Had an excellent transfer, cost peanuts and we were away in under 10 minutes in a brand new people carrier with one other couple staying in Marmaris. Including the stop off (somewhere new, very lovely but no Efes!) we were deposited at Avlu 1 in under 90 minutes. We like the top floor, and were given a very roomy studio with a nice big balcony. The next day we were asked if we wanted to move as they’d made a mistake and should have put us in a 1 bedroomed apartment, we were offered the one next door so just a quick move over, if we wanted to move or we could stay where we were. We opted to move and had an even bigger apartment, very clean, and kept very clean with daily visits from the excellent team of girls, towels and bedding changed every 3 days or so too. The Avlu 1 is very nice, in a good location and surprisingly quiet given it’s right next to the main road. The pool area is lovely, but it did suffer a little with very early towel risers bagging the beds next to the pool.
Very sad to say our usual “usual” – the Broadway, where we have spent many an hour people watching, was far from its normal standard this year. Almost a full change of staff, and not the homely place it used to be. On the plus side, we did get to try out lots of new places because we weren’t there every day, but it was sad that our favourite watering hole had changed so much in so little time – it’s true to say though, that it’s definitely the people that make or break a place, and I very much doubt we’ll return there. We avoided bamboo/dreamboys, have to say that they were always polite as we walked past, but on principle I was not going in there, they were also closed on the middle Saturday we were there, so something must have been going on. One place we’d never tried before but glad we did is the Jasmin Restaurant, it’s a very quiet unassuming place round the corner from Bamboo, next to the Irish Bar, you won’t ever get hassled to go in, and we’ve walked past it so many times, but boy, the food is out of this world. They do 20% off drinks after 9:30pm, so it’s well worth a shot. I had their chicken tikka masala and it was amazing (around 17tl if I remember correctly). Also tried Erdem café, had a massive plated chicken kebab for 12tl and enjoyed it, although it didn’t much enjoy me and I was a little unwell afterwards. They also do half a chicken for 12tl, a friend of ours goes regularly. Coco Beach – coffee and cake in the afternoon – the cakes are just yummy, far too big a slice, but hey, you’re on holiday! My favourite lunch time chicken kebab is Mr Cook, 7tl and spot on every time. If you go there, take a look at the chalk boards – Simon had me writing most of them, so apologies if you can’t read them! Also on our daily wander was the Pig and Whistle, close to Chateau Du Ville at the end of the beach. Lovely location, lovely family, incredibly clean and great food, really nice place to go. Also tried out the Garden and Yakimo Beach, but wasn’t that impressed with either of them. Gave the Buffalo a go, food was nice, but we didn’t really feel like returning there, Champion Bar opposite does the cheapest cocktails I’ve ever seen, but they aren’t the same as other places – I’ve never had a Pina Colada that turned up orange! Still, only 6tl so can’t complain. The 3(4) bells is exactly as it was, the new place is much bigger, the toilets are great! Talking of toilets, despite the number of times we’ve been to Turkey, it wasn’t until someone resurrected the thread about the wheel that I had any clue – all these years! So took the plunge this year and gave it a go – suffice to say I want a Turkish loo at home now!
We did 2 fishing trips, both with Savas boat from Marmaris – a tenner each, they pick you up and you get over 3 hours of fishing, we’ve done lots of fishing trips and this one is definitely the best. Savas really knows his stuff and is patient when teaching us amateurs what to do! Also did the full days boat trip to Dalyan as I’d not done it before (been once but on the coach transfer on the last day), 50tl each for an 11 hour day including lunch, an hour on Turtle Beach and a trip to the mud baths too. Really good guides on the boat, I learnt an awful lot and took some stunning pictures. Even saw wild dolphins on the way back so it was a cracking day. OH had a go parasailing, they don’t half let you off quick! Don’t know the average time out there, but he got about 9 minutes in the air for 70tl. Did the usual taxiboat to Turunc for market day, still 15tl each return but the prices in Turunc seemed a bit higher than last year – an ice lolly I’d taken a liking to in Icmeler for 1tl cost 3tl there, other stuff was equally as expensive, so we didn’t stay too long. We did the walk to Marmaris for the first time, well worth it – I had no idea there was an ice skating rink! – and not anywhere near as far as I expected. Dolmus back, still 2.5tl each.
The new central square is stunning, the pictures really do not do it justice, and the fronts of the Lighthouse and other restaurants up there have been transformed, it looks amazing. The new canal stalls will be great with time I think, there was probably about a third of them open by the time we left, with a café opening in the middle of them on our last day. Once they are all occupied I think the atmosphere that everyone misses may well return. The underground market is the same, it’s totally transformed from last year, that frankly looked like a warzone, it’s been done out really nicely. Probably about half of the shops are occupied, my lovely handbag man is there, the shoemaker (very highly recommended, leather made to measure sandals for £40, superb) and of course our good friend Seyhmus at Tattoo Wind, the standard of his work is second to none, can’t recommend him highly enough, he’s brilliant at fixing old tattoo’s and doing cover ups and is happy to advise anyone that is unsure. There were even friendly staff in Tansas this time which was lovely. The little shop next to Friar Tucks on the main road is sensibly priced for all things, worth a pop in if you’re in the area.
Weather was hot on the majority of days, a few days of cloud early on in the fortnight, but getting hotter and hotter by the day as time went on (not anything like this week has been though). Saw one storm in the distance on one night, but didn’t seen a drop of rain in Icmeler. Had a whole new experience when the first earthquake hit, very glad I wasn’t there for the second one, or any of the others this week, cause I went from sleeping to ready to leap off the balcony in the 2 seconds it lasted, any longer and I think I would have been reviewing the A&E facilities at Marmaris hospital after they patched up my broken ankles (seriously – I would have been off that balcony!). I’m a bit worried it’s leading up to a big one, with the unusually hot weather too, just hope when (if) it comes it’s centred in an area that affords the absolute minimum of casualties.
Overall the 2 weeks went far too quickly, we had a lovely time as always. Our transfer back was a nice new minibus with music video’s playing, one other couple and a family of 5, no stop on the way back and at the airport in a smidge over an hour. We had a bigger plane on the way back, so we got the extra leg room we’d paid for on both seats, uneventful flight until we got to the descent which was so bumpy I didn’t even realise we’d actually touched down! Roll on next time…
