Icmeler (Turkey)

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Location:
Icmeler is nestled on the South West coast of Turkey on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It's a 10 minutes or so drive from the more well known resort of Marmaris and lies between the airports of Bodrum and Dalaman. However Dalaman is the slightly closer airport and the one that you will land at if going on holiday here. The flight time from the UK is between 4-4.5 hours depending on flight conditions. The transfer ...
...around 90 minutes and because Icmeler is the last resort on the route everyone else is dropped off first. Needless to say by the time we arrived at the hotel the boyf and I were in great need of rest.

Climate:
Icmeler has approximately 179 sunny days a year. Pleasant warm weather starts in the end of April until the middle of July. The following period starting from the middle of July until the end of August is VERY hot, with ... more

...A few years ago a friend of mine told me she was going on a family holiday to Turkey. "Turkey?" I said "Why would anybody want to go to Turkey???" But when she came back with tales of what a fabulous holiday it had been my interest was aroused.

Last year the boyf and I were particularly poor given that we're both students and didn't think we'd be able to afford a holiday. However I remembered my friend raving about Turkey and had read an article on it being a cheap getaway. Desperate for some sunshine I started searching the internet. Two months later having paid only £200 each for the week the boyf and I were on the plane and heading for the resort of Icmeler!

Location:
Icmeler is nestled on the South West coast of Turkey on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It's a 10 minutes or so drive from the more well known resort of Marmaris and lies between the airports of Bodrum and Dalaman. However Dalaman is the slightly closer airport and the one that you will land at if going on holiday here. The flight time from the UK is between 4-4.5 hours depending on flight conditions. The transfer from the airport to Icmeler hotels is one of the downsides of the holiday. It takes around 90 minutes and because Icmeler is the last resort on the route everyone else is dropped off first. Needless to say by the time we arrived at the hotel the boyf and I were in great need of rest.

Climate:
Icmeler has approximately 179 sunny days a year. Pleasant warm weather starts in the end of April until the middle of July. The following period starting from the middle of July until the end of August is VERY hot, with air temperature rising to 42C sometimes! Sea temperatures vary from 19-24C during the summer - perfect for that cooling off dip!

The Resort:
Icmeler is a small, but rapidly developing Turkish resort, probably most suited to families and couples seeking a relaxing holiday. It is set around bay and has a picturesque, backdrop of lush green mountains - not at all what I was expecting from Turkey. The sand/shingle beach is large and the gorgeous, warm turquoise sea offers safe bathing. However the sea floor can be pebbly and so isn't ideal for paddling. The town area offers plenty of shops selling a wide variety of products including food, clothes and souvenirs. There are two market areas, one indoor and one outdoor that line the way to the beach. At night the resort comes alive with restaurants and bars.

On arrival I was taken aback at the beauty of Icmeler. It is a man-made resort but it has been gorgeously designed. On the main walkway to the beach a river flows with several bridges stretching over it. All this is lit up at night time. It is spotlessly clean and there are lots of plants, shrubs and flowers. I literally fell in love with the resort!

However the one let down for me was the beach. As I mentioned it's shingle so not ideal for lying on. There are plenty of sun beds around to hire for a very cheap rate but I just prefer a soft, sandy beach and really missed not having one. We only visited the beach once and decided the hotel pool was a better place to chill.

The People:
The Turkish people are the nicest and friendliest I have ever met. They are always smiling and saying "Hello" and nothing is too much trouble. They remember tourist faces and soon spot a new arrival, trying to sell them an excursion or entice them into their shop. If your not interested a polite "No thanks" normally does the trick.

My tip would be to try and make friends with a few of the locals as they prove invaluable for knowledge and advice. On our first day we got chatting with a waiter and returned to his bar every day for coffee. He offered us a lot of useful tips, for example using the dolmus (se getting around) and where to book excursion etc. He even hugged us goodbye on our last day! I've never had this friendliness when holidaying in Spain and this is one of the reasons I'll be visiting Turkey again in the near future!

Places to Stay:
Turkey is still a developing country in many respects. Consequently the accommodation isn't of the same standard as other tourist hot spots. We stayed in a 3* hotel which would equate to 2* in other holiday resorts. However it was adequate for the week but any longer and I'd want to be somewhere larger. On the plus side the hotel was kept clean and staff were always on hand to answer any queries.

The better quality 4* and 5* hotels are located on the beach front and from the outside looked really nice. When the boyf and I return we'll definitely opt for one of the higher rated hotels.

Getting Around:
I wouldn't recommend hiring a car in Turkey for two reasons:
a) There roads are not the best and are poorly maintained
b) The drivers are completely bonkers and seem to each have their own road system!

But getting around in Icmeler isn't a problem, with three main options available. As with any holiday resort taxis are queuing up for your custom. Me and the b/f didn't use them but others that did commented they were cheap and the drivers friendly.

Option two is the "Dolmus", essentially a bus. The concept is great. Dolmuses are bright yellow and run very frequently. All you do is stand ANYWHERE on the street and when you see one stick your hand out. It's brilliant. They'll take you to the neighbouring resort of Marmaris, which is about a 15 minute ride away for the equivalent of about 30p!!!

