[Archived] Kalkan And/or Dalyan, Turkey

[Paul]

We're thinking of going to Kalkan or Dalyan in August. Anyone been, any comments? My preference is for Dalyan as it seems to have a greater variety, Kalkan is pretty much a holiday resort? I haven't booked - yet!

[Rovermatt]

It'll be bloody hot I bet.

[Paul]

air conditioned apartments

[Rovermatt]

Yes but you'll need to go outside at some point.

[Paul]

but only to go in the river, pool or sea!

[bodrum_blue]

Hey

I live in Turkey - have done for 4 1/2 years. Before that spent 5 weeks here every year travelling all around Turkey.

I know both Kalkan and Dalyan - if you can tell me what sort of holiday you prefer I can give you some info.

OK?

And yes August is HOT HOT HOT - hope you like 40+ degrees!!!

[Bazzanotsogreat]

It'll be bloody hot I bet.

Hot, but not Luxor/Aswan hot in mid-July. 49.7 degress one-day. Jesus H.....

In all seriousness when ive been its only ever been at most mid-late thirties which is hot enough.

[T4E]

I'm pretty sure Glenn is not long back from Kalkan.

(Source : Facebook)

[colin]

Don't know either place to be honest, but I went to Turkey some years ago and started snorkelling.

JFHC it was glorious, and I've never bettered it.

So go for the one closer to the sea, and get flippers & snorkel. And luxuriate. It was great.

[Paul]

I know both Kalkan and Dalyan - if you can tell me what sort of holiday you prefer I can give you some info.

That would be good. We have decided on Kalkan. I was keen to go to Dalyan but my wife thought mosquitoes woud be a problem frm the river and the delta? My wife and one of my sons get severe reactions to mosquito bites, whole body has been know to swell before now! So Kalkan it is. I was keen to go to Dalyan because it appears to be a small working town with some tourism and i thought this would be a better way to experience somthing of Turkey. Kalkan, will be beautiful, but I think the main industry is tourism and while I'm told it's wonderful I think it will be less "Turkish" than Dalyan.

I know Kalkan is a tourist destination but we want to experience something of Turkey so any suggestions about places to visit, food and drink to try would be welcome. We shall have two of our boys with us (16 & 19) so anyhting which will interest them would be good. We obviously plan some baot trips, snorkelling etc.

cheers

[bodrum_blue]

That would be good. We have decided on Kalkan. I was keen to go to Dalyan but my wife thought mosquitoes woud be a problem frm the river and the delta? My wife and one of my sons get severe reactions to mosquito bites, whole body has been know to swell before now! So Kalkan it is. I was keen to go to Dalyan because it appears to be a small working town with some tourism and i thought this would be a better way to experience somthing of Turkey. Kalkan, will be beautiful, but I think the main industry is tourism and while I'm told it's wonderful I think it will be less "Turkish" than Dalyan.

I know Kalkan is a tourist destination but we want to experience something of Turkey so any suggestions about places to visit, food and drink to try would be welcome. We shall have two of our boys with us (16 & 19) so anyhting which will interest them would be good. We obviously plan some baot trips, snorkelling etc.

cheers

Hey you didn't need any help!! You are exactly right about Dalyan - nice place but the mosquitoes are a problem in summer.

Kalkan was a superb place to relax and take a holiday a few years back. Like you have said it is a bit more touristy now but still very pleasant. I spent a few days there last year and although it wasn't quite as good as previous it was still a pleasant few days. Kalakn is very "hilly" so be prepared for some walking. There is no beach in Kalakan but one of the best beaches in Turkey is only about a 10 minute ride away and a must see. It's called Patara. It's a protected beach so there is only one cafe/restaurant. Best idea is to take a picnic and either get a dolmus or a taxi. When you get there everyone usually gathers around the entrance where the cafe is but with just a few minutes walk you can have the beach to yourselves. It will be hot so if you can take you own sun umbrella. Patara is where Father Christmas was born!! Other places to see / visit - Saklikent Gorge, you will have to take a day trip with one of the tour operators but it's worth the trip - Fethiye, a fairly busy touristy town but OK for a day visit - Kas (pronounced cash) is Ok for a visit but usually a lot of Germans!! - Olu Deniz, famous as a postcard scene they use when advertising Turkey but can get very busy - Boat trip to Kekova, nice way to spend a day and look at the submerged city - Demre a fairly unspolit working town and this is where St Nicholas was a Bishop - there are many agents advertising snorkelling etc so shop around and haggle.

