Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Holiday Reports and Reviews => Topic started by: keith on August 23, 2015, 02:57:39 PM
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Well after what seems an age we are finally ready to fly out to Kalkan tomorrow morning. We received a very pleasant surprise earlier this week when we found out that one of my sisters and her family are staying at a villa in Kisla. It's amazing that it's her first visit to Kalkan and that we will get to see them during our first week. We don't get to meet up too often in England and so this will be an added bonus as we start our holiday. I will try to provide regular posts subject to having a good WiFi connection and, who knows, may get to meet some of the forum members.
Tracey and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary in July and I have a milestone birthday in September and so I can almost guarantee that we will be in party mode.
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Have a wonderful time! We have only been home less than a day and it already seems a distant memory! Look forward to hearing about your exploits. Oh, and remember to wave when you pass the webcam!
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I bet you're so excited now. I told you it would come round soon :) sadly that means that we only have a week left from tomorrow :-[
Have a safe journey and see you in Kalkan. :)
By the way, it's boiling - don't bring your vest ( although I noticed one of the waiters in kaya had a vest on, I'm surprised he didn't melt!! ) 8)
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Yay! More trip reports to keep me going until we return. This time in 3 weeks I will be doing last minute prep and packing and waiting for the taxi to pick us up before midnight. Eeek it's coming round quick! 8)
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:) have a wonderful time. Can't wait to hear about your holiday.
How wonderful for you to have family there in Kalkan at the same time. Have fun and don't forget to post.
5 weeks for us now. :D
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Love the titles forum members are giving to their blogs this year - lots of catchy ones like yours which make me want to read them.
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Safe journey and have a great time! Looking forward to your blog!
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I can feel your excitement :) hope you have a good journey. Will look forward to reading all about your holiday, but just enjoy!
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I can feel your excitement :) hope you have a good journey. Will look forward to reading all about your holiday, but just enjoy!
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Lizilu:
I don't suppose the waiter in Kaya was a Jeremy Corbyn lookalike, was he?
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well hopefully keith you are either well on your way or actually there :)
I cant wait to hear about your stay...have a fabulous holiday.
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Well here goes......first official post of our holiday. Tried going to bed early on Sunday ready for our 4.00am journey to Stansted. Shouldn't have bothered as not too much sleep probably due to the heat and possibly a tad excited!!
Said our goodbyes to our two boys and Gus our boxer (he obviously knew that something was different), loaded the cases in the car and set off for the airport. 45 minutes later we pulled up at the valet parking (£59.00 for 14 days....a bargain booked in November last year) and straight into the terminal for check in. Suitcases dropped off and quickly through express security........well I was but Tracey always manages to set off the alarm and ends up having the full body search.
The time at the airport flew by and we were soon sat on our Thompson flight ready for take off. After a slight 10 minute delay we were airborne and on our way.
Landed at Dalaman on time and quite nicely disembarked via a walkway directly into the terminal building........we normally end up standing on the tarmac waiting for a bus transfer. Once again we were pleasantly surprised that there were no queues to go through passport and visa checks and were quickly standing by the bag carousel. The baggage handlers were extremely efficient and within 10 minutes we walked out of the building into the wall of warmth that almost takes your breath away.
We were met by our driver from Club Lycia for our transfer to Kalkan and enjoyed a very good drive along the D400 and, before we knew it, were standing outside our villa.
The villa is everything that we had hoped for with the most amazing views and facilities and we knew straight away that this will be a really memorable holiday............
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:) So looking forward to hearing about your holiday. Glad you had a good journey. Enjoy.
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Good to hear your arrival at Dalaman went smoothly and that your villa lives up to expectations. I don't know where you are staying but I know I am always delighted when guests say they love our villa and enjoy their holiday in it.
Have a great holiday and we look forward to your reports.
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And relax........ :laugh:
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I cant wait to hear more, keith.
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Glad you have had a good start to your holiday. Looking forward to hearing all about it.
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Glad you arrived safely Keith and Tracey. Hope to see you soon. :)
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.......it was so hot as we unpacked our bags that the sweat was cascading off our brows. The summer in England has not been kind and we have not had an opportunity to acclimatise to the heat. Can't complain though as this is the kind of weather and temperatures that add to the holiday experience.
Unpacking completed and time to explore the villa. It is perfect and we count ourselves lucky that the owner has let us share this delightful place in the sun. Tracey has checked out the kitchen and completed her most important task........choosing 2 coffee cups and 2 wine glasses that we will use for the duration of our stay. The kitchen is fully equipped but it won't be getting used by us........another important part of our holiday is that Tracey doesn't cook for two weeks and there won't be a great deal of washing up!!
