My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

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My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby smc4761 » 06 Jun 2018 20:46

Been back a few days now from a great holiday in Icmeler, 19 May--2 June. So her are my thoughts on this years break.

Got my flights as soon as easyjet released their flights. 2 flights to Dalaman from Edinburgh plus 2 lots of hold luggage for around £350. Stayed at Oren Hill £100, plus shuttle transfer £25. So a holiday for 2 for 2 weeks including visas for around £500

Flight from Edinburgh was on a fairly new plane, plenty of legroom. before we boarded they were looking for volunteers to place their hand luggage in hold free of charge. if not enough people did this they would pick folks from queue to place their hand luggage in hold. No idea if they got enough volunteers

Flight was 30 mins late taking off, but made up most of time. Luggage was gathered quickly after a quick passport check.

Shuttle transfer was perfect. We were in a 8 seater minibus, new with air con and TV, 1 drop off in Marmaris, 1 drop in icmeler and then finally us. had the usual 15 minute stop but journey was quick and comfortable.

I had asked for a quiet room at Oren Hill and got a room 2 up which was quiet. All rooms at Oren Hill face the pool with the bedrooms at the back of complex. Apartments are in residential area therefore pretty quiet. Only real noise was around 6 am when the nearby cockerel would start. Plenty of trees nearby so plenty of bird song as well

Oren Hill has a great pool, with handrail and steps to get in. decent size as well and max depth of just under 5ft. Around 60 sunbeds around pool. There was never a bunfight in morning to get sunbed and you could get sunbed at anytime

Rooms have hairdryers and a reasonable size for 2 people, any more may be a bit of a squeeze. Rooms are clean and fresh looking. Air con £35 per week Safe £10per week. if you want to keep room on until 5 pm £20

No lift and to get to some of the upper rooms may be a struggle for some, lots of steps. You do get great views however

OUT AND ABOUT

For past few years I thought Icmeler was starting to look at little tired. This year it looked a lot cleaner and the new roads layout and paint job help things. The main road from Migros down to Costa super market has lights along the road that light up and flash at night. it looks like an aircraft runway.

Plenty of shops units not open, but there was still plenty of shops open selling the usual range of fake. No real hassle from shops, hairdressers or restaurants. The main places that I could see closed from last year, Charlies Place and Pig and Whistle, near beach.

Great to walk around village area and even took a walk up to back of resort at Julien Forest, some lovely residential houses in that direction

RESTAURANTS AND BARS

This year we decided to eat at mainly Turkish places and that was a great decision. probably around half the price of the more traditional UK style food places, eg lighthouse Richards Place etc. Had most meals in Nazar, Hanci Ocakbasi, which were both superb and amazing value. Also had meals at Nefis, Kardelen. Lovely food freshly prepared

Some restaurants were still busy, Richards Place, Champagne, whilst some were struggling Vince's, Backstage, Lovestar. Friends

One night we took a walk around the bars just off the square, Kaktus, Magic Garden,Eddies and there was no one in any of them at around 10pm. Geordie Bar, Liverpool bar Robin Hood, Eleven rarely had anymore than 6 people in them.

One reason for this may be due to AI. At times walking about and on dolmus all you could hear were Russian voices, you would think you were in downtown Moscow

PRICES

What many people want to know. The lira had increased from around 4.5 lira to £ in May last year to around 6 lira to £ this year and what impact this will have on prices. In shops it was pretty beneficial, but in restaurants and bars not so much.Prices in restaurants are pretty much the same price in £ as they were last year. for example a chicken set meal last year was around 32 lira or £7. This year the same meal is around 45 lira or £7. With drinks it pretty much the same maybe slightly cheaper than last year. Don't get me wrong the prices compared to Eurozone are still great as is quality of food

Below are some typical prices,

Beer 13 lira

local vodka/gin plus mixer 14 lira

small coke 8 lira

latte 9 lira

water 3 lira

raki 15 lira

Chicken set meal 45 lira

Steak set meal 72 lira

Soups 14 lira

chicken dish 35 lira

steak dish 55 lira

English brekkie 12 lira

chicken wrap 12 lira

meat wrap 15 lira

burger 15 lira

In shops

can of coke 2.5 lira

1.5 litre of coke 3.5 lira

litre milk 3 lira

bread 1.2 lira

cereal eg corn flakes 7 lira

small bottle of water 1 lira

5 litre water 3.5 lira

crisps 4 lira

eggs pack of 15 6 lira

Dolmus 3 lira

water taxi 20 lira

Manicure £8

pedicure £10

Some places were doing food and drink at silly low prices to attract people in. Venice was selling bottles of EFES between 9 am and 6 pm for 6 lira. Florida was selling English brekkie at 5 lira.

Did a couple of boat trips, booked with Eric at April Travel, a really great guy. Both were lazy day trips on the Mehmet Reis boat. fantastic day out, picked up at 9.15 dropped off at 16.30. Lovely food, plenty of sunbeds, very relaxing, no loud music. Boat trip also stopped in Turunc for an hour. All for £10 best value on holiday

Decided to be brave and took a trip outwith immediate area. Got dolmus to Marmaris bus station, then bus to Dacta. Really easy to do, buses every hour on the hour. Took around 1 h 20 mins. You get to see bit of countryside. Only cost 17 lira each way. Dacta itself is lovely nice prom and harbour area. Well worth a visit

Also worth a visit is Marmaris to the fountains at night. There is a light show and music around 9.15 each night, which is a great site. lasts for around 20 minutes.