However be warned - comfort and safety is not paramount for the Dolmus driver as the boyf discovered. We were on our way back from a lovely evening in Marmaris and there was only one proper seat. Being a gentleman the boyf donated it to me and he made do with an upside down milk crate located near the door. However the driver refused to shut the bus door and the boyf spent the journey back clinging to the back of the driver's seat trying to prevent himself and the milk crate flying out the door! Very scary!

If you want a bit more style and relaxation use the Water taxi to get to Marmaris. I think this costs around £5 return and departs from the local jetty.

Things to do:
Of all the locations I have been on holiday, Icmeler offered the most in terms of excursions and places to go. My advice is to avoid booking trips through your holiday rep. A much cheaper alternative is to use the excursion centres run by the locals. The trips offered are identical no matter who you book them through, the only difference being the price. For example our holiday rep offered an all day boat trip at £35 each but the exact same boat trip cost £20 each booking it locally! Just ensure that when undertaking excursions that your holiday insurance covers you for any accidents that happen whilst on them, especially any action-adventure style trips.

Some of the excursions the boyf and I went on included:

SURF & TURF: An all day boat trip that included food and drink in the price. We visited various places on the Turkish coast and stopped several times at isolated beaches. It was absolute heaven. Snorkels and masks were available and I had the most relaxing day jumping in and out of the crystal clear blue water then returning to the boat to sip an ice cold vodka and coke whilst drying off - Bliss!

DIVING: My dream has always been to scuba dive, and I never thought I'd fulfil my ambition in Turkey. Again this was an all day trip and cost only £20. The price included two dives and all the necessary diving equipment. The first dive was 5m in depth and second was 10m. Looking back this is the most memorable thing I've done to date! Being under the water was like entering another world. I thoroughly recommended this trip for anyone with a passion for water and marine life.

TURKISH BATH: I was told before going to Icmeler that a Turkish bath was a must in the first few days of the holiday because it cleanses the skin improves tanning. I don't tan but thought it sounded enjoyable and went on this trip anyway! It cost £10 for the morning and included a sauna, a very soapy rub down by a very hairy Turkish man, all over exfoliation and a 15 minute massage! It was very therapeutic and de-stressing. The masseuse was pleasant on the eye too, much to the annoyance of the boyf lol

Shopping:
The choice of shops in Icmeler was vast. The majority sell clothes and there are several market stalls to browse around also. The clothes tend to be names such as "Diesel", "Miss Sixty" and "Von Dutch". They are fakes and the Turkish are proud of their copies - one man stood in front of his stall yelling "Look at my fake shirts - very good - 100% fake! Best fake this side of Europe!" Another shop had a sign in the window stating "100% fake copies! Good Price - Cheaper than Netto!" The boyf and I thought this was hilarious and laughed for ages over it!

The boyf bought five "Diesel" t-shirts for £10. Obviously they're not the quality of real Diesel but they looked good and have lasted - he's still wearing them a year on! So if you've an eye for a bargain and know how to barter Icmeler is shopping heaven!

Eating Out:
We stayed bed and breakfast and I'm very glad we did because the choice of restaurants is amazing! Walk around on an evening and you'll find many waiters trying to tempt you with their culinary delights. I researched places to eat before the holiday and had a list of the restaurants I wanted to visit. I was not disappointed. On average a 3-course dinner will cost no more than £10 each including a glass of wine. The food is generally chicken or beef cooked in a variety of ways and traditional Turkish dishes on offer include stews and kebabs. Most restaurants will offer you FREE coffee after the meal and some offer entertainment whilst you eat. All the waiters we met were attentive and pleasant and did everything to guarantee a good meal.

A few recommended restaurants would be:

CHEF: The waiters were soooo lovely! We told them when we were due to leave and on that day as we walked past they wished us a pleasant flight - Bless! The food was really good as well!

LOVEBOAT: This is definitely a restaurant for the women! The theme is a boat and all the waiters are dressed in white officer uniforms. It was like a scene from Officer & a Gentleman with a dozen Richard Gere's!!! Honestly I was in heaven. It's romantic and their deserts are delicious.

WATERFALL: A restaurant for a special night out. It's set outside around a man-made waterfall (hence the name!). In the evening the waterfall is illuminated and romantic ballads are played. We got a table right in front of the water and it was magical! The food was divine, the atmosphere perfect, and the service that of any top London restaurant. Anyone visiting Icmeler must dine here at least once!

Overall:
I cannot recommend Icmeler enough! It's a lovely resort aimed at couples and families but for those seeking a more commercialised holiday it's on the doorstep of the larger and busier resort of Marmaris. Including all spending money the total cost of this holiday was around £400 for 7 nights - A bargain considering most holidays cost more than this just to get there!

If you're looking for a taste of paradise on a budget then Icmeler is definitely for you!

A word of advice though - Go before Turkey joins the EU and prices rocket!

Thanks for reading - Claire x

Useful Websites:
www.goldtrial.co.uk - we booked with these and found them to be very helpful and equally as good as the major travel companies.

www.icmeleronline.com - packed with information about Icmeler and it is also possible to book a holiday to Icmeler direct with them.
 

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