Turkey: Bodrum or Antalya
 

We are going to be in Istanbul at the end of May and have a few extra days and I wanted to go to either Antalya or Bodrum. Does anyone know anything about either and which might be preferable? I'm sure a lot depends on personal preferences, but what are some characteristics of each? Is one more beachy than the other, one more historical, etc. And which might pair best with Istanbul as something a little different?
Thanks.

I am not a big fan of either location.

Bodrum is a resort town with sort of a Turkish atmosphere, but tourist development has overwhelmed the old city. Today, Bodrum is filled with British and German tourists. No beaches to speak of....the good ones are all south of Bodrum. From Bodrum, you can take a ferry to the Greek island of Kos. Kos city is beautiful, done in Moorish architecture.

In Bodrum you are within one days reach (about 2-3 hours) of the ancient Greek ruins at Ephesus, and that is well worth seeing.

Antalya is just a big city. Wonderful beaches to the east, such as Alanya, which is maybe a couple of hours away by car or bus.

If you have a couple of extra days in Turkey, I would strongly recommend that you visit Cappadocia (near the city of Goreme). It is an amazing region unlike anything you will experience elsewhere. The scenery is a surreal, almost lunar-like. And, some amazing caves to explore.

Kusadasi is a nice area as well, just north to Bodrum

Kusadasi is the town where the big cruise ships port for shore excursions to
visit Ephesus. It is a much better place to stay vis-a-vis Bodrum, if Ephesus is your final destination.

You can also easily visit the Greek island of Samos from Kusadasi via local ferry.