The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
FOR LUXURY AND PAMPERING
The settlement of Halikarnassos was once home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – the magnificently ornate tomb of its then ruler, Mausolus. Fragments of the famed Mausoleum of Halikarnassos remain, but today the town is known as Bodrum. A wonder it remains, attested to by the often well-off and sometimes famous visitors who flock here to enjoy its whitewashed cuboid houses, Crusader castle, breezeblessed shores, azure waters, sophisticated restaurants and panoply of luxury hotels.
On the peninsula to the north of Bodrum town is one of the country’s finest hotels, the Mandarin Oriental (00 90 25231 11888; mandarinoriental. com). With doubles from £324 per night it is dear, but it is good value considering just how exclusive and cocoon-like the experience here – it has arguably the best spa in Turkey, two private beaches and as many staff as there are guests. It also comes in at £46 per night cheaper than its Barcelona counterpart, giving you the chance to splurge some of that extra money elsewhere.
Alternatively, Six Senses Kaplankaya (00 90 25251 10030; sixsenses. com) is situated on an attractive, olive-grove studded stretch of Aegean coast to the north of Bodrum. While also noted for its superb spa and treatment rooms, doubles here cost a little less, from £246 per night.
If you can tear yourself away from the excellent facilities and beach, make sure that you visit the fabulously massive and ancient Sanctuary of Apollo at Didim. Both of these hotels are easily reached from Bodrum-Milas Airport (approx. 35 mins to Bodrum; 50 mins to Six Senses Kaplankaya) which you can fly to from Gatwick with Corendon (corendonairlines.com; from £97 return, starting in April).
If you would like to be away from the city, the pretty, former Greekinhabited fishing port of Kalkan is an attractive resort set out around a deep bay, a four-hour drive to the south of Bodrum. The exclusive Turquoise Collection (01449 770811; turquoisecollection.com) has several beautiful villas and hotels to choose from here, the pick of which has to be Hotel Villa Mahal.
Smaller than others of its kind, it has just 13 rooms of varying sizes and serves extremely well-regarded food in a stunning setting that drops down a rocky hillside over the deep blue waters of the bay. Doubles cost from £192 per night and you can fly direct to Dalaman, the nearest airport less than a two-hour drive away, with easyJet (easyjet.com; from £109 return).