Holiday booked for Turkey (Kusadasi) - Advice?

Loobz

Hi all,
Myself and my girlfriend are headed for Kusadasi (Palmin Hotel) on the 6th of August. I was just wondering if I could get some pointers from those who have been.

Any recommended activities/tours etc?
Pub/club/resteraunt recommendations?
Shopping etc?

Thanks

Real

Went a few years back. Give a load of advice to someone going there a few weeks back. Check back a few pages, it should be there

To sum up, I recommend
renting scooters - great way to get around by day

go to Effesus - Its an ancient Roman city - About 20 minutes away by scooter/ bus - very interesting and quite well preserved

The house where the Virgin Marys supposidly lived and died is about 10 minute further up the hill from Effesus. Worth going up to too

Go to the local waterpark - its quite new and has loads of great rides. Great way to get a good suntan without lieing on a sunlounger all day - really good fun

Boat trip across to Greek Island (forget the name). Really nice day out. Boat crosses the sea to a beautiful inlet for swimming in the crystal blue waters. Well worth getting up a bit earlier for.

And go to 'bar street' (does exactly what it says on the tin)

trotter_inc

The Palin is lovely, decent enough location to, lot of Irish ppl stay there...

Started this thread on Kusadasi couple years ago, is worth having a look...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=104825

Loobz

Thanks Trotter and Real. I cant wait, tbh. Will it be extremely hot in August. I burn really easily and need a real high factor cream. The pool in the Palmin hotel looks brilliant. Hope it delivers.

People I know stayed in a different hotel. When the were on the bus collecting people from the Palmin, the people staying there all couldnt give it enough praise. Which is a good sign.

We would like to do a good few excursions. Is there any that take all day to do? We would like to do the best ones on offer. Will check those already mentioned.

trotter_inc

Loobz wrote:

Thanks Trotter and Real. I cant wait, tbh. Will it be extremely hot in August. I burn really easily and need a real high factor cream. The pool in the Palmin hotel looks brilliant. Hope it delivers.

People I know stayed in a different hotel. When the were on the bus collecting people from the Palmin, the people staying there all couldnt give it enough praise. Which is a good sign.

We would like to do a good few excursions. Is there any that take all day to do? We would like to do the best ones on offer. Will check those already mentioned.

The full day Ephesus tour is well worth it, you get to see the House where John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary lived, go to a market and then spend the day at Ephesus.

The waterpark is the best I've ever been to, its called Adaland (www.adaland.com), dont go to the other one coz thats mainly for kids.

Dont do the Turkish night, not really worth it in my opinion...

Scuba-diving is great too, costs about €40 and is well worth it...

Best thing is that all of the excursions are so close to Kusadasi...

All the boat trips are great too, you get them cheaper by booking them down at the harbour instead of going through the reps...

marcowil

If you can, take the trip to the calcified springs at Pamukkale.
Lying in a calcium rich hot spring with the sun beating down on you is pure bliss and the springs are really good for your skin.

There is also a roman museum nearby and a roman bath - where you can bathe in the hot spring among roman ruins.

nothing

I just got back from Kusadasi on Sunday, stayed in the Palmin....

The hotel is full of hidden costs, such as 2.50 a day for the use of their indoor pool. The prices are slowly going up at the minute on their menus so chances are you'll hit peak prices when you're there. Don't get roped into the BBQ as the food is very dodgy, I know several people who were sick from it. Also keep in mind that Irish people, and Irish people ONLY stay in the hotel, and absolutly no visitors are allowed past their doors. If you smoke, do NOT buy cigarettes in the hotel, and don't let yourself get ripped off in Centrum either, there is a government price on them (eg 2,5YTL for a 20 pack of L&M), but in the hotel they charge 4YTL! However your best bet there is to buy them on the plane on the way in, and back.

Definitly go to Bar st, we went every night, and ate in Molly malone's, the food there is excellant!

Don't get discouraged by the over friendliness of the Turks, at the end of the day that is how they makie their living. Be firm and say no, thank you. But don't be rude either, no need for "**** off" etc.

There is two large markets, one on Friday which is fruit and veg only and one on a Wednesday which is clothes, suveniors etc. The best time to get bargins is between half 3 and half 4, if they offer you a certain price, offer then half of that, and just keep them down to a price that you can afford, if they're not gonna give it to you for that price just walk away. They will generally call you back. Another good plan is, if you're in a shop, say you saw the same item for a lower price somewhere else, be specific about the price, and they will instantly go down.

When changing your money the best rates are in the change offices, which I'm sure the sunworld rep will tell you about. Also if you do plan on going to see places such as epheses, do NOT go through sunworld. Either make your own way there, or go through a local company. Plenty of people will give you leaflets about there prices for certain trips, and again you can generally bargin them down to a better price.

trotter_inc

The Yucca restaurant (its on one of the main streets) in the Centrum is well worth a visit, they have a live band most nights, also Murphys restaurant (owned by a girl from Dundalk) and the Saray restaurant (down one of the side streets)...

pippin

Loobz wrote:

Hi all,
Myself and my girlfriend are headed for Kusadasi (Palmin Hotel) on the 6th of August. I was just wondering if I could get some pointers from those who have been.

Any recommended activities/tours etc?
Pub/club/resteraunt recommendations?
Shopping etc?