Exploring completed time for a relaxing shower before venturing into Town for our first meal. We were both feeling quite tired and decided to eat at Moussaka. My first Efes confirms that I really am back in Kalkan and I know that we will enjoy two weeks of total relaxation and fully recharge our batteries. The food was excellent but, feeling hot and exhausted, we decided that we would go back to the villa open a bottle of wine and sit and watch the Moonlight shimmering across the bay.
We woke early and sat on the balcony drinking coffee and taking in the views. We had already decided that we would have a chill out day around the pool and that is exactly what we did. We never tire of watching the boats coming and going across the glistening water and by lunchtime had fully relaxed into holiday mode.
Last night we had our first drinks at Moonlights sipping the ice cold Efes and people watching before heading down to Barahat for dinner. Kalkan seemed to be extremely busy but just as we remembered it. After dinner a quick browse in a couple of shops before returning home for a few glasses of wine up on the roof terrace. You may start seeing an emerging theme to our posts....
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Great report Keith, keep them coming.
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Great report Keith, keep them coming.
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Sounds as if you've got into the swing of things....enjoy!
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Sounds like a perfect couple of days already, keith....and why wouldn't it be..? You're in Kalkan 8) 8)
I think it takes a couple of days to wind down into Kalkan mode but once you're there, oh what a joy. Your holiday is all ahead of you at this time, how fabulous :)
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Keith glad you have arrived in Paradise, and loving your reports. :D
J&B
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Really missing Kalkan today...keep up the reports Keith!
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.....after another very chilled out day we are both feeling totally relaxed and attuned to our surroundings. We had planned to eat at Ali Baba next to Kipa Express last night as we didn't want to venture too far into town. The walk from the villa is about as easy as it gets and within a couple of minutes we arrived at our intended destination........but......no sign of Ali Baba's and in its place what looks like an Indian restaurant?
It's funny how the brain works when your plans don't materialise..... what are we to do......where will we eat? Although there's an unlimited choice of great restaurants we suddenly found ourselves having to come up with a plan B.
We decided that we would have a cold Efes at the bar opposite the taxi rank (any excuse) to collect our thoughts and to mull over where we would eat. This is our preferred watering hole as we always get a warm welcome and its a good spot to people watch.
As we made our way down across the roundabout we couldn't help but notice Seaport restaurant and as we passed stopped to have a look at their menu. Nothing particularly caught our eye and we were about to move on when their greeter appeared. He was very persuasive (in a charming way) and before we knew it we had made a table reservation.
Nothing was going to keep me from my cold Efes and we continued down to the bar. As we sat sipping the cold refreshing beer under the grapevines we watched the young children trying to sell their trinkets. We couldn't help but smile at the cheekiness of some of the younger ones and I could see Tracey's maternal instincts coming to the fore. I know that before the end of our holiday she will have bought something from them.
Thirst quenched we made our way back to Seaport for dinner.
I would not normally choose to write a restaurant critique, mainly because food is very much down to personal taste but, on this occasion, I feel that it warrants it. Tracey chose cheese boraks for her starter followed by chicken skewers whilst I chose calamari followed by pepper steak. Before the starters were served the waiter brought us the largest, puffiest nan bread that I have ever seen along with a variety of dips. As we ripped into the bread warm steam escaped from its centre......it really tickled the taste buds. All of the food was really nicely presented and the portion sizes were spot on. Everything tasted terrific but, I have to give a special mention to the thick fillet steak and the rich pepper sauce. The steak was perfectly cooked and cut like butter....it was so tender and the rich sticky pepper sauce was bursting with flavour. How do these chefs cook such gourmet food in their tiny kitchens?
The waiting staff were extremely attentive without going overboard and genuinely nice people. Our experience was so positive that we have booked a table for next Monday evening; when our son arrives.
Tonight we are meeting up with my sister and her family. 7.30pm at Moonlights for a pre-dinner drink and then down to the Olive Tree.
I'm sure that we'll end up back on the roof terrace watching the world go by and enjoying a glass or two of wine.
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Good to know you had a lovely meal in Seaport. I wanted to go in when we were there in June and support them especially because of the impact the fire at the harbour had on them but I must admit I found the greeter a tad annoying and for this reason we didn't. Maybe we will give it a try when we go back next month.