Eating out - restaurants change name and ownership very frequently so I cant recomend any in particular except for belgins Kitchen if it is still there, you sit on the floor on cushions (just like the Turks do at home) and get served Turkish dishes of your choice. - but if you want to try Turkish cuisine look for signs that say EV Yemekli (home cooking) they are good value and will serve authentic Turkish dishes - look who is already in the restaurant, if its full of tourists avoid it like the plague as it will be touristy and overpriced, if its full of locals then give it a try, if its full of scruffy working guys then its a must. Look for signs that sat Tabilot sometimes mis-spelt Tablot which means set menu and you will get 3 or 4 courses of real Turkish food for very little money. Drinks, the Turkish drinks are Ayran which is a yoghurt drink and is refreshing and the alchoholic one is Raki (pronounced rak -uh and not rak ee) very potent and drunk with ice and another glas of iced water - avoid imported drinks and stick to the local brands of votka. For the children all the usual stuff is there cloa, fanta etc.

I hope you have a real good time (especially as a fellow BRFC fan!!) but if you need any more info then get back to me and I would be really interested to know how you get on when you return to blighty. By the way are you a smoker? If so I have a tip for you.

[Paul]

Thanks BB I'll let you know how we get on. Your post confirms things we had read and is very useful on the food side as we always want to experience as much local cuisine as possible. I've got some questions:

1. Seafood - we love all seafood. Anything in particular we should try?

2. Can you suggest good local wines?

3. Several people have told me it's a good idea to take £sterling as many Turkish businesses are very keen to be paid in ££s. Our taxi driver from the airport has insisted on cash £s on arrival at the apartment! I'm assumming there is a good exchange rate for the £ as this is why Turks like the currency? Am I better to pay in £s or Lira?

[bodrum_blue]

Thanks BB I'll let you know how we get on. Your post confirms things we had read and is very useful on the food side as we always want to experience as much local cuisine as possible. I've got some questions:

1. Seafood - we love all seafood. Anything in particular we should try?

2. Can you suggest good local wines?

3. Several people have told me it's a good idea to take £sterling as many Turkish businesses are very keen to be paid in ££s. Our taxi driver from the airport has insisted on cash £s on arrival at the apartment! I'm assumming there is a good exchange rate for the £ as this is why Turks like the currency? Am I better to pay in £s or Lira?

seafood - very expensive in comparison to "normal" turkish grub eg tabilot is usually about 5 or 6 lira so when we go out our bill including 1 beer each is about 18 to 20 lira if/when we do have fish the bill is about 70 lira - but it is very fresh and cooked well on the mangol - you will be shown the fridge where they store them and asked to pick what you want - ask them to weigh them and tell you how much it will be - kalamar (squid) is always good and usually served as a starter but i always find there is enough as a main course if you get chips with it

other grub - kofte (pronounced kuff te) is popular, cheap and available in most places but look for a restaurant that specialises in it - it will usually be part of the restaurant name eg marina kofte - lamb (kuzu) is ALWAYS very good and fresh, lamb chops are known as pirzola - kebap (kebab) have many many different sorts from mild up to very spicy - in Kalkan most of the staff will speak english but if you do find yourself in an out of the way place go in the kitchen and look whats available - as i said in my 1st reply if you can eat where the turks eat you will get good fresh original turksih cuisine for relatively little money - i cannot emphasise enough about the fixed menu (tabilot) as its always very good value.

drinks - wines try kavaklidere or villa doluca but be aware that if you eat in the small places where the tabilot is being served they might not serve wines but they will get you a beer - the local euro fizz beer is know as efes available in cans, bottles and draught and you will pay about 4 lira a "pint" - a vodka and red bull is about the same (you may have to add 1 or 2 lira onto these prices as you will get charged the tourist prices)

money - the pound has dropped again this week - when i looked at the rates being offered here on sunday it was 2.3 lira to the pound - yes most places will accept and like you to pay in pounds but the menu will be priced in lira (if it has any prices on at all!!) so just watch their exchange rate - some places advertise commission free exchange but then give you a lower rate so you might be better off paying commission and getting a better rate - thats up to you - never go to the bank (unless you are desperate) as its a real ball ache

Next question?????

