Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Holiday Reports and Reviews => Topic started by: Rachey on October 12, 2009, 02:19:57 PM
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Hi all. Am v depressed, having just returned from Kalkan in the small hours :'(. Our 3rd visit, and it just keeps on getting better and better. Stayed at an apartment in the Dere development - so handy for everything, especially now the Adda supermarket has opened.
Weather was incredible, with a full moon making a silver path across the sea...heaven. One cloudy/wet day, but happily it was the day we'd booked to go with Ali on his boat Zeus, and he found the sun for us! The day only cost 150TL for the 4 of us, and we didn't get back to the harbour until after 6pm. I tried spear fishing with Ali - I didn't catch anything, but Ali - swimming and diving like a fish himself - managed to catch us some fish to be added to the fabulous lunchtime barbecue.
Restaurants - a highlight as always, and still yet to have a bad meal. Our favourite remains Coast - we like Omer & llhan very much - their drive and enthusiasm and commitment to excellence is wonderful. The move to the Gironda is very successful. We loved having pre and post dinner drinks in the courtyard - my new drink of choice being raspberry vodka and freshly squeezed pomegranate juice - yum - and as pomegranate is a superfood, it was in fact a health drink :angel: Cannot wait to see what they do with the Jasmine Garden next year as the Coast brand deservedly expands! We also loved Baharat (where Arena used to be). Lovely food, reasonably priced and excellent service. Salt and Pepper was ok - food was good and waiters lovely, but the owner (we presumed) was ordering the staff to move tables around, and talking loudly on his mobile all evening, ruining the atmosphere, and the staff were definitely on edge. It wasn't busy and we didn't bother going back in case the owner was hanging around again - shame as we loved it last year. We also at long last tried the Olive Garden - loved it. We also went to the Sun Terrace - which we discovered is owned by Ali's (of Zeus) family. Simple food, delicious and very good price. We also went to Kosk - another favourite - but where has George Hamilton IV's brother gone? Wasn't the same without him! Was disappointed with Ozalp, a previous favourite. Found the service not too good, and the prices were top-end and not worth it. The Tavuk sac kavurma I always had there was no where near as good as last year. We also hugely missed Norman and his side kick...didn't see him anywhere so presume he's not in Kalkan this year, which is a shame. Had lunch at Akins - amazing value - and what's with the posh new chairs? I liked the lurid green plastic ones :laugh: We ended many evenings at Yali bar, watching the world go by...
We saw fewer dogs and cats than last year - maybe because of where we were staying, and at first hardly recognised Tango the swimming retriever with his posh new haircut! No loud music, no troubles anywhere. Just perfect!
Kalkan is a little piece of heaven - as soon as we arrived we felt the tension and stress fade away...if I could bottle and sell that Kalkan magic I could buy a villa and retire there!
Now, off to check flights and owner's direct to book next year's visit!
As always, thanks to this wonderful forum for the brilliant advice - esp Lantana for getting me Ali's phone number - and for providing me with my "Kalkan fix" as I count the months until our next visit...
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Nice report Rachey! :)
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Great report,and I know what you mean about Tango,I didnt see him in may and aug,thought he had gone to the kennel in the sky,but saw him on the beach last week and knew it was him,he looks like a puppy with his trim ! ;D
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Linda at Abi travel told us that Tango had to have some treatment earlier in the year - amongst other things his coat was really matted and he had tics. Bless him - they had to keep him from swimming for weeks while his skin healed - can you imagine - poor Tango! Well worth it now as he looks v handsome O0
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Its great to see him again,and he is back to his old self with his ball or a plastic bottle,a really nice dog and a face of Kalkan. :) ;D
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Nice to see some positive reports coming from visitors to Kalkan..i was beginning to think there was another Kalkan? :-\
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There are two more. Perhaps others are talking about the one in Diyarbakir?
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Rachey
George Hamilton IV was at Kosk late September but he's dyed his hair black!
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Thanks for solving the mystery, Kalkanfan! We saw a chap we thought was George, but his hair was the wrong colour...never crossed our minds that he would dye his distinguished grey locks ;)