June is busting out all over.....

[Agent Ottoman]

Hey K4E what fantastic reports! Yes how very dare he!! Definitely needs to come out of the Efes fund! At least your OH is using his for work, mine bought a man bag which has been used twice so far hope it gets more use!! My bag purchase was orange! They are certainly working the orange this season!! Looking forward to reading the next instalment! Have a fab time!

PS how are things there with the new licensing laws? Heard that there's no alcohol sales on beaches/beach clubs in Kas? Is anything similar happening in Kalkan?

[Derbyshire]

Hi K4E thank you for fantastic reports  keep these reports coming thank you have a fab time

[kalkan4eva]

We are into our final week.....where did that go? the past two weeks have flown whilst at the same time it feels like an age since we arrived. That night we got here, two things got broken. A newly shellacked nail - ladies who shellac, you will know my pain - and a litre of Absolute bought at Dalaman duty free. The bottle somehow found its way from the chair to the floor when two tired people aren't being careful. At the time I couldn't tell you which I found the most distressing...having never had a shellac before and the promise of great looking nails for three weeks I think perhaps I mourned the loss of my nail more than the vodka....which I just cleaned up with a cheery "no use crying over spilt vodka". I suspect BH wanted to kill me at this point 2 weeks in and we are out of vodka, my shellac forcibly removed after a week when it started to look shabby so now I think it's the vodka that I should have cried over as I nearly cried when I saw the price of a replacement . I didn't know whether we should bite the bullet and use the kitty which has become BH's bag fund to buy another bottle of Absolute or go for a bottle of half the price Turkish stuff. We settled on the Tukish vodka and it's actually ok...! BH drinks his with coke and I have mine with all variety of mixers....including my new favourite pomegranate flavoured fizzy water.
We are spending the next few days trying to cram in as much as possible...except we won't make Patara this year A couple of aborted attempts to pick up a dolmus mean we failed so we've abandoned this as 100tl in a taxi is more than I want to pay.....what with extra bags and everything...!!
Have been back to Palm though, it would be rude not to. If you're looking for prices this year it cost us 160tl for the day (tea and biscuits on arrival, several bottles of water ( they are smaller this year...) several beers, lunch for two, ice creams x2, mojitos x2, a glass of lal, homemade lemonade and two sunbeds and a parasol)
We've also been back to tanZore, again this was excellent. I also wanted to mention that we ate at Sofra a few nights back...someone on here had given it a poor review but I wanted to say we had a very good meal. I had fillet steak in pepper sauce and BH had the Seafood platter from the specials and we thoroughly enjoyed it. This is a lovely mid priced restaurant with, in my opinion, the best views of all the roof top restaurants. Ask Mehmet to sort you a front line table and sit back and take it in...just special.
Last night was our first night in and BH cooked the amazing prawns we'd bought in the fish market in salt, pepper and chilli marinade to start, followed by fillet steaks in a mushroom sauce with wedges and salad....Antler would have been proud!
I don't know whether it was the duty free bubbly we opened or the fact BH made us such a lovely dinner, but I think.... I think I may have offered to share my bag fund with him.
Today, I will have no recollection of that whatsoever.....

[Babs]

Oh K4E you promised to share your bag fund! I'm so shocked.....you just need to hope he has no recollection of it either! 
I share your pain re your nails.....every holiday I debate the nail issue and usually just do the toe nails only to see the varnish disappear under a swathe of mozzie repellent. I was so excited that after having my first gel manicure a few weeks ago to see it lasted for 3 weeks.....well apart from where I had a little run in with a cheese grater! you can imagine my disappointment to discover that the person who did them is away this weekend when I was going to get both fingers and toes done ready for our trip to Dubrovnik next week!
Anyway enough of the nail drivvle.......have a brilliant last week.....say hello to Palm Beach for us....my favourite place.....in fact the place I 'put myself' when at the dentist to relax!

ps......don't do anything rash with the bag fund!!

[HolmfirthNicky]

I share your pain with the nails! I have acrylics on and nearly every holiday I lose one as the suncream weakens them. Loving your reports!

