The cheap 5* Turkish holiday resort – with amazing food and huge pools

AS my seven-year-old flew down yet another waterslide while my three-year-old aimed the water cannon in the spray park squarely at my husband, I knew we’d made the right choice for our family getaway.

Our home for the week was the Kefaluka Resort near Akyarlar, on the south-west coast of Turkey, about 40 miles from Bodrum Airport.

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Several months on from the devastating earthquakes that wreaked havoc back in February, Turkey needs its tourists back.

Our popular coastal resort was more than 600 miles from the disaster zone but untouched.

We were certainly welcomed with open arms by everyone we met — the hospitality here truly goes above and beyond.

Spread over 12 acres, the 5H Kefaluka — with its 384 rooms and multiple outdoor pools — occupies a stunning bay backed by the Turgutreis hills.

Walking through the resort, you are always immersed in greenery, with beautifully tended flowers offering splashes of colour.

And every which way you turn, there’s yet another bar or restaurant beckoning you in.

With the resort’s all-inclusive concept, the real winner is the tremendous value it offers for families in our difficult times.

All food and drinks, plus an eye-popping number of activities — Zumba, tennis, beach volleyball and archery to name but a few — and facilities such as a gym and cinema are included in the price.

Arriving at the main pool area, I gave my husband a high-five as we set eyes on the waterslides, spray park, playground and games room — along with a decent stretch of beach just a short walk away.

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While our three-year-old still needs a lot of supervision, the lagoon-style pool was perfect for him — and his sister — to splash around in.

Helpfully, this was also very close to two of the poolside bars, both of which served ice-cold margaritas.

This meant we could enjoy some rare sunbathing time, drink in hand, as our two made up all manner of imaginary games with the inflatable crocodile we had wisely invested in.

There is a free kids’ club at the resort, with fantastic staff who are bursting with energy, but they only take children over four.

During the hottest part of the day, we got into a happy routine of retiring to the hammocks to recharge — and get ready for the next stint at the aquapark, usually fuelled by as many ice-creams as our children could carry from the kiosk.

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Mud bath and water pistols

In the evenings, after watching the sun sink into the Aegean Sea, we enjoyed dinner at the main buffet restaurant.

While there are five a la carte restaurants — choose from Turkish, Chinese, Italian, Mexican or fish and mezze — you only get to dine at one during a seven-day stay as part of the all-inclusive offering.

But the buffet served us well and was carnivore heaven for my husband who looked on in glee as his dinner of shish kebab was grilled right in front of him.

There were also plenty of vegetarian options for me — I just couldn’t get enough of the Turkish salads, humous, and vine leaves.

Happily, there were also guaranteed basic pasta dishes at every meal for the children — a real blessing — and there was a seemingly endless supply of extremely sweet desserts (less of a blessing).

One of the biggest hits was the nightly mini-disco at 9pm which saw our two little ones dancing off the dessert sugar rush to the hokey cokey and some equally catchy Turkish tunes.

While there was plenty of late-evening entertainment on offer for adults — including karaoke and dance shows — with two little ones finally starting to flag by around 10pm, we tended to retire at this point most nights.

Our room comfortably accommodated the four of us, with the two children on a pull-out sofa bed.

My husband and I made good use of the regularly restocked mini-bar — beer and soft drinks are free — and we all loved our little balcony with its fabulous sea view.

If you want to really unwind, the spa offers sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and Turkish bath, plus a long list of massages, although you will have to pay extra for treatments.

Manage to prise your kids away from the pools and Bodrum city, a 15-mile drive away, offers shopping, a luxury marina and a wide choice of restaurants and bars.

Other activities in the area include village and market tours, Jeep safaris and cruises along the Turquoise Coast.

Jet2Holidays also offers a great full-day Nature Fun tour that will see you and the family driving into the hills above Bodrum in open-top Jeeps with stops for photos, fun with water pistols, lunch and visits to a mud bath and an olive oil factory for around £50 per adult and £25 for kids aged three to ten.

If your children love animals, as ours do, I’d recommend a trip to the Turgutreis Country Ranch — 25 minutes in a taxi.

There’s some exceptional views out toward the Greek islands to soak up during a one-hour horse ride — costing £35 per person and suitable for beginners.

Our kids were not willing to be away from the waterslides for too long, though, and soon enough we were back at Kefaluka with some ice-cold cocktails — and our trusty crocodile.

As I enjoyed a brief moment of sun-bathing undisturbed, I thought to myself that if you’re looking for an affordable family break this summer, you can’t go far wrong with this Aegean gem.

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