Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

When we came back last week my wife talked about our holiday and both decided that we are going to give Icmeler a miss for a while.

Our reasons are you can only watch so many bad Michael Jackson impersonators and some of them are really bad. You can only stand so much hassle from restaurants, shops and bars. How nice it would be to have a stroll at night without the constant badgering by bar people or boat trips.

We also would like some entertainment for children, instead of being pawed over by Turkish men, after all I spend a whole year telling my daughter not to talk to strangers.

Although we really really enjoy the food we are fed up of dancing waiters, belly dancers those bl**dy rose sellers. The belly dancers seem only intent in the ritual humiliation of men. Some could even do with smiling occassionaly although saying that the one at the Alvaro Lemon Tree was the best I have seen in Icmeler.

Now I expect this will cause a few to reply saying I am wrong, but we just want a break from it all. We don't know where we will go on holiday next and most probably will end up back in Icmeler some day.

Does any one else feel the way we do?

Quite the reverse, actually. Didn't feel at all that way during our stay - enjoyed all the entertainment, didn't feel hassled (I find a pleasant, but firm response is all that's needed) and felt more than safe walking around, even on my own and even at night. To be honest, I can't actually imagine holidaying anywhere else now. Can't wait to return to Icmeler again - the sooner, the better!

kilda,
I understand what your saying and as soon as the magic has gone from an holiday destination it is time for a change.

The constant hassle we get,and I dont want anyone telling me a polite
"no thank you" is enough.
The repetitive entertainment and the attention that you get off a few of the waiters sometimes is a little "over the top".

Dalaman used to be a big put off before the new terminal was built and still has its problems with overcharging in its restaurent area.

If anyone feels its time for a change I say go for it you dont know what you have got till it is no longer there to be enjoyed.

I am going for three weeks this year and will be spending three of these nights in Turunc by the way of a change.

My wife would also like to go somewhere else for an holiday for the same reasons you have given.
Our friends have also given Icmeler and Turkey a miss for next year.

Gene

I sometimes feel I should try somewhere else but when we get home I cant wait to book again we have been going twice a year since 2000 I feel so safe there at nights we have done spain, canaries greece etc and have seen lots of fights there once my teenage daughters witnessed a greek man shove a broken bottle in the face of a young lad who was staying at our hotel we vowed then no more Greece. I have never seen any trouble in Icmeler and yes the Michael Jackson impressions do get a bit boring but the friendliness of the people make up for it. Roll on September

Its a real shame that the Turkish people dont realise that a lot of us will eventually get fed up of the same thing year after year. Maybe we should think of some alternatives and suggest them, not that i can think of anything . The hassle is now being tackled so its not so bad now. We did get a bit bored with the Michael Jackson Imp and Break dancing by the end of our holiday a couple of years ago when we last visited Icmeler,but when we went to book for this year we all still wanted to go back. I think a holidays' what you make it. You can always go to the quieter restaurants. After doing the Greek Islands, Spain etc etc for years we found they dont do much different anyway, just Greek dancing or Flamenco instead of break dancing and traditional turkish dancers. We like nothing better than to go to a quiet restaurant and have a chat with the staff. I cant see us getting fed up for a good few years yet.

We will be giving Icmeler a miss next year also with the credit crunch taking hold, we are a family of four and it costs an arm and a leg to go to Icmeler, we usually book in September when we get back but it will not be happening this year, not sure if we will even get abroad next year but if we do it will be a last minute deal.

I cannot believe we will not be going it is going to kill me.

I am glad that someone else doesnt like the "entertainment" in bars/restaurants. It was our first time in May, had a wonderful time dont get me wrong, but we couldnt stand this part of the night. We had our first meal in a restaurant by the canal Villa Konte I think it was called, lovely meal, but we were half way through it when all the lights went down to minimum the music got cranked up to full blast and the waiters put on a show, - bearing in mind there was only my OH and me, and two other couples, I know we are in our 50s, but I am far from past it, but I couldnt see my meal, couldnt be heard over the noise, the owner did come back over and turn the lights up for us, but it was just too much, we paid and left, never returned (I would add that the owner, if that who it was, did apologise to us) and never went to a restaurant for a meal at that time of night again, we made sure we were out by 9.30. We would then go for a drink at Romeo and Juliets where there were no dancing etc., just a t.v. and a book for me to read.

We didnt get pestered so much by the restaurants, yes a I've already eaten but give us your card and we may come back was sufficient, but the hairdressers and jewellers were real pests.

Yes I will go back I did feel completely relaxed at the end of the holiday, it was fun, but I do not think I could keep going back year in year out, I would want a change. there is so much of the world out there to be seen, and its nice to see other cultures at work.

I understand what you are saying Kilda but i think if you give somewhere else a try you will be back in icmeler the year after. LAst year we went to Gran Canaria for one of our holidays and what a disappointment that was. The bars were like ones you would find in Blackpool, all the bar men cant even be bothered to smile and are so rude. Every day we said to each other we wish we were in Icmeler- I think as long as you say a polite no thankyou the hasslers are mostly lovely people, who always say ok but have a nice evening. To be fair they are only doing there job. I agree the Micheal Jackson thing is bit dated now but we prefer to go to quiet bars anyway, which there are loads to choose from. I think Icmler is the most beautiful holiday resort and the people are so welcoming and friendly. I just love it to bits and we have been 25 times. I dont think we will ever get fed up with it. Where ever you decide to go for next holiday hope you have a great time. I know i will as weve just booked again to go end og August.

clare x

To be honest I am not a big fan of the entertainment. If it's on in a bar we never even watch it really, just chat amongst ourselves if that's possible. I think Icmeler needs to get some professionald entertainers in, I am even bored of Stella's show in Harmony now, wouldn;t be so bad if he changed his show. I used to be a drag artist and if you're going to do the same show year after year, then in my eyes you're a lazy artist.

