Hey all!

We're new in Turkey and my hubby and I decided to have a weekend away from Istanbul.
So we're going Bodrum tomorrow and staying in a village called Yalikavak.
We heard Bodrum town itself is very crowded and busy this time of the year, so wanted something quieter.

We've booked the 4reasons Hotel (no it's not a typo!)
Anyone stayed there before or been to Yalikavak?
Suggestions for good food and boat trips please!

Been there many times but not for quite a few years and believe it has been over run by bucket and spaders. Gummusluk is nearby and well worth a visit for its fish reataurants and golkoy used to have a decent beach too. There is no beach in Bodrum and the nearest one would be bardakci. Keep away from Gumbet as the bucket & spade plague is even worse there unless Blackpool with palm trees is your type of thing.

Hi Blush,

We stayed at the 4reasons hotel for our first trip to Bodrum a few years ago, too. Very nice hotel and the owners are friendly and accommodating. Great pool. They also have a bistro set up around the pool at night and live jazz on the weekends. We've not been back to stay in 2 years, but I expect that standards haven't fallen as the owners were/are very hands on.

Yalikavak itself is fairly quiet. No good beaches there, although you can arrange a day boat trip along the coast (bookings can be done in the main shopping area in Yalikavak centre - the owners of the hotel took us there in their car as it's too far to walk). We found some good beaches on our boat trip and as they stop at various places so you can all have a swim, it's not a bad day out. But be warned, it can be crowded and you may well be subjected to very loud, repetitive music.

There is a very good fish restaurant in Yalikavak called Sait (that's also the name of the owner). It's on the main road heading away from the centre of the village on the right hand side. It's located right on the water's edge and is the perfect place to watch the sunset. Be sure to phone and book if you want a table outside at the waterfront. I have the business card at home, or I'm sure if you ask at the 4reasons, they can help you. There's also a stall across the road from the restaurant selling really pretty (but pricey) lamps made from dried gourds and coloured glass (sounds tacky, I know, but it's quite effective)

Yalıkavak still has some nice areas though there are definitely more 'bucket & spaders' than previous years. Try Xuma beach if you don't want to go too far. 4reasons still has a good reputation so no worries there. As a regular at Sait, I can confirm that the sunset is pretty spectacular but it does get over full at the weekend and service standards drop (and prices rise) accordingly. Memedof have opened a branch next door which is a good alternative or Çimentepe a little further up the raod is getting rave reviews at the moment. For something different, try Limon Cafe on the way to Gumusluk or the Panorama in Geris (up on the hill above Yalıkavak). Port Yalıkavak Marina has a cool atmosphere - though I haven't been there this season yet and ı would agree with StarGuide in that the best thing you can do is just stay away from Gumbet & Bodrum town centre unless you really are a glutton for punishment, in which case head for the Marina end of town.

If you get stuck, PM me and I'll be happy to assist if I can. Have a safe journey & enjoy.

great spot - try the restaurant at the Four Reasons on the hill in Yalikavak - they are dog friendly too - they have a mad dog called Cookie - drove my dog insane (she is a bit of a wimp though) - I "babysit" a house in gundogan that an ex work colleague of mine from HK owns and never visits - so it is a good deal for me without a doubt.

BTW I sent you a mail to your hotmail address about "me and Istanbul"

Hi all!

Thanks for the advice and great suggestions. Yalikavak was nice and quiet and the 4reasons was lovely. (The grounds, the pool and bistro were stunning, great views, but the suite itself, despite being named a "Passionate Suite", was very basic and overrated for the price per night (180 Euros). There wasn't even a bathtub, and there were these framed posters on the walls that looked like they were from the 80s)

Overall, we had a lovely weekend and enjoyed the boat trip so much that we did 2 of them 2 days in a row. Highly reccommend the Estini boat which departs just in front of Cumbali restaurant. The skipper is a jolly old guy and his wife makes lovely food!

Cumbali was also a very good restaurant and price of fish very reasonable. However, I would tell everyone to BEWARE of the TURTUGOIS restaurant just along the waterfront as U walk towards the new marina (It's the one with a nargile tea garden). They are one of those fish restaurants that try to rip U off blatantly!!

We saw this unusual dish, fish baked in salt which looked really interesting. They cover a whole fish in salt and set it on fire for about an hour to slow cook. So since we didn't want to wait, we pre-ordered it one day in advance. We booked a table and told the guy to have the fish ready for 8pm the next day. He asked for a deposit of 20 YTL to guarantee we would show up. When we asked him how much the fish would cost, he said about 45 YTL, or 50 max. depending on market price. So we agreed. When we arrived for dinner the next evening, not only did we have to WAIT 1 hr 30 minutes (!!!) in spite of pre-ordering the fish, he TRIED TO RIP US OFF! When the bill came, he claimed the fish cost 80 YTL!! Plus he added another 8 YTL for "service charge"

WHAT SERVICE?? We insisted we would only pay the agreed price MINUS our 20 YTL deposit. He said no and just walked away and started trying to "fish" potential customers walking by. So we got up and walked away as well, then he came after us and we again insisted we would only pay what we agreed on. Because we were in full view of other potential customers walking by and were quite agitated, he finally relented. So BEWARE of this place!