Still addicted to Kalkan

[alisonh]

Some of you may have read my holiday report in members blogs of our first trip to Kalkan in September 2007.  Having been captivated by it''s unique charm, we returned twice in 2008, again staying at the Emir and then Eagles Nest in Kisla, both of which we highly recommend.  Paul and I have recently returned from another memorable 10 day holiday from 25th May to 4th June.

Airport Parking Manchester:

We always use APH who we find very swift and reliable.  We paid about £48 for 10 days parking, maybe more expensive during peak periods.

Flight:

Thomas Cook - not so good.  Due to depart at 18.55, actually departed at midnight, so a 5 hour delay.  We were given a £5 each meal voucher at the airport due to the delay which is just as well because I''m sure the in-flight meal portions are getting smaller!  Flight ok, cramped as usual, some television screens not working.  No problems on return journey and actually arrived back in Manchester half an hour early.

Car Hire from Dalaman:

Always use Economycarentals who, up to now, have been reliable - not this time.  We were allocated a car from a different rental partner (not Decar as previously).  Nobody was at Dalaman to meet us, maybe there was some confusion due to our late arrival.  However, some kind man from another rental company came to our rescue, made some phone calls and the car finally turned up over an hour later - albeit a little dirty and from a lower group than we had ordered.  May try someone else next time.  Paid just over £200 for 10 day car hire.

Arrival in Kalkan:

The whole journey from Doncaster to Kalkan had taken us 18 hours, it was now 9am Tuesday morning local time - we were absolutely shattered.  Did we go to bed?  No chance!  As soon as we came over the hill and saw the wonderful sight of Kalkan Bay bathed in sunshine, we forgot how tired we were.

Accommodation:

As we had previously done in September last year, we stayed at the Eagles Nest Apartments in Kisla which are just above Villa Mahal.  Although it is situated a little out of town, a good 20 minute walk, the views from that side are absolutely breathtaking and, in our opinion, the best in Kalkan.  For us this is a priority when booking accommodation.  The apartment was absolutely fabulous, modern, spotlessly clean and beautifully furnished with nice finishing touches.  The balcony was huge and equipped with sunloungers, table and chairs, 3 seater sofa, parasol and even a jacuzzi to relax those tired muscles!  As you can imagine we spent quite a lot of time on the balcony - watching the boats coming and going, the sunsets and people doing various watersports.  It was so relaxing just watching the world go by, taking in the stunning view both during the day and again at night when the twinkling lights of the town reflected in the bay, so peaceful.  The whole complex is well maintained, very clean and tidy and the pool area shares the same magnificent views.

Restaurants:

We like to eat out every night and tend to try a different one each evening, although there are a couple of restaurants we return to because we have made some lovely friends there.  Price wise, there wasn''t much to choose between the ones on my list, I would say that they are all in the mid to higher price bracket - starters from 6 lira upwards, main course on average 20/25 lira, desserts from around 8 lira, bottle of wine 30 lira.  I think we only managed 3 courses once and didn''t have a bottle of wine every night, (Efes instead).  Average bill for the two of us around 90/100 lira.  We usually leave them a 10 lira tip, around 10%.  I don''t however agree with some restaurants introducing a 10% service charge because if you are a large family or group of friends, drinking a few bottles of wine etc., this could amount to quite a substantial amount.  If this idea catches on, there will be no more tips from us.

Kaya - A favourite from our first trip in 2007.  Always welcoming and a very friendly atmosphere.  Popular with families because of Kadir''s magic.  We were again invited to a day at sea with Erol, his wife and other Kaya regulars but had to decline because I was seasick last time!  It''s a shame because it really is a great day out.  We also call in here regularly just for a drink and a chat, great fun.  Two meals here.

Salt & Pepper - Just above the harbour.  Again, very welcoming and friendly staff who came up to shake hands and say hello every time we walked passed.  We knew the staff as Elbow and Kneeheart as when I asked their names, they pointed to various parts of the body to make the pronunciation easy for us.  The steaks were cooked to perfection.

Ilyada - Another favourite of ours along the harbour front where we have met some lovely friends.  As well as having a meal there, it is one of the places we most like to sit and relax, soaking up the atmosphere and chatting to the staff at the end of service.

Sofra - Been here on a previous visit so must have been impressed.  Rooftop restaurant with lovely views and a relaxed atmosphere.

Mussakka - Thought we would give it a try after recommendations on this site.  Quite a small terrace but lovely meal and we were made to feel very welcome.  We wish the owners well with their new venture, they are really working hard to make a good impression.

Rendezvous - First visit, near La Terrazza and Cafe del Mar.  Have to say we were impressed, friendly staff of Ramazan (Rambo) and Migella (apologies for the spelling) who went out of their way to ensure everyone had a wonderful evening.  The food was beautifully presented and we finished off with a complimentary, very refreshing, iced melon liqueur.

Coast at Gironda - Been to Gironda before and loved the courtyard area, very romantic.  Different menu and personnel but still the same beautiful surroundings.

Kaptans - Just above the harbour.  Another first which we stumbled across after coming down the wrong street!  Seemed a very popular place as there were people waiting for tables.  Their menu is a bit different from the rest and a little cheaper, a welcome change.

Korsan Meze - On the harbour front.  We enjoy a meze lunch here which is very tasty.