But saying all that Icmeler still has something that I've not found in other holiday places, and it still keeps drawing me back. Not exactly sure what it is, but there's still something there.

Steve

I have to say that we rarely stayed in the restaurant for the entertainment,we just had a walk and stopped for a drink wherever we fancied after w had eaten what i will say is this year we went for a firtnight and we found things a bit reptative so next year it will be 2 seperate 7 day holidays at the begining and end of seasonanf yes the rose sellers were the biggest pain but have to earn a living i suppose

Kilda i know what you mean. We've been to Icmeler 3 times and cant wait till we go this year, cos am desperate for a holiday.

We avoid the belly dancers, my husband gets very embarrassed so we avoid the shows like the plague. Daughters and I object to having to give them money when we dont want to if you know what I mean. Wouldnt be so bad if some of them were good.

We went to Zante a couple of years ago, we wanted a change, went for a week, didnt pick a busy enough resort to go to, so did prefer Icmeler and booked for the year after.

You could always try a different resort Olu Deniz springs to mind, for scenary itself and the beach bars, we realy enjoyed it there. We went to Armutalan in Marmaris but it was further out so had to travel to find different bars / things to do.

I think the problem is the large complexes have more organised entertainment. And Icmeler has a lot of small apartment blocks, so there's nothing going on there at nights. And the bars do have the dancing waiters they dont bother me that much. But we too are sick of Michael Jackson. The group of breakers change their routine every year but when they appear at 4 different bars each night, you're bound to see them more than once.


Have a break and try somewhere different, I got sick of Majorca and Spain hence trying Turkey. I want to try Goa and Portugal and even France as I've never holidayed there either.

And me too the credit crunch is biting. I cant afford to book next years flights with Aegean so might do a package or something so at least I can pay it off bit by bit. Accommdation is cheap, but its no use if we cant get there.

Good luck.

I have been 7 times but am not getting bored off it yet, i do not stay to watch the shows as they are the same and do get boring, over the years I have noticed that it is getting louder and louder in Icmeler and maybe one day be more like marmaris, once this happens if it does then will be the time to go somewhere else.

Maybe the restaurants could tone down the loud music as not everyone goes to Icmeler for that, as i said the first time i went there in 1998 it was a quiet village but it is getting more commercialized.

We are going back twice next year but where we stay in the residential part of Icmeler is now getting loud so we will see next year what happens

I have noticed an increase in loudness from last year. I don;t mind this but I like a quiet bar to. I like the Pig & Whistle as it's quiet, and had really nice staff. It's usually pretty quiet in terms of people in there which is a shame for them, as there seems to be a market for that kind of bar.

Have noticed that it is getting louder up at the Blue Rainbow end of the resort, doesnt seem so long ago that it was turkish houses round there, but things have to change. We tend to stay at the other end by the canal as it is not as loud

Kurt Apartments area was very peaceful.

Steve

planning on staying at the Tolan in May but we found that it is getting loud round there now so will be booking the kurt for september 2009

Hi Kilda, definitely have to agree with you as we found we was slightly bored with Icmeler this year. I am also fed up with the entertainment, michael jackson , elvis, tina turner show. I am still in love with Turkey as a country but also need a change, even if it is to a different resort. Thinking of trying Kusadasi next year .

Yes ,i too agree with the responses. What we usually do is go for a nice stroll after a meal, and then go and sit with our Turkish friends and exchange our cultures. Suprising how many words you can pick up on your return Everytime we have gone to Icmeler our son has always been picked out by the Belly dancer and he just goes along with the banter. I would not stop going to Icmeler but i can see and agree with most of you. Happy hols. Jem xxxxxxxx

Mad Mackems other half here, I totally agree with some of the previous comments, we have been going to Icmeler for years but this year we went to Turunc, yes I know its not that far from Icmeler and we weren't sure what to expect but we were pleasantly suprised. Apart from it's size (it's a very small resort) we found it to be like the Icmeler of old. Even though we stayed in Turunc we went over to Icmeler for a long weekend, and the meeting in Vince's, and I was suprised just how noisy it is becoming, there are more and more loud places opening and even some of our old favorites were exceptionally noisy, Friends Resturant being one of them. Yes they always had entertainment but this year it was to the extreme. If people want the fun pubs and disco's there is Marmaris 10 minutes away. Please please hope that things dont change that much that Icmeler becomes a mini Marmaris.

Elaine and Peter.

I too also agrre with you you Kilda and a few others. being going to Icmeler Marmaris for about 10 years

Good points
people, food, scenery, generally good accomodation

bad points
No real entertainment except for Michael Jackson amd break dancers, which i really detest and avoid
hassle but only really from jewellers and especially hairdressers

Getting there can be slightly expensive. I have thought about going to Croatia as reading reports its seems quite like the atmosphere of Turkey of years gone by

Icmeler is a good place for a holiday and I really enjoy it but sometimes a change is what we all need. I mean before we all discovered Icmeler we must have enjoyed Spain Greece etc at some point

Stewart