Thanks

Just back from Kusadasi and it was not my first trip there or my last, but I will never ever stay at the palmin again, lovely hotel but omg the hidden costs increase of prices etc not worth it. You either love or hate the country, me just love it and the turkish ppl are lovely also there are plent of Kurds working there and also wonderful ppl. Molly Malones bar street is a must ate there three years ago and again this yr and it is still run by the same guys, food is perfect.Bar street just comes alive and has a great buzz to it the millenium bar is great for a drink owned by a local guy and he is great. If you want a tattoo go to the place beside molly's clean and very very safe as well. Say hi to the guys in mollys for me. debby

Loobz

Thanks guys and gals for the great feedback.
The hidden costs have me worried. What kind of hidden costs are there? The indoor pool was mentioned, anything else?

nothing

Hidden costs :
Indoor pool (also use of gym, sauna, steam room etc) 2.50e a day (or 4YTL)
As my friend discovered, cigarette burn on sheet, 15YTL (approx 9e)
Changing your money in the hotel, the rate is 1.55 YTL to 1e, whereas in a change office 1.63YTL to 1e. Apparently this is a "convieniance rate"
Before we left, bottle of water 1.5YTL, whereas you can buy it in a shop for around 0.5YTL!
Cost of phonecalls from your room increases with every minute you are on, I would suggest buying a phone card, the connection number you dial won't cost anything on the hotel phone (esentially a free phone number)
Anything bought in the hotel shops - you will be ripped off! also anything you buy in the leather factory in Selcuk, should you go on that trip.

Loobz

I was wondering what I should do for spending money. Should I bring all euro, all turkish or half and half?

Real

Loobz wrote:

I was wondering what I should do for spending money. Should I bring all euro, all turkish or half and half?

Half and half should do the trick. Use the Turkish for small everyday items and the euro for buying big items and paying for excursions etc.

Haggle with everyone, they expect if from tourists. Initally offer half the price they ask for and work from there. Remember if you are paying in Euro you should get it a bit cheaper again. They love to get their hands on our Euro as it holds its value better.

Loobz

Thanks for the info Real.

nothing

Personally, I found if you haggle in Euro and then get them to change to YTL, you'll get another bit knocked off the price.

Loobz

Due to th Bus Bombing in Kusadasi, myself and my girlfriend have decided not to travel in August.

We are dissapointed to say the least. We went to travel agents yesterday and they said wait till Monday and see what Dept of Foreign Affairs say. There is a chance that we MIGHT get a full refund. If not, we will have to book another holiday with Sunworld or we loose 600 euros. Are any of you guys in a similar situation?

Now we are back to square one, except we are limited with our destination as we more than likely will have to book with Sunworld. From the feedback I have been getting from people on here and outside, nothing compares to Turkey. Can you guys help me choose another Sunworld destination?

From Sat 6th - Sat 13th August.

Tbh, Id say everywhere is excellent. So we will probably pick somewhere random. Thanks in advance.

Loobz

PowerHouseDan

Would you not go to another place in turkey?I am going to gumber on thr 13th Like at this stage everywhere you go can be a risk but proves from the london attack.

Loobz

Tbh, I would go to Kusadasi. I agree that theres nowhere to hide at this stage. However my girlfriend would not be comfortable going there. She would be worried going to the airport, on the plane, on the bus to hotel, in the hotel, going around kusadasi.... the list goes on. I dont want her to feel like that, at the end of the day its a holiday we want, and the less stress the better. I heard that over the past couple of months there have been 3 attacks in Kusadasi. And that doesnt help either.

PowerHouseDan

Go to Gumbet? You can let me knows whats its like :P I no where your coming from my gf was kinda the same about going to turkey i just said it doesnt matter where you go there is the same problem.

Tbh,I wouldnt have cancelled a holiday over this.
It's very very unlikely that there'll be another one or mores the point that you would be unlucky enough to be caught in one.

Besides this bomb according to the Turks was the work of Kurdish separatists and not Al Queda-It's no different to the threat to Spain from Basque separatists.

Gumbet is the Biz as is Bodrum beside it, far nicer than kusadasi imho and I was in both-at least Gumbet has a sandy beach and you are still a couple of hours by by road from any of the attractions eg ephesus that you'd go to if in kusadasi.Gumbet and Bodrums night life is crazy good too

I dont know why people go to Kusadasi so much, other than the fact that the travel companies promote it because they have interests in loads of cheap hotels.It's just a hot smoggy city with a stony beach compared to Gumbet.

su_dios

Hm..was lookin forward to a trip of a lifetime..6th yr hol with three of my best mates to marmaris tomorrow but now i'm a bit worried.marmaris is supposedly a big target and with two bombings in six days its a bit worrying. arg!

nj23

i stayed in gumbet the year before last for a week and i have to saw i didnt like it at all. we stayed in poseidon hotel which was ok but didnt like gumbet at all. beach was crap and it was way too hot. we went to kos first week and then to gumbet the second week and have to say gumbet was a major let down. other people who did the same two centre holiday as us and liked turkey so maybe it was us.

Bitez was much nicer than gumbet (a couple of miles further) and to be honest we never went into bodhrum much. What we like in a holiday is to laze around, visit nice beaches but also to hire a car and tour around a bit but drivers in turkey are so manic you would be taking life into hands to drive.

Where else do sunworld go and i'll let u know if i've been anywhere. for me greece is always a good bet!

Lex Luthor

just be warned....when you get off the plane at the other end there will be loads of turks grabbing your bags to help you with them out to your bus....
all they're doing is trying to make a quick buck...
keep an eye on them all the same

penexpers

Turkey has always been a bit of a dodgy place to go though?