Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

I am off to Icmeler a week monday, I can't wait But we have heard rumors that our beloved icmeler has changed for the worst, can anybody confirm whether these are true or not?

* Music goes of in the bars a lot earlier than usual
* Lots of Bars and restaurant shut down
* No dancing or shows in the bars
* Prices gone up throughout the resort
* Icmeler full of Russian All Inclusive Tourists

I have been going to Marmaris/Icmeler for 15 years! Marmaris has changed so much for the worst, does anyone remember all those beautiful restaurants and bars that were down the slit round thet Gima's on! They were all knocked down to make way for that ball, that is no longer there! Many more beautiful places were knocked down to make way for car parks I hope icmeler doesn't go the same way

There is already a huge hole in icmelers heart because there is no longer Savas Cafe Anna along the beach!

I've not been this year yet but my understanding is as follows:-

Music is now later to 1am

A few places have closed but not many

businesses need to decide if they are a restaurant or a bar with regards to the dancing but most are ignoring the rule,

The council is trying to set a minimum price

More AI wrist bands are being seen but don't know the nationality.

Dave

We certainly saw a lot more AI wristbands on the beach this year - and the majority appeared to be either German, Dutch or Russian. The week we were there, we saw quite a few places which had been closed for various periods of time either for flouting the music regulations or for hassling, but there was still dancing going on in quite a few of the bars, and to be honest, we didn't really feel that prices had gone up that much since our last visit in October.

we have not long come back we saw some shows in the resturants the waiters were dancing and some of the bars we went to music stayed on till 1am we had the best time ever you will have a ball

Linekars music was off at midnight. Most other bars were quiet at that time too.

you know the turkish
they will keep dancing and find a means to do it cause they wont like people stopping them having fun
xxxx

There seems to be a general moan across the holiday resorts across Europe, about Russians. In the main, that many are rude, arrogant and rich...meaning many bar owners are tolerating the behaviour, in return for making a lot of money out of them.
These moans have been moreso from German media, upset so many resorts in such as Spain, have dropped their traditional German bias.

Any resort which would get full of misbehaving holidaymakers, won't be a place I'd want to visit anymore (The reason I don't go near Magaluf - I'm older now ) It's said some resorts in Turkey have become popular with Russians, Kusadasi in particular, but not so much Marmaris/Icmeler, which is overwhelmingly UK visited. I'd be really upset if so many resorts became full of a bad element - if indeed that which is being said is true.

Just check out the holiday review sites though, and pick your accomodation.

Must say as a footnote, despite various old jokes about Germans on holiday, I never EVER had any issues with any Germans I met, always found them fun and with a sense of humour - another stereotype busted The saying about towels on sunbeds though was true

I'll risk getting a slapped wrist for going off topic

re towels on sunbeds, I can safely say that we Brits can be just as guilty as any other nation

anyway, LJ, can you recall which bars had music on until 1.00am? I know the Dennis Kapisi plays late, but not aware of any others .......

Thats exactly whats happening. Got back recently, its all the new mayor's fault. His policy is get all kurds out!! If the police see the barmen dancing or on the bar dancing they will shut them, it did happen to 2 bars just 2 nights ago. The music doesn't have to be off earlier than usual I don't think, just the usual 12.00. The don't have to hassel anyone anymore to get shut, its all happening so easily. A few people have told me the new mayor doesnt want icmeler to be a tourist place anymore the way he is making his rules.

Hi Alison

dont think is ture about the new mayor as he was in charge over 5 years ago and was the one responsible for building Icmeler up into a holiday resort
There again I might be wrong and he has had a change of hart I just think he is trying to get it back to the old ways more family orienated

Time will tell
Steve

aw not so good
all the reports i have heard this year is that icmeler isnt as good because of the new rules
i dont think its good to stop the boys dancing on the bars cause thats what people in icmeler like doing and they shouldnt be stopped for having fun cause they work pretty hard for what they do earn
xxxxx

