Now that the tan has faded a bit and the dizziness of coming back to the real world is over, here's a summary of our high points (struggling on the lows!) of our 1st visit to Kalkan: (note the language used "our 1st!")
- flew BMI ex Manchester Terminal 3. £303 each, booked January 09, through TravelRepublic /
www.customflights.co.uk. The flight was Friday evening, and only 2 BMI holiday flights that evening, so it felt more scheduled than tourist. Impressed with their service.
- arranged the transfers before hand. £55 each way in sterling. Driver waiting with our name up on a board and away within minutes. Driver handed out bottles of water from his cool box. Stopped for coffee. Didn't need it but he did, and I'd rather he stayed awake!
- Accommodation: Apartment "Sunrise" (
www.kalkansecrets.com). We're talking "location, location, location" here. Everything you need is within 50 metres - cash points, bank, supermarket, pattiserie, restaurant (closest is Omar's Kitchen about 20 metres) - and gymnasium! Absolutely ideal. One bedroom, plus 2 large and very comforable sofa beds. Air con, exceptionally well equipped with a lovely balcony. The maid, Layla, kept it immaculate every day and often laid a spray of fresh flowers on the bed.
- Weather was hot of course and we didn't see a cloud. We paced ourselves the first week. Towards the end, the temp had dropped to the early thirties, rather than late, and you had a tad more energy. Mrs A got us Nivea SPF30 for the whole time - new version "light" so not like mud to put on and we never burned once
- Best Restaurant: in town, Mussakka; all good, but exceptional for us, was the Moroccan Lamb, Seafood Paella and the Surf 'n' Turf.
- Best Restaurant: out of town; Adams Place on the Kas road, especially Mushroom Saute to start, Lamb Shank to follow. Oh go on, and the homemade chips!
- Other memorable meals: Mushroom Rissotto at the Mediteran, Kofté at the Mediteran (especially when on BBQ night), Calamari at KAYA, KAYA Special Fillet, Seafood Pasta at Kaptans. Any way it was all excellent - have never had so many meals so consistently good.
- Three of us for dinner, with beer and wine and water, seemed to always come out around 135 to 150TL - £50 to £60? We always had what we wanted and never took much notice of the price. Didn't feel there was much difference overall and the prices for that quality were half of the UK, so I'll cut back for the rest of the year!
- Wine and beer: a couple of lire for an Efes beer in a supermarket, and just under ten for the Angora red or white wine. Double it in the restaurants? We preferred LAL Rosé and stuck to that in restaurants, and it was normally 25 - 30 tl a bottle (£10 to £12). But very drinkable in the heat.
- Best entertainment: the Samira Turkish BBQ evening. Exceptional for such a large gathering. Great value, great fun - let someone else stuff the tenners in the Belly Dancer's top if you're not up for it. The standard and efficiency of serving 150 people, or so, was outstanding.
- Best Day Out: Day Trip to Gombé with Adam Ondler. Great to get away from "commercialism" and see some more of Turkey. Incredible scenery, including The Green Lake. Loved Gombé Market - on Monday's. Prices up to 50% less than Kalkan. Stopping on the roadside and buying the freshest peaches - about 35p a kilo.
- Best Purchase from the Market (Thursday mornings): 35" G-Star Shorts (oh, I loved the extra inch!), G-Star T-Shirt, G-Star jeans for OJ, Samsung Leather Case, Leather belts (even greater than 35"!!). Can't understand why Mrs A couldn't get 2 handbags for a tenner - huge choice!)
- Best Scenery: view from the Mediteran, view from Adams Place. Really need to be seen and felt.
- Best Personal Highlight: Shave and neck massage. Hussein hit a spot in my neck and I felt the last 12 months tension shoot down through my body and out through my toes. Felt 2 stone lighter walking back up the hill! But still in 35" shorts. Incredible.
Funniest Moment: in the mayhem of Dalaman Airport Security, the guard, on seeing the laptop, wanting to chat and exchange Face Book addresses, so we could keep in touch and stay there next year - "only 10 minutes away, and will save you the 2 hour drive to Kalkan!"
- overall friendliness of the local people was brilliant; we were made to feel so welcome, everywhere.
Before we went, I met someone in the local pub who said they went to Kalkan last summer and gave it 11 out of 10; it was the best holiday of their life.
It was probably ours.
Antler
Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=4355.0
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