Daddy don't dance: A perfect family holiday in Turkey (except for dad's dodgy dancing)

By DAN HIPGRAVE

Father act: Dan Hipgrave (centre) tries not to be an embarrassing dad with daughter Honey


'We need a father and daughter up here on stage to complete tonight's line-up' declared the Turkish host, his eyes busily scanning the 300-strong audience gathered in Hillside Beach Club's impressive amphitheatre. A wail from my wife Lynsey caught his attention. 'Over here,' she bellowed, throwing her arms around like a banshee and flashing a grin as wide as the English Channel.

Before I had the chance to express my disapproval, the spotlight - and with it the crowd's gaze - was firmly fixed upon me. There was no escape.
The evening's 'Family Affair' pitted four parent and child teams against each other in a series of wacky trials, including the hilarious 'hit the hanging stuffed toys with a foam pole while blindfolded' game, the rip-roaring 'hum for as long as possible while skipping the hula hoop' challenge and of course a belly-dancing competition to finish.

Now, I'm no stranger to the stage. I have performed in such grand venues as Wembley Stadium with my rock band Toploader, but this kind of public exhibition was, to put it mildly, not in my comfort zone.

My seven-year-old daughter Honey, on the other hand, was thrilled by the whole spectacle. 'This is awesome, Daddy,' she declared excitably. The holiday had been a hit so far and I had a feeling this was going to be a highlight - for everyone else.

When it comes to family resorts, Hillside Beach Club has it wrapped up. Set in its own beautiful private bay nestled among 30 acres of pine forest, the pleasantly sized resort is near the small fishing village of Fethiye and just one hour from Dalaman airport. Hillside offers a near-perfect blend of relaxation and entertainment with five-star facilities and incredible food.


Sand and sea: Hillside Beach Club nestles nicely on Turkey's Turquoise Coast


We checked in to a large and luxuriously appointed category B room, with tiled floors and white furniture throughout. The spacious balcony led to a bathroom as well as a separate child's bedroom that could sleep up to three. While Honey settled into her room, Lynsey and I slouched back on the outdoor sofa and took in the breathtaking views over the bay's glistening blue shores and evergreen mountains.

Over breakfast, the three of us huddled around a copy of the Hillside Tribune, a daily leaflet that outlines the day's activities. The schedule starts at 8.30am with sunrise yoga and just keeps going until four the next morning with international DJ sets in the sound-proofed Pasha Nightclub.

Sporting tournaments such as beach volleyball, water aerobics, football, tennis, basketball and archery, as well as more relaxed games such as darts, bingo and backgammon, are organised by the resort's incredibly enthusiastic 'animation' team.

In fact, it's the staff who make this resort special, going out of their way to ensure you're having a good time without ever becoming too intrusive.

On the first morning I signed up to the water polo team. Team sports are not usually my thing. I inevitably end up letting the side down, but I threw myself into this contest. I splashed my way through half an hour of testosterone-fuelled water warfare, narrowly avoiding long-term injury, while Lynsey rhythmically stretched her way through a far more graceful water aerobic session.


All aboard: Fethiye Bay is a particularly picturesque part of Turkey's coastline


Later in the day we introduced Honey to Charlie and GiGi at the resort's Kidside club. They greeted her with a warmth that helped her settle quickly. Being an only child, GiGi did a great job of 'matchmaking' her with the other children too. The ultra-safe gated children's area was pure 'Honey Heaven', with a pool equipped with four 'awesome' waterslides, enough arts and crafts to keep Rolf Harris happy for a lifetime and, of course, something no kid can live without these days - a PlayStation.

For dinner we ate at the Main Restaurant where an extensive buffet is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as free drinks... yes free! The food is impressive bearing in mind the number of people who pass though each sitting (the resort has 330 rooms sleeping up to 781 people).

Each meal time a different choice of freshly cooked meats and fish are served along with one of the most substantial mezze and dessert bars I've seen. The clay oven is fun too - fresh pizzas, warm breads and chocolate pots kept Honey very happy. The only advice I would offer is to try to avoid evening peak times - 8.30 to 9.30 - or you may find yourself involved in a 'middle-class riot', as one guest aptly described the rush that occurs then.

The resort does have two other restaurants: the informal Beach Restaurant, with a swimwear approach for lunch and an Italian a la carte menu in the evening, and Pasha by the Bay, a candlelit restaurant where children are not allowed.

After dinner we had a few drinks at the pool bar. A local Efes beer is £2.50 and the excellent cocktails are £8 (try the ginger margarita). Turkish wine isn't up to much but imported wine is available, although fairly expensive.

Every evening at 9.45pm a show takes place in the resort's amphitheatre. The first show of our stay was Sweet Dreams - a kind of Cirque du Soleil meets We Will Rock You event. The production is impressive and the effort put in is incredible, but it did leave Honey slightly perplexed. 'What does it all mean, Daddy?' she asked halfway through the hour-long show. 'I'm not sure, Honey,' I shrugged, but we enjoyed it all the same.

After a couple of days relaxing and enjoying the facilities, we decided to take in some of the local sights with a trip to the weekly market in Fethiye town. A shuttle bus runs every hour from the resort and takes about ten minutes. The fare is eight Turkish lira (about £3.50) per person for a return journey.


