back nearly a week missing kalkan !

[jd2200]

Came back last Sat 28/18/10 after two fantastic weeks with daughter in kalkan.
I was warned that i may get the Kalkan bug before i went by members of this fine forum, well i have already looked to see how much it would cost to go back in Oct !!.
I as said in previous post i went with my 20 year old daughter who is vegeterian and i was told she would be well catered for and she was, apart from one dodgy macaroni cheese she eat very well in her two weeks, even i am a fan of smoked aubergine and nut humous now! On that note i shall start on the restaurants, as previous posts are showing food is a very personal thing  and you are either going to love or hate what is on offer , sort of the marmite factor if you will. Out of 14 evening meals i liked 13 which i think is pretty good, the one i didnt like i chose and it wasn't awful, it just didnt float my boat.
But my favourite restaurant, for its location, prices, service and good food was BADE, its been mentioned a few times on the Forum and justly so. the two brothers that run it are great, the one looks like Lily Allans dad, Keith, whilst the other will keep you entertained with his napkin folding. The unlimited bottled water and large plate of mezis with fresh toasted bread are a great bonus.
We stayed at the Samira De Lux, yes the one above the new road next to the apartments of the same name. Smashing hotel , great staff, nothing to much trouble, lovely clean rooms, always a sun bed when you wanted one. The hotel shuttle bus didnt take you far into town, apparently the taxi drivers got the hump, but it saved you 10/15 mins walk which was good especially coming back up the hill. They held a very good Turkish night, pretty loud though, most of Kalkan could hear it i would think.
Went out on Yaldiz 1 which was a day of pure joy, around the bay, stopping every 20 mins or so for swimming in the crystal clear sea, snorkling, mud bath on the beach, and catching Tuna and Baracuda all day. Hats off to captain Adum and his wife how they produced so much food for lunch out of the small cabin i will never know, great day.
One trip i cannot recomend though was the jeep safari to the green lake, Gumb something or other ?, i appreciate it was high summer but i have seen bigger puddles, and the spectacular waterfall !! mmm, a stream downhill perhaps. It didnt help that in nearly 10 hrs on the bone shaking jeep we had no toilet stops, driver pointed to a rock to our fellow Danish travellers, lunch was well different, and not much in the way of drink, we did stop at a nice farmhouse, it was our drivers Mom and Dads house, nice apple cake though ! live and learn eh, never knew Turkey had so many trees, i just didnt want to see them all in one day.
Back to a positive hair cut, shave and a massage all for less than a trim back home,in any of the barbers in town, bargain, i went to the guy under the Pirat hotel, only because the owner of the hotel i stayed in was his brother in law.
Will i go back , definately, it is very hilly and some of those hills are more than steep, but great for watching ladies in stilletoes trying to navigate their way down, and being a gent, my arm was always available !!.
 But without doubt Kalkan has retained its almost village like charm, it is not as commercialised like some parts of Turkey that i have been to, sounds daft but it is very Turkish, and i like that, it has a great location freindly locals what more could you ask for ?

[blue lizard]

Thanks for taking time to let us know how you found kalkan......always nice to hear reports from people with fresh eyes (never tried Bade but it's on the list next year!)

[lorilou]

Hi jd - good to read your report - some interesting stuff in there! We will definitely be checking out Bade when we visit in October - and have already mailed the Yildidz crew for reservations!

I guess that the lake and waterfall are be far more impressive at other times of the year - there's a lovely picture of the lake posted in the gallery (I think it's one of Antler's) and it looks amazing.

Despite that it sounds like you both had a great time, and you were able to practice your chivalry skills ... Bonus! I am a huge fan of wearing heels  but not of falling flat on my face - so no heels for me in Kalkan!  Besides which flat shoes take up less room in my case!

We cant wait for October - and reports like yours keep us going till we get there. So thank you!
L

[Lancs lass]

Great to hear you enjoyed your holiday jd, as for the jeep safari we did the one that went to Xanthos, Saklikent and Patara (we booked it through Adda) and it was a brilliant day out (with plenty of toilet stops) - put that one on the list for next time!!!!

[PACHSU]

But Adda tend to go to the shite end of the beach.