New to forums - to Turkey - and so Kalkan - and lots of questions - a few now...

[Dobbie]

Hello!

My husband and I usually go to the North East of Corfu every year (very beautiful area) - with a group of 20-30 friends, but not this year - we're breaking out (!) and this will be our first-ever holiday on our own - we're really looking forward to it.

However we do have some mundane questions to start off with...they'll get more interesting over the next few weeks I'm sure!

Is it correct that we have to pay £10 each for a visa on arrival at the airport? If so, do we pay in GBP or TRY?
How much is a taxi to Kalkan from the airport?
I have read that it's best to take GBP out and change there - but being completely new - where is the best particular place to start changing money that we will definitely get a good deal?
We arrive in three weeks for two weeks - what sort of weather should we expect and will we need mosquito repellent when outside and plug-ins in the apartment?
Can we drink the tap water?

...and any other beginners guide to Turkey info would be most welcome!

Many thanks, Dobbie 

Linkback: https://www.enjoykalkan.com/forum/index.php?topic=9939.0

[pw]

Hi Dobbie and welcome!

Yes, £10 each for your visa. Nice crisp tenner is best.

A private transfer, booked in advance will be in the region of £50 -£60 each way.

You definately can get a superior exchange rate in Kalkan for your GBPs - you can expect something around 2.8 exchange rate.

Hot hot hot is the norm for August and if you're prone to mozzie bites, take every precaution you can!!

Technically you can drink the tap water I think but bottled water is very very cheap.

Hope this helps.

Where are you staying?

I'm sure you'll get loads of feedback/info from the members on here.

Cheers,

PW

[Kalkan regular]

The visa people don't give change so make sure you have 2 ten pound notes. You get the visa just before you go through passport control. It's quick, even if there is a queue. They put a sticker in and take your money.

Arrange a transfer before you travel as it is much more expensive to pick up a taxi at the airport. There are loads of Kalkan companies that provide this service.
As PW says it will be hot.

I use mossi spray each night as I get bitten easily but having said that the spraying of the town means that the mosi population isn't too bad and I only had 2 bites last visit. If you arrive in the evening however I suggest you put a few mopsi wipes in you hand luggage and apply it before you leave the plane as I have been bitten between the plane & the transfer vehicle in the past.

We use tap water in the kettle and to clean our teeth but drink bottled water.

I'm sure you will love Kalkan.

[Dobbie]

Thanks to you both! All very helpful...there is one other question...when we're in Corfu we only arrive at the airport just over an hour before our flight home...how long before your departure do you need to be at Dalaman Airport?

Many thanks, Dobbie

[Blue Lizard]

top right hand side of this page click  "back to main page"...on main page you will see headings across the top including "airport transfers"..you will find details of Adda on there ..if you don't know the area it might be the easiest way for you  to book a transfer..you will see the pick up for a return 4 hours before your flight...this allows 2 hours to the airport (often incuding a drink stop)  and 2 hours you need to check in  prior to flying..i'm sure others will put links to transfer companys that they like..
you can also try   www.abitravel.net      the lady(linda) speaks english

[Dobbie]

That's really helpful, thanks! We've just found out the exchange rate (2.7-2.8ish)...so we're learning fast...but the other half wants to know what "Efes" is (as do I now! Is it the local beer?) and how much we can expect to pay for beer at restaurants/bars and in the supermarket...for me I'll have to find a new tipple as on hols in Corfu I drink Retsina and Ouzo (not together mind!) I do keep doing searches for answers, but I must be doing something wrong because when I get the list back I can't find them!
We're trying to figure out how much £ to bring with us...would be handy to find an on-line Turkish supermarket!! But as the other half's said, the main issue is the price of a beer! I'd also be interested to know if there are any good locals tipples and if not, what a bottle of dry white would be (nothing fancy).
BTW...we'll be staying in the Kalamar Bay area. 

[pw]

Efes=beer=3.5 - 7TL. Depends where you buy/drink it!!

PW

[Dobbie]

Much cheaper than here at home...and thanks again - perhaps some of you knowledgeable folks should have a page with general information on which can be updated as things change - just a thought! Perhaps there is one?!

[Blue Lizard]

if you drink Ouzo you will like Raki..same aniseed drink drank widely across turkey..and i find greek wines very similar to turkish..dry

[kalkan4eva]

Hi Dobbie, welcome to the forum
August is HOT....very HOT and the humidity is high, plays havoc with hairstyles and, I now know, feet
Efes is very drinkable local beer, bit like Mythos in Greece and as BL says Raki and Ouzo are the same drink, depending where you are the waiters will tell you theirs is the original - in Turkey they will tell you Ouzo is Greek Raki - and vice versa There is no Turkish equivalent of Metaxa though
Speak to your apartment/villa owner and they will tell you if they have plug-ins - personally I like them and bring them with me, if they're not readily available. You will need repellent, but I find the local ones Off or Sin Kov best.
Depending on whether your other half likes to buy cans or bottles in the supermarkets, the Efes is generally the same price everywhere, but the bottles appeared to be cheaper in Kartin or Kipa Express when we were there in June (1.75TL)
Peter Wilka has quoted 3.5TL for Efes, but generally in bars and restaurants you can expect to pay between 5 and 8TL.
We prefer to take Sterling and exchange it - most of the places are commission free and offer very similar rates - last year the little kiosk in front of the post office (PTT) had the best rates and in June we found Yardan the jeweller consistently better than most. Shop around, they all display exchange rates outside.
Dry white wine - Angora is about 12-14TL in the supermarkets.
Enjoy Kalkan and let us know what you think

[Dobbie]

Thanks blue lizard and kalkan4ever - I have heard of Raki...so I'll be giving that a go!!    - and thanks Angora is a good tip too! I also appreciate you saying particular places to exchange money...and that they display the rates - I expect I'll have some more questions soon! Shame about the no equivalent of Metaxa though - the other half will be disappointed!

