Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => Introduce Yourself => Topic started by: Dobbie on August 01, 2012, 07:18:55 PM
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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 :-*
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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
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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.
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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 :)
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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 (http://www.abitravel.net) the lady(linda) speaks english
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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. ;D
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Efes=beer=3.5 - 7TL. Depends where you buy/drink it!!
PW
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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?! :)
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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 ;)
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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 ;D ;D 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 :)
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Thanks blue lizard and kalkan4ever - I have heard of Raki...so I'll be giving that a go!! ;) ;D - 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 8)
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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 ;D ;D ;D 8)
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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!!!!
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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! ;D
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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
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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. ;D ;D At that time it had five restaurants, a bar and about 3 shops. :o :o :o 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! :o :o :o :o 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!! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Those were the days!!
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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.
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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!!
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A link that might be useful to you......................
http://kalkan.turkishlocalnews.com/portal/
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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!!! ;) ;D :angel: I do have a few more questions forming!!! All the very best! Dobbie :)
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....one very important thing we should share with you is that heels and Kalkan are not a good mix.... :)
You won't find this important fact in the search facility as you won't be looking for it. If you pack your case with heels you may become a recluse ;D ;D
Flats, lots of them and perhaps the odd pair of heels/wedges if you fancy a challenge ;)
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Or one pair of flipflops >:D >:D >:D
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Oh dear...work's not letting up and holiday's getting closer! I'm running out of time! Thanks again to everyone for all the tips...especially about heels! I must say though, I do tend towards the old flip flops! ;D
I do have a couple more questions for those in-the-know!
I saw somewhere recently that you must carry a photo ID in Turkey at all times, is that right? If so, will a photocopy of my passport be ok, rather than carrying that everywhere?
Also...my OH was told that you have to have some sort of permit to drive out there (where we usually go just his UK Drivers license is sufficient for car, m.bike and even boat rental).
Really looking forward to it now. Dobbie :)
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Oh, I missed one - which is the least expensive and most reliable airport transfer company (this may well be two different ones of course!). Thanks again, Dobbie :)
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Photocopy of passport is fine and probably best in case you lose the original.
You need your full driving license, not just your photo one.
May see you out here at our last meet up at the Pirat Hotel on the 26th? Have a look at the calendar.
B
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We use Definetous.com for our guest transfers price is competitive and we have only had good feedback, However not all transfer companies know the locations of all villas/apartments so it might be worth asking the owners who they recommend price should be approx £55 each way for 1-3 persons.
Photo ID, we always try to carry a photocopy of passport but never needed to produce it.
When hiring a car I have only ever been asked for my DL (always have my paper part with me but never been asked for it)
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Hi, not long to go now! We hired a car from brave tours as it was the most economical one for us (7 seater for 4 days) and OH only needed his photo license. We had no form of ID other than our passports (and his photo driving license) but didn't ever need to produce ID. I presume if you change money at the bank you will have to use it, but the PTT kiosk and the jewellers never asked for proof of ID when changing cash.
Regarding the airport transfers, we have used Enes, Define, Adda and a chap called suleyman, who was a local taxi driver who is well respected. Pricewise, they are all similar, but I would say that Enes were the most professional and provided little extras such as complimentary bottled water and biscuits.
I think you'll be fine whoever you choose. We tend to leave it up to the villa owners and we have never yet had a bad transfer.
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Absolutely recommend Brave Tours for both airport transfers and car hire. Very professional service. £110 return in private car includes complimentary cold water, freshen up wipes and bottle of wine.
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I would also recommend Abitours for your transfer. You will deal with an English lady and I've always used them when needed a transfer. No wine though i'm afaraid. :'(
;)
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We used Abi travel this year too and would highly recommend. Easy to book online through their website and Linda emailed to confirm details. Cost us £65 each way for 5 people. Our driver was lovely and we just popped into their shop the day after we got there to settle the bill and get our return pick up time.
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Thanks again everyone...all of this is very, very helpful! I actually feel like I know what I'm doing now!!! I'm going to make a list of notes from this discussion and others on here to take with me! And I have thought of another good question...we tend to like to eat local dishes when we're away - what are some recommendations? I like vegetarian and fish dishes typically and the OH, meat. Can't believe we'll be walking into Kalkan about this time next week! :)
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I just read another "newbies" post - they had a very good question...when you get a taxi do you agree the price first? Also, at Supermarkets is everything priced (as normal)...and are you supposed to haggle there too?! Answers to these questions would be greatly appreciated! Many thanks, Dobbie :)
P.S. Slightly concerned having read posts about lots of stray dogs - as every year I go home from holiday in tears because I've made a doggy pal and always try to find them a proper home before I leave, having fed, watered and removed ticks for them! :o ;D
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Hi Dobbie, I never use taxis in Kalkan so can't answer that query. I am sure someone will be along with the answer. A family member thinks the exercise walking around is good for me ....
Mercifully we are within walking distance of restaurants, shops etc although if we have been down to the harbour and had a large meal or it is very hot I find lots of excuses to "just stop and look at the view!" whilst getting my breath back.
Supermarkets - no, you don't haggle. Just like supermarkets in the UK (although mostly quite small) everything is clearly priced, you take it to the till and are given the tally. I think they probably all take cards these days, certainly Yali does where we mainly shop. Saves me fumbling in my purse shortsightedly.
Have a fantastic holiday.
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Taxis are all on meters, 4.5 lira standing charge then a set amount every 110m. You will be able to see the meter and how much it is before you get out.