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Hi Charlie.....not the best views but plenty of space and a really good meal. I don't normally recommend restaurants as I am conscious of the fact that we all have different tastes and that one man's food is another man's poison.
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.......I haven't seen my sister for over a year and so was really looking forward to our reunion in Kalkan. We set off earlier than normal as I wanted to ensure that we had a good table at Moonlights and preferably one that didn't sit at a precarious angle. Cold Efes in hand we sat and waited in anticipation....would they approach from the harbour or taxi rank? At 7.30pm on the dot I caught my first glimpse of them coming down the hill.......you can't miss Shirley's husband Dave as he is a giant of a man who towers above everyone else!! Hugs, kisses and handshakes over with we ordered a round of drinks and quickly caught up with what we had been up to since we last met.
Shirley and Dave were accompanied by their daughter Katherine (their son had flown back last Friday) and their two friends and their two sons. They are staying in a villa in Kisla and, although it is their first foray to Kalkan, it was apparent that they had fallen in love the place and the warm and welcoming Turkish people. I know that they will be back next year.
After our quick drink we set off down the hill to the. Olive Tree. Shirley had booked a table on the top terrace and we were soon seated and picking up on our conversation. I have to say that we didn't feel as though the food was up to its normal standard but this was more than offset by the warmth and laughter of our reunion.
After dinner we set off back up the hill to our favourite watering hole (I will try to member its name) and within seconds our friendly barman had rearranged tables and chairs to accommodate our party of nine. We sat chatting sharing antidotes and reminiscing until one in the morning before saying our goodbyes and setting off back to the villa. We sat and enjoyed a glass of wine on the balcony before falling into bed.
Quite unbelievably I awoke at 6.00am the next morning and we were out on the roof terrace drinking coffee by 6.30.......I can't understand why I don't have a sore head after the copious amount of alcohol consumed on the previous evening. We were shocked to read about the demise of Exclusive Escapes and can't help but to feel sorry for everyone affected by their collapse.
As we are up and about we decide that we'll walk down to the harbour, enjoy a peruse around the shops and stop off for lunch at Akins......another one of our regular eating places. We are reliably informed that it is less humid today and that the heat should become more bearable......I' m not convinced as we walk back up the hill for another well earned Efes.
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Great report! Why is it that the list of things you DIDN'T do gets longer than the things you DID do every time you visit Kalkan?
We were out for 3 weeks and only managed 5 new restaurants. Really wanted to try Olive Garden but didnt make it! Oh well, next time!
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Sounds like you and Tracey are well into the swing of things now Keith. Sometimes less is more and it's great just to chill and relax. We love our roof terrace too. In face we will be heading up there in an hour or so no doubt :)
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I think your watering hole is Berzigan's Pub...? And did you mean Olive Garden or is Olive Tree a new place..?
We really enjoyed Seaport - Deniz and his team are doing a sterling job after their unexpected relocation - hopeful they will get a harbour spot next year.
Your days and nights are just perfect and how lovely to meet up with your sister there...sounds like a great way to catch up with family to me :) Glad they are enjoying their stay in Kalkan too.
Keep them posts coming, keith. Love your reports
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After another busy day lounging by the pool we are totally relaxed and surprised at how quickly the day passes. Before we know it we are in the shower preparing for yet another night out. It's so refreshing when the only decisions that need to be made concern.......where shall we eat this evening and what shirt should I wear? We decide that we will give Alternatif a try as we have read some glowing reports on the forum. Off we set stopping off at Bezirgan's pub for our pre-dinner drinks (you were right on both counts kalkan4eva) and then a gentle stroll down the hill to our chosen restaurant. I opted for the meat samosas with chilli dip for starters and boy was it hot
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Did you sample the orange dressing they put on the plates as decoration? That stuff is fire sauce and should come with a health warning! Great reports! Capture the essence of relaxing beautifully!
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I'm not too sure what happened to my last post but it appears to have only loaded a part of it???
........I opted for the samosas starter with chilli dip and boy was it hot. I finished the bottle of water and wine in record time as the heat of the chillies tingled the end of my tongue and my mouth felt as though it was on fire. I really enjoy a hot curry and spicey food but this dip was something else........at least it gave me an excuse to order more wine!! I think that the waiters were genuinely impressed that I manage to devour the whole lot. My only concern was what the after effect may be in the morning.
Having enjoyed yet another superb meal we set off to have a look around the shops and start to plan gifts for family and friends. Worked our way back up the hill to Bezirgan's where we stopped for a quick G&T.