Hold on tight: Dan tries his hand - semi-successfully - at wake-boarding


Fethiye is a pretty town in the foothills of Mount Mendos, part of the Taurus Mountains, and surrounds the bay to which it gave its name. It offers a better taste of real Turkey than other towns along the coast, with streets full of locals sipping Turkish tea, as well as tourists buying Turkish Delight. There are plenty of fish restaurants and some good shopping.

The main shopping area, Paspatur, has several pedestrianised streets laden with wonderful shops selling gold and jewellery, carpets, and leather. While there were some duty-free bargains to be had, most of the designer gear was fake. The huge Tuesday market consisted of hundreds of stalls with crafts, spices, clothes and fruit and veg. It's well worth a look, but remember to take plenty of water as you could well find yourself wandering round in temperatures nudging 100F. It took three ice lollies and numerous bottles of water to revive Honey after just one hour in that heat.

While we were waiting for the return shuttle bus, we met a family from Cape Town who have travelled extensively over the years and believed Hillside Beach Club to be the best resort they had experienced.

In fact all the people we met during our stay were either repeat customers or were promising to return again - it's that kind of place.

The next morning after breakfast, Honey trotted off to the Kidside club leaving Lynsey and me to stroll up through the meandering-forest walk towards the Sanda Nature Spa, one of two spas in the resort. It is located near the Silent Beach, an adults-only 'chillout zone', complete with hammocks, big comfy sunloungers and its own al fresco bar.

The Nature Spa is a tranquil haven of soothing sounds and trickling water made entirely of wood. Its Balinese-inspired spa cabins overlook the beach and the crystal-clear Aegean Sea - it's certainly relaxing. Lynsey opted for a two-hour sea-salt scrub and gentle Sanda massage while I went for the traditional Balinese body massage.

That evening Honey took us by surprise by announcing her participation in the evening's Kids' Show where the youngsters would be representing countries by performing their national dance.

Honey was in the Turkish troupe who, unbeknown to us, had been rehearsing for three days at Kidside. She entered the stage kitted out head to toe in traditional regalia; it was a real treat for the parents watching their kids perform. Honey didn't let the side down, pulling off a near-flawless performance (I'm not too biased, of course!).

The next morning was particularly calm in the bay so we decided to try out the watersports facilities. There is a huge selection of watersport activities on offer including sailing, windsurfing and kayaking, as well as the full range of adrenaline-pumped motor watersports.

I fancied a crack at wakeboarding - waterskiing on a board - but it had been a long time since my last attempt so I enrolled the help of instructor Ecran, who took me through the motions on dry land.

Feeling ready, I slipped my feet into the board's boots, grabbed a lifejacket and jumped into the water. Ecran threw me the line and I tried to remember everything he had told me.


This is how you do it, dad: Honey performed rather better than Dan when it came to Turkish dancing


As the boat pulled away and the rope tightened, my mind went blank; I pulled as hard as possible and crashed face-first into the water, performing what's known to the pros as a 'face plant'. All I could see as I bobbed helplessly in the water was Honey looking rather unimpressed.

I cleared my throat and listened to Ecran's instructions. 'Don't pull, keep your knees bent and straighten your hips.' On the second attempt the boat pulled away, the rope tightened, and I was up. It is a fantastic rush; I strongly recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it.

Next up it was Honey's turn; she wanted to have a go on the doughnut ride.
She placed herself in the inflatable ring and hung on for dear life as the speedboat pulled her around the bay.

'That was the best thing ever, Daddy - can I go again?' she hollered before she was even out of the ring. It was a whole lot of fun!

Afterwards we braved the Turkish heat once more and headed off on an excursion to the nearby 'ghost town' of Kaya Koyu, about 20 minutes' drive from the resort.

The resort can arrange a variety of cultural tours that are led by the extremely knowledgeable guide Naci. He explained how in 1922 during a Turkish and Greek 'Population exchange', the local Greeks of Kaya Koyu were ordered to leave their homes and head back to their native land. Legend has it that the Greeks cleaned their homes and left the keys in the doors ready for the new occupants before heading over the water to Rhodes, Crete and Athens. The Turks who arrived in Kaya Koyu found it difficult to settle and went elsewhere - leaving the town deserted to this day.

Even Honey enjoyed the two-hour tour - after all, it's not every day you get to roam a deserted town of 3,000 houses, two churches, two schools and shops. It is quite spooky!

It had been a fantastic week for all the family - until the moment I had to stand in front of 300 people and bellydance. Needless to say, we didn't win - in fact, we came last - but it didn't matter; we enjoyed it immensely, even if I was a slightly reluctant participant.


Sunshine special: Dan, Honey and wife Lynsey relax at the end of their stay in Turkey


The Hillside Beach Club is set in an almost perfect location and pulls off an incredible feat, providing that 'fun for everyone' feel without sacrificing its luxury resort ambience.

I'm sure we'll be going back - just no bellydancing next time, please!


Travel Facts
Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk) offers flights to Dalaman from Birmingham and Luton, with fares starting at £147.50 return. Prices at the Hillside Beach Club start at £67 per person per night on a full-board basis (www.hillsidebeachclub.com).

Thomas Cook MyStyle (0844 412 5970, www.thomascookstyle.com) offers seven nights' full-board including return flights and transfers from £597, departing Gatwick on May 4.


source: dailymail