The Resident (London)

Blissful Escape

Judith Wilson takes her family off to the tranquil and idyllic Bozburun peninsula in Turkey, in search of rest and relaxation for the adults, and diverting activity for the children…

As anyone with children aged ten plus will know, planning a family holiday to suit all tastes isn't the easiest of tasks. At 11 and 13, my own son and daughter felt they were too old to spend every day being "organised" in holiday kids' clubs, yet they wanted to be entertained. By contrast, my husband and I - exhausted after major building works at home - were keen for a truly tranquil break away from city life, yet wanted to experience a country that offered something more unusual than just a villa and a pool. "Try a family sailing holiday!" one of our friends trilled, forgetting that we had done that last year, only to scare off the children by sailing in force seven winds! Fortunately, another friend recommended Exclusive Escapes, a very chic company who specialise in villa and boutique hotel holidays in unspoiled areas of Turkey. We took one look at their easy to navigate website, and were hooked.

We settled on a two-bedroom property, Villa Askim, in Saranda Cove, which is the beachfront satellite of Sogut, a rural seaside village on the Bozborun Peninsula. The villa, just a stone's throw from the water's edge, has its own jetty, and the children loved the idea that Villa Askim comes complete with its own two-seater kayak, too. Even better, we chose to book ourselves onto Exclusive Escape's own scheduled bmi flight from Heathrow, which - for a £30 supplement per person - leaves at a civilized mid-morning time for the Saturday departure, rather than the usual early-morning holiday flight scrum. Oh, and the flight has the bonus of extra legroom, so that - after a four hour flight - we all arrived feeling comparatively fresh.

Nothing makes or breaks a holiday quite like first impressions, and Exclusive Escapes certainly didn't disappoint. From the moment that we stepped off the aeroplane at Dalaman Airport, hit by the crackling Turkish heat, the transition was seamless. An array of Exclusive Assistants guided us to our air-conditioned minibus, where chilled bottles of mineral water were handed out, and within minutes we were whisked on our way. It's a long bus journey to Sogut - almost three hours - but the time passed swiftly. As our minibus climbed the mountainous road, which clung to the coast, there were tantalising glimpses not just of the sparkling turquoise Aegean, but also of Turkish rural life. My children were transfixed, pointing out everything from a young boy, spied snoozing under an olive tree with his herd of goats, to the elderly women, most of whom still dress in the traditional garb of gathered trousers (salvar) and headscarves (yemeni).

There's a tremendous charm to arriving at a destination as the light begins to fade. When we finally clambered off our minibus, met by Verda, our Exclusive Assistant, and hauled our suitcases along the strip of stony beach (the tiny road peters out here), the simple lights strung around the few restaurants were already glowing, and the air was heavy with the smell of freshly cooked food. But it wasn't until we woke in the morning that we could really take in the beauty of the setting. From our modern ground-floor villa, with its two double rooms and two bathrooms, we walked beneath a grapevine-covered terrace, straight out to the swimming pool and terrace.

From there, it was just a couple of steps down to the narrow beach, just a few more to the jetty. Straight ahead, the Greek island of Symi sat shimmering in the heat, as well as a cluster of uninhabited islands, and to the right, the few restaurants and assorted small villas, many overgrown with bougainvillaea, were dotted along the perimeter of the beach.

This is a holiday where lazy days of swimming, kayaking, and sunbathing can be combined with more active trips, so neither children (nor adults) get bored. On the days when we could bear to tear ourselves away from the pool and the clear, warm water of the Aegean, there was still plenty to explore by car - a Fiat Albea is included in the price of the holiday - though this is not driving for the timid: the roads are steep!

The Sogut market springs into action every Monday: we wandered from stall to stall, tasting the local produce, including almonds, olives, carob and figs, and there are also clothes and textiles to buy. Further afield, and a half-hour drive away, is Bozborun, with waterside restaurants and shops: this is favourite stop-off for organized flotilla holidays, so it feels a little more touristy. On the way, look out for the active boat-building industry of the area. We were intrigued by the dramatic sight of the half-built timber skeletons of traditional gulets sitting, apparently abandoned, by the roadside.

In the heat, Sogut is sleepy, but my children still enjoyed their daily morning walk along the beach to buy fresh bread, tomatoes, yoghurt and honey from the tiny local store. The village comes alive at night: there are just a handful of restaurants, each of which we sampled in turn, and every one serving delicious authentic Turkish food.

The Denizkizi is the closest to Villa Askim, or get in the car and drive up behind the village to Zirve. We arrived just as the sun was beginning to drop behind the islands and were treated to a truly spectacular sunset. Local dishes include the ever-popular mezes, perfect for sharing: try sigara borek (cheese rolled in filo pastry) or cacik (yoghurt with cucumber and garlic). Then there are main courses such as kebabs or gozleme (stuffed Turkish pancake), and to finish, sticky baklava (honey cakes), and thick, sweet Turkish coffee.

As a family, we wanted to be independent on holiday, and Exclusive Escapes have got their formula just right: they aim to "treat guests as individuals."

On our first morning, our Turkish-born Exclusive Assistant offered discreet advice on places to visit and eat, then left us to our privacy Complimentary to the holiday is a day out on a traditional Turkish fishing gulet, exploring the inlets of the peninsula, and by Wednesday we were ready for the prompt 10am start from the local jetty. Once on board, the friendly captain and his wife took care of everything. The day is spent motoring between the islands, with frequent stops for swimming and snorkelling, which the kids loved. At lunchtime, the pair cooked a delicious lunch of barbecued fish, with salad picked from their garden, and rice, topped off by freshly-cut water melon, and an endless supply of cold drinks from the on-board fridge.

By the time our week in Sogut was up, we were so relaxed that we wanted to stay forever. Was the holiday a success for the children? It couldn't have been better. They loved the freedom of kayaking and swimming direct from the jetty, and although - later in the week - the Aegean wind, the Meltemi, blew quite hard - the water was always safe. They also loved getting their first taste of "real" Turkey - and were intrigued to see donkeys walking down the beach, laden with farm crops, early in the morning, or the old man who arrived, unannounced, by our poolside, offering giant sun-ripened tomatoes for our lunch. Meanwhile, we felt we'd had the freedom to explore the locality, though to do so was barely to scratch the surface of a truly intriguing country.

Staying at Villa Askim got a straight ten out of ten from my family, and the children are already begging to return next year.