[Lizilu20]

Wow K4E, I can't believe that 2 weeks have gone by since the start of your holidays. What a shame about patara. I hope they sort the dolmus situation out  I think Kalkan is the only turkish resort we've been to without a dolmus service around the town. It makes it difficult to explore for people who don't want to use their holiday spends on taxis and let's face it, Kalkan isn't  the easiest of places to explore in itself. We are staying up in kiziltas but if we didn't hire a car and wanted to go to cafe vita for example, for lunch, we'd be snookered. In April it would have been fine to walk, but not in the searing August heat!
Ok, rant over  glad you are having a wonderful holiday and eating some delicious food by the sounds of it!
I feel for you with the nails and vodka - not sure which I'd be more devastated over, it's a close call!!
Enjoy the rest of your week and can't wait for the next episode. 

[antler]

I am so proud of you, too, Mr K4E.  Take the rest of the holiday off - you deserve it, after such a lovely meal. And make sure you get compensated  for the Bag Fund! (Summer is back in the UK - 23C on the Wetherby patio this evening.....)

Antler

[kalkan4eva]

The days are evaporating faster than BH's first Efes of the day
Yesterday was our last market day, last chance to stock up on all those things we needed to take back to UK...green tea, spices, Turkish delight and underpants Surprisingly we have no need to buy an more pistachios as the bag bought in our first few days has failed to evaporate at the same speed as Efes
We were heading up to the Berzigan road after the market to spend the afternoon with our friends who are renting a villa up there. "We'll bring lunch" we said...which of course will include beer and wine "Bring your swimming stuff" they said and we packed a bag. "We'll walk up" we said. I'll just repeat that for the cheap seats...."We'll WALK up". I do believe BH said it would be good....not the words he was using when we were practically vertically climbing the roads through upper Kiziltas, in the midday sun, on the hottest day so far, with baggage....and no I don't mean me A bag with towels, 40 different sun creams, a change of clothes and two cameras for me and a cool bag with 8 beers, 2 bottles if wine and the perishables for lunch in his. We dived into their pool on arrival....well I fell in to be frank in an ungainly and unattractive way. I think our walking is done.
As if to ram that point home we've been on a boat trip today. Left it way too late for either Osman or Adam to fit us in on a Yildiz boat...July before there's spaces on their boats so we decided on Pina X 1 which I can thoroughly recommend. Really super day out, excellent food and probably the longest we have spent out at sea in all our years of coming here. Plus Captain Abdil made the best mud ever...then spread it over himself and lay down on the beach and covered himself with stones....we duly followed. A hot stone mud wrap would set you back at least £60 in a spa and here we were getting ours as part of the package. Fab
Eating, drinking and topping up the tans as if our lives depended on it.
Next up....bag shopping. This will be interesting 

[Bob & Jayne]

Brilliant k4e. Sounds like you have had a wonderful holiday. 

[Babs]

Looking forward to the bag episode!

[antler]

How are the mozzie bites, K4E?! And the ankles........?

[Lizilu20]

Another fantastic report K4E, your calves will be like Fatima whitbreads by the time you get home 
We had a fab day on the piña - x 1 too, good choice. Hope you can fit in another report before you have to go home, meanwhile, enjoy the rest of your holiday and enjoy your bag shopping!

[kalkan4eva]

It's our last day
Tonight the Enes driver will come to collect us and we will wave goodbye to Eyup and the resident dog Zoe.....oh and the cats, kittens, tortoise and the rest of the menagerie that reside here at HanInn. These past three weeks have flown by in a haze of fun, laughter, eating, drinking and sunshine. How we love this place. Already booked for next June...it will take more than a searchlight, oversize cocktails and "Little Englanders" to stop us from coming back
Well bag shopping was not as bad as I expected....the man bag was purchased....along with 3 for me.......and before you say it, Misty....I know they are fakes   Three mulberries, including the man bag and a Longchamps tote....Nuri threw a couple of small Longchamps in as a gesture and I did, as Guyrol suggested, bought orange.
Nothing left to do today except drink all the alcohol and consume all the food we have left and lie in the sun....bliss.
Just thought I'd share some final thoughts with you......in no particular order, with perhaps the exception of the first.

