An Amazing Winter Sun Break in Turkey

November 2021 was a ridiculously busy month for us. We finally moved house and that was an ordeal in itself. I knew that moving house was stressful and I thought I had it under control, but who could predict a cyber attack? The day before we should have moved we found out it had been delayed by 2 weeks. Later that week my car broke down and had to be towed. In the end, We moved house and collected the car from the garage that same morning. 2 days later headed off on our very much-needed winter sun break in Turkey!

Why Turkey for Winter Sun?

A new destination for us all, Turkey was not the first choice. We were originally booked to go to Kos in October to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. Covid-19 hit the house just 1 week before our planned departure! Luckily for us, we had booked a package holiday so the process of changing the holiday was so easy.

Seen as I am my travel agent, I did have a bit of an advantage. Jet2 holidays were brilliant, I called them and explained the situation and had the whole holiday swapped in a day. I had to just email proof of a positive COVID test and could amend to a holiday travelling within 10 weeks. Alternatively, I could have chosen to cancel and claim on my travel insurance, but we NEEDED a break!

The time of year we could amend to restricted where we could go for a bit of sunshine. Because 2021 was a bit of a rubbish year we hadn’t had a beach break and we were all craving it. We considered the Canary Islands as that’s the first thought for a Wintersun break from the UK. Once we looked at the prices we were looking at having to pay about £500 more than we had already paid for Kos.

Turkey had just been taken off the UK red list so I did a Google search and found that November average temperatures are the same as the Canary Islands. We managed to book a 5* all-inclusive plus property for less than the Kos break too, bonus! Winter Sun in Turkey was a go!

Choosing the Right Time

The eldest 2 kids had a long weekend of inset days at the end of November so it seemed the perfect time to go. We always try to minimise the disruption to the school but every one of us needed some downtime. 4 days off was the compromise we made. Due to the car breaking down, we had to get a last-minute taxi to Manchester airport. Luckily for me, our usual driver was available at short notice and was ready to pick us up at 5 am. Flying with Jet2 holidays from Manchester airport meant we got to see the newly refurbished Terminal 2.

The flight from Manchester to Antalya takes around 4 and a half hours. We had a nice 9.15 am departure time and had time to get breakfast at the airport before the flight. Snacks and drinks on board and a few tv shows passed the time. As always Jet2 staff were lovely, helpful, happy and accommodating with what seemed like loads of trolley services to keep us all satisfied. The flight out was pretty much full.

I expected to feel a little anxious about this but everyone was wearing a mask. The staff quickly reminded those who had “forgotten” to put masks back on after eating and drinking. Also, as it was in 2020, Jet2 do not allow anyone to stand and queue for the toilet which means fewer people crowding the aisles. These few little things make what can be a stressful experience quite nice.

On Arrival in Turkey

Once we arrived at Antalya airport we collected our luggage from the carousel once it came out of the shark’s mouth! Something I never thought I’d see let alone type! We had opted to upgrade our transfer to a private transfer to make it a little smoother for us all and also to keep it a little more covid safe. A short 30-minute drive took us into the resort of Belek and our wonderful home for the week, the Susesi Luxury Resort.

On my first impression, Turkey was nothing like I expected. The Antalya coast is a big golfing destination so I don’t think it is the same as other areas of Turkey. The area was clean, modern, green lush and much more westernised than I expected. I can’t even tell you what I expected but it wasn’t this.

The day we arrived was 23 degrees Celcius, the only trouble was that by the time we got to the hotel, the sun was beginning to set and we had missed the sunshine. On the plus side, the beautiful sunny day meant that the pool bar was still open and it was mild enough to sit outside with a drink after dinner.

Susesi Luxury Resort

The Susesi Luxury Resort was definitely what its name suggests, luxury. Set right on the beachfront in Belek, about 2km from the resort centre. The grounds are so beautifully manicured with lots of pools (I mean LOTS) dotted throughout. The main buffet restaurant was open that evening for dinner, and it was a lovely intimate meal for us plus about 7 other tables! Genuinely there were more staff than customers for a few days. We had the indoor pools almost to ourselves on a rainy day and we could use the steam room and sauna exclusively at a moment’s notice. Because of covid restrictions, only one room was allowed in the steam room/sauna area at one time.

Belek

We headed into Belek a few times to hit the shops and see what was around. The big difference I found between Belek and the Greek resorts we’ve been to is that Belek is very much made for tourism. I expected it to be more like Greece and it wasn’t like it at all. The resort wasn’t a town before tourism came along and it’s obvious. The shops are all new looking and full of “designer” goods. Football kits for any team you can think of are available here. Don’t worry though, there’s plenty of Turkish delight and tea too!

Weather

The weather wasn’t consistently hot for the week but we had 4 out of 7 days of sun and 22-degree heat, the other days were quite stormy. When I say stormy… one day it rained heavily ALL day and thundered pretty much all the time it was daylight. Luckily for us, we had the indoor pools, the spa and the kids club located inside too. The kids (especially our 8-year-old) loved going to the kids club despite there being hardly anyone else there. He enjoyed being creative and drawing but the staff were free to give one-on-one attention which he loved too.

We needed this break. It wasn’t a week full of 30-degree sunshine but it was better than the weather at home! 4 days of 22 degrees were still great at the end of November. And those stormy days, we still got to relax and spend time together which was necessary. It was the time to switch off from all the stresses and reconnect.

Overall Thoughts for Winter Sun in Turkey

Would I recommend Turkey for a winter sun break? Absolutely! Value for money is great, 5* All-Inclusive for the same price as a Canary Island self-catering property. The weather is generally fair and much better than the drizzly dark British wintertime! I can’t wait to explore more of Turkey, this was a great introduction to the country, and I have a feeling there’s so much more to it.

More posts are incoming and more plans for 2022!

Becky x