Reasons to fly to OluDeniz

Reasons to fly to OludenizTurkey's Mediterranean shore is known as the Turquoise Coast. Travellers booking Olu Deniz flights will discover that the sands are fine, the sun shines endlessly and the waters are shimmering blue. Away from the beach the area is studded with ancient buildings, stunning ruins and fascinating walks.
Olu Deniz is situated close to Fethiye. Its beach is truly beautiful, said to be the most photographed beach in Turkey, a sweep of sand lapped by the blue waters and framed by mountains.

The resort town of Hisaronu is on the mountain plateau overlooking Olu Deniz, full of bars, clubs, restaurants and shops.
There is an abundance of water sports available on Olu Deniz. Paragliding from Babadag Mountain onto the beach below is popular. From Olu Deniz or Fethiye there are boat trips along the coast.
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Olu Deniz Insider Information

• Turquoise sea, yellow sand, pine covered mountains... This is the unbelievably beautiful lagoon you see on posters and brochures about Turkey. Lots of the beach is free but you have to pay to use the best part.
• Parasailing and paragliding is a great way to make the most of the landscape.
• Pirates used to roam the coast here, and luckily the land has not been pirated for mass tourism as the area became a national park in 1978.

Olu Deniz Airports

Dalaman Airport (DLM) (website: www.atmairport.aero). The airport is located near near Fethiye and Marmaris.

Oludeniz Hotel Deals

Most Popular Hotels in Oludeniz


http://www.tripadvisor.com/SmartDeals-g312737-Oludeniz_Mugla_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast-Hotel-Deals.html

Turkey hosts ‘Night of the Year’ for Europe’s Tourism Industry

Europe's top destinations and leading travel companies will gather under one roof on Friday 1 October at the Rixos Premium Belek, Antalya, Turkey.
All will be hoping to walk away with the most sought-after achievement in the travel and tourism industry - the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony trophies.
The awards, described by the Wall Street Journal as the ‘Oscars' of the global travel and tourism industry, has helped improve quality, value and customer service over the past 17 years.
Nominees include some of the most respected and successful travel names in the business including Europcar, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Hilton Hotels, Lufthansa, Hertz, Mardan Palace, Tui Travel, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, and The Rocco Forte Collection.
The evening, attended by the region's major company CEO's, tourist board chiefs, association leaders and Government Ministers is set to be a spectacular affair. Focus on Travel News, one of the media partners of the event, will also follow the award ceremony in Antalya.
Entertainment for the evening comes in the form of the world-famous ‘Fire of Anatolia' dance act. This stunning cast of 45 dancers step, stomp and swirl to traditional folk music from the Black Sea to the Balkans. Traditional Turkish dancing with a collaboration of ballet and modern dance, the performance is backed by swirling Turkish music and drumming. Fire of Anatolia also holds the Guiness World Record for the fastest dance performance with 241 steps per minute.
Hosting the event is Seda Akgul, a familiar face on Turkish TV including TV8. Other entertainment on the night includes The Magic Drifters.
European nominees are among 5,000 nominated companies across more than a 1,000 categories, including airlines, cruise companies, destinations, resorts and hotels in 162 countries.
The highly contended title for Europe's Leading Airline sees Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, TAP Portugal and Turkish Airlines fighting it out for the coveted title.
Meanwhile, competition is rife among the countries up for Europe's Leading Destination. The contenders are Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Crete, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Istanbul, Lisbon, London, Pafos, Paris, Prague, Rome, Tallinn, Venice, Vienna and Vilnuis. Italy has the highest odds being the only country to have two destinations nominated.
Going head to head for the title of Europe's Leading Marketing Campaign are: Expedia.com, "Where you book matters"; Spanish Institute of Tourism, "Spain, a country to share"; STA Travel, iPhone campaign; The Hans Brinker Budget Hotel Amsterdam, "The Worst Hotel in the World"; Thomas Cook, 2010 Marketing Campaign; Visit London, "Only in London"; Visit Denmark & Expedia, Joint Campaign and Yorkshire.com, "Welcome to Yorkshire".
But it's the struggle between hotels, large and small, that are likely to see the fiercest competition.
Battling it out for the highly sought after title of Europe's Leading Hotel are Aquapura Douro Valley, Portugal; Castel Monastero, Italy; Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul, Turkey; Donbass Palace Hotel, Ukraine; Dubrovnik Palace Hotel Conference Centre & Spa, Croatia; Grand Hotel Lienz, Austria; Hotel Le Bristol Paris, France; Hotel Ritz Paris, France; Lešić Dimitri Palace, Croatia; The Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, Ireland and White Pod, Switzerland.
Leading the way in hotel sustainability, the following nominees are all eager to gain the coveted title of Europe's Leading Green Hotel: Apex City of London, England; AquaCity Poprad, Slovakia; Ariston Hotel, Italy; Bedruthan Steps Hotel, England; Chateau Mcely, Czech Republic; Choupana Hills Resort & Spa, Madeira; Hotel FOX, Denmark; Ice Hotel, Sweden; Kolarbyn Eco-Lodge, Sweden; Radisson SAS Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland and Strattons, England.
In addition to overall Europe categories, there are awards for 57 countries including: Andorra, Belgium, England, France, Greece, Iceland, Monaco, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and more.
Travel industry professionals throughout the world have been voting online for their preferred companies and organisations during the past four months. Voting has now closed and votes counted ready for the big night.
Consumers increasingly use the list of winners as a reliable guide and means of reassurance when choosing their holiday. Companies and destinations that finish up on the winners podium, receive extensive commercial benefits and global profile.
For a full list of nominees for Europe log on to http://www.worldtravelawards.com/nominees.
Rixos Premium Belek, the leading resort hotel in Belek's Ileribasi district will be hosting the event. Main sponsors include Turkish Airlines and World Mobi.
Winners of the Europe Gala Ceremony go through to the final of the World Travel Awards in London on Sunday 7th November, immediately prior to World Travel Market.

