Turkey

[standfree93]

Right, I'm going to Turkey with the family in a few weeks time.

Going to Ishmala (sp?), not far from Marmaris.

Has anyone else been to the area and got anywhere recommended to visit?

I have been told that the food is more or less the same as back here.
And I know it's going to be extremely hot.

But just want to see the places and attractions to visit.

We like to travel around the areas, and visit historic places/monuments.
And also big on football, so if there's any football stadiums etc in the area...

Any advice on what to look out for and be wary of, also appreciated.


Any advice welcomed.
Thanks, Andy.

[kdy2001uk]

Hi,
I assume you mean 'Icmeler'?

I went to Marmaris a few weeks back. It was extremely hot and cheap. Drinks are a similar price to England but the food was very cheap. AS decent fillet steak is about 25 Lira, roughly £10-£11.

We didn't do any excursions but one thing I would recommended is a Turkish Bath. It costs 8 english pounds and is very good value for money.

Icmeler is about 1hr 30 minutes from Dalaman airport by taxi.

Karl

[standfree93]

kdy2001uk said:

Hi,
I assume you mean 'Icmeler'?

I went to Marmaris a few weeks back. It was extremely hot and cheap. Drinks are a similar price to England but the food was very cheap. AS decent fillet steak is about 25 Lira, roughly £10-£11.

We didn't do any excursions but one thing I would recommended is a Turkish Bath. It costs 8 english pounds and is very good value for money.

Icmeler is about 1hr 30 minutes from Dalaman airport by taxi.

Karl

Thanks for the info.

[Animal]

Marmaris is bigger than Icmeler; you can get a dolmus (type of community minibus) for a few lira to shuttle between the two. Some great restaurants in Marmaris harbour.

Every restaurant/bar owner will try to entice you into their establishment, most of them will remember you from last year - even if you've never been to the country before - but they'll respect your decision so try not to get wound up!

Take plenty of sterling and maybe some Euros too if you've got any lying around? When I visited a few years ago I got a (much, much) better exchange rate paying for dinner in GBP than I did buying lira at the bank here.

Also, definitely go to the hammam (I think it's Altamuran). You will never feel cleaner or more relaxed without the help of strong chemicals!

HTH,

PS - stay away from Perge pilsener, it's the devil! Drink Efes instead - and don't drink the water or have ice!

[standfree93]

Thanks for that.

Someone already told me that we can't drink the water.

And another thing, when in a shop, do you have to like hassle?

[SerialLurker]

Yes - you have to haggle.

There is a market in Icemeler weekly and little stalls around the canal area nightly. I cant remember what day the larger market is on.

Have a walk round the old town one day / night as well while your there. You can also walk along the sea front from Icemeler to Marmaris. You can hire bikes in Icemeler near the beach also...

Have a great time.

[Dr Imran T]

standfree93 said:

Thanks for that.

Someone already told me that we can't drink the water.

And another thing, when in a shop, do you have to like hassle?

I assume you mean haggle? I have just come back from Turkey and for sure one has to haggle.

They always do the "hello my friend/brother, you come from England?" nonsense. Once they know you are from Blighty, you can see the look in their eyes as they know they are in the money

One crazy chap told my brother he wanted 750 TL for a holdall. We got him down to 350 or 400 TL and then he said that was his bottom price. A local lady asked him how much the same holdall was and we heard 180TL!!

[philthy]

I visited Tunrunc, which is a little further up the coast. It's worth a visit, even if it's just for a swim.
Things I enjoyed:
Getting a barber to shave me (first time for me).
Local jeep safari. You can't have a cold beer, but you will be getting enough of that anyway.
Scuba diving. They are a little relaxed about the regulations though.
Hydrofoil from Marmaris to Rhodes for a day out.
Horse riding (at one point, we rode them into the sea!).
Trip to Dalyan to see the turtles. There are small ones in Turunc, but the big buggers nest on the beach at Dalyan.
Hiring a motorbike, and enjoying some very rugged surroundings.
Excellent food.
Excellent company.

DO NOT drink the water, or have ice in your drink, unless you enjoy stting like silly string !

There are lots of tourist attractions, especially if you are into history, along with some amazing natural attractions (Pamukale....cotton castles). As usual though, if you don't enjoy crowds, avoid the touristy stuff.
I wouldn't hesitate to go back. I hope you enjoy yourselves.

[Nidjit]

I've spent a fair amount of time in Turkey (Dalyan area). I can't remember whether it's turtle season but if it is, you really should visit Turtle Beach, not that far from Marmaris. But back to the haggling bit, to be honest I wouldn't bother too much with local mementos. They look pretty but the workmanship isn't the best - the stuff I've had break before even getting it back to England isn't worth thinking about. Total waste of money.

There's also a brilliant road with a amazing view a couple of miles away from Marmaris, and when you get to the top, there's a spectacular view. Worth having a look if you end up renting a car

Make sure you fill your boots with Turkish coffee while you're there. No point in bringing any back though, as it means faffing around with a copper pot and all that jazz. Oh, and the baclava is to die for.

Hope some of that helps. Have fun

[philthy]

Here's a pic from the road Nidjit mentions:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=marmaris...

Thats Marmaris in the foreground, and Icmeler in the distance.

[A - W]

We went last year at the beginning of June. The temperature was just getting towards forty degrees.

We did the local walks/markets and stuff but found it too hot to go far with having a little one. We all spent plenty of time in the pools/sea to keep relatively cool.

I wouldn't suggest it was cheap as you might have heard. We stayed half board and dined out every few nights. Main meals can easily be £15(ish) around Icemeler.

Icemeler/Marmaris have developed and adapted to the Western way of life, provide everything we could possibly want to make it feel like home with a good climate.

Beautiful scenery and very welcoming locals should make a good holiday.