Favourite chill-out zone:

Once again, this has to be Cafe del Mar, small place but very turkish and atmospheric.  Always enjoy sitting on the sofa, listening to relaxing music with a nice Tia Maria coffee - bliss!  Glad to see the lazy cat is still in residence who likes to come and nestle in beside you - could be a problem if you have a cat allergy!

Palm Beach Club:

Having previously visited Mahal and Kalamar, thought we would give this one a try and glad we did. Spotlessly clean with several different seating/sunbathing areas.  Dimitri showed us round and we opted for sunbeds on the wooden platform.  Lots of watersports from here if you want.  Had a lovely salad lunch on the shaded ottoman seating area, plus a drink or two.  The staff here are excellent and we will certainly return.  I think it cost about 70 lira for the beds, lunch and drinks, a very enjoyable day.

Beaches:

Visited Kaputas beach, our favourite.  We think the best time to go is in the morning before it gets too hot.  This is also when some of the boats call in from Kalkan Bay and drop anchor to give passengers a chance to cool off and swim in the beautiful turquoise sea.  As you may be aware, there are no sunbeds on the beach but you can hire a parasol (some of which are looking a bit shabby now) cost 7 lira this year, a bit pricey in comparison to Kalkan beach.  Nice to see the lady still there, taking orders for cold cans of pop, fruit, pancakes etc., up and down all those steps in the heat - certainly puts me to shame, those steps are a real killer on a hot day.

Also spent a lazy afternoon on Kalkan beach which was very busy.  Make sure you take your beach shoes as the pebbles are very hard under foot, although the locals seem to take it in their stride.  Tango the dog was there as usual, swimming most of the time and playing with the children, no bother.  However, we did see another dog come onto the beach and have a poo - not very pleasant!  Having said that, I am always surprised that you never see any dog mess on the streets.  I agree that something more needs to be done regarding dog control in Kalkan, we have not personally felt threatened by any of them yet, but the situation does make you a little wary and I would feel more comfortable if there were less dogs roaming the streets.

Weather:

The weather was glorious and for the first 8 days we hardly saw a cloud, then we had one overcast day.  Daytime temperatures ranged from high 20''s to low 30''s.  For the first few evenings there was a cool breeze and a cardy or similar was required but as the holiday went on, the evenings became warmer and I was comfortable without.

To sum up:

We obviously still love Kalkan and have already planned another holiday there in August, when we are bringing along other members of the family for their first experience of a holiday in Turkey.  We continually recommend Kalkan as a holiday destination to friends, none of whom have ever heard of it, and many of them are thinking of giving it a try.

Admittedly, price wise, Kalkan is at the higher end in comparison to other parts of Turkey so if you want cheap and cheerful, then it might not be the place for you.  Personally, I don''t mind paying that little extra because, at the moment, it is still good value for money. You would have to go into a top class restaurant in other parts of Europe and pay considerably more to get the same quality of food and service as in Kalkan.

For anyone else thinking of trying Kalkan for the first time, I would say go for it - I''m so glad we did!    Kalkan is a beautiful place and has a character all of it''s own.  It is very relaxed and not a tourist trap.  The scenery is stunning and the views breathtaking.  The food and service is first class and the locals are very welcoming - we feel privileged to have met so many respectful and friendly people - something which is sadly lacking in our country these days.

For all those lucky enough to be heading for Kalkan, I hope the above information is of some use.  Above all, I hope you have a fantastic holiday!

Alison & Paul





Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=3689.0

[fidimax]

Great report Alison,and good to see Tango is still about,I didnt see him in may and thought he had gone,one of the GOOD dogs.

[Enjoy Kalkan]

Great report as always Alison
Thanks very much for sharing with us 

[Brooksie]

Alison
Loved the report. Glad you''ve got the opportunity to get back out again so soon. You''ve definitely caught the bug:)

[clarborough]

Glad you had a great time Allison.Will try a diffrent beach club myself this year. We have kind of got stuck on Kalamar Beach club.
Interesting you went from Manchester. I was lucky enough to find a cheap Thomson flight from Doncaster on July 2nd. Can''t wait. We only use Manchester in a winter and avoid it in a summer if we can.

[alisonh]

Clarborough,

We would much rather fly from Doncaster as we only live 3 or 4 miles away from the airport.  I think we must be unlucky because when we booked our flights, they were much more expensive from Doncaster, even after taking into consideration airport parking fees etc.  In hindsight, with the delay we had this time, I wish we had paid the extra and flown from Doncaster!

Enjoy your holiday,
Alison

[clarborough]

Thanks Alison. We are not far too about 15 minutes away as you can probably gather from my user name. Next time I find any cheap flights I will let you know too.

[Mags]

"We knew the staff as Elbow and Kneeheart as when I asked their names, they pointed to various parts of the body to make the pronunciation easy for us".

Let''s just be thankful that they''re not employing Tony Hancock as a waiter, then............

[kalkan4eva]

Great report, Alison.
I hope it makes those thinking of going to Kalkan every bit as excited as those who are going for the umpteenth time 

[misty]

Alison very depressed after reading your fantastic holiday report because it doesn''''''''t look like I''''''''ll be out there this year  

[felicity]

Ohhh misty - what a shame....think of all of us lucky enough to be going this year... 

So addicted to kalkan...!!   

[misty]

I know I cant believe it......only chance I have if I can persuade the developer to organise something for me 

[Em1]

Hi
I''ll be thinking of you the first three weeks of October Misty
Em

[misty]

Well Em I guess you wont miss any decent football whilst your out there