Turkey Voted Favorite Country

Published by Ozgur Tore

Thursday, 02 September 2010

Turkey has been chosen by Condé Nast Traveller readers as their favourite country in the Destination category at the Condé Nast Traveller 12th Annual Readers' Travel Awards for the first time. Turkey's popularity also ensures a spot in prestigious The World's Top 100 list too where it was voted number 2 overall. Istanbul, European Capital of Culture 2010 also scored highly; Istanbul was voted in the top 10 in the Overseas Cities category (5th place), with top marks for people/hospitality. The city is also home to some of the readers' favourite hotels; as the Ciragan Palace Kempinski was voted in 6th place and The Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet, 13th place, in the Category of Overseas Leisure Hotels. The Ritz Carlton, Istanbul also secured 8th spot in the Overseas Business Hotels category. Director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office UK Irfan Onal expressed his delight at winning the award: "We are thrilled that Turkey has won this prestigious award, which is even more meaningful given that it is chosen by the readers themselves. This is the highlight in what has been a very successful year as the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office UK. Indeed, visitor numbers from the UK continue their spectacular rise, with year-on-year figures up 15.5% for the first 7 months of this year." The Country award was received by Turkish Ambassador H.E Mr. Unal Cevikoz. Also attending the award was The Ambassador's wife Mrs. Emel Cevikoz, Director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, Mr. Irfan Onal and Deputy Director, Dr. Aysegul Gurgezoglu. http://www.ftnnews.com/content/view/10242/33/

Best beaches in Turkey: Ölüdeniz Beach, Ölüdeniz

The crisp, turquoise waters make Ölüdeniz a favourite destination Photo: Getty

Ölüdeniz's famously calm lagoon is surrounded by mountains Photo: Getty

Why go?

They don’t call it the Turquoise Coast for nothing. The water here is an uncommonly crisp blue, and because the curved beach is so large, it can accommodate even the biggest of paradise-seeking crowds. There is mountainous scenery, and a famously calm lagoon along the beach’s western stretch.
Who goes?
Everyone. Ölüdeniz is widely known as Turkey’s top beach destination and, not surprisingly, the surrounding area is equally well-developed, with accommodation in every price range. Young couples, large families, adventurous types, backpackers, and package-holidaymakers all flock here in huge numbers.
What is there to do?
Paragliding enthusiasts have been soaring above the beach in Ölüdeniz for two decades now, and some companies offer riding tours of the wooded mountains. It’s also possible to join a day-long booze cruise — swimming and snorkelling optional.
Bars and bites
Bars and restaurants are simple to find. Try Cloud 9, a laid-back café and a favourite of the paragliding crowd. If you would rather have a sit-down meal of genuine Turkish cuisine, head to Kumsal.
Getting there
Dalaman Airport, about 30 miles away, is the closest you will get to Ölüdeniz by air. If you’re staying in the nearby town of Fethiye, have a hotel employee point you towards the nearest pick-up spot for the Ölüdeniz dolmus (shared taxi), which loops through the area frequently during the day.

• Dan Eldridge wrote about Antalya and the Eastern Mediterranean coast for the current edition of Lonely Planet: Turkey (£11.19). He is also the author of Moon Handbooks: Pittsburgh (Avalon Travel, £12.99), which was recently nominated for a 2008 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award. See: www.pioneercontent.com.

Ölüdeniz Beach- Fethiye

Ölüdeniz Beach is Mediterranean Turkey's most beautiful, also its most famous and popular.


Ölüdeniz (ur-LEW-deh-neez, "dead" or calm, sea"), only 8.5 km (5.3 miles) south of Fethiye over the mountains, is big enough to handle the crowds of swimmers and sunbathers, but not always the number of cars and buses that cram the narrow access road.

Paragliders leap from nearby mountaintops, soaring and floating above the beach and the sea, finally landing right on the beach. Tandem paragliding, where two people fly together in the same harness, is very popular.

The fertile alluvial plain behind the beach is now filled with small hotels, pensions and restaurants, and any further expansion has been relegated to the nearby hilltop towns of Ovacik and Hisarönü.

The beach takes its eerie name from the secluded lagoon at the beach's western end by the Hotel Meri. Protected by hills and entered by a narrow channel, the lagoon is calm during even the worst storms.

The Lycian Way, a 500-km (311-mile) rustic footpath, starts in Fethiye and wanders through the hills, descending to Ölüdeniz before ascending again above Kidrak and Faralya, passing the head of Butterfly Valley and the access road to the Tohum Eco-Center before wandering southeastward toward Patara and, ultimately, Antalya.

To get away from it all, consider the Villa Mandarin in Faralya, past Ölüdeniz along the coast.

If you plan only a short stay at Ölüdeniz beach before moving on, you might want to stay in Fethiye, where prices tend to be lower, and take one of the frequent minibuses to Ölüdeniz for the day. All intercity buses operate out of Fethiye's otogar (bus terminal).


For distances from Ölüdeniz to other places, see the distances on the Fethiye page, and add 8.5 km (5.3 miles).