Suitably cooled down we headed back to the villa and.......you've guessed it....a bottle of wine on the roof terrace.
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I awoke with a start fear and trepidation racing through my brain.........I needn't have worried as there was no afterburn from the chilli dip and samosas!!
We decided that we would enjoy yet another relaxing day by the pool (it seems a shame not to maximise its use ) and possibly a lunchtime trip into town to purchase a ring for our son's partner. We discuss the fact that we haven't watched any TV or read any newspapers during this holiday and we both agree that we really don't need to know what's happening in the world.....we are blissfully happy in our own piece of paradise and in each other's company.Having celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary in July we are still soul mates and enjoy being on our own without a care in the world.
The morning passed in a blink of the eye and we soon found ourselves meandering around the streets looking for the ideal ring for Jess. We eventually ended up in the silver shop opposite Baharat's and after some searching Tracey spotted the one. She has the same sized fingers as Jess and feeling like Cinderella tried on the silver ring........on know she exclaimed it doesn't fit the middle finger. The lady behind the counter stated, no problem, my husband will adjust it for you. Finger size checked we were told that it will be ready to collect this evening. I am pretty sure that you won't find this level of service back in the UK.
Shopping completed for the day we carry on up the hill to our favourite drinking den and enjoy an iced cold beer before returning to villa Kamelya.
We agree that we will try Adam & Eves tonight as it always seems to have people eating there when we walk pass. The restaurant has a more traditional feel to it and is quite rustic. We enjoy a hot mixed meze followed by main courses. The portions are far too big for our appetites and we feel guilty that we are unable to eat it all......we really don't like to see food wasted. We enjoyed our time chatting with Eve and whilst we probably won't go back there during this visit we did have an overall good experience.
We are both feeling hot and bloated so it will be straight back to the villa tonight and no doubt a bottle of wine on the roof terrace.
Our son will be joining us tomorrow afternoon and I can tell that Tracey is really excited by the prospect.
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Already bank holiday Monday........where did our first week go? Considering that we haven't exerted ourselves the time has just flown by........it must be that Kalkan has the ability to make you totally chilled out with a feeling of belonging. It never ceases to amaze me how so many of the locals remember us even though we only visit once a year. Tracey says that it's because of my distinctive white hair!!
Our son is due to join us later today and so I decide to go to get my hair cut at Trend barbers. As I take my seat I watch in awe at how the Turkish barbers handle their cut throat razors as they delicately give a gentleman a Tele Savalos all over shaved head. Two locals are getting their beards trimmed and the care and precision of Edward Scissorhands is so skillful. Before long I am ushered into the chair and the first strands are cut. Once the haircut is complete I am treated to a hair wash, head massage, face mask followed by shoulder and arms massage.......all for the princely sum of 20TL....less than £5!!!!
Looking well groomed I call into Bezirgan's for a cooling Efes before strolling back to the villa. Tracey has heard from Luke to say that he is in the airport transfer and I can see that she is happy to know that he has landed and on his way to join us.
At 3.40pm a car pulled up and as I went to greet Luke I noticed that his driver was none other than Ahmet. We have become good friends with him and his family over the years and it is always nice when we get to see him.
We helped Luke to settle in and within half an hour he was having his first swim in the pool ☺☺
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Keith, another fab post. :D Yes those haircuts and shaves are something else aren't they? have watched Bob being shorn many a times, and as for the fire in the ears! well!
So glad your son arrived safely, I know how Tracey feels, I was the same waiting for Katie to arrive a couple of weeks ago. Hope Luke has an amazing time too.
Look forward to reading all about it.
Jayne
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As I sit writing my update I feel that I am ploughing a lonely furrow.......I miss the daily reports that others have written and although lacking inspiration feel that I have to keep the flag flying for Kalkan.
We returned to Seaport for our son's first night and I think that you can guage the quality of a restaurant and its chef by the consistency of the food. I went for the peppered steak again as I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time around. I have to report that, whilst the fillet steak was succulent, it was not as tender as before and the peppered sauce lacked the depth of flavour and texture. I would still recommend this establishment for the overall quality of the food and service.
As Luke was struggling to stay awake we headed off home earlier than normal and headed for the roof terrace and the obligatory bottle of wine.
