Back to reality......(long review)

[ukwanderer2]

First time to Turkey, 2 - 16 Aug, Ece Apartments (non ICR)

Lift to B'ham airport, just 2 female cousins travelling. Check in was quick (partly because we'd got there really early as we were so excited).

Sat together on plane (Pegasus) with our packed breakfast/lunch & a couple of bottles of pop. No movie on flight, reasonable amount of room in seats, & flight & landing were smooth. Pity about the two 10 year olds behind who were shrieking & play fighting for most of the flight......Disembarked at Dalaman on time, & followed the crowd (who all seemed to know where they were going) to get our visas. Baggage collection OK. Don't know where they found staff for Dalaman - they were the only Turks we met in 2 weeks who weren't smiling!! Not the best introduction to a lovely country.

A bit perturbed to see no sign of travel reps in airport arrivals - but eventually found them on car park - someone said the reps were no longer allowed in the terminal building?

Transfer OK & had stop-off half way, but seemed to have drop-offs at every hotel in Marmaris before heading for Icmeler.

Apartment fine - young lad carried 2 X 20KG suitcases up 3 flights of stairs in one go!!!

Very hot when we arrived (@ 7.30 pm), dumped cases, had a drink then headed out for a meal.

Lost count of the number of times we got lost that first week. And couldn't believe how friendly everyone was - & no hassle.

Didn't stay around pool, but went to beach each day - settled on the bit by Coco Beach on day 2 - always clean & tidy - usually arrived there @ 8.30 (it was a long walk from the apartment & best done before the day hotted up too much) & our sunbeds were saved for us each day. The saving of sunbeds was particularly useful for the large groups - 12 Manchester people were our neighbours, also a number of large Norwegian groups. Wonderful clear water, pity about the biting fish who drew blood on one man on beach. Dancing in the water helped ward off their attention - plus they seemed to find the 'newly arrived' more tasty than the ones who'd been there a few days. Surprised at how deep the water was so near to shore & the fact that it was relatively cold - but very welcome after baking in the sun. Waiters on beach kept us watered (or efes'd) all day, & usually ate in Coco Beach Restaurant at lunchtime. Turkish breakfast lovely.

We varied our food daily - one day we'd take sandwiches to beach, then go out for evening meal, and another day we'd eat at lunchtime in Coco Beach, have a salad at Apartment & go for a drink in the evening (find it difficult to eat a big meal AND have a drink).

Ate at Lal, Nefes Pide (favourite), Wayside, Holiday (near Selen 2 - HUGE set meal), Captain Bullshits. Had a drink in Friends, Joe's Bar, 3 Bells, & Sports Bar.

Sports Bar was our favourite - draft Efes (not as gassy as bottled variety) & 3 lovely waiters. Music videos playing, plus football channels for those that wanted them. No Elvis or Michael Jackson in sight.

Temperatures amazing - waiter told us it was @ 45/47 one day. The other thing I was pleasantly surprised at was the breeze that was there all the time - it reached right to the streets at the back of the resort.

Last day very sad - had to say bye to the staff at Sports Bar & Coco Beach who'd helped make our holiday really enjoyable.

Transfer to Dalaman was great - picked up 1.55 & didn't have to pick anyone up in Marmaris, so was relatively quick (including 10 minute comfort break).

Couldn't believe how many security checks there were at Dalaman. Hit duty free for cigs & perfume, then went to seating by our boarding gate (when we eventually found it after 2 circuits of the building).

Flight @ 15 minutes late taking off, a little turbulence but nothing to shout about, TV screens showed our flight path & time left before we landed etc. Plane seemed roomier / nicer seats than on outward journey. Landed on time at B'ham, but cases took ages to arrive on carousel - so long in fact that I was convinced the baggage handlers were on strike!

All in all, a brilliant holiday. Wonderful people, spotlessly clean, very civilized sort of place - lovely & green, loads of flowers, no hassle. The only down side was the distance to beach (our fault - knew where it was before we booked), the beach (sand would have been better - yet again, knew about it before I booked), & the biting fish - still got bruise to show for it - which I didn't know about before they nipped me for the first time.

Would I go back again? Like a shot!!!