Bookings for 2016. Discuss

[pattaya]

Hi
I've come off both of those sites and have now
Gone with another website . However still nothing!
 

[Cosetta]

Just did a search on the keywords 'Kalkan villas'.  These are the top sites in order of appearance (under the ads) on the top 2 pages (after page 2, worthless). Many of these sites are frequently repeated. While listing priorities change just about every half-hour or so, they merely rearrange the top contenders.  Note that they are all big sites with more than 50 listings, in most cases with hundreds of listings.  Does that say something about the success of a site with less?  All sites can get a decent listing for awhile.  We were on the top page for 3 years (long ago), before they prioritized the big sites with lots of listings.  That is why we paid for an ad that ran for 3 weeks in January in 2nd position.  Got us nothing but a big bill! (PS. From OD I have gotten so far this year only fraudsters)

OD
HL
TripAdvisor
TurquoiseCollection
Homeaway
Booking.com
kalkanrentals
Olivetree Travel
Clickstay
Kalkanluxuryrentals
Flipkey
Simpson Travel
jamesvillas
korsankalkan
premiervillas
2blacklions

[MartynE]

That's strange Cosetta.

I have just done exactly the same search (kalkan villas) and got the following (ignoring the Ads):

HL
OD
Tripadvisor
Homeaway
Turquoise collection
Kalkanrentals
Booking.com
Olivetree Travel
Beautiful Kalkan
Kalkan Secrets
Clickstay
kalkanluxuryrentals
flipkey
Simpson travel
jamesvillas
korsan kalkan
premier villas
2blacklioons

Kalkan Secrets is on the 1st page. Ok we have about 28 properties, but definitely not one of the big boys (yet)

[hobbo]

MartynE  well done that's pretty impressive and a great basis to build from.
I'll be in touch

Hobbo

[Cosetta]

Yes Martyn, today I get kalkansecrets on the top page too.  The sort order changes frequently and may depend on where you are searching from (i.e., what country).

[HelenC]

Hi Helen,
I don't know where you were eating and drinking but they must have seen you coming. I wasn't paying anything like those prices.  £15 (60 TL) for a main course!  Where?

Hi Chris,

I don't think they saw us coming, we were paying the same prices as anyone else. I think they have just got used to seeing the holidaymakers as a cash cow that will pay whatever price they ask.   

We were eating in the Aubergine, Trio, Gourmet etc. usually paying around £50 per head for a meal including drinks. Aubergine was probably the most expensive with main courses between 40-60TL and extra for veg/chips, plus a genuinely good but pricey wine list pushing the bills up well beyond £50 per head.

I know we could have paid half the price outside of the old town but on holiday with a group of friends you want  to be at the centre of things and not having to concentrate on economising. Last year we also visited Istanbul and were paying much less for better quality and more varied food.

I just wanted to make the point that the  reduced number of bookings may have something to do with that, for people coming to Kalkan for the first time, it seems to have lost the wow factor that used to draw people back time and time again. 

Time will tell but anyway we will be coming back this year, as for us at least there is still lots to like. 






                       

[Chris S]

Hi Helen,
I take your point.
I don't think Kakan is different from anywhere else though.  There is always someone ready to relieve the 'punter' of their hard earned cash wherever you go.
I really hope you do come back.

[Kalkan regular]

What does a three course meal of a good quality in a beautiful location with lots of good quality wine cost in any other lovely place in the world?

40 to 60 lira for a main course last summer was £9 to £14 (Aubergine is lovely and is probably the most expensive restaurant in Kalkan in a lovely location) so that leaves £36 (or more as you say well over £50) for starter plus dessert if you eat a 3 course meal and drinks if the main cost the full 60 lira. Most places don't charge extra for 'veg and chips', it's very unusual, the price is usually for the full meal. If however you are drinking a lot of very good wine plus other drinks it will bump up the bill as it would do in most restaurants in the world.

Last year we visited three times for 3 weeks each time so 9 weeks in all. We eat across the range as that's what we like to do as each place offers a different experience, including the high end places and I have to say we don't spend anything like £50 a head per night, even in the high end places. Having said that we tend not to eat 3 courses as we haven't the capacity and drink the more ordinary, very drinkable wine (although we do consume a fair amount).

Having visited Istanbul recently we didn't find it cheaper than Kalkan (again eating across the range) and also though the quality and ambience of some of the restaurants wasn't up to Kalkan standards.

