Prestij 15th August - 31st August

[Keith]

Prestij apartments Aug 17 – Aug 31
Had been excited about holidays since we booked them in April, and now we are ready to leave. First time we will be in Icmeler without our kids this year as our youngest, George declined the invitation this year. After all he is 17, and judging by last year’s standards we didn’t see very much of George for two weeks as his time clock was set at a very different time to mine and Mandy’s!!!. Anyhow we have our grandson Ben (3) he is actually three and a half but i don’t know how to do the half sign, with us this year, so should be interesting for his nana and granddad! We are also travelling with our good friends and neighbours.
The taxi/minibus picked us all up at 10.00am and took us to Newcastle airport, where we got checked in straight away and got rid of the bags and upstairs into the departure lounge. No hassle or queuing as the airport looks quite busy. Get ourselves some seats and the girls have a wander in the duty free to buy some drink for the holidays. Before too long the call goes up on the board for the flight and gate number so we all head off.
First time flying with Jet2 so am keen to see what leg room and space we have. Never been impressed by previous airlines, Thompsons, Thomas Cook, Onuair, but hey hoo it’s only 4 hours. I am amazed by the leg room and space, seats look great but after 3 hours ones cheeks are starting to become numb!!. No meals on plane or drop down TVs, and the seats don’t recline. I have had great issues with folk who recline seats on planes were there isn’t enough room to even hold a cat never mind swing one!! I have been told that the reclining mechanism on the seats takes up about 4inches, so as jet2 don’t have reclining seats this gives valuable extra room, marvellous!! We depart about twenty minutes late, but our captain tells us we will make the time up and arrive in Dalaman in just under four hours. Great flight, crew nice and friendly and chatty, overall impressed with flight. Touch down in Dalaman just after 9.30 pm local time, and the bit that I look forward to every year, when they open the door and the warm Turkish air hits you in the face for the first time, “I’m back!!”. Two other flights have arrived in at same time, but straight through visa and passport control and down the stairs waiting for bags. Little man has been as good as gold on flight and is now all excited that we have arrived in Turkey. The sweat is running down my back as the temperature is about 30 degrees!!, but I love it. Bags all arrive safely and head out to meet our taxi/transfer bus. Find our driver and quickly all into minibus and heading off to resort. We have arranged our own transport for years now, basically through prestij, so there are only ever folk who are stopping at the apartments on the transfer. Price is £60.00 each way and takes roughly 1hour 30 minutes. Folk who we met later at our apartments had arrived in Dalaman same time as us, but didn’t get to apartments till 2.30am, as had drop offs all over Marmaris and Icmeler first!!
Arrived at apartments just before midnight, to find that there had been a Turkish evening so place was very busy. We have a lovely welcome by staff, some familiar faces, some new, and of course friends who are staying at the apartments, who we first met in Icmeler 7/8 years ago,and who we try and see every year. The party has started!! Ben is keen to get in the pool!! but manage to keep him entertained with other things. Mandy and Ben go to bed at 3 ish and I eventually get to the room about 5ish. Mandy and Ben are fast asleep upstairs with aircon on, so I sleep on sofa bed downstairs.
First morning I hear Ben shouting Grandad, Grandad, are we going to the pool. Yes of course we are so mandy gets his cream on and puts a little suit on that basically covers virtually everything apart from bottom of his legs and arms. The temperature is high at 9.30 in the morning so we get breakfast and Ben gets into the pool. I reckon on our first day Ben had been in and out of the pool for 6 hours. The apartments hadn’t changed at all and there were some new staff. The apartments seem fairly quite as there are plenty of sun beds and space in the pool. We both had had a pretty crap year and the holiday was just to get away from work and the chew and basically chill out for two weeks. We have been many times before so have done most of the trips, but I had fancied doing the ICR trip. Unfortunately we couldn’t get enough folk to make the numbers up for the boat so the trip was cancelled. The heat was intense, so we just stayed around the pool most days, also Ben had made some new friends and was happy playing in both pools. Just a point, not all Bens friends were the same age as him, Ronnie, Jackie and co spent many an hour playing with fireman Sam, Lionoo and Spiderman in the kiddie’s pool!!
Had a few meals out, Buffalo bar was just alright, service was poor considering there were only four other tables with people eating. Venice again was just alright, food was canny but kept pushing to take orders then getting them mixed up and very slow with drink orders. This was the only really busy spot I saw in two weeks, and as usual the entertainment was good and I even enjoyed watching Lee strut his stuff!! Had a meal in Tandoori Sizzler which was superb. Mandy and I went for the set Chinese meal which was very cheap and had a free drink at end of meal. Ben had a chicken diner type meal that was given free of charge. Nice atmosphere and lovely staff, good service, but the place was very quiet. Had fish and chips at Harry Rams. Now I know this has caused great debates on the forum, but we had our grandson with us and he loves fish and chips, as do his nana and granddad. One of the best and cheapest meals we had in two weeks and what a lovely man Typhoon and his family are. If you are thinking about trying them out do so and you will not be disappointed. I had a long chat with Typhoon and he told me that he used to have a restaurant in the middle of Icmeler and did the same as all the other restaurants, but he said it was cut throat and could not make it pay. So he decided to move to the old village area and provide a service which HE thought the tourists might like and enjoy. He is doing all right and has all his family working for him at the restaurant. And he said he was happy, which makes me happy.
Had most of meals at the apartment this year as there is new kitchen staff this year. Must say the food was excellent and very reasonably priced, and also did a specials board for say two courses and a bottle of wine for 20/25TL. The staff at the apartments were great on a night putting on shows and keeping us entertained. Had no hassle or grieve about eating in the place either during the day or on a night.
All in all had a superb holiday again. Met some old friends who we have known for years now, met some folk last year, who came back again this year. And also made some new friends with people who were staying at Prestij for the first time and who have said they would love to come back next year. We have already booked our room for next year and are trying to come for three weeks. I have said it before that the atmosphere in the place is fantastic and I do think they genuinely like to see you come back. Ben was also no trouble at all and loved the place, loved the people who he got know, and he also wants to come back next year!!. Everything is so relaxed and chilled out that I think it puts folk at ease, lets them forget about the daily struggles back home, just for two weeks, but I am not a great believer but if heaven is anywhere near as good as Icmeler ill not be bothered about going there!!
Two weeks flew by and we were packing up cases again getting ready to leave. Hate going home and definitely is getting worse each year. Had said goodbye to a few folk over the two weeks so knew what to expect. The staff now play music “Take me home to West Virginia” as your leaving song with the usual kisses and cuddles and waves. Transfer was on time and easy run back to Dalaman. Good check in and through passport control. Checked flights and these were on time so sat around airport reminiscing about our previous two weeks. Cannot believe it is over, gutted !!. Board flight and take off. Still well impressed with Jet2 and have a good flight. Little man has a good kip on plane as a night flight back to Newcastle. Frankie there to meet us back in England and we are back home by 2.30am. Ben is asleep so take him up to bed and me and Mandy hit the sack, me dreaming about all the laughs, good craic and the old and new folk we have just spent two weeks with. I know you should never wish your life away, but, roll on next August!!.