People are always rightly talking about the glorious sunsets that can be viewed across the bay (particularly from Kisla) but tonight we were going to experience a sight that is as spectacular in its own way. As we sat enjoying our wine and generally taking in the glorious views we suddenly noticed a white glow enveloping the mountain top........within minutes a bright light appeared.....it continued to increase in size and intensity before turning into a brilliant globe that is the moon rising. We both sat in awe taking in how quickly the moon had risen over the mountain and how it was now bathing the sea with Moonlight.
Luke was up early the next morning and couldn't wait to get into the pool. He has an amazing ability to float without any movement and you would think that he was on a lilo. He can stay like that for hours and I do feel slightly envious as I am nowhere near as proficient.
We walked into town for pre-dinner drinks, pay for the airport transfers and to pick up Jess' ring. Tasks completed we chose to eat at Paprika. Once again another fabulous meal.........I can't recall ever having a bad one!!
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Loving your reports Keith....keep the flag flying please
I have to agree about the moon rising over the mountain then the moonlight on the bay, it's stunning, I find it really moving, just makes you realise how lucky we are ;)
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Keith you're doing a fantastic job and I feel like I can see that moon with you too. I will be doing my last installment later today and then it's all yours. :) :) 8) I'm really enjoying your reports, especially now I'm back home. :'( Seaport sounds lovely, unfortunately it's on next years to do list now.
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We are going to try it when we are over next week. :) :)
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Keith you are doing an amazing job, and please please keep the flag flying! loving your reports as I am sure is everyone else. As I read your post about the moon, I know exactly what you mean, I found myself looking through my photos on my phone, because that is the last photo we took of the moon over the bay on Sunday evening as we walked back to the apartment after dinner to await our airport transfer. I wished I could work out how to post it on here for you to see. Enjoy the rest of your holiday with your family, and thank you once again for your posts. :D :D :D
Jayne
PS. Looking forward to that final instalment Lizzie!
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You're the man now keith.....no pressure! You are doing a fab job.....the moon has been pretty special here too...no scenery or temperatures to match tho!
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Having eaten our full at Paprika we meander up through the town and take a seat at Bezirgan's. Tracey has suddenly acquired a taste for gin and tonics on this trip and we all sit and enjoy a thirst quenching tipple. We love watching the children plying their trade and the barbers little Pug dog that we first saw as a puppy last year. It fights well above its weight and if a street dog approaches his territory (no matter how big) he quickly chases them away.
Stomachs full and feeling cooler we head back to the sanctuary of the villa's roof terrace. There is a refreshing sea breeze this evening and we sit and admire the ever changing scenery. We see our first shooting star and are treated to a short but colourful fireworks display from the sea wall. This is the perfect end to a lovely relaxing evening.
I wake early next morning (Wednesday) and after a shower and a couple of cups of Kenco decide that I will embark on an exploratory expedition. There are so many different things to see and places to explore and I set off heading towards the Kalkan Regency. We stayed near there last year and wanted to see how easy a walk it would be from our villa. As I walked along I came across the Asfiya Seaview hotel........could this be the place that others have enthused about in their daily blogs?
As I am looking at the menu the receptionist comes out to say hello and invites me to have a look around. I follow him down to the pool terrace and bar and notice the luxurious sun loungers and their deep padded cushions. This must be the place that others have described. He explains that they have live music this evening and offers me a booking. I am interested but don't want to commit without first discussing with Tracey and Luke. I continue on my way and head down to Yali beach club passing a number of well appointed villa's and apartments on the way. I haven't seen this part of Kalkan before and am quite impressed. Eventually I return to villa Kamelya and relay my findings.......decision made .....we will book a table at Asfiya for this evening.
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Well Keith, you are definitely keeping that flag flying!!! and yes you are right, the Asfiya it was, that we spent quite a few days, just Bob and I, and then with the gang when they arrived, and then Katie when she arrived. Bob and I went to dinner on our second week when they had live music and it was a really memorable evening, our only regret was that we didn't repeat it. The food, music and whole atmosphere was wonderful. I hope that you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Look forward to reading your next instalment. :D :D
Jayne
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Well done Keith, some great posts and new places to try when we are over there next week!
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Yes that's indeed the same one Keith. I'm sorry we never made it to the Wednesday live music night but we certainly made up for it during the day. I've been on a vaccine update course today and when lunch was served I had to bite my tongue as I almost asked for the cocktail of the day! ;D thanks for keeping the reports going and for your kind words. :)
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;D ;D ;D ;DThat would have gone down well Lizzie!!! I suppose it's flu vaccine time again. Ouch!!! Sxxx
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Just catching up up on the forum after a hectic week and bank holiday weekend. Loving your reports Keith keep them coming. Your holiday is very much like ours with lots of relaxing, good food and drink. :) :) Hope your evening at Asfiya went well?
