Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

Hi all.
Just returned last Sunday from another fantastic 2 weeks in my fav holiday resort. We have been 5 times to Icmeler and I just adore the place,the people,the weather,the food .....the whole package...but having not been last year the only thing that that I found had changed was the number of Russians I came into contact with. Now in no way am I taking a dig a ALL RUSSIANS, as I have came across a few in recent years and have never had any problems with them but this year a few incidents have changed my overall view.

On numerous occasions whilst on the dolmus I have witnessed them,especially women jumping in,in front of other holiday makers and causing arguments but the worst was last week comming back from Marmaris where one acytually tried tio hold up a Newcastle couple and thier small children entering the bus while she waited for her other 4 passangers to catch up with the bus to get on....totally out of order.Also I witnessed the way they spoke to the bartenders,waiters and market stall owners (down by the canal) on many occasions and was disgusted in the way they spoke to them....so ignorant. I was brought up to treat people with respect and always treat people how you yourself would like to be treated. These hardworking people do not deserve to be treated as such and was appalled to see them being treated like that.

Anyone else had similar issues or is it just me ????????

Friends of ours who own a fishing boat in Marmaris (he's Turkish and she is English) had trouble with the Russians the year before last. They took a boat load of Russians on a days fishing trip. When they were coming back into Icmeler, Ibo asked them for the money that they owed him for drinks thoughout the day, and they refused to pay him (even although they had been told that they would have to pay for drinks whilst on the boat), as they said that they were all inclusive at the hotel, and didn't have to pay for drinks whilst out. Ibo done no more than drop anchor in the middle of the bay, until they agreed to pay. They claimed that they had not got any money on them, so Ibo took took them to shore, asked for their mobile phones, camera's and watches (two of the passengers stayed on the boat to make sure Ibo didn't do a runner with their goods) and held them whilst another two went to their hotel to get some money. As Ibo said, that was the only way to deal with the situation.

Not all fun for the Turkish people trying to make an honest living

starchild01 wrote:Friends of ours who own a fishing boat in Marmaris (he's Turkish and she is English) had trouble with the Russians the year before last. They took a boat load of Russians on a days fishing trip. When they were coming back into Icmeler, Ibo asked them for the money that they owed him for drinks thoughout the day, and they refused to pay him (even although they had been told that they would have to pay for drinks whilst on the boat), as they said that they were all inclusive at the hotel, and didn't have to pay for drinks whilst out. Ibo done no more than drop anchor in the middle of the bay, until they agreed to pay. They claimed that they had not got any money on them, so Ibo took took them to shore, asked for their mobile phones, camera's and watches (two of the passengers stayed on the boat to make sure Ibo didn't do a runner with their goods) and held them whilst another two went to their hotel to get some money. As Ibo said, that was the only way to deal with the situation.

Not all fun for the Turkish people trying to make an honest living

Cheeky gits, how stupid that they actually thought because the hotel was all incusive the boat would be. Good for him perserverng and getting his money.

Steve

I LOVE his style. But what a shame that he had to resort to those measures to get what was due to him. It makes me so furious............an absolute bloody liberty!

Our eldest son came back from Icmeler last Monday & yesterday told us stories of Russians in All Inclusive Hotels having food & drinks in Bars & Restaurants then saying we are not paying " We are All Inclusive" & then walking out, apprarently they are always in great numbers & therefor some may be affraid to tackle them, they also pull the same stunt on the Dolmus.
We have noticed a lot more Russians over the last 2 years but never found them a problem , but in Egypt in All Inclusive Hotels they make my blood boil & the Egyptian staff detest them.

Denis.

The Turkish aren't very keen on them either. We always go on our hols the same time every year, and in our hotel we always get the Germans or the Russians running riot. The majority of them have no manners at all, and are very rude. They hire the function room out at our hotel for two weeks whilst they hold a Bridge tornament. Dare you use the loos adjoining this room!...I do, and I don't give a damn. We pay our money for the hotel, so why not. They push in when it's meal time (or try to), but my OH tells them what's what, and he is not quiet about it.

Saying that, this week in the papers, there were two English tourists arrested for offensive behaviour and flashing their bits in front of the statute of the Turkey's national hero in Marmaris. It's a few that give the rest a bad name.

They were on the Dolmus in June and there were some takeing the back seats up. there was only 1 seat left which my partner sat in, and I had to sit on those benches they put over the wheel arches at the back. I was sat right next to these russians and they made my blood boil as they were talking excessively loud, I was getting angrier and angier on the journey to Marmaris. I don't like branding a whole nation as there are plenty of brits that have let our reputation down over the years in various holiday resorts, but I have to admit these people were very rude. There was an old Turkish man sat at the end of them and they wouldn't stand up to let him past, he struggled as they were larger ladies.

Steve

We were in Vinces one night in July when 8 russian ladies came in! They were very very ignorant to the lovely Kenan and ended up buying 2 drinks between them all. Kenan was very polite to them but he shared with us what her really thought of them. It was classic

Diane C

I am of the opinion of most people on here that you shouldn't brand all Russians the same but i must say that ALL the ones i have come into contact with have been most rude. I really hope they dont ruin our holiday in September, but i have started to retaliate a bit in my older years and it soon shuts them up.

