Marmaris - Turkey; Review

Introduction:

It's shit.
No wait, I lie. If you have >17 tattoos, a gold chain, like going abroad to eat roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, and you perception of beer quality is inverse to its price, then Marmaris is for you.

Weather:

Brilliant. Dry heat, highs of 35-37deg, lows at night of around 27-28deg, rarely a cloud to be seen. Perfect for a nice little bit of sunburn.

Food & Drink:

Food was hit and miss - it was actually hard to find somewhere that served Turkish food- most of the places thrived on pizza/burgers/roast dinners/chips and (ironically) big greasy kebabs on a spinning stick. Unusually, the best evening meals we had were at the hotel restaurant. Prices varied little, usually around 18-22TL which is about £8-10.
Drinks were expensive. Lacking a units & measures act, you can ask for a beer (the local 'Efes' is nice, but gassy) and get anything from a half-pint to a half-litre and pay typically £2-5. Don't bother with spirits, but do try a fish-bowl - a (obviously) fish bowl filled with a cocktail of your choice. 'Bar Street' in the centre does what it says on the tin - you know you've landed, and with at a guess, 20-30 bars and clubs to choose from, it's yours for the take.
And as with any foreign country - stick to bottled water.

Culture:

We didn't go for any, and didn't get any. It's a nice place, though. As is to be expected, there's a bit of hassle walking by restaurants, bars and shops - the indoor bazaar is by far the worst though. Keeping your head down or engaging in a blatant conversation doesn't stop them shouting over to you and pulling your arm into their shop. Overall, the Turks have a subtle sense of humour and are very hospitable but again to be expected - they conversely keep a watchful eye on the tourists.
Being a 90% Muslim country, there are rules, but fairly liberal. Strangest thing we observed was how few women there were working. Most were in shops, but virtually none in any bars or restaurants.

To See / To Do:

There's loads if you want to do it. Personally, I was 'on a shoestring' and so didn't partake, but if you want there's plenty of fishing, scuba diving, boat trips, 4x4 trips, cultural excursions and whatnot. We opted for al-fresco relaxation (ie: sunbathing!).

Conclusion

Would I go again? If I wanted a pure-relaxation holiday, then I'd definitely choose Turkey - again at a similar time of year when it's not entirely swamped with tourists, but possibly not Marmaris.