Actually, there's another question now...we know that Kalkan's pretty low key and laid back, but we did wonder if there are any more lively bars as well? We like a few tunes whether live or on the duke box (etc).

Thanks for all the answers 

[Skunk]

Mojito bar is quite lively as is Chocolate Bar I think, although maybe a bit cheesy.  The best wines to buy are Angora, Kavak (usually slightly cheaper) and Kavaklidere.  Also Lal Rose is v popular if you like the pink stuff.  Having been to both Corfu and Kalkan quite recently and frequently, I can highly recommend Kalkan above Corfu in terms of prices for meals out, drinks in the supermarkets, the market is great fun and the "genuine" fakes a good laugh.  I have stayed in the north east of Corfu (on honeymoon as well as other times) and lovely though it is, would prefer Kalkan any day of the week! Hope you have brilliant fun.  I would highly recommend a boat trip, a trip to Saklikent gorge (stunning) a trip  to Patara beach and at least one day at a beach club - which is usually attached to a hotel with nice lunch, bar, swimming, watersports and sunbathing.  Listen out too for the Muslim call to prayer, it has such a flavour of the East.  I hope you will love it.  Let us know how you get on. SX

[HolmfirthNicky]

Hi Dobbie, think all your questions have been answered so i'll just say welcome to the forum and i'm sure you will love Kalkan!! Look forward to reading your report when you get back. Whereabouts are you staying?
Ps; we love the raki and drink it with fanta lemon, helps you sleep at night!!!!

[Dobbie]

Hi Skunk and HolmfirthNicky, thanks for the tips on bars, wine, Raki and trips! We we were married and honeymooned in Corfu (Kaminaki)...and my parents and some friends have been going there every year for almost 40years now! We have other friends who've been to Fethiye and Olu Deniz in the past couple of years and they love it...so we're really looking forward to it. We're staying in the Kalamar Bay area...I like a good walk, so fine by me! The OH not so keen on walking...but hey...he didn't do the booking
So, as I mentioned...there'll be more questions, as it was a very quick decision this week to go holiday...so it hasn't completely sunk in yet!
My OH has just asked about fishing...he wants to know if you can catch anything from the shore, as he might a rod if it's worth doing. Also wants to know if there is any particularly good places to fish, if so?

I will definitely post a report once we come back! 

[tortoise lady]

Hi Dobbie,  I feel sure you and your OH will enjoy Kalkan.   You asked about fishing - I don't know the answer to this myself but if you look at the top of the Forum page you will see "Search".  If you type in fishing you will see there have been quite a few posts about this.  The Search facility is good for all kinds of queries - as you can imagine various queries such as "are there mozzies?" come up again and again.   I didn't discover this Search facility until I had been on the Forum for quite a while.   This is also my very first experience of forums.

I notice you enjoy Retsina in Corfu.   I discovered it many years ago in Crete and still sometimes have a bottle in the UK when the weather is warm.   In fact I just bought one last week and may have it as an aperitif this evening - not the whole bottle you understand.  Can't stand Raki because I hate the taste of aniseed.   Like Metaxa though.   I am sure you will find lots of good things to drink in Kalkan.   The almond liquer is one of my favourite ways to finish the evening.

Like others I will look forward to a report on your first visit to Kalkan

[Skunk]

Hi TL and Dobbie, I also like the odd glass or two of retsina but it has to be hot weather or it just doesn't taste right!!
We went to Sidari for our honeymoon in 1978.  At that time it had five restaurants, a bar and about 3 shops.  It was only one little street and the beach still had the canal d'amour intact with the bridge over the top of it.  We sure got a shock when we went back in the 1990s!    However, the hotel we stayed at was still there, the Three  Brothers, but it was all tarted up by then. When we went in 1978, if we wanted an egg for breakfast they went out and bought it specially!!    Those were the days!!

[Reygirl]

We were recently served Majestic white as a 'house wine' and found it very nice.  It's around 15 TL in the supermarket.  We chose the house white or red at all the restaurants we went to and weren't disappointed with any of them.  Salt n Pepper served their house red chilled and weren't able to provide one that wasn't but it soon reached normal temperature and it was lovely.

[Chucky]

Much cheaper than here at home...and thanks again - perhaps some of you knowledgeable folks should have a page with general information on which can be updated as things change - just a thought! Perhaps there is one?!

Well we did have one but it got lost when Jon was having a tidy up!!

[red24]

A link that might be useful to you......................

http://kalkan.turkishlocalnews.com/portal/

[Dobbie]

Thank you all, I just wanted to say that now...as I've not had a chance to get on here the past couple of days - so I will be back shortly to say a proper thank you to all of you who have recently replied....unfortunately my work's getting in the way of my holiday planning!!!  I do have a few more questions forming!!! All the very best! Dobbie