Icmeler
Icmeler is about a 10 minute Dolmus (bus 2.50 TYL each way) ride from Marmaris on the Turquoise Coast of Turkey. It is a fairly small and quieter resort with a gritty sand beach and slightly murky sea - probably because it is in a very sheltered bay within the Bay of Marmaris.
Water taxis are a good way to get from village and village (15TYL return standard fare). However it is a tourist built resort so don't expect to find authentic Turkey here. Trips
Dalyan cruise bought from street stall (GBP16 each) was half the price Cooks wanted. 2 hour boat ride with lunch on the way to a protected turtle beach for a swim. Changed on to smaller boats for a trip trhough the reed beds to see turtles, blue crabs, Lycian tombs to the mud bath at Dalyan - Wade into mud bath, let it dry and then wash off and bathe in a thermal pool (bit sulphurous!). Fun.
2 day trip to Ephesus and Pamukkale again bought from street stall after Cooks had cancelled their trip due to lack of support (our 3 coaches were all full!). £50 each including travel, all meals, one night hotel at Pamukkale, admissions to all sites (except for the Cleopatra Pool swim which was optional at 30TYL each). Terrific value. Long coach journeys - 3 hours to Ephesus then 3 hours to Pamukkale on day one. 3hours back on Day 2. However worth it to see the roman town and museum at Ephesus and the magnificent pools and limestone of Pamukkale. By going there on day one you get to see it lit up at night before going up there in the morning. Stops at Turkish Delight factory shop and Onyx factory shop as well as service stations (small and attached to petrol stations but OK) helped to break up the coach rides but we did get to see someof the Turkish countryside too. Moonlight Dinner cruise bought from the street vendor. I should have known better! A bus to the boat, a good meal (mackerel which was particulrly good) while the boat cruised down to Marmaris harbour and along the coastline. THEN the disco lights came on the technoelectric music started and HELL was unleashed right up till the belly dancer tried to extract money from me at the end around midnight. However Diane seemed to enjoy it so maybe I am just a GOM. Still only GBP6 each and the mackerel was worth that! Turunc self organised water taxi (25 mins each way) to next village. Market and beach for the day. Liked it somuch we went twice! Good ThingsTurkish Bath. We used the one in the Golmar Hotel. For GBP10 you get a Sauna, Body scrub, foam massage and oil massage. Extras such as facials and pedicures were offered. I had two in the fortnight we were there.
Turkish Shave - one with a cut throat razor,ear singe and nose clipping. Great feel and only 10TYL. Sunbeds Although the signs say there is a charge, no-one does! Just buy the odd drink from the beach boy and stay for free all day. Bad things
Constant hassle from shopkeepers and bar staff as you walk along. Not too bad really but irritating -Egypt was much worse!
Haggling for everything - something I loathe but Diane loves. Give me fixed price, clearly displayed then I will make up my mind. High volume Techno music - all bars seemed to want to blast your ears out and then wondered why you wouldn't go in. Oh I longed for somewhere to sit in peace and quiet, or at least with some gentle background music. Restaurant-wise The Lighthouse and The Waterfall both managed that but no bar did. FoodGenerally food is fairly international. Many Turkish dishes have direct counterparts with Greek ones - Kleftiko, Stifado,Kebabs. Lots of chicken and lots of chips too!
One dish, Corban Kavurma Lamb which we had at The Lighthouse was superb. The Waterfall restaurant was great and served quality steak meals. La Grotta had a live Latino band and the food was tasty but the portions were tiny and expensive. Hotel
We stayed at the Chateau de Ville which is a boutique hotel about 20 yards from the beach at one end of Icmeler. Two small swimming pools and a road front terrace bar/restaurant this is a 2 star standard, Our room had recently been refurbished and was of a good standard with a sea view and balcony. Good value and some of the others staying there were returnees -I can see why. Hotel didn't put on entertainment except for a Turkish Night once a week which was OK - Singer, dancers, acrobats, belly dancer and a BBQ for GBP10. We would recommend this hotel for those who want a gentler pace of life.
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