I’ve always dreamed of taking my mum on holiday. I guess in the same way rappers vow to buy their mum a house when they make it big. As you get older, you realise how much your mum has done for you, and how much she gave up. In the space of a few years, you go from being a moody teen who still needs a lot done for them to a mini adult who’s flown the nest and calls home less than they should. There aren’t many ways you can repay the debt you owe your parents, but taking my mum to stay at the Bayou Villas at Lara Barut felt like a very luxurious start.
The Lara Barut Collection is an all-inclusive beachfront resort nestled along the coast of Antalya, Turkey, and within the resort sit the beautifully secluded Bayou Villas, an elevated retreat tucked away inside it all. When we arrived at the hotel, after a speedy check-in at the villas’ private reception, we were shown to our two-bedroom villa. Whoever said the room doesn’t matter on holiday has clearly never stayed at the Bayou Villas.
-8.jpg)
Like something straight out of Selling Sunset, these villas feel like mini-mansions and epitomise modern luxury. Split across three floors, we stepped across the underfloor-heating into a bright, spacious hallway and living area, where a bottle of quietly chilling champagne awaited us alongside delicious local treats. The living space felt light and airy thanks to the floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors, which opened straight out onto an outdoor dining area complete with a sofa and fire pit. Once you step past the dappled sunlight cast by the sunshade, you can fully appreciate the two huge private pools, one saltwater and one freshwater, that are yours for the entire stay.
Packing is so last year.
The wraparound freshwater pool was the real gem of the property for me. The whole area is landscaped to perfection, and you instantly feel immersed in nature. The foliage has a bright, tropical feel, while the scent of jasmine sweeps through the veranda whenever a breeze moves through the garden. The planting also provides complete privacy, making it easy to fully unwind, whether that’s falling asleep in the sunshine or doing wobbly handstands in the pool for your mum to watch.
Back inside, the living room hides a fully equipped kitchen to one side, and a large double bedroom with an ensuite to the other, which opens directly onto the saltwater pool.
On the top floor is the master suite, an enormous bedroom with panoramic views, walk-in wardrobes, and a generous bathroom complete with his-and-hers vanities and Bulgari shower products. This floor also has a huge, comfortable private balcony filled with soft furnishings, perfect for wasting entire days away in your own little world. Down in the basement is the real triumph of the villas and what takes them from impressive to almost gluttonously luxurious. Beneath the living room is a full gym, a bar, a pool table, a private massage room, and a spa area complete with a hot tub, sauna and steam room. My mum walked around the villa in complete awe, as did I, and I could have burst seeing her experience this level of luxury for the first time.
-28.jpg)
Beyond our villa, the hotel offers an incredible range of activities. There are nine à la carte restaurants and seven bars, a private beach, and a nightly calendar of shows and activities for adults and families alike. But staying in a Bayou Villa means you get to experience all of this at a different level. Room service is available at the click of a button through the villa app, which made navigating our stay effortless. On our first day, we were determined to try as many restaurants as possible, but the pull of our gorgeous villa proved too strong. Instead, we ordered lunch poolside in our garden, feeling indulgent, a little naughty, and happy to simply revel in the space, the setting and each other’s company.
We were also set up with a personal concierge service via WhatsApp upon arrival, which made the entire stay seamless. From arranging buggies to get us around the resort, to booking spa treatments and activating villa amenities like the fire pit or steam room, everything felt completely taken care of, even when we were doing nothing at all.
One of our favourite parts of the stay was the beach. Each villa is assigned its own private beach cabana, complete with beautifully comfortable beds and loungers and a stocked mini fridge. There were even games, sunscreen and hand fans waiting for us. We didn’t leave our villa much, but when we did, we were usually at our cabana, reading our books, floating in the sea and working our way through fruit plate after fruit plate, brought over by a waiter who simply would not stop offering to bring food and drinks directly to our beds.
Each villa is also provided with a set of bikes, so you can cycle around the resort. This was a hard pass for my mum, but one afternoon I loaded up on SPF, put my headphones in and took the adorable lime-green bike for a spin. It was such a lovely way to see everything the resort has to offer. There are nine different pools of varying sizes for adults, children and babies, including an aquapark, lagoon pools and an indoor pool. Restaurants, ice cream stalls and bars are dotted around this central area, creating a little world of its own. As you move closer to the beach, you pass people doing yoga on the sand, playing tennis or beach volleyball, and even a fully equipped outdoor CrossFit area. Cycling back towards the villas, the thoughtful landscaping wraps around you again. Rosemary bushes line the paths, broken up by the scent of lavender, with honeybees quietly buzzing away at work.
Instagram content
This trip truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience and gave my mum and me the chance to connect, relax and revel in the finer things together. I felt like I was doing my younger self proud, the version of me who had always dreamed of treating my mum for all the years she spent treating me. I brought my old film camera along, its half-exposed roll giving away the fact I hadn’t picked it up since 2019, and I snapped away, stealing moments of calm and beauty and reconnecting with a form of creativity I love.
My mum became my muse, her contentment my subject, and the memories we made together something I’ll carry forever.
Packing is so last year.
