Flew from Edinburgh - no problems, to be met at Dalaman for our private transfer to the Hotel Eda, where we were greeted like long-lost friends by the Dere family. Mama, Papa, Engin and Ersin are such nice people and will do anything to make your stay with them as good as possible.
We first stayed with them last October when they had the Esenkoy, and they are so friendly and welcoming. The Eda is lovely - excellent location - really central but not at all noisy. I would certainly recommend it to anyone.
The weather throughout our stay (Oct 16 to 24) was fantastic - in the high 70s/80s every day, so we spent most of our time on the beach. First couple of days, we used Mehmet's sunbeds at the bottom of the canal - but he was finishing up then, so we moved along to the beach at the Yakamoz, where we were looked after very well by the beach boys, Leon especially.
Went on the boat trip again, which was very good - just a lazy day enjoying the great scenery and a stop-off in Turunc.
Ate out every night and can honestly say we didn't have a bad meal anywhere - we tried the Venice for the first time, which was great, especially the Efes at 1YTL!!! and also decided we just had to sample Sunday lunch at the Three Bells after reading glowing reports on here - wow! Those Yorkshire puddings are unbelievable - between us, we tried the beef, lamb and chicken and all were so good.
Also ate at the Lemon Tree a couple of times - including hubby's 50th birthday, where the staff made it a special occasion with balloons, cake, etc. Have to say it's one of our favourite Icmeler eating places.
Also ate at the Florida, Titanic and tried the Love Boat, which was excellent.
One of our real "finds", however, was the Kerem on the canal. After reading reports on here, we decided to try it, and I can't praise it highly enough. If you want a real, traditional Turkish experience, this is the place to go. Leila and her family are very friendly and the food is soooooo good! If you go, make sure you leave enough room for the cheesecake, which is to die for!
My son Callum ordered a pancake, which he ate and enjoyed - so Leila made another one for him free, because he was "such a handsome boy"!
It's a really authentic Turkish atmosphere and hospitality.
We did find Icmeler quite quiet (not a complaint though) and much more restaurants and bars seemed to be closing up earlier than usual. Daughter and I spent a couple of nights in the Korsan and were virtually the only people in the place. It was nice though - as it gave us more time to chat to our friends there.
As the place was quiet, there were definitely bargains to be had - we enjoyed cheap lunches a few times (kebabs for 4YTL) and the Efes was a lot cheaper than our June holiday, especially the Venice's special deal, which seemed to have the crowds flocking in there.
Explored the old village a bit this time and found quite a few of the bars and restaurants we'd seen named here, so we've made a mental note to try some more next time - yes, there will be a next time!
In all, we had a great holiday - very relaxing, and the only downside was having to leave...
However, daughter is determined she wants to come to Icmeler to work next summer, so we'll be back one way or the other! It's turned into my little slice of heaven - I think I've left a part of my heart there every time I've visited....
(Given half a chance, I'd move there, but unless my lottery numbers come up, that might have to wait a bit!)
Anyway, sorry for rambling on, but Icmeler has that effect on me...I could write about it forever.