[bodrum_blue]

Mods - hope this is OK to advertise my web sites!!!

There are some pictures of Turkey (sorry I dont think there are any of Kalkan) in my web sites - have a look but be aware some contain pictures of topless nudity.....

http://www.buzzzmedia.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buzzzmedia

http://www.flickr.com/photos/flowerofturkey

http://www.flickr.com/photos/centralbargumbet

http://www.flickr.com/photos/xbargumbet

my last visit to ewood - http://www.flickr.com/photos/buzzzmedia/2381690791/sizes/l/

[Paul]

seafood - very expensive in comparison to "normal" turkish grub eg tabilot is usually about 5 or 6 lira so when we go out our bill including 1 beer each is about 18 to 20 lira if/when we do have fish the bill is about 70 lira - but it is very fresh and cooked well on the mangol -

Do you know why there is such a huge difference? And what is a mangol?

[bodrum_blue]

one of the great mysteries in life - there is a massive mark up - a girl friends father is a fisherman and he gets paid sweet fa when he sells the fish directly to the restaurant - hope i havent put you off before you get here but just wanted you to know the facts

sorry its a sort of barbeque used inside a kitchen

[Paul]

I would be really interested to know how you get on when you return to blighty.

Well what a wonderful country. The people are extraordinarily warm, welcoming and trusting. Quite wonderful. Obviously it's a Muslim society and I was interested to experience aspects of that at first hand. (Yea I can see the jokes coming now phil! ) A liberal Muslim society but all the same very interesting to see.

We had a very good holiday and Kalkan as a base provided us with all we wanted; quiet appartment, nice small town not too busy, wide range of very good restaurants and plenty of organised touristy stuff if it was wanted. We did a couple of tourist trips, boat round the coast with swimming at every stop and a Sea Kayaking trip to Kekova. We soon realised it was far cheaper to hire a car (£20/day) and do the trips under our own steam - much easier and more interesting as well. We spent time in the mountains driving up to Elmira and then going back to Kas one day and the following day turning northwards before dropping back to the coast. Also visited Simena, Saklikent, Xanthos, Tlos, Gombe, Patara (also went to the north end (Kumulouva? sp) and was interested to discover the Turkish holiday camp!), Kaputas, Le Toon. Made some trips to other small villages which I can't name right now.

I hadn't realised the historical significance of the area so it was a real surprise to discover where we were!! It seems round every corner we'd trip over another antiquity, Byzantium city or birth place of a mythical god! It was fascinating and really added to the trip. Turkey seems to have so much of historical importance I found it a real surprise to see things we expect to have in a museum just everywhere.

The countryside is stunning, mountains literally falling into the sea and breathtaking scenery further inland. The sea is clean and warm. Prices in Kalkan and the tourist areas were pretty similar to the UK for food in the shops, restaurants though were fantastic value and quality. On average we'd spend £10 / head for three courses with all the drinks we wanted. Only got ripped off in one restaurant, supposedly the best in the town, but I won't name and shame. The wine was OK in Turkey but you wouldn't take it home, spirits were extortionate, beer and soft drinks very reasonable. I drank Gusta if I wanted beer in the appartment but none of the restauarants served it.

It's a long story but I spent 3 hours in the Jandarma trying to get a police report for an insurance claim. I had one guy who spoke excellent English and a very grumpy sergeant who had to type the report. The whole three hours was a hoot, especially after I'd explained the BBE signing "Tugay, you are my Turkish Delight!" even the grumpy sergeant found that funny.

Honest and trusting sums up the Turkish people I met. Marvellous.

Very hot so I slept on the roof a few times.

Don't eat the nuts in the Bar No Name

[Sandiway Blue]

Glad you enjoyed it Paul.

I have been to Turkey twice and am going again next year although to a different area than last year.I totally agree with what you said about the people being so friendly,a lot of Brits don`t realise just how friendly they are,especially when you go past their shops and they ask you to come in and look at their rubbish!(their terminology not mine!).A lot of the shop owners will talk to you like a long lost friend regardless of whether you buy anything or not.When i went last year i went into a clothes shop as i had seen a shirt i liked,immediately the shop owner asked if i wanted a turkish tea,and had his assistant bring over any shirts that i liked whilst i sat there like lord muck drinking tea! You wouldn`t get that in the uk! Customer service is a number 1 priority for the shopowners and their shops are usually spotless.A great country with great people,i can`t wait to go back.