Most days were spent around pool area in morning, then a walk into town for something to eat, look round shops,and more lattes and cakes mid afternoon. Café Yavuz next to Denis handbag shop, the cakes are amazing

First week or so the weather was very hot around mid 30's most days. next 5 days lovely in morning then would cloud over and we had a few rain showers as well as a thunderstorm.

All too soon time to go home. Was picked up bang on time in a small minibus, we were first pick up. After that 1 further pick up in marmaris and that was it. So I can highly recommend HOPPA for transfers, especially as we only paid around £25 return for the both of us

Dalaman was the usual shambles especially after you pass through passport control. there are additional security checks, the same as last year. There were 2 flights going through gate 30 so approx. 400 passengers trying to get through gate. The majority of passengers had their hand luggage searched thoroughly as well as being swabbed down. So of course this took ages. About 8 flights were due out between 9pm and midnight and every one of them were delayed.

Flight back to Edinburgh was around 1 hour delay though we made up about 30 minutes. At Edinburgh got first case off then conveyor belt broke down and took about 20 mins to repair.

In conclusion, Icmeler was looking much better this year. It was busier than the past few years, but still needs more visitors, hopefully things will pick up even more. Had a great holiday as always and will be back again next year.

if you have anything you want to ask, please feel free to do, and I will give you my honest opinion.

Thanks for taking time to read
smc4761
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby cmac » 07 Jun 2018 23:13

Thanks for the excellent, in-depth review. Where is Cafe Yavus exactly ? We like a visit to Cafe Anne's a few times during our visit, but that sounds good as well, so we would take a walk to it for coffee and cake. As for the prices, to be expected really, especially in restaurants, the thing is it is still good value. One thing i gripe about is the price of soft drinks/smoothies being comparable to beer and as we are not drinkers, have to pay the same, although i am probably being unfair as i am comparing to prices in the UK. I would have hoped the debacle at the airport gates would have been better organised by now, last year it was a shambles, and really badly laid out, but it is what it is i suppose. As for the Turkish eateries, we are going ti try a few more so i will note the ones you ate at and give some a try. Were the transfers with Resort Hoppa ? Or was it another company ? It seems transfers can vary greatly.
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby blondie » 08 Jun 2018 07:46

Cafe Yavuz is on the main road not far from the Titanic restaurant
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby ivano » 08 Jun 2018 17:44

great review thanks for taking time to write it :D
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby smc4761 » 08 Jun 2018 18:53

IMHO the cakes in Cafe Yavuz are far superior to Cafe Anne. It is located on same side of road as Titanic. Just walk up towards the Migros and Yavuz is about 100 metres up, next to Denis Handbags and Babadan Hotel



Best Turkish eats, are Hanci Ocakbasi, next to Titanic but Nazar on same road but about 400 metres down the same road heading towards beach, on right hand side, next to Mersoy hotel. Food is lovely ridiculously cheap, eg chicken casserole 20 lira. Great service and great guys
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby cmac » 08 Jun 2018 23:32

Thanks, i know the place, i have walked by it many times but never thought to go in i shall definitely try it this year. As for Turkish eateries, i shall also give them a try. I like most food, so long as it is tasty and wholesome, and if it as good value as you say that is even better.
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby cmac » 09 Jun 2018 00:30

Just a quick question re Nazar, is it beside the Mersoy on the main road, down from Wonder Bar etc, heading towards Deniz Kapisi ? Thanks
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby smc4761 » 09 Jun 2018 13:29

Hi CMAC, yes that exactly where it is, past Wonderboys, Mersoy and its about 20 m beyond that.

Food is delish, plentiful and ridiculously cheap. Only slight criticism was they played the same blood y CD every time we went in
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby cmac » 09 Jun 2018 20:52

Ok, many thanks, i know exactly where it is, i will definitely try. Just need to learn Turkish for "can you please put some different music on! :)
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby blondie » 10 Jun 2018 12:29

We tend to stick to the little Turkish eateries no matter where we go - and this year we ate some fantastic meals at incredibly good prices. Apart from those already mentioned, I'd also suggest Meryem next to Latina jewellers on the road up past Romance,which is our favourite place to eat in Icmeler, but also Olgun, a bit further up the same road just past Robin Hood. Sofra and Ugra, next door to each other on the main road directly opposite Alin's are good too - we had lunch in Sofra yesterday for the ridiculously cheap sum of 37TL, roughly £6. There's no menu - they cook three or four dishes and you just choose what you fancy, served along with rice and bread. We had lentil soup, a chicken liver dish and meatballs in an unusual but lovely lemony sauce. It's probably better to go at lunchtimes because once the food's gone, it's gone.
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Re: My holiday review 19 May-- 2 June--longish

Postby Brownie1 » 19 Jun 2018 13:36

Thanks for the review - it is very helpful. we haven't been back for around 5 years so its going to be a case of exploring to find all the new places.
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