Monday, October 14, 2019

Holidays in Turkey

Tanya and I have enjoyed holidays in Turkey about 8 times since 2008. The entire SW coast of Turkey has been developed into tourist resorts from the Bay of Antalya clear around almost to Izmir. The major airports serving the resorts are Antalya and Bodrum. We have favoured the west side of the Bay of Antalya around Kemer.

We are end-of-season tourists, going the lend of September and into October to take advantage of both cooler temperatures and cheaper rates.  We have always picked 3 Star resorts, never the same one twice, and managed to survive tolerable food and tolerable service. Until this year. We had stayed at this resort several years ago when it was a 3 Star.  It changed hands and now bills itself as 4 Star.

The facility and rooms are 4 Star though there is still maintenance work to be done. The bar is 4 Star, not that it did me much good. The food was 2 Star minus and I will not go into detail. We went out for supper three times the last week to a great Turkish restaurant just down the street. The housekeeping was 1 Star as there was only had one housekeeper on staff for 60 rooms. We were next door to the housekeeping storeroom so served ourselves. It seems the new owners were trying to pay for the upgrades the first or second year.

But the sea was 5 Stars, as always. Mornings and early afternoons were the best time to swim as the water was smooth as glass but tends to roughen up a bit by late afternoon. The shore drops off about 10 meters out into 3-meter deep water and drops further fast. Even way out from shore, you can still see bottom. Technically, I can't swim. Freshwater lakes or swimming pools are not for me, though I can paddle well enough for a short way. Even the Black Sea is no good for me. But in the Mediterranean, I have no fear. Enough salt to keep me buoyant and warm enough I can stay for quite a while.

The beach is gravel as all sand has been washed away to the east side of the Bay around Alanya. In bare feet, it is like walking on Lego. Everyone wears sandals or plastic slip-on shoes. There are all kinds of chaise lounges to lie on for tanning and a few brave souls actually spread a towel on the beach. Several of the hotels have long concrete piers out into the sea, not for boats but for more chaise lounges. The hotel next to ours (we stayed there about 8 years ago) has one which guests from our hotel use to access the water without having to cross the beach. The ladder off the side takes you directly into deep water.

Tanya and Masha were to Greece last year and that is where we are going next fall if we can. Because the Halkidiki Penninsula is farther north, end-of-season starts a couple weeks earlier. And she says the food is wonderful.

Belrose Hotel
View from the beach

View from the main exit to the beach
The mountains run close to the beach. 

Date Palms
Swimming pool but why?

Parasailing is just one of the many extras one can purchase
Concrete pier next door
The barrier rope is out near the boats. I go out and back twice. My limit.

Chaise Lounges for sun tanning

Gravel or as I call it Lego

The ladder direct to deep water


6 comments:

  1. Nice to get away for a little sun, sand and surf! You needed a nice holiday, I'm sure, after all you went through and being away from your wife and family for so long.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We try to holiday for a couple weeks spring and fall

      Delete
  2. Oh how lovely to be near the sea. Sounds like a super holiday in spite of the poor housekeeping and the crummy meals. But going to a Turkish restaurant nearby made up for the disappointment. I love the mountains close to the beach!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Turkey is a lovely country. The Mediterranean Sea is such good swimming and there are so many ancient ruins to visit too.

      Delete
  3. What a beautiful place, but it's too bad about the meals. For me, a vacation is mostly about the food, so that would have been a great disappointment to me. Still, though, the scenery almost makes up for it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our best meals were in Barcelona and Bulgaria. But it changes constantly. Check the reviews and stay at the best. Unless you are like us and pick the cheapest. Then it is the luck of the draw.

      Delete

Comments are encouraged. But if you include a commercial link, it will be deleted. If you comment anonymously, please use a name or something to identify yourself. Trolls will be deleted