Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

Hi,

We are coming over in August with my sister and her two children including her 17 year old and friend. My sister is a bit worried about how much freedom to give them whilst in Icmeler and just wondered if it was ok to let the girls go for a couple of drinks by themselves but meet up with us later if that's what they wanted. I am hoping that the bars and restaurants' entertainment would be enough and would rather they stayed with us but wondered what others think.

I also hate asking this but does Icmeler have a drugs problem? We have been going for a couple of years and certainly don't see anything like that but we're not out with the teenagers etc.
Mine are only 9 and 11 so thankfully have not got that worry - yet!!!

Thanks - over concerned auntie!!

I think they would be fine. The turkish people are very friendly and will look after them. I am not aware of a drugs problem in Icmeler, Bar street in Marmaris apparently has dealers from what I have read on other Forums however I have seen no evidence of this. But I am pretty sure Icmeler doesn't. We met a couple of 18 year old girls while we were there, and they would go out with their parents and aunts and uncles then go off for a couple of drinks on there own afterwards and they had no problems.


Please be aware though it's like everywhere people need to have their wits about them where ever you go and be aware, but I'm pretty sure they will be fine.

Steve

Hi Mulley

My daughters 17 and her friends coming with her again so we will have 2 17 year olds and a 13 year old this year.

We have been going for about 6 years now so have seen how the kids are treated from younger ages, it goes from the cheek squeezing and hair fondling (youngest has lovely thick wavy hair), carrying prams up the stairs to pthe older ages playing pool, throwing in the pool, taking the mickey etc.

My advice is to be sensible, if they are at home they'll be fine there.

There are the clubs Eastenders and Pleasure, I am fully expecting them to go there all the time this year. They didn't go in there last year, but when we went to bed they often stayed up talking to staff at Vinces where we were staying.

Then the jeep safari they'll really enjoy and boat trips, or just sunning themselves and being pushed in the pools during the days that was a regular occurrance.

They will get a lot of attention from the waiters mainly trying to get them into the bars etc but they do that with all holiday makers. But some do have very good chat up lines and the girls have to be sensible and take a lot of whats said with a pinch of salt. Again thats where the experience of having been there before helps.

The girls used to tell us if they were chatted up and on one occasion some particular local lads not waiters were following and trying to get their attention and being a bit of a pain, they were near the ice cream man and they asked him to tell them to go away and he did and also told them how to say the phrase in Turkish.

If you had a problem I told the girls to go to the nearest bar and ask for some help. Especially if it was somewhere you walked past all the time, assistance would be offered without hesitation.

Thats one of the lovely things about Icmeler, they will always help if required and actually give advice as well.

Dont know about drugs I suppose if you use them here in whatever form you would always be able to find them over there. They've seen Midnight Express which was enough as a deterrent. Plus what you see on the news.

I am sure they will love it plus if the parents have the money you'll be very popular until you've bought dinner and a few drinks. Then they might have a walk around, spend the money then come back when they want some more.

They cant wait for the hols this year, neither can I, but I will be but setting some guidelines like not staying out all night or be back by 2am.

We're going mid august staying at Vinces again.

Bev

Quite agree with you Bev. It's like everywhere got to have your wits about you. But I have always said there are alot of decent Turkish people who would be more than willing to help if there was ever any trouble.

Steve

Hi Mully..this August will be our 5th time to Icmeler and my eldest daughter will be nearly 18. We've got her best friend coming with us and we know that they'll want to go of on there own. As all good parents do, we worry what our kids are up to when out on there own, but on previous years in Icmeler we personaly feel that Icmeler is quite a safe place to let them have a little bit of independance as long as they are sensible.
We are staying in the old village area this year for the first time. We do not know this area as well as the main drag of Icmeler so the intenssions are that we will all go for our evening meal together ( after all dads still paying) and then if... (as I'm sure they will) the girls want to, they can venture out on there own and we will all meet up later in the evening to walk home. As I said its our first time in the old village so we do'nt know this area well, and it will take a couple of days to find our feet also so we dont want them wanderind around trying to find where we are staying. If I didn't think they'd be safe I would say so, but at the end of the day the decision is up he the parents on how far they let them of the leash.

I've been going to Icmeler with my family since I was 16 (18 now). The firs time we went there was two families of us with myself, another 16 year old and a 15 year old being the 'younguns'. After a few days we did want to venture off and go and have a few drinks in other bars (orange juice of course!) however the mother in the other family did not want her daughters to go off on their own in a foreign country. We comprimised at staying with them and then they accompanied us to Eastenders, as some of the waiters had asked us to go. It wasnt a bad compromise and we didnt get looked at for having parents with us.


In September of that year myself and my mam went away for 2 weeks. I didn't want to venture off on my own at all but after going to the same bar for 4 or 5 nights some of the waiters asked my mam if they could take me to pleasure or eastenders. Mam asked the owner of the bar if his staff were trustworthy as she didnt know whether she wanted me going off on my own. He said they were and they would make sure I got all the way home safe and sound. When I went out with them I had no problems whatsoever, they didnt get drunk or leave me as soon as a pretty girl walked past and I felt much safer than I have in any club in England (ditto for Bar Street)

I wouldnt say let teenagers do whatever they want in Icmeler because they will definately be safe, because that would be complete naive of me. I have never experienced any problems with any of the people I have gone out with but that doesnt mean to say that dangers dont exist. Last ye I was waiting for a friend to finish work when a girl came up to me and asked if I was going out after the bar had closed, I said I was. She had been asked to come but her mum and dad werent pleased about her going off on her own. In the end they didnt let her, so not all of the teenagers in Icmeler will be out galavanting on their own.

I think what I'm trying to say (in a very long winded way) is that there isn't a set allowance of what teenagers should be able to do when they are in Icmeler. It is discretionary on behalf of the parents, obviously and depends on the teenager. But whatever the parent decides then I'm sure there is other teenagers being told the same thing.

Sorry for rabbiting on! Haha




Amy

Thanks for all your really helpful replies. I am sure the girls will be ok if we lay a few ground rules/boundaries down. Plus that's a good tip to know that if they do feel uncomfortable to go into a bar and speak to someone in there.

Thanks very much.

jane

My daughter, now 18, has been out and about in Icmeler both on her own and with her best friend during our holidays there in the past couple of years. They've been to both Pleasure and Eastenders, as well as various bars and restaurants, and she's always felt quite safe and been well looked after. As others have said, provided you lay down some ground rules and they're sensible, then Icmeler is a safe place to be. I've certainly never felt any problems walking around even on my own and at night, and I wouldn't say that about many places.

I have been to Icmeler twice, both times with a group of girls. We were all 18 the first time we went and 19 the second time. I never once felt unsafe, there are always plenty people around, both Turks and other holiday makers. As long as you keep your wits about you, the same way we do at home, there will be no problems.

You shouldnt worry about them being by themselves, if there was any problems, they would have plenty offers of help. I fell over and twisted my ankle on my second visit and I think there must have been about 15 people came round me to see if I was ok. Some poor man carried me all the way back to my hotel so I could rest it! As long as they remember to stick together, they will be fine and I am sure you will all have a great time.

great to hear everyone's views on this - especially those from the young folk themselves