Having made a very late decision to take a week's solo holiday I contacted Pauline and Erol, the owners of the fantastic Owlsland, and within three days was out there in Bezirgan, a village about 25 minutes inland from the south west Turkey resort of Kalkan and not much more than an easy two hours from Dalaman airport.

Their B&B set-up is marvellous. Tucked away on the edge of the small village of Bezirgan, about 800 metres up in a flat valley with mountains behind, you are very much in rural Turkey. But that is the joy of the place - you are entirely away from it all. The accommodation is in a separate house away from where Erol and Pauline live, where you have breakfast and dinner. The room was wonderfully comfortable, with a great outside area in which to laze and read books, your own private garden, and with a backdrop of mountains right behind.

Owlsland is an ideal place to stay if you are looking to get away from it, if you are a walker (you can walk straight from the house up onto the Lycean Way and onto some spectacular trails which lead up onto plateaux with great views in all directions), if you are a birdwatcher (I went in a part of the year when bird life was reasonably quiet with almost all of the summer migrants gone but the house itself, as the website shows, attracts a fantastic array of birds and even in October I saw many Rock Nuthatch - one nesting right by the room - as well as Syrian Woodpecker, Little Owl, Long-legged Buzzard and Red-Backed and Isabelline Shrike - all within walking distance or on the property itself - and even rarer birds like the Kruper's Nuthatch not far away by car) or if you want to base yourself to explore this part of Turkey without staying in the resorts of Kalkan and Kas. The coast has plenty to offer as does driving inland and exploring further into the mountains.

Pauline and Erol look after you phenomenally well. As the pics and other reviews show, breakfast is wonderful - plentiful fresh coffee, locally sourced yoghurt, bread, jams, eggs - all taken in the morning sun outside the main house. And on four nights out of the seven that I stayed there, I also had dinner - Erol rustling up a number of delicious dinners, varied and interesting, lots of Turkish dishes that I had not had before, always with interesting side salads and the like. Pauline is a mine of interesting information - both to help plan your day, but also to understand a bit more about life in Turkey too. Fascinating stuff.

I should say that it is remarkable value too - about £35 a night B&B with dinner only another £12-15 if you require it.

I cannot recommend a stay at Owlsland highly enough - if you are the sort of person who enjoys nature, scenery and getting off the beaten track and exploring a beautiful part of Turkey, then go.

A family house that belonged to the family grandfather in an idyllic valley settled by the Romans and inhabited by the Lycians. Run by an ecologically aware couple who are animal involved in local animal rescue not to mention they built there 'new house' themselves and restored the one you will stay in. Its rustic and quaint you walk across to the main house terrace for meals and wifi. Full and half board is available as well as B & B. The welcome is genuine and the food out of this world. Absolutely some of the best food I had in Turkey - ask to sample some of the goat curd made by local shepherds -Im still dreaming about it.. Not surprising that our host used to do cooking classes as part of his astounding career. He's also happy to share his knowledge. There is only one coffee shop (that only sells coffee, tea and coke) under a tree and a small general store both within a kilometre. So best to bring snacks you need (alcohol is available and reasonably priced) This village was home to a thriving farming population but as is so often the case the younger generation, like our host, leave to find employment elsewhere. Apparently the tradition is becoming that those that can return, do and hopefully like Owlsland will breathe renewed life into this idyllic spot without destroying its tranquility. It is the quiet that makes this spot so, bring a book and curl up listening to goats sheep and the odd donkey in one of the myriad of nooks and crannies created just for this purpose. Alternatively, go for a walk its astoundingly beautiful. Its expensive but worth scrimping to do this side trip I would make it one of my must return to places in Turkey.

Owlsland is all that it says on it’s website, a delightful step back into times long gone by in modern Europe, set in a secluded, very simple farming community with sheep and goats grazing all around and a menagerie of friendly dogs and cats
We had a very attractive, comfortable double bedded room in an old farm building 100M from the main house, with constant hot water and other facilities.
We enjoyed Errol’s home cooking in the evenings whilst Pauline provided a very warm welcome and delicious breakfasts, and was more than ready to answer any questions and give information and advice about local matters.
For the less active a stroll in to the village, followed by a circuit, stopping for an ice cream at one of the two simple shops and later an omelette at the café opposite the mosque, is a 7km totally flat walk.