Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

After going to icmeler every year for the last ten years we say thats the last one. going somewhere else , but as soon as we come back we book again for the next year dont get me wrong we still love it but why cant we go somewhere else , what draws us back ? the things we dont like about icmeler ...... the hassle ..... pretend friendships .... dont get me wrong we have made some TRUE friends , but a lot of false ones along the way ,so we compiled a list of likes and dislikes and the likes won by a mile so we all know we love icmeler but what DONT you like
have been to other resorts in turkey ,and would like to try more but are worried we would compare .
be interested to hear other peoples views

We've been 2 years running, the first time....amazing, could see why everyone went back.
This year....quieter, more hassle, very few original people working our frequented bars from last year, and almost an air of desperation about the place.
Next year we're going to go to Patara, as it's more authentic turkey, and less commercialised.
For us, and many may & will disagree, icmeler has become a mini Marmaris, and we were drawn to icmeler last year as it was exactly the opposite of that.
We may return the year after, can't honestly say, but after this year our love affair with icmeler is over.....for now!
Chris & Anita

We love it, no escaping that but flight prices to Dalaman are putting us off now. Hoped to be back this week but we've found that going to Tenerife AI is only slightly more expensive than going SC to Icmeler and if we enjoy that well.....

being going for about 10 years and there are a few things i dont like, but like you these are outweighed by what we do like

Dont like the transfer time, flights are getting expensive,and the beach the sand is too gritty. Apart from that not a lot else

Hi all
I agree with all your posts the hassle was worse this year and a lot of bars looked very quiet i also thought prices of food and drinks were a bit more than in marmaris when in previous years icmeler was always a bit cheaper
Dont get me wrong none of the above would put me off if i wanted to return but after much thought i think we have decided we wont be going back
This year was the final straw for us with icmeler but as the saying goes never say never
Cheers

As with bikerjambo, it's the price of the flights which is the one thing I really don't like. The transfer time is a bit of an inconvenience too, but just wish the flights were cheaper. We'd rather do it ourselves and book everything separately, but packages were coming up much cheaper. And yes, it is often about the same, or even cheaper to go Ai elsewhere.

All Inclusives......... . . . Its killing the resort after twelve years of two or three holidays every year, its just not the same need to get rid of these places

For me its the flights. Just looking at flights for 3 people for one week in october and they are £900. The room for the week would have been £63.00 so needless to say aint gonna make it. Pity as the season is nearly over and I am sure they would love as many people as possible but with that price for flights!!!

blondie wrote:As with bikerjambo, it's the price of the flights which is the one thing I really don't like. The transfer time is a bit of an inconvenience too, but just wish the flights were cheaper. We'd rather do it ourselves and book everything separately, but packages were coming up much cheaper. And yes, it is often about the same, or even cheaper to go Ai elsewhere.

Don't actually like going AI, its just a fall back thing, already planning where we're going for nights out in Puerto de Santiago

Will be booking flights next week dictated by credit card They are the same price as this year.From Bournemouth and looking at next september.Yes they are not cheap but the accomodation is dirt cheap!Seriously I dont kn ow where you could get such cheap stuff. We have a long running relationship with Icmeler and LOVE IT!!!!! If I was the Mayor....but I'm not....I would defo stop the all in clusives. They might be the end of Icmeler as we know and love it.

Just booked flights for my daughter and granddaughters using a credit card. It's really annoying having to pay the extra charges but it's necessary in case a company goes bust. Thomas Cook charged £4 each way per person It was on the news a couple of weeks ago that they're going to be stopped from making these extra charges, but it didn't say when. I suppose though it is a form of 'holiday insurance' so it's better to be safe than sorry.

After 10 years visiting Icmeler every year twice sometimes decided give Icmeler miss few years it was strange this year like I never been away . So for me cost flights I'm looking somewhere else

We have been going to Icmeler twice a year for over 10 years and whilst I agree with some of the previous comments, my main grouse is the flight prices from the North East - they are crazy Yes there have been many changes some for the better and some for the worse but you can't expect Icmeler to remain the same year in and year out. We were there in June and found very little hassle but the restaurants are struggling greatly due to the AI in very many hotels. Personally, I would not go AI because of the many, many lovely restaurants to visit and re-visit. Its not all the large hotels which are AI but some of the smaller establishments are jumpng on the bandwagon and it will be a pity if even more do the same. Something should be done to stop this but what I don't know. We are now looking forward to our next visit.

We're setting off for Tenerife at 2 in the morning but I can honestly say that I'm not really looking forward to it (apart from the time off work). I know that I'll not get offered a raki when I go into a shop to buy fags and I know that if I sit myself someplace I'll not have a waiter come sit and show me pictures of his kids. Holiday, yes, warmer weather, yes but just not Icmeler. But......if the price of flights mean that someplace else is more affordable then so be it.