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Thoroughly enjoyable night at Asfiya with yet another fabulous view of Kalkan. We decided to have pre-dinner cocktails for a change (see we can be adventurous and stray from our usual routine) before settling down at our table for dinner. The menu has an Italian biaise, although they also serve Turkish food, and I have to say that we all savoured the opportunity to try something different. The complimentary starter was made all the more of an experience as they provide a mini barbeque for toasting the bread. It definitely added something extra to our dining experience. The live music added to the ambience as the two singers serenaded us with classical romantic songs and even Luke confessed to enjoying them. The staff were very friendly and we enjoyed some banter. Evening over we retired to the villa for a nice bottle of wine on the roof terrace.
Not to be outdone tonight we were treated to a salvo (well three) distress flares being launched from Kormuluk. Not quite the same effect as the pyrotechnics of the previous evening.
The following morning, as we were relaxing by the pool, the owner of Sunset restaurant invaded our privacy by brazenly walking in and touting for business. We had a similar experience 7 years ago and I had vowed that we would never go back to his restaurant even though we had enjoyed a positive dining experience. I can fully appreciate how competitive it is for restauranteurs and in some way admire his work ethics but, I do not enjoy this invasion of our privacy.
I can be quite stubborn once I have made a decision and so I was somewhat surprised when Luke persuaded me that we should give his restaurant a second try. Looks as though we will be eating there tonight!!
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So glad you enjoyed your evening at the Asfiya Keith, those mini bbqs for the bread are fab aren't they? Look forward to hearing about Sunset Restaurant too :D
Jayne
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Well thank goodness for you keith....! I'm so glad you are able to find time to post about your stay and I'm really enjoying your blog. Albeit, a lonely blog...until Skunk gets there :) :)
Oh I don't like the idea of people touting for business around private villas and apartments...that's a bit intrusive to say the least :P Do let us know how you get on with tonight's choice for dinner venue.
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Luke bought a bottle of duty free gin with him and, with Tracey's newly acquired taste for G&T's, we have incorporated having a glass into our nightly ritual; prior to setting off for town.
Despite my reservations about the owner's invasive method for generating customers we agree that we will give Sunset another chance. We have a slow leisurely walk into town stopping at various shops, not only to peruse their wares, but also to avail ourselves of the air conditioning. Luke and his brother both purchased 'fake' watches on their one and only visit to Kalkan (7 years ago) and quite remarkably they are still keeping excellent time!! Luke is considering buying another one for his collection and so we call into the watch shop. Having had a good look round he sees one that he really likes.......£96......he'll think about it!!
We continue down the hill, up past Black & Gold, and arrive at the restaurant. It has a really nice setting overlooking the harbour and we are given a really warm welcome. It's location is probably the main reason why he finds it necessary to drum up business as it is the last one in the row now that the other Kaptans has closed down.
Luke is a bit of a calamari connoisseur and he was glowing in his praise for his starter and stated that it was the best yet. We all enjoyed our traditional Turkish meals and I was pleased that I had been able to set aside my grievance and agree to dining here this evening.
A slow walk back up through town to Bezirgan's for a cooling drink before going home.
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Glad you enjoyed sunset Keith. The same thing happened to us a few years ago. There was no knocking at the front door - straight round the back to the pool and we felt the same as you, however his full on sales pitch had the same effect and we too went to sunset restaurant that night. We haven't been back since as there was nothing outstanding about the food but the view was lovely.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday, loving your reports. :)
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Great post Keith. I must say I've never been too sure about Sunset, had a very ordinary meal there once. Nearly ready to get on that flight on Monday now, dying for two weeks sunshine after all the cold and rain here. :) :) :)
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The owner of Sunset has appeared on our pool terrace, without being invited, on numerous occasions, so Very very annoying, we now keep our top gate locked just because of him.
Albeit, got to admire the effort he puts in to promote his restaurant.
Great reports Keith, keep them coming please :-))
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Well Skunk we will be on a plane in the other direction on Monday.....so I'll be passing the baton over to you. Thanks to everyone for the comments....it helps to keep me motivated for writing the next chapter . It's been wall to wall sunshine here for the past two weeks and I've forgotten what grey sky's and clouds look like. ☔☔
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:) loving your reports Keith. Thanks for keeping Kalkan fix going to well.
