What to do in Antalya when it rains and the beach is off

Short answer: head for a shopping centre. In winter Antalya gets sudden, heavy showers, and the sensible move is to go somewhere with a roof, parking or a taxi rank, and enough to do that nobody gets bored by the second hour. One of the better options is Mall of Antalya in Kepez, where FUNBOX VR Arena is.

Why a mall works when the weather turns

Between November and March you can wake up to blue sky and be watching the Konyaaltı promenade disappear under rain by lunchtime. The old town is lovely, but not with a pushchair and a wet umbrella. A big indoor complex solves the practical problems at once: toilets, food, somewhere dry to wait for the taxi, and something for the teenager who has already said “I’m bored” twice.

Getting there from your hotel

Mall of Antalya is in Kepez, inland from the coast. From Lara, Kundu or Konyaaltı you go by taxi or car. It feels like a proper trip out rather than a stroll, so treat it as the plan for the day, not a quick detour. Aim to arrive late morning and you have the whole afternoon without watching the clock. The address is Altınova Sinan Mah., Serik Cad., Mall of Antalya Deepo No:89, Kepez; show it to the driver or put it into your maps app.

What FUNBOX adds to the day

FUNBOX is open every day from 10:00 to 22:00, and walking in costs nothing. You load credit onto a FUNBOX card and pay per game, with every game priced differently in credits, so you spend only on what you actually play.

The headline here is the VR area. You put on a headset, take a first careful step, and the room around you is replaced by a space station, a haunted corridor, a sports pitch or a puzzle. Because you are looking at screens a few centimetres from your eyes, the rain outside stops being your problem. FUNBOX VR Arena is at the Mall of Antalya branch only; the other two Antalya branches, MarkAntalya in Muratpaşa and Uncalı in Konyaaltı, do not have VR.

FUNBOX also runs bowling, video and simulation games, electronic games for small children, a softplay zone and a sand play area, and the brand has Gloria Jean’s Coffee and FUNBOX Burger. Which of those sit in the Mall of Antalya branch is worth asking when you message.

With children

Parents searching for things to do in Antalya with kids on a wet day usually need two things: somewhere the children can burn energy, and somewhere the adults can sit down. Softplay and the electronic games are built for younger children. If an older child has their heart set on VR, ask the team on WhatsApp about age rules before you leave the hotel, so nobody is disappointed at the door.

As a couple or a group of friends

If it is just the two of you, rain is a decent excuse to try something you would never book on a sunny day. Take turns in the headset, then watch each other flail at an invisible ball. With friends, it turns into a small competition: who lasts longest in the haunted corridor, who walks out of the space station looking pale.

Celebrating something on holiday? The birthday party page explains what FUNBOX offers for parties across the brand. Whether VR can be part of yours is best settled with the team directly.

Before you set off

Message or ring on WhatsApp for the current games and credit costs, and for anything about your group. Then pack a light jacket, because the trip from taxi to door is the only bit of the day you will be wet. More about the place is on the FUNBOX VR Arena home page.

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