First Trip: LOVED every minute

[nancynb]

Just wanted to say thanks and write a brief report  as our first visit to Kalkan end tomorrow.  The thank you is for the many people who contribute to this forum and make it easier for people like us to be well prepared for a first trip.

Our 10 days in Kalkan were the end of a Turkey trip which included 4 nights in Istanbul and a week in Side.  We felt we had saved the best for the last, and we were right.

We found Kalkan to be a beautiful, restful and fascinating part of Turkey, much quieter than the other places we spent time in (this is a positive). We were very impressed by the respectful approach of the shop keepers and restaurateurs, especially after a week in Side where they are much more aggressive. Everyone was very friendly and my attempts at a few words of Turkish were met with broad smiles.  It was possible to browse the many shops comfortably, asking questions, examining merchandise and deciding  what, if anything, we wanted, without ever feeling pressured.  This was not the case in the other places we spent time in.

We were blown away by the natural beauty and the history of every site in this region that we visited.  The ruins at Patara and Xanthos were spectacular, and we loved spending a few afternoons at Patara Beach also.(as Canadians we love warm water...don't get a lot of it at home!)  We thought the Saklikent Gorge was a great day out, from the unique riverside restaurants to the frigid water walk up the gorge (which actually felt more like home!).  The slow-paced day trip to Meis was beautiful, despite a few kinks in the service provided by the ferry line and we felt privileged to watch two large loggerhead turtles putting on a show for us in the bay there.  A highlight of our time here in Kalkan was an 11 km walk on the ancient Lycian trail with the Kalkan Walking Club...a wonderful welcoming group and a spectacular walk.  (I would encourage anyone visiting to try to connect with this group...we could not have done the linear walk on our own, but we thoroughly enjoyed being part of an organized group for the day).

Restaurants?  Well, as everyone says, there is no shortage, and we didn't have a bad meal.  We did enjoy some meals in our apartment (lots of grocery stores to buy provisions), savouring the warm weather on our balcony, but we also loved dining at Kaya, Olive Garden (the goat and onion casserole was fantastic),  AliBaba, Cafe Vita (service was really slow tho), Merkez Cafe and Fez (mmmm.....Drunken Fish and Fez Filet with raisin and pomegranate sauce, both wonderful).

We are fortunate to have been able to travel quite extensively (we have told the kids that we will 'die poor' but having seen the world! ) My husband and I both agree that our trip to Turkey, and especially Kalkan, is one of the most spectacular holidays we have ever had.  The combination of natural beauty, history, friendly people and fascinating culture make it a destination that is truly unique.

While we rarely return to the same place, we would certainly love to come back to Turkey and Kalkan and we would recommend it to anyone seeking a holiday in a warm, beautiful and unique destination.

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=4479.0

[Blue Lizard]

Thanks for your report..glad you found EK a help..and even gladder you enjoyed Kalkan!! nice to hear things from somone who is new and sees things with a unbiased pair of eyes

[M n M]

Hi Nancy & Hector
Glad you have had a lovely holiday in Kalkan, and it was very nice to meet you on the walk last Sunday.
M n M

[Brooksie]

Lovely report, glad you enjoyed Kalkan and found the forum useful. Like you went walking the other week and thoroughly enjoyed it. I can't wait for my next trip in October

[Kefgirl]

Thanks for a great report, we've only got 6 days to go and it's made me more excited!

[lorilou]

 
thank you for your encouraging report, we'll be in Kalkan for the first time in mid October and counting the days!
L