The most correct comment
Well, this vacation can rightly be called one of the most desired.
The choice of countries was based on the color differentiation of the incidence of COVID-19, just like in the movie “Kin-dza-dza! »:
“When a society has no color differentiation of pants, there is no purpose! ".
We chose Turkey to go there safely and back without a 14-day quarantine.
The question, of course, was about the pricing policy of travel and departure from home - Odessa.
Although, it already began to seem to us that both the price and the direction no longer matter much - we just wanted to go at least somewhere...
So, the new terminal of the Odessa airport met us at the entrance with a strict guardian of order, who immediately separated our couple - it’s impossible to be together: only one at a time after 1.5 meters.
Then, waiting inside and searching for the long-missed Duty free, which turned out to be quite efficient and accepts cards for payment (only cash is accepted on the first floor of the airport).
In the store, for some reason, the prices for everything added 1 euro to themselves, but saving on your loved ones, and even on the first day of your vacation, is the last thing.
Since we were in a hurry to arrive at the airport in advance and check in, it turned out to be about 2 hours to wait until departure, so we started looking for something to do in the waiting room.
For privacy, we sat inside the IQOS zone.
It is surprising that the tourists who were before us could not find the dustbin and scattered garbage just around them. On the one hand, not everyone will immediately guess that the garbage should be left in the drawer under the counter, but, on the other hand, it is not necessary to litter!
Therefore, we place a photo of the trash especially for them:
And then the holiday came by itself: the tourist Elena had a birthday that day, we were invited to a name day at the festive table without asking - and it began!
The birthday tourists flew to Antalya, flew for the first time and became interested in what they could buy and bring back from the trip.
It was just a Turkish delight for our souls - we are so experienced guys and a little more dreamers, so to the congratulations at the festive table, we added a presentation of Turkish goods that you definitely need to bring home, and places in Turkey that you must must visit on vacation.
So, a flight in the cabin is very similar to a lecture by medical students in some clinic - everyone's eyes are burning and everyone is wearing masks.
The flight attendants handed out questionnaires to everyone, told them to fill them out in order to give them to someone in Turkey.
By the way, the situation with preventive actions to combat diseases in Turkey is reduced to the constant self-filling of questionnaires at each stage of the journey. That is