Turkish Riviera

Antalya is a province in southwest Turkey, bordering Mugla to the East, Burdur, Isparta and Konya to the North, and Karaman and Mersin to the west. It is an important touristic destination for foreign and local tourists alike, featuring a shoreline 630 km long with beautiful beaches, ports, and ancient cities scattered throughout. The provincial capital is Antalya city with a population of 714000.

The cities and districts of this province are: Akseki, Alanya, Elmali, Finike, Gazipasa, Gundogmus, Ibradi, Kale, Kas, Kemer, Korkutali, Kumluca, Manavgat and Serik.

The region, bathed in sunshine for 300 days of the year, is a paradise for sunbathing, swimming, and sports activities like windsurfing, water skiing, sailing, mountain climbing and spelunking. If you come to Antalya in March or April, you can ski in the mornings and in the afternoons swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. Awaiting your discovery are important historical sites set in a landscape of pine forests, olive and citrus groves and palm, avocado and banana plantations.

The Turkish Riviera is the tourism capital of Turkey. Its full range of accommodations from basic to luxery hotels, and the hospitable people of Antalya wil make your holiday comfortable and enjoyable.
Surrounded by amazing scenery of sharp contrasts, Antalya, Turkey's principal resort, is an attractive city with shady palm-lined boulevards and a prize-winning marina. In the picturesque old quarter of Kaleici, narrow, winding streets and old wooden houses abut the ancient city walls.

where to stay in antalya
Antalya hotels can be divided into three categories:
-Small Hotels & Inns in Kaleiçi (Old Antalya)
La Paloma Pansion
Among the nicest small hotels in Kaleiçi, La Paloma is modern, but done in Ottoman style. Pristine" is a good word for it. There are separate swimming pools for adults and kids.Kiliçarslan Mahallesi, Tabakhane Sokak No. 3, tel +90 242 244 8497, fax 247 4509.

Marina Residence (€80)
One of the first Kaleiçi mansions restored as a hotel, it's several buildings arranged around a courtyard (with pool) only steps from the Roman harbor. Mermerli Sokak No. 15, tel +90 242 247 5490.

Minyon Private Town House (€90)
Want the best? This is it: an impeccable, pristine inn, your own villa in Kaleiçi, exquisitely restored and decorated in the best taste. Kiliçarslan Mahallesi, Tabakhane Sokak No. 31, tel +90 242 247 1147, fax 247 8481.

Reutlingen Hof Hotel
Why the German name? To appeal to its many German guests, but English is spoken as well. Families: they have some rooms with 3 and 4 beds. Internet junkies: they have DSL lines! Views of the harbor from the terrace and some rooms. Kiliçarslan Mahallesi, Mermerli Banyo Sokak No. 23, tel +90 242 247 6372, fax 248 4075.

-Inexpensive Pensions in Kaleiçi (Old Antalya)
Prices (in YTL, US$ or €uros) are for a double room (2 persons), including Turkish breakfast, tax and service.
Hadriyanüs Pansiyon
An old Antalya favorite because of its spacious, quiet garden, the Hadriyanüs has been completely restored and turned into a nice boutique hotel. It's run by the same people who do the aforementioned Enjoy Pension. tel +90 242 244 0030.

Held Otel & Pansiyon (€23)
Family-owned and -run, the 10 old-fashioned high-ceilinged rooms in this 150-year-old house have modern bathrooms, air conditioners, TVs, phones and minibars. There are also 8 rooms across the street in a newer building. The rear garden is a shady oasis, and there's even a small swimming pool with separate kiddie pool. Kiliçaslan Mahallesi, Tabakhane Sok. 4, tel +90 242 243 2861, fax 243 2802.