I went to Egypt in 07 after going the year before and loved it so much we had to return. Unfortunately there was a host of Russians who totally dominated everything, pool, restaurant bars etc and with it being All Inclusive we had no choice but to put up with it but the hotel manager got so fed up with all the complaints (one Russian actually hit a couples daughter)about one group of 10 that he told them to pack their bags and leave. If a few more Turkish people took this view then it might send out a message that they wont tolerate it.
Rant over

thats the best way to treat them, pack them up and move them out. then they will get the message to treat people in a decent manner

I have been reading about this subject, and (This is second hand information, so it might or might not be true), many holiday resorts are attracting russian clientelle - and not just in Turkey, this is all over Europe - and the behaviour of many leaves a lot to be desired.
HOWEVER, these restaurant owners are tolerating and even welcoming them, because they tend to have a lot of money. They wave it around, and the more polite Brits, Germans are pushed out - politeness comes before making a fast buck out of the Russians.

I really hope this is not the case, why should people be treated like rubbish, why should people have to take being treated in this way, in return for the extra money.

Ibo should have chucked them overboard.........but satisfying as this might be, it wouldn't have got him paid I guess.

there are a lot of russians this year
but the turks are funny cause they dont like them either and when they walk past the turks will say things like aw russians and just be like snobs
they dont spend money and are rude to them so the turks dont like them
they only like the girls
xxxxx

Hi Icmelites.They are the only women i know who visit Icmeler with NO money and go back loaded!!!! No more said. We stayed at the Blue Rainbow,fantastic hotelbut ALL the Russian children came and invaded the pool every day.We did report this to the management on several occastions and they where moved ( for about 15 mins) but soon came back. All they did was scream and make allthe visitors so uncomfatal. Never again they all spoiled our hols.They would go in to the Alinda at night, buy NO drinks and just flirt with the staff untill they were thrown out. We even saw men,dropthe women off!!!! Happy hols take care Jem xxxxx

had the same experience last year they were staying in the sun hotel and we were told they were ladies of the night? and the russian men were watching them from there cars they also buy gold and sell it on the black market back home

An article in todays D*Ex* newspaper on the Russians reports that last year 1.5 million visited Turkey and goes on to say they are know as the "Rude Rukies because of thier behaviour. It also gives the story as how they have gone one better than putting towels on sunloungers by hiding the sunloungers in their rooms.

The same story is covered by the D**** M*****. This worries me a bit as my OH is not backward in voicing his opinions if he is upset. He upset the Germans in our hotel last year because they tried pushing in at dinner! Here's hoping that he behaves himself this year...I hate confrontation.

a friend of ours works on the boats and has horror stories to tell about the Russians........
apparently, they descend in their hoards simply because it's sooo cheap for them to have a couple of weeks top notch AI - he should know as he studies in the Ukraine!
also, they are used to things having been so cheap under communism, they simply refuse to pay "normal" prices
so much so, that it's not unusual on boat trips for the Russians to be given their Efes etc at a cheaper rate than the rest of us pay - and how would we know when the announcement's made in Russian

all I can say is well done to Ibo for making a stand - and good luck to those like him!

What a damn nerve. At the end of the day we all have to pay for our holidays, so why should they get preferential treatment over everyone else!! No doubt we will hear some more horror stories from Ibo and Linda when we see them in a few weeks. As I said in an earlier comment, our hotel is over run with the Russians and Germans and their Bridge tornament, where they think that they OWN the hotel. Grrrr...it makes me so angry

starchild01 wrote:so why should they get preferential treatment over everyone else!!

Because there is a lot of them at a time im guessing no one wants to say "oi pay fair" and come away with a black eye or worse - huge group of anyone intimadates people....

hopefully they will have good sense not to say anything or do anything around my OH his fuse is very short and I dont want to see the inside of a turkish jail cell

Yes they seemed to have totally taken over most of the beach in the last 2 Septembers we have been, good luck to the people who have actually seen them around the resort (but typically not spending any money) because i never see them in any bars or restaurants, only walking about which costs nothing, if Icmeler is going to carry on down the all inclusive route then i'm afraid we are going to see more and more of them, i know the British get a bad press abroad but don't worry this lot will soon be taking over our mantle, i agree with other posters about the Turks not liking them, they just have no intention of spending any money. A few years ago we were in Portugal in a lovely bar with entertainment on, and about 10-12 yobbos men and woman (not youngsters) came in they were all very drunk, and to my embarrassment i said to my wife look the Brit's showing themselves up again, only to find out that they were Russians, within minutes they were all over the dance floor falling down, screaming and shouting at the waiters, and then two of the men started fighting until another one (the godfather we called him) got up and beat the pair of them up, also the smell that was coming off them was unbelievable, soap and water was obviously something else they had'nt spent any money on, yet they all had gold teeth and plenty of bling (very tacky) any way within minutes of them arriving the bar emptied, and yes i probably do agree with people who say that not all of them are bad, it's just that i have seen very few good ones yet, i just hope that they lose interest in Icmeler in the near future, because being around them is something i'm not keen on.