[blue phil]

Obviously it's a Muslim society and I was interested to experience aspects of that at first hand. (Yea I can see the jokes coming now phil! ) A liberal Muslim society but all the same very interesting to see.

I've spent time there myself , Paul - away from the concrete jungles of the tourist resorts and you're right about the people ; very friendly and accommodating .

As for the liberal bit , I'm afraid things have changed a little for the worst in recent times .

But all in all they're still a million miles away from the "illiberals" and extremists that dominate our town . I could post a few links regarding the Costa Del Bastwell but you only need turn on to the news at the moment ......

[Mike Graham]

Paul, saw you at the games last night and on Saturday.

looked like you had a grand time, apart from your sunburnt bald patch

I need a holiday nowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

[bodrum_blue]

Glad you enjoyed it and did some exploring on your own.

But.....

The people are extraordinarily warm, welcoming and trusting - Central Anatolian people can be just that but they don't all live there.

A liberal Muslim society - no way!!

Honest and trusting sums up the Turkish people - cannot agree with you on that point.

Before moving here in 2004 I had holidays here every year for 12 years (3 weeks in June and 1 week in September) and thought exactly as you have stated. But living here is totally different and once you live here you get to see the "real" Turkey which bears no resemblence to the "holiday" Turkey.

Will you come again?

What's the problem with the nuts?

[Paul]

Glad you enjoyed it and did some exploring on your own.

But.....

The people are extraordinarily warm, welcoming and trusting - Central Anatolian people can be just that but they don't all live there.

A liberal Muslim society - no way!!

Honest and trusting sums up the Turkish people - cannot agree with you on that point.

Before moving here in 2004 I had holidays here every year for 12 years (3 weeks in June and 1 week in September) and thought exactly as you have stated. But living here is totally different and once you live here you get to see the "real" Turkey which bears no resemblence to the "holiday" Turkey.

Will you come again?

What's the problem with the nuts?

I realise we only saw a very small part of a very large country but the people we met were great. We made an effort to get as far out of the tourist areas as possible hence the drive up to Elmira If anything the people we met in the small villages off that central road were even friendlier. It was the same when we visited Tlos which while an important site is hardly a tourist trap. I can only speak as I found and I'm sure we only got a very small impression.

The guide books I read suggested Turkey is a liberal Muslim country. Now I've never been in a Muslim country before so I don't know what to expect. I noticed things which struck me as different but I gained the impression while religion was important but didn't dominate in the way I might imagine it does in other countries. I was very struck by the abscence of women, but equally noticed women seemed to be more obvious in the more rural areas - I would have expected the reverse. Interestingly I didn't see a sinlge male dressed in what I might imagine to be "traditional" Muslim style (not even sure what that is) while in the rural areas perhaps 50% or more women were dressed in a manner that identified them as Muslim.

Honest and trusting - I left an iPod, credit card and 120 YTL on a bus and got it back and I was confident it would be returned. We had several examples when we were trusted to pay for things we wanted later, take a car with no payment etc. That impressed me. One jeweller allowed a ring to be taken away from his shop for a few days until the lady concerned decided if she liked it or not!

Yes I would definetely visit again. I'd like to go in May, hire a car, tour the mountains and get away from the tourist areas while obviously visiting places which are tourist traps for reasons other than sun and sea. It will have to wait till I retire as holidays in May are impossible for me while I work.

As for the nuts, I'd rather not be too graphic but there's sound research in the UK to say eating snacks from bowls in a bar is not a good idea. I can vouch for the after effects!

[bodrum_blue]

Sorry Paul I was not questioning your integrity or doubting your experiences - I am glad you enjoyed your holiday here and experienced the "better" side of here.

I was just pointing out that having a holiday here (and I too experienced much as you did when I used to holiday here and that was one reason I decided to live here) and living here are totally different.

I could go into lots of detail but I wont.

Hope you come again and experience the good things this country has to offer.

By the way Turkey is NOT a muslim country.

Cheers.

[bodrum_blue]

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery-...teria-video.htm

[Bazzanotsogreat]

Turkey is supposidly secular- based on philosophy of Kamil Ataturk , so therofore it is not a 'moderate islamic state'. Tunisia would probably be the best example of a moderate Islamic nation that I have visited. With Jordan & parts of Egypt being the most 'orthodox'.