You don't have to be a millionaire

If you believe all you read on Facebook and in glossy magazines, Bodrum is: 1.Overcrowded 2.Empty 3.Awash with beautiful young influencers drinking gold flecked cocktails 4.TOO EXPENSIVE 5.Only visited by tourists who never venture out of their All Inclusive hotels. I'll give you "Crowded", but what holiday resort isn't in high season. "Empty" - really? If a restaurant is empty there is usually a good reason why. I can't comment on the cocktaileratti as I don't have the clothes (or the figure) to mix in those circles but I can address the last two points. On Sunday I had supper at the Dinç Hotel on the Kumbahçe beachfront in Central Bodrum. A football shirt gave an excuse to start chatting to the family of 4 on the next table as Liverpool had just trounced Manchester United and I felt congratulations were in order. These Liverpool supporters were staying in an All Inclusive hotel about 10 kms outside Bodrum. They had picked the hotel for its child friendly facilities but prefered to eat in Bodrum because they liked food more varied than the hotel buffet and they didn't think it was expensive to eat out. Similar meals in Stoke on Trent, their home town, would be twice the price and they cetainly wouldn't be dining on a beach with a golden sun sinking behind a Crusader castle. Our own meal of a starter, two substantial main courses and fruit with 2 lemon sodas came in at 1,150 TL or 26 Pounds/32 Euros. No alcohol as Guinness had been drunk earlier at 190 or 4.30 pounds for 50 cl. This amount is more than we would have paid last year and is a challenge when living on a fixed TL income but it should not discourage visitors who would be hard pressed to find these prices for a similar venue in their home country. Our new friends said that they would be back again next year and I got up from the table encouraged that Bodrum is still an affordable holiday option for young families despite Facebook warriors telling me that tourists have or will abandon us.