all afternoon drink bear all evening in a bar and eat a fry up in the morning, but you can also avoid all this and have a lie in, then a turkish breakfast in a shaded cafe taking your time then maybe get the dolmus to bodrum ,shopping, turkish bath,lunch and then back to spend an evening on the beach to cool of in the sea and finish with a mezes and a well cooked authentic main course.
the quote of the week was "i bought a melon bigger than my head for 12p"