1. Kalkan is specIal. It's people and the place remain charming and whilst changes are happening...and we've seen those over the years, the centre of the village remains quite unspoilt, unique and has an atmosphere all of its own. A mix of traditional Turkey with European influence and decades away from being Marmaris, if ever.....

2. Compressed cans of antiperspirant do not last as long as a regular size, despite their claims.

3. Mosquitos are pretty rampant this year. I have taken every precaution known to man and still we have been bitten to excess. HanInn is full of greenery, and that may be the problem, but my own theory is the lack of Mozzie Busters. Not once, during our entire stay have we seen them out and about...spraying Plus the drains are particularly stinky this year so perhaps that's another problem....? We are going to switch to no protection at all next year.....!

4. The Kalcankles were great this year thanks to Frusemid. On the days I forgot to take the tablet, I felt the difference. Also, I found a cure for my other annoyance here...Kalkan Frizz. Despite the heat and high humidity level my hair remained frizz free Avon Morroccan Oil 360 hair masque applied to my hair every other day at around 3pm has been my saviour.

5. Our favourite restaurant this year was Mussakka....closely followed by Gourmet. I'd like to also mention Ozalps new terrace is great for people watching and amongst the cheapest in town. Of the new restaurants we tried, Rainbow Terrace and tanZore were the best....just our opinion.....I hope both of these places will be here next year.

6. Kalkan is definitely getting younger...plus there are many more Turkish and Iranians choosing to holiday here. For the first time on a boat trip, we had a Turkish couple with us and when we pulled up alongside Yildiz 3, around half their passengers were Turkish. Sea Bella is the nearest you will get to a booze cruise...again lots of young Turkish on board when we saw them on one of the stops. Not a criticism, just an observation.

7. It is sometimes more expensive to eat in than eat out. Competition is fierce this year between the restaurants but there are some great cheap places as well as some high end eateries....there is something for everyone, every taste, every budget.

8. Learn some Turkish...just a bit will delight the locals. At Antler's butcher we were leaving after our purchase when I said "see you later" in Turkish to which he replied, in English with a long slow wink "maybe...." 

9. June has been hot...and it's getting hotter. Even the sea at the town beach is warm...as warm as it should be in September

10. My Kalkan playlist needs some revision....somehow Michael Buble slipped in there singing Frosty the Snowman...quite bizarre in this heat.

11. All of you coming out here in the next few weeks and months...you lucky people. Just enjoy, seriously. Don't fret about things you read here on this forum, or Trip Advisor you can still find your piece of Paradise here. Those of you who are coming out for the first time...you will fall in love. We have spoken to so many first timers this year who are already talking about coming back, so Kalkan must be doing something right....

12. The IS bank ATM exchange gave us the best rate ever...2.92 to £


Thanks for taking the time to read my blog, off to soak up the rays whilst we can as UK doesn't seem to do Summer any more

Toodlepip

[Rachey]

  :)Thank you for a brilliant, brilliant last post from your fab blog. I'll miss my daily dose so much!  We've already booked for twice next year with Eyup, so see you then!  Safe journey home 

[HolmfirthNicky]

Excellent last post Kalkan4eva! Have a safe journey home.

[Lizilu20]

Yes, excellent reports K4E, I've thoroughly enjoyed reading your reports and this last one was brilliant. Just loved your final thoughts.
Have a safe journey home and hope you've managed to leave enough space in your cases for all your lovely new bags. 

[shee]

Really enjoyed your blogs on here and we can not wait to have our first holiday in Kalkan 15 days and counting. Your information on here has really helped. Thanks again and have a safe journey home.

[Bob & Jayne]

Yes, brilliant report K4E, thank you for brightening up my day, hope that you enjoy your last few hours, finishing off your alcohol, food and taking in the sunshine.  Safe journey home

Jayne

[Skunk]

You've given me hours of laughter and some excellent useful information. Thank you so much. Have a safe journey home. Give our regards to Eyup and the cats! Caroline

[Charlie]

Thanks K4E, really enjoyed reading your blogs and especially your final thoughts.  Will be there this time next week and after more than 12 years of visiting I'm just as excited as I was the first time!
Safe journey home.