Old money, new glamour: Why celebrities are flocking to Bodrum
2014-03-13 19:57:38
Bodrum. What’s the attraction? What is it about this sunny peninsula that attracts royals, models, old money and the nouveau riche? Kate Moss, Camilla Parker-Bowles and Bill Gates have all travelled to Turkey’s most talked about holiday destination. Let’s find out why...
To see and be seen
who? The Jaggers, Kid Rock, Pamela Anderson, Sting, Yves Saint Laurent
where? Halikarnas Nightclub
Nightclub behemoth Halikarnas, located in Bodrum Town, has played host to some of the most illustrious names in the world. Pamela Anderson caused a scene here when a hapless waiter ignored her request for a drink. Dustin Hoffman once rented the whole club for a birthday bash. Jade Jagger opened a restaurant at the club - and she’s not the first Jagger to hang out at the club, her dad Mick is a regular at the club.
Family holiday in the sunshine
Who? Salma Hayek
Where? Torba
The trio frolicked on Torba’s pebbly beach, strolled along the seafront and engaged in some light shopping. Hayek reportedly loves Turkish jewellery, and has spent up big in some of Bodrum’s most prestigious jewellers’ on past visits.
Hayek’s choice for a family getaway was a good one - Turks adore children, and their family-friendly values mean little ones are always welcome in local restaurants and even the odd bar.
Private getaway
Who? Bill Gates, Tom Hanks, Nicole Kidman
Where? That’s a secret
Nicole Kidman is another celebrity who values her privacy above all else and likes to keep a low profile during her regular trips to Bodrum. However, the flame-haired Aussie actor was spectacularly rumbled last year as she dined with a friend in a restaurant in low key Cokertme Bay. Accessible only by boat, the Moulin Rouge star evidently thought she’d gotten away with her undercover disguise of a cap and oversized sunglasses. However, a keen-eyed young diner loudly pointed out the antipodean beauty, prompting other restaurant patrons to scramble over chairs in their haste to have Kidman sign autographs.
A second home in Bodrum
who? Shhhh, not telling
where? All over
These are some serious pads at some very serious prices in Yalikavak, but Bodrum is now on the radar of some of the world’s most serious property buyers. Bodrum property prices have shot up over the past decade, especially in hotspots Yalikavak and Bodrum Town. Other peripheral villages like peaceful Torba and established Turkish celeb favourite Turkbuku are also gaining international recognition.
Royal relaxation
who? Camilla Parker-Bowles
where? Bodrum Marina
The Duchess of Cornwall made an ostentatious splash when she partied in Bodrum last summer. Parker-Bowles dined at Bodrum Marina with posh friends Amanda Ward, Lady Fiona Lansdowne, and Jane Von Westenholz before the group were whisked off by speedboat to a waiting superyacht, reportedly rented for the eye-watering weekly sum of £450,000. Mrs Prince Charles then enjoyed several days leisurely sailing around the peninsula’s bays, no doubt eating caviar off silver platters whilst sporting a variety of tiaras.
Those royals certainly know how to relax in style. Parker-Bowles isn’t the first royal to visit the peninsula, either - Princess Margaret also loved Bodrum and visited several times.
Detox and cleanse
who? Kate Moss
where? Turkbuku