TURKISH holiday delight Marmaris is Brit-friendly and booming lovely.
With upgraded hotels offering too-good-to-miss, all-inclusive deals, hundreds of bars and restaurants and a summer from May to October, we can't get enough of this cracking, cosmopolitan resort.

Get steak and chips for two for a fiver on the main drag or feast on falafel and baklava down the side streets.
Enjoy chilled-out days and wild nights, go haggling in the bazaars or exploring in the pine-clad forests.
Marmaris, a place of extreme contrasts, is what you make of it.

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We stayed in the five-star Green Nature Hotel, which is situated beside a peaceful pine forest. It's just off the main road, a 10-minute walk from the bus stop and a short stroll from the beach.

It's an all-inclusive hotel where you can graze all day on breakfast, snacks, lunch, afternoon cake and dinner.
Plus all locally produced drinks - that's non bigbrand booze - are free.
Cheers!

The swimming pools are big and there are huge waterslides for the kids.
Evening entertainment includes discos, bingo and shows in the amphitheatre.
Plus there's a shop selling holiday essentials, including the Daily Star.

Brits flock here and everyone speaks English, so there's no need to worry about the language barrier.
It would be so easy simply to find a sunbed, then make the most of the free drinks, but there are so many sights to see outside the hotel gates, we just had to explore them.

We hopped on a dolmus, a local bus costing 80 pence, and headed into town.

There are plenty of cafes offering roast beef and full English breakfasts, complete with HP Sauce (this particular condiment was heavily advertised! ). But if you wander up the narrow streets you can sample the fabulous Turkish food of kofte (minced lamb meatballs with herbs), borek (flaky pastry filled with meat, cheese and herbs) and baklava (layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweet syrup).

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By the marina there are some wonderful fresh fish restaurants.
It is one of those places where you get hassled by staff trying to drag you in to have dinner, which is fine if you don't have any recommendations. But here's one I'd make a beeline for - it's a restaurant in front of the old castle, Amigos, where the slogan above the door is: "I say nothing."

It means what it says. Noone bullies you into eating there but if you do, you'll get platefuls of delicious kebabs and seafood, all reasonably priced.
Marmaris also boasts a huge busy bazaar which is worth a visit to enjoy a bit of haggling over a carpet, an Armani leather jacket or a pair of Gucci jeans.
The Turks are not embarrassed to carry signs on their shops saying "genuine fakes". You'll certainly find a bargain and only you and the trader will know your new Dolce & Gabbana belt is not the real McCoy.

If you're feeling adventurous we found some saucy traders offering sex tea and Turkish Viagra. Give these a go at your own risk, though. I didn't try them.
Or go for traditional local products, such as Turkish coffee, Turkish Delight or apple tea.
At night Bar Street in the town centre is a kind of mini Ibiza. There are hundreds of bars doing drinks promotions, with tunes blaring out of doorways and attractive hosts and hostesses to lure you in.

It's easy to get into the swing of downing fishbowls and Smirnoff Ices by the dozen.
Hilariously, though, for every two bars you stumble out of, there is a chippy and a tattoo parlour next door, so you can get hammered, battered and stabbed all in one night. Should you want to sample the unusual, head to Talk Of The Town on the beach where out of nowhere you'll be treated to a free stage show on the bar roof, including a Jacko dance troupe and dancing mummies.

For trips further afield, tour operator lowcostholidays.com organises some fantastic excursions.
In addition, make sure you visit the nearby town of Icmeler, just a 20-minute, £1 bus ride away.
It boasts a massive market and beautiful beaches.

This beach is family-friendly with watersports, banana boats and pedalos.
For a truly beautiful local beach, head offshore to Cleopatra Island. This was given to Cleopatra as a wedding present by Mark Anthony. The story goes that he imported the fine white shell sand for her. I hope she appreciated it, because we certainly did.
So with its blend of busy bars, array of beaches, bonkers bazaars and natural beauty, Marmaris is an all-round belter.

Fact Box
A SEVEN-night, all-inclusive holiday at the five-star Green Nature Resort and Spa in Marmaris, Turkey, costs from £450 per person, including flight from Gatwick. To book call free on 0800 1116271 or visit lowcostholidays.com.