PS. Hope I don't enjoy it too much

We arrived back from Icmeler two weeks ago now, our first visit in 4 years. I must admit we had a lovely holiday but we have said that we would try somewhere else if we were fortunate enough to be able to afford a holiday next year. I found the hassle intimidating by the end of the two weeks to the point were I felt rude by just walking past restaurants, travel companies and even barber shops without speaking to anybody. I am not that type of person I will speak to anybody and as somebody has stated you do make some true friends but I just dreaded going out at night to the point that we found side streets to walk through to get to where we were going. The square is lovely now they have done that up. Meals weren't too badly priced if you shopped around, or if you were able to shop around! I found the hassle on the beach awful too, yes you get a free sunbed but they were on all day, asking for us to buy drinks, then they wanted us to buy lunch. We ended up going to the part of the beach in front of those apartments, there are no sunbeds but there are umbrellas and to be honest, yes you are sat on the ground but you have loads more space and no hassle and you can take your own food and drink without being frowned upon. Icmeler is still lovely but I think it maybe becoming something else, just that bit of magic seems to have gone, sorry I love Icmeler as much as anybody else on here but I think something is not quite right and I hate saying that

Yes, Icmeler is changing, and not all for the better. When we came back last year, we said we wouldn't go this year as there were things that had put us off - downright rude hassling in some places, fights in the street between staff from different restaurants/areas of Turkey, and we felt a lot of the friendliness in some places had gone, as new staff took over from familiar faces. Anyway, we did go back in may, and had a wonderful time again. So much so, as soon as we got back we booked for october! Nothing stays the same, however much you want it to, so you either have to accept the changes, or move on. We used to stay in Marmaris, but now apart from a couple of flying visits to see old friends, we avoid the place. It's changed beyond recognition. It could be any big resort, anywhere, now. If we ever get to feel that way about Icmeler, we'll be looking for somewhere else to go. We're often asked why we go back to the same place time after time, and I really don't know, but we often comment whilst there "This is why we come back!" Things happen there that would never happen anywhere else. It's unique. Long may it continue to have that magic quality.

Sorry to have to agree, something is changing in Icmeler,mostly to do with the AI I think. The fact that so few people these days are going out for meals in the evenings means the restauants are struggling and so they are having to be a bit more pushy to try to get you in their place.We have been lucky so far have got our flights for next May and September for about the same price as this year but did find some airports were much dearer than they have been. Bristol for example is double the price of Birmingham for the same time and are all night flights. Having said all that we love Icmelerand as yet have not thought of going somewhere else!!!!

I LOVE Icmeler, which is why we're all on here right? But I do know what you are all saying about the resort being quieter than normal. I did notice that in August but I did not really get any hassle. I did note that a lot of places that don't normally have a PR man, had one this year to try and drum up some business.
Now, my dislikes...... transfer time for sure. Flights have gone way up in price but I have noticed that the earlier you book them, the better the price. I cannot think of anything else so I will be going next year many times for sure.

I agree, last year was the first time i did not fully enjoy our holiday, ICR was great with the accommodation and transfers and that side was brilliant, but out and about something was amiss. People we have known for quite a few years tried ripping us off, portions were smaller and drinks were weaker, Hakan and Levent this does not include you!

Restaurants we have used many many times were now almost dismissive of us because they knew we would use them, we watched a table come in after us and the new young waiters couldnt take their eyes off the 2 young daughters, the family were obviously very uncomfortable and got up and left after the first course, the manager shouted after them in turkish, he was mad, he then made everyone else in the restaurant feel uncomfortable, when we got our bill we were charged for the bread and mezes which NEVER happend in there, when we raised it he just snatched the bill and walked away.

now the canal is different, the square is different and the underground market has gone i think so has the magic. We would have been out there last week but decided against it this year, we are off to Mexico in May. I hope to return to Icmeler one day but it wont be soon. I still read this forum often but rarely comment now, lots of negativity about places and staff, real shame.

Eric you have said excatly how we feel and the same has happend to us with long term bars that we have used people we regarded as : friends : take it as you will spend your money in there , and the little extras free fruit coffee ect after we had paid the bill not forth coming after going in there for the last 7 years

we have booked A1 for next year only because we wanted a certain hotel , we will still eat out in the evening and use the A1 facilitys in the day ,

the one bar / resterant we spent quite a lot of time in was the one and only place that DIDNT have a front man and NO hassle it was so nice just to walk in of our choice we actually told the manager how nice it was and he said a lot of people had said the same hopefully some bars will read / and pick up these comments ,

shame the airlines dont !

thank you all for your comments it has made interesting reading and hopefully the magic will return soon