The bunting was up, the baklava baked, and everyone was in the mood for an all-day bash. With pavements packed with locals pouring in for the party, some holding red roses, others waving flags, and children dancing with red and white ribbons in their hair, a carnival vibe was steadily building in the seaside city of Antalya.
Here on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, and across the country for that matter, they like to go large on Republic Day. Marked annually on October 29, it commemorates the founding of the Turkish Republic by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923.
A day devoted to national pride and unity, the public are given the day off to enjoy the parades, fireworks displays and open-air concerts which go on well into the night.
Our half-term winter sun holiday coincided with the celebrations and it was wonderful to join in with the locals and soak up the atmosphere. We were spending the week at TUI’s Masmavi Magic Life, a beautiful five-star resort in Belek, on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. We had booked one of TUI’s specially designed Green and Fair excursions to Antalya on the day of the festivities.
After a 30-minute minibus ride, the first stop was the Karpuzkaldiran Waterfall, which thunders off the cliffs into the sparkling waters of the Med, and is a gorgeous spot, with a rugged coastline and mountain scenery.
Then it was on to a guided tour of Antalya old town (Kaleiçi) starting at the imposing Hadrian’s Gate, built in honour of Emperor Hadrian who visited in 130AD, which is flanked by the city walls. We then delved into the maze of streets, bursting with bazaars, shaded cafes and Ottoman architecture.
The TUI guide was excellent at bringing the stories behind the buildings to life. He even described a typical night out in the old town which, after sundown, turns into a party zone full of revellers drinking raki – or what he called ‘lion water’.
“It gives you courage to talk to people,” he said.
He also explained the appeal of kokorec – a mix of lamb or goat intestines wrapped around seasoned offal served kebab-style as an after-pub snack. The party crowd queued round the block for it to soak up the booze on the way home. We rounded off the day with a stroll down to the historic harbour, full of handsome wooden boats and pleasure cruisers, and a glass of pure pomegranate juice – a popular and refreshing cooler here – from a street stall.
Back at Masmavi that afternoon, they were having their own Republic Day party, with a flag parade weaving around the 10 pools, followed by a Turkish-themed night in the main Magico buffet restaurant. An epic feast of colour and spice, there were dozens of dips and flatbreads, flavoured meats sizzling on the grills, traditional hot dishes, veggie mixes, and tasty honey-drizzled desserts.
At this top-notch all-inclusive resort guests can dine at the buffet every night or book into the array of restaurants overlooking the sea. We loved the alfresco teppanyaki with sunset views. If you’re holidaying with kids, the theatrical chefs make an effort to get them involved in the very entertaining live cooking show. Our daughter, Charlotte, volunteered to catch raw eggs in a chefs’ hat, and had a smashing time – especially when they splattered on the floor.
Make sure you’re hungry if you dine here. There are multiple courses, including sushi, rice and noodle dishes, stir-fried beef and chicken, salmon steak and dessert. We also tried the fish restaurant, where we savoured course after course of beautifully cooked seafood.
The Flavour restaurant, which serves modern dishes from Turkey, Spain, Greece, Egypt and Tunisia, was a real crowd-pleaser with plenty of choice for all tastes, and at Levante Turkish restaurant, down on the beachfront, we grazed on a beautifully presented, multi-course feast of local delights.
And if you visit the Steakhouse, be prepared for a mammoth meat feast!
The nighttime entertainment at Masmavi is in a league of its own with lavish dance, music and magic shows in an amphitheatre under the stars. There’s also an outdoor main stage area with dancefloor, lighting rigs and wraparound bar where we had a blast dancing, singing, and partying with fellow guests at an 80s-themed night and Halloween disco, and also enjoyed an array of tribute bands.
Our surprise favourite, however, turned out to be the silent disco. With everyone given a pair of headphones and a choice of 80s hits, techno and Turkish music to choose from, all tastes and ages were catered for.
The area around TUI Magic Life Masmavi offers plenty of opportunities for bucket-list sight-seeing and activities with excursions.
You can head west along the coast to Side to see the 1,400-year-old ruins of the Roman amphitheatre and the Temple of Apollo, or experience the exhilaration of whitewater rafting at Köprülü canyon. Plus, just two miles away is Turkey’s largest theme park, Land of Legends, with its rides, waterslides, shopping mall and shows.
Days at Masmavi are as fun-filled or chilled as you make them. We hired one of their beach cabanas, a castaway-style wooden hut with C-shaped padded seating to lounge on with a fully-stocked fridge. Staff members popped by with a fruit platter and to ask if we needed anything, but with the sun shining down, views of the sparkling waters of the Med and cold beer within reach, we couldn’t think of anything.
For the more active there is an aqua park with five mega slides, seven free tennis courts, a free spa with steam and sauna rooms where you can stay as long as you like, free organised mountain bike rides in the countryside, every kind of exercise class, a gym and a lovely sunset yoga session on the beach.
One afternoon, staff set up cannons on the beach for a giant foam party and we ended up shoulder-deep in bubbles and barely able to recognise each other as DJs spun disco beats on the decks. But one of the highlights of our stay were the permanent residents living right outside our very stylish and spacious two-bedroom, two-bathroom, interconnecting family room.
In Turkey cats are welcomed and cherished wherever they wander, and some seriously cute felines have been given a home at the resort, with shelter, food, water, posts for scratching, and a vet that comes every week to check up on them. These furry friends loved the attention of guests, and we soon discovered that true happiness is a tabby cat, sitting on your lap, while soaking up the Turkish sunshine.
Book the holiday
- TUI offers a seven-night holiday to Belek, Antalya area, Turkey, staying at the TUI Masmavi Magic Life on an all-inclusive basis from £1,164 per person. Price is based on two adults and two children sharing a double room with flights departing from Stansted on May 25. tui.co.uk
- TUI Musement’s excursion to Antalya Old Town with Karpuzkaldiran Waterfall is from £40pp for adults (12+) and £25pp for children, free for children under six. tui.co.uk/things-to-do
- One week’s Park and Ride at Gatwick Airport with Airport Parking and Hotels costs from £69. aph.com
- More info at goturkiye.com