We came back last sunday and all the bars we were in put the music off at midnight....apparently the mayor has extended the time to 1am but the bars don't seem to know that.Always been midnight while we've gone to Icmeler.Saw lots of dancing and shows in bars.Same as last year.Some were closed due to hassle.Well we all said we didnt want the hassle....!And trust me some are still at it.Didnt spot the price increases.Some places only tell you the price of efes when you're in there if its a lot cheaper,generally 3.50 TL for a large one.....not bad by my reckoning.Lots of places doing cheap set menus.Met a lot of British AI tourists.Might of been lots of Russians but I didnt meet them.Turkish resorts have had Russian tourists for quite a few years now more due to relaxed Russian travel restrictions and the close proximity to Turkey....dont think the Mayor has any connections there!So all in all....didnt see a lot of difference apart from too many AI places and I did hear that the Mayor is going to address the problem.

We stayed in the Mayors apartments (Moonlight) apparently there s a new policy regarding pick ups (complementary from restaurants) they are not allowed to call at your apartment or hotel now you have to order a taxi!

Shame no one told us this, as it would have saved a lot of arguments/misunderstandings and unpleasantness outside.

We were told that the taxi drivers had complained to the Mayor about loosing business,

Just back on saturday and had a fantastic two weeks in answer to your questions
* Music goes of in the bars a lot earlier than usual - Nope, usual 12am cut off

* Lots of Bars and restaurant shut down - I noticed a few on the tansas road which had been shut but everywhere else was fine.

* No dancing or shows in the bars - michael jackson and freddie mercury are on in most bars, also the waiters generally do a dance show in most bars

* Prices gone up throughout the resort - i was last there 2 years ago and this time i would say that the prices were about the same, 21-28ytl for a steak meal, 15-20ytl for a chicken meal, efes 3-4ytl

* Icmeler full of Russian All Inclusive Tourists - i wouldn't say that it was, there was quite a few more all inclusives there but i would say that as many were british as they were russian

fanny we went for a walk dont ask were lol somewere behind our hotel found a small bar turned the music low at 12 then turned it up again 15 min later but not really loud only small bar but we were their till 3am so freindly we went a couple of nights also further up by the marti at the back we walked past music was playing that was 1am we went in for a drink so their are bars

We found while we were there last week the bars did not turn the music off completely at 12 but just turned the volume down.
It was nice chatting and drinking with some background music. Like others have said we would also sit there until 2 or 3 in the morning
Sometimes its nice not to have music thumping in your ear

Sandra

LynnJenny wrote:fanny we went for a walk dont ask were lol somewere behind our hotel found a small bar turned the music low at 12 then turned it up again 15 min later but not really loud only small bar but we were their till 3am so freindly we went a couple of nights also further up by the marti at the back we walked past music was playing that was 1am we went in for a drink so their are bars

thanks LynnJenny - looks like we'll have fun exploring that bit of Icmeler
we only usually pass it on the way to the Venice hehehe

surely russians have as much right to go to icmeler as any other nationality.
cant understand why some people only want british tourists.
thats what makes being in another country so exciting is the different people you meet.

I would certainly not deny the rights of Russians to holiday in Icmeler or anywhere else. Rather for me their presence is the clearest indicator I have yet seen of the ever increasing and invidious trend towards AI. It does seem to be the preferred Russian style of holiday.

Now I would be wary of getting into this on many other forums for fear of being lynched but on here most, if not all, seem to share my preference for going out at night and trying lots of different restaurants and bars (not the same night by the way)! It did strike me that between visits 1 and 2 many more low and mid -range hotels were offering AI as an option but , before deciding on an apartment for October and looking on the major accommodation booking sites, it seemed that even more of these were offering it as standard.

At least we can console ourselves with the thought that the process is still a slow one and we will be free to go OUR preferred way for a good few years yet.

redmanc78 wrote:surely russians have as much right to go to icmeler as any other nationality.
cant understand why some people only want british tourists.
thats what makes being in another country so exciting is the different people you meet.

Quite agree with you, everyone has a right to a holiday no matter where they come from, and as long as there not doing me ann harm the more the murrier. There are plenty of brits there so it's not like we're hard pushed to find new people to talk to.

Steve