We all have different amounts to spend on our holidays and for those that don't have over £50 a head per night they can still have a great time eating lovely food in beautiful restaurants in the old town with plenty of drinks for a lot less.

[onelove]

I would think we all know when eating out & drinking (a fair amount) average/good wine this can easy account for 50% plus of the total bill......so if that is what you do the bill can easy amount to £50 + per head.......Anywhere, not just Kalkan.

We (always) like a drink with our meal(s) and the bill never comes out as high as £50 per head, albeit, we also never have 3 courses, my little tum couldn't take it :-))

I believe Kalkan's restaurants offer fantastic value for money across the full range of prices.

[chickengeorge]

We are clearly being seen as a cash cow at the current prices. It's no coincidence that the prices have shot up in line with the exchange rate, even taking into account the higher inflation and tax on alcohol. One owner even said to me that they hoped the exchange rate stayed high as they could make a lot more money. This shouldn't be the way it works but unfortunately that's how they view it. The exchange rate going up is benefiting them and not the tourist. God knows what will happen if the exchange rate drops back to 2.5 - 3 TL - they are shooting themselves in the foot in the current climate. They should be enticing more volume of tourists by reducing prices not hoping a smaller number of tourists will spend lots more.

[Blue Lizard]

we noticed last year in a number of places the Incredible shrinking plate trick....yep they got smaller and were filled with lettuce ,grated carrot and cucumber..all the cheap things..if you had steak and chips your shrinking plate arrived with 5 chips ..making you order a side dish with about 20 in which is what you should have got anyway!!And whats this business of writing in syrup on your pudding plate "I love you?"it makes me terrified to blink incase the waiter thinks I'm winking at him!  Often we only snack,which we do throughout the day I don't want to go on a rooftop in the boiling heat and have a bonfire lit on the table!!I don't tend to recommend places either as people might not like what we do.  I just hope this year with fewer tourists around as predicted the business of "pestering" you to go in a restaurant doesn't get worse...the first week you put up with it but by the second week we cant be bothered to run the gauntlet of pester and have been known to avoid going down the old town /harbour side ..if I say no thanks iv'e eaten that's what it means..i don't want to go to your restaurant the next day or the next day and stop mauling me !! grrrrrrrrrrrr! this is our 28th year in Kalkan and its getting worse for grabbing!

[keith]

I have to say that on our last visit in September last year we still felt that Kalkan offered excellent value for money. We didn't notice any shrinkage in plate sizes and, to us, portions and overall bills were as expected. If anything, taking into account the exchange rate, we probably spent less than  on previous visits. I'm sorry to read that bookings are down for the coming year but fully expect Kalkan to ride out the storm.
If anywhere can.....Kalkan can.

[si18665]

I think that this topic thread can potentially go ahead almost for ever because everyone has different views.
I am a Kalkan holidaymaker. I am not a property owner and tend to have my views as consumer. Basically, when I go on holiday I buy a package. As such, I tend to assess the value for the money I pay. Since 2013, when I first visited the area, the ratio value for the money I pay is strinking and I still manage to get well because I tend to go where Turks eat and  travel like they do, instead of showing how my wallet is big. I don't blame them because I saw this kind of attitude with tourists in anywhere. It's the request which always drives the offer price and if Kalkan is getting increasingly expensive, in spite its mountains covered of concrete, it's mainly a tourist or visitor fault, who are willing to spend a lot of money which in normal circumstances will unlikely spend in  the countries where they live. Yes, I know that on holiday things look different and you wish to treat you well, but that's not the way they see it.

[Alex]

After today's bombing in Istanbul ( and I know it's a long way from Kalkan ) what's the thoughts of everyone on how this may affect an already under pressure tourism market to Turkey!

[Mayday1]

As you say this will affect an already under pressure tourism market in Turkey,all over the tourist regions of Turkey,which does of course include Kalkan.

Many holiday makers who know Kalkan wont be put off from coming.A lot who dont know Kalkan / Turkey will put 2 and 2 together and make 5 in relation to the geographical position of Kalkan and the massive distance between Kalkan and Istanbul.

As with many others,we could do with more bookings,so please take a quick look at our amazing apartment in the perfect location.......Kalkan is fabulous and you will feel safer there than the UK,so if you are considering coming,then dont be put off by the internal problems in Istanbul.

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o direct    http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/accommodation/p8154298

[onelove]

RIP to all those who were killed, and get well soon to all those that were injured, by these Evil people. Our thoughts are with family & friends of the above.

A drop in bookings did not cross my mind.