June 12-25th

[blondie]

Flew out from Glasgow with Onur Air - no problems at all. Arrived at Dalaman to meet ICR transfer, along with another couple who were staying at the Mete. Journey was fine and after dropping them off, we arrived at the Bonjour in the early hours. Slight drama when we discovered we'd left the keys for the padlocks for the cases at home - but this was quickly remedied by the resourceful staff at the Bonjour and a kirby grip!

Top floor room at the Bonjour this time, which was fine - but the bath/shower is quite high which might be a problem for those with restricted mobility. Other than that, no complaints whatsoever - the Bonjour is as good as ever - the staff are absolutely fantastic and work so hard. The food was superb, from the breakfasts through to the various evening meals we had. We decided to try the fish in salt, which I've always been a bit wary about in the past because I've got a bit of a "thing" about finding bones in fish - but Omar and Josh assured me they would bone it very carefully, and they did. It was superb!

Apart from the Bonjour, we ate at:
Tandoori Sizzler (set Indian meal), which was very good - and our complimentary ICR cocktails were very nice indeed!
Harry's Steakhouse - also as good as ever. The steaks are fantastic - cooked exactly to your requirements and just melt in the mouth.
Cupid's - for some reason we'd never tried Cupid's before, but it was excellent. Lovely steaks, cooked to perfection, and friendly, helpful staff.
Coco Beach - just for lunch, but again, good value for money. The chicken doner wraps are great - and the cakes are out of this world. Hubby had a massive slab of apple pie and my sour cherry cheesecake was unbelievably good, even better than the one at Cafe Anne.
The Holiday - very under-rated and fantastic value for money. Their set menus are excellent and Mehmet's pancakes are the best in Icmeler. The guys are great - so helpful and can't do enough for you.
Titanic - ate here one night and while the food was great, there was just something a wee bit lacking for us this time. Service was a bit inattentive, to the extent that we weren't even asked if we wanted desserts.
Wayside - again, superb. The food is excellent, service is good and the staff are friendly and welcoming The Hunkar Begendi was absolutely delicious! The place was packed too, which wasn't the case with some places we passed - which seemed virtually empty most of the time.
Hanedan - never been here before but decided to give it a go after hearing good reports, and so glad we did, as it exceeded all expectations. No rice or chips, just freshly cooked authentic Turkish cooking. The meze platter alone is a meal in itself and Ahmet, the owner, is very friendly and happy to explain anything about the dishes. Couldn't fault the place - without a doubt the best meal we had during our holiday.

Generally speaking, Icmeler seemed a bit quieter than previous Junes. Some bars and restaurants hardly had a soul in them while we were there, while others were packed to the gunnels. Prices up a little from last season, but still some good deals to be had on food and drink.

Did the Gypsy Beach trip, which I would definitely recommend. Nice to meet some fellow forum members and put faces to the names. Gorgeous Turkish breakfast and some great scenery on the way to the beach itself, which is lovely - very quiet and relaxing. The food was good too - and good value for money as well. Would definitely do it again. Only disappointment was not being able to get right up to the viewpoint as it was a bigger bus than they normally use - but maybe next time?

Took the water taxi to Turunc one day - but the heavens opened shortly after we arrived, so we got soaked to the skin and got the dolmus back to Icmeler after lunch.

Took the water taxi over to Marmaris a couple of times just for something to do. Made the mistake of walking back to Icmeler the first time in the heat of the day - thought I was going to melt! Not a fan of Marmaris, to be honest - but the marina area is quite nice to walk around and there are some nice little cafes in that area too.

All in all, had a great, relaxing holiday and Icmeler has lost none of its charm for us - mainly thanks to the lovely people who live and work there and are so welcoming and friendly. We are thinking about possibly trying somewhere else in Turkey for a wee change - just because we'd like to see more of this wonderful country, but a wee bit scared that it won't live up to Icmeler.