-Here are Antalya's best modern luxury hotels:
Sheraton Voyager Hotel
The dramatic Sheraton Voyager Antalya Hotel, Resort & Spa is the status address in Antalya, a 5-star deluxe hostelry overlooking the eastern end of Konyaalti Beach, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) west of the city center (Kale Kapisi).
You can walk down a flight of steps from the hotel's park-like grounds right to the beach, but the hotel's various swimming pools are so inviting you may just stay right there.
The Sheraton Voyager is of moderate size for a deluxe property: 181 standard rooms, 81 Executive Club rooms, 21 Tower Rooms and 20 Suites. As Antalya's first hotel of a world-class standard, it had the pick of locations and got the best one: walking distance to the beach and the Antalya Museum, with dramatic sunset views of the Beydaglari mountain range to the west.

Falez Hotel
The big, modern Falez Hotel Antalya shares many advantages with its neighbor, the Sheraton Voyager, including its location on a promontory overlooking the Mediterranean at the eastern end of Konyaalti Beach, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) west of the center of Antalya (Kalekapisi).
With 320 rooms, 20 suites and 2 Presidential Suites (should there be a contested election...), the Falez is actually a bit larger than the Voyager, and has a similar array of deluxe services.
It's even closer to the Antalya Museum, being virtually across the street from it. A nearby tram can trundle you into the city center.
All in all, a good choice if you want a luxury hotel right near the beach and the museum at a value-for-money price.

Talya Oteli
The Talya Oteli was Antalya's first real luxury hotel, so it got a choice location on a rocky cliff overlooking the Mediterranean less than 1.5 km (1 mile) south of the city center (Kalekapisi).
Renovated and operated by the Divan hotel group, it is among Antalya's choicest places to stay, set back a block west of busy Isiklar Caddesi on quieter Fevzi Çakmak Caddesi.
There's no real beach here, but a cascade of steps down the cliffside gives access to swimming and sunning platforms and water sports facilities. Besides, there's a heated outdoor swimming pool.
It's a 15-minute walk to Hadrian's Gate and Old Antalya (Kaleiçi) along palm-tree-lined boulevards, past spacious Karaali Park, or you can take the tram or hail a taxi along Isiklar Caddesi.

Transport in Turkey
Bus travel is the easiest, cheapest, most popular way to travel in Turkey. (These luxurious Starliner coaches are manufactured in Turkey.)
The buses, operated by hundreds of companies large and small, are modern and comfortable, service is frequent, and fares are low to moderate. There's even service to Greece, Bulgaria and other Balkan countries, and Europe.
An example: Buses depart on the 450-km (280-mile) 6-hour journey between Istanbul and Ankara about every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, for US$25 to $40 one-way.
Most fares are quite reasonable. Often, buses are so frequent you needn't reserve in advance except around holidays.
Here are routes, fares and travel times from Istanbul to other cities. Here are the major bus companies, some of which have websites with schedules and fares. (Sorry, I don't have any more information than this.)
Rest stops are made enroute about every 1-1/2 to 2 hours for toilet, snacks or meals, and smoking (no smoking is allowed on most public buses).
Buses run everywhere, even cross-country (Istanbul to Artvin: 1352 km, 840 miles, 24 hours), although bus trips of more than 8 or 10 hours are tedious. It's better to break a long trip into shorter trips; to take a plane; or to take a train with couchettes or sleeping cars. For discussions of possibilities, or to ask questions, visit the TTP Forums.

When you travel to Turkey, keep this in mind: Turkey is big: 1700 km (1056 miles) from east to west if you travel by road, a trip of several days.

But you can fly from Istanbul (west) to Erzurum (east) on Turkish Airlines (TK) in about two hours for a flat one-way fare of about US$130. Most other TK domestic flights cost US$85 to US$125.

Because of the way international airfares are structured, it is often far cheaper to purchase your Turkish domestic flight tickets within Turkey rather than in your home country. A good Turkish travel agency can make your flight reservations for you, and get the tickets to you, usually at no charge to you.

You can also buy your tickets right at a Turkish airport, but with Turkish tourism booming, there may be no seats left on the plane. Advance reservations are highly recommended unless you are a very flexible traveler.
source:
www.turkeytravelplanner.com
en.wikipedia.org