kalkan from two perspectives

[deepasforever1]

I've been lucky enough to visit Kalkan twice this summer; once with my family and then for a short break on my own.  The family holiday in June was full of sunshine, sea, views, food, wine, laughter, more food (and wine) and lovely, lovely people.  It was just as anticipated and expected.  The only problem was it was too short... so when I was given the opportunity to return at the end of August I naturally said YEAHHHH:)
However, there was one little problem - I had to come alone as I was enroute to Istanbul for work.  As the departure date grew closer I grew more aprehensive about my trip to Kalkan.  It is a wonderful resort for people to share, but I started to worry that it might be very different being here on my own.
Unfortunately things got off to a bad start with a 9 hour delay at Gatwick, which meant arriving in the middle of the night rather than as the sun went down over that beautiful blue sea.  I was staying at an unknown hotel, booked over the internet and the thought did occur to me that the hotel may have given up on me and closed up for the night, leaving wandering the streets of Kalkan with just the dogs, and teenagers, for company. 
But I was forgetting Turkish hospitality!  I was through Dalaman airport like a rocket: bags first off the conveyer belt, and straight into my waiting taxi, (Adda) which had kept an eye on the flights - and we were off!  Less than 2 hours later I was greeted and shown to my room at the Sevgi hotel where they had waited up for me.  Perfect!
My first proper day dawned and my spirits soared as I experienced 'that view' over Kalkan bay.  The friendliest of staff at my hotel cooked me his speciality: omlette to go with my Turkish breakfast, which I sat eating gazing out at the sea.  Heaven!  There followed a day doing exactly as I wanted, with no-one to ask me to rub suntan lotion into their back, get them a drink or find their socks.  I sunbathed, swam, read and rested as the temperature rose.  It was pretty blissful!
However, at the back of my mind was the prospect of the evening.  Hmm.  I didn't tackle it well and I found it quite challenging.  I decided that I would have a quick meal, maybe at Fener cafe, and set off at a rate of knots trying to look purposeful and not alone as I hit the town.  I suspect I had a look of grim determination on my face, far removed from the usual happy faces of tourists looking for a good place to eat.  Maybe that's why restaurant owners all looked away as I passed by!  Anyway I arrived at Fener cafe and stood there, and stood there...and still stood there.  Eventually I asked for a table and was shown to one next to a large group of young men.  Hmmm, maybe not.  They were happy for me to move though.  So I celebrated my first evening in Kalkan with a tasty kebab meal for one, washed down with a glass of rose: the food was fine, but my kindle was no substitute for human company.  Feeling a little sorry for myself I decided to go and drown my sorrows on my hotel balcony, with another glass of wine. So I bought a bottle from a shop, checking with the shop keeper that it had a screw cap not a cork.  It was a lovely cold bottle and I was sure it would cheer me up a bit.
But the shop keeper was wrong.  It didn't have a screw top, it had a cork.  My OH, clearly laughing over his dinner for one, in rain-soaked Brighton, where I'd left him, told me to apply pressure with my thumb as happened in student days of old.  But this didn't work.  I had two choices.  I could either retire to my bed howling at the moon and feeling miserable or I could go out and see some old friends at my favourite restaurant.  Yes, I went out to Doy Doy and there met up with some lovely people whose warmth and friendship made me feel so much better.
The next few days were lovely.  I settled into life in Kalkan and really enjoyed being with some old and new friends.  Hotel Sevgi was great.  It's small but with a huge pool, a lovely rooftop terrace and super-friendly staff.  It's also close to town.  Doy Doy was brilliant too.  Fantastic food and a really good friend to this rather scared solo traveller.  I didn't want to leave!  I won't say it's easy to visit Kalkan alone, but it is such a friendly place that it is possible - and I would do it again if needbe.

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=10149.0

[Firecat]

Really interesting to read about your experience as a solo female in Kalkan as I am just coming to the end of my ten days here. It's been strange, very strange, and has taken some getting used to as it has been nothing like the holidays I have enjoyed here before. It's as if they don't really know how to deal with lone women. I so understand the being left standing there as if you are invisible thing. Awkward. I actually left Kaptan well ahead of schedule last night having booked to have dinner and listen to the music because I was left feeling like the proverbial turd in the punch bowl. I was given the worst table and waited 15 minutes before my request for a glass of wine was fulfilled. No one even so much as smiled at me. I've never felt less welcome. That experience at Kaptan was the worst of my ten days but there have been other examples almost as painful. Fortunately there have been places where I have been made to feel welcome (stand up and take a bow Mango) otherwise I might have been put off returning on my own again.

[deepasforever1]

I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday.  I did feel rather invisible at times!  However the times when I wished I wasn't there were definitely outweighed by the time I spent having a good time, whether on my own or with my friends - old and new.

[Lizilu20]

I think you two ladies are very brave and I wish I had your confidence. Sometimes I long for a bit of "me" time as I'm constantly in demand at home. At the moment, holidaying alone is not an option, but I sometimes wonder what it would be like to stay somewhere abroad with just myself for company. I think I would feel very awkward and self conscious, however, if I was in your situation, I always thought that I would feel safe and secure if I was in Kalkan. How disappointing to hear that the staff at kaptans were so dismissive of you firecat and I'm so glad that for both of you, the good experiences outweighed the bad. Thanks for sharing your perspectives deepasforever1. I've really enjoyed reading your report. 

[Firecat]

The positives certainly outweighed the negative Lizilu and I would not for one minute wish to put solo female travellers to Kalkan off. I don't think the snubs were deliberate in the sense of being deemed less worthy of attention, just that I don't think they quite knew what to do with me. I had a similar issue at Baharat a few nights later. No tables upon arrival but the promise of something shortly. I sat on the sofas downstairs and watched groups of people arriving to the same story but a) they were offered menus to peruse (I wasn't) and b) they were all seated before I was.  I am not speaking of one group here but maybe four lots without bookings who arrived after me ranging from couples to groups of four. The one place where I felt I was treated like a human being proved to be a disappointment on my part as I was subsequently hit on big time by one of the waiters. My best experiences were my days out at sea - I had no sense of being a spare part even though surrounded by couples - and also my evenings meeting up with EK members for drinks, food and chat.

[kalkan4eva]

thanks for posting, both of you. I do know a number of ladies who have travelled alone to Kalkan but generally they have a lot of Turkish friends and have been coming to Kalkan for 15 years or more so they haven't ever felt awkward. Sevgi has been a popular choice for them too. I think I would feel a bit lost, to be honest so admire both of you for having the courage to travel alone. I think I would spend most of my time on my hotel balcony and very rarely venture out of an evening so you are both an inspiration.

[deepasforever1]

All the kind comments here and my lovely memories of Kalkan are sending me back to look for flights again   I've had enough of work now thanks