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Yes thank you so much Keith, we have enjoyed reading your daily reports so much, maybe one more before you come home perhaps!!! :D :D :D :D
Jayne
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Or maybe two?
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Friday morning we were awake very early and after a shower and a cup or two of coffee I decided that I would go for a long walk. I really enjoy viewing Kalkan from different vantage points and the exercise is needed to work off some of the additional weight that I have gained; haven eaten far too much.
After a couple of hours I arrive at the harbour and take photographs of the mosque, the boats coming and going and other shots trying to capture the feel and ambience of this special place. Memories captured I slowly ascend the hill and arrive at Bezirgan's. I feel that I have earned an Efes after building up a sweat and my throat is dry. Any old excuse really!!
As I sit and chat to the barman I suddenly find that I have agreed to have a massage from the elderly gentleman that frequents the barber shop. This hadn't been part of my plans but, in for a penny in for a pound? Whilst I must confess to feeling a bit self-conscious the massage did the trick and I headed back to the villa feeling suitably refreshed.
Luke had been carrying out some research on the watch that he is considering purchasing. The watch is a Uboat 1001 special addition and a genuine one retails for about £5000. We agree that we would walk into town to buy gifts and that I would demonstrate my haggling skills. We call in at the watch shop and I involve myself in friendly banter with the shop assistant while Luke has a good look around. His mind made up he wants the watch and I begin with a cheeky offer of £60 (they were asking £96). We negotiate for what seemed an age before settling at £82. Not a huge discount but we are all happy with the outcome.
We had booked a table at Nar for this evening and yet another enjoyable meal. The restaurant's roof terrace is the perfect place to get a view across the other restaurants as it sits in a fairly central location and provides an excellent panoramic view.
Evening over we head for home ready for a glass of wine on the roof terrace. I think that I could become accustomed to this lifestyle.
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Saturday was another relaxing day by the pool. Luke is definitely a water baby and is quite content floating around for hours at a time.....how does he do it? We venture into town early afternoon as we want to finish shopping for presents. We are aware that our holiday is coming to an end and want to make the most of every minute that we have left available to us. Shopping successfully completed we head to Bezirgan's for refreshments. As we sit discussing what a fabulous and relaxing holiday we have had Tracey spots someone out of the corner of her eye.......is it?....yes it is...... Dom from 'Don't get done get Dom'. Luke is flabbergasted as his brother had 'made up' that he would see Dom on his visit. I tried to tell him that Dom is a regular visitor but he doesn't believe me. I tell him that he should have a look at the Enjoykalkan forum as this will prove that I'm not making it up.
We finish our drinks and head back home for more pool time.
Alternatif's has been booked for tonight's meal as I want Luke to try their calamari. As we assemble downstairs Luke informed me that he had done a search on this forum and that he found a number of posts mentioning sightings of Dom. He had written a blog on his twitter account and low and behold Dom had replied to him.
We enjoyed another excellent meal (I don't think that we've ever had a bad one) and are really amazed at the value for money that the restaurants deliver. There is so much choice and somewhere to cater for everyone's taste and budget. This is one of the major selling points for Kalkan and, even after five visits, there are still vast amounts of eating places that we haven't tried. This coupled with the fact that restaurants and their staff come and go means that you are very unlikely to ever exhaust your options.
Sunday will be our last day and so we ensure that we have a late night taking in the vista from the roof terrace and enjoying a glass or two of wine.
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We were desperate to make Sunday last for as long as possible and were on the balcony drinking coffee at 6.00am. We reconciled ourselves with the fact that this really was our last day and that it would soon be time to pack our suitcases. The two weeks have flown by and the only consolation is the fact that we have all enjoyed a thoroughly enjoyable holiday and are so much more relaxed than we were when we arrived........oh and a tad darker having endured two weeks of wall to wall blue skies and sunshine.
Kalkan has delivered (as it always does) and, whilst there have been some changes, I don't personally feel that it has had a serious detrimental affect on the overall holiday experience. Everyone is still so welcoming and friendly and I truly believe that this is my home from home. For anyone that is concerned about travelling to this part of the world, please don't be, as you will surely miss out on a truly wonderful and relaxing experience.
Before we knew it the day was nearly over and we had just one more culinary delight to savour. For our last meal we chose to eat at Mussakka as we didn't feel that we did it justice on our first night due to being quite exhausted from our journey. The food was up to its normal high standards and was made even more enjoyable by the very young lad that served our table (we guessed that he was about 12 years old). There was something quite charming in the way he said "you're welcome" every time we thanked him.
