Turkey and Altinkum are beautiful places with very friendly people, but whenever you are in a new place, there are few things it is useful to know about. Here, in no particular order, are things that we wish we had known from the first day we arrived.

1) Visa - there is no paperwork to complete in advance, but all visitors to Turkey must buy a three month visa on arrival at the airport. It will cost £10 for every visitor (regardless of age or nationality - unless Turkish) and is best paid in £ Sterling cash so remember to have some available when you arrive. You should also make sure you join the visa queue before going to passport control or you will have to go back and queue again.......

2) Money - it is better value to convert your cash when you are in Turkey rather than converting money before you leave. The exchange rate in Turkey can be up to 10% better than UK banks. The best exchange rates are to be found in the various stores such as car hire, excursion organisers and jewellers rather than the banks that can be relatively expensive.

3) Taxis - are good value and readily available at taxi ranks around Altinkum. You can also flag them down in the street as you would a 'black' cab in the UK, but be careful to ensure that they are using their meter. If not, you must confirm the charge for your journey before you set off as there a few drivers who will eploit unwary tourists.

4) Buses - most of Turkey has excellent local buses called Dolmus (pronounced 'dolmush') which can be flagged down anywhere. You can also ask to get out at any point too. They are great value and an adult fare between any two points in the resort is rarely more than 1 lira (less than 40p) with children being half price. This means that they get very busy and you will be amazed at how many people you can get on them! When returning to the apartment you need to ask for the Hergul Apartments or the Spice Hotel across the road.