Final supper devoured we headed back to villa Kamelya for our last night on the roof terrace, taking in the views and enjoying a glass or two of wine. This really has been a fantastic holiday in a fantastic location.
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Keith, thank you so much for taking the time to share your holiday with us all, it has been fab reading your daily reports. I totally agree with what you say in that Kalkan certainly delivers, and it really did for us too this year as it always does. So glad your son got to see Dom, and a really nice place to choose for your last supper (Mussakka). We went this year too, and it was fabulous. :D :D
Anyway until next time, and thank you once again.
Jayne
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Hi Keith, really enjoyed sharing your holiday with you. So glad you had an amazing time, as we all do in Kalkan!
Thank you for taking the time to write your reports.
Jane
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thank you for posting keith.
I've really enjoyed reading your reports - funny how we all love Kalkan but like our different places. I have never been in Berzigan's Pub in all the years we have been coming to Kalkan but I cant for the life of me tell you why :)
It made me laugh that you got to see Kalkan's resident celeb after talking about him beforehand...and then your son connecting with him on Twitter. It all adds to the experience ;)
So glad you had another magical holiday and safe trip home.
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Thank you for your lovely reports. It brought me a little bit of Kalkan in the first year in ages we haven't been to Kalkan. We too had never been to Bezigrans until two or three years ago and it was the ideal place to meet our friends who were up on the Kalamar road and we were at the Nur apartments. They had the most delightful beagle puppy and we spent a little of our drinking time watching this delightful dog.
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Thanks for sharing your lovely relaxing holiday With us Keith......so glad you all enjoyed yourselves.
So who's next?! :laugh:
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Thanks for taking the time to post Keith. I've really enjoyed your reports and you've certainly kept Kalkan alive in my mind and heart in this long week since we returned home.
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Glad you arrived home safe and sound after 2 glorious weeks in Kalkan. It was nice of you to spend time keping us informed.
BarbH
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I am now back in work mode and have finished wading through the 432 emails that hit my in-tray over the past two weeks. The weather feels even colder than expected and I am struggling to accept the grey overcast sky.
Our transfer back to Dalaman was uneventful. We had chosen to set off earlier than was necessary as we wanted to avoid the mad rush and the long queues that tend to be part of the Dalaman experience. We arrived at the airport at 11.00am local time (a little over 3 hours before our flight). We were quickly through the first security checks and pleased to see that the Thompson check-in desk was already open. Suitcases dropped off and through the second security scan into the departure area. There was ample time to stroll around the duty free shops and to enjoy breakfast. I’m sure that they’ve made further improvements to the food hall since last year although I was disappointed that there was nowhere that I could buy a newspaper. The only bookshop was shut?
Our flight departed on time and we touched down in Stansted at 16.26 hrs. Bags collected and we headed for passport control. Although the queues weren’t particularly long this proved to be the most tedious part of our journey as it was apparent that a lot of people weren’t familiar with how the automatic passport scanning equipment worked. This was compounded by the fact that there was only one airport supervisor who didn’t seem to want to help anyone!! That said we were soon safely through and sat in our car shortly thereafter. 17.50 hrs we were back indoors with a very happy Gus (our boxer dog).
On reflecting back over our holiday I would summarise as follows:
What can provide you with two weeks of total relaxation and fun?
What can make you forget about the stress and pressures of everyday life?
What can provide you with the most stunning views from every angle?
What can deliver an abundance of quality restaurants and mouth-watering food?
What can give you wall to wall sunshine and clear blue skies?
What can make you feel that you are genuinely welcomed and among friends?
What can deliver a romantic sunset and the perfect moon rise?
What can make you want to come back time and time again?
IF ANYTHING CAN…………….KALKAN CAN
That’s all folks. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for sharing our holiday experience.
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Loved reading your blog and your summary was perfect!
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Your summary is just perfect! Thank you :laugh:
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Welcome back to reality keith, and thanks for sharing a little peice of Kalkan with us .
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Welcome home and thanks so much for sharing your holiday with us all. Not wishing to make you jealous but we have just packed our bags. We should arrive at our apartment at about midnight tomorrow for another six weeks in paradise (KK). Not promising any blogs of your standard but may make the odd contribution!!
Cheers
Tyros
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Thanks Tyros.........I might just be a tiny bit envious!!
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This time last week we were having an Efes at Moonlights before heading down to Alternatifs. This week I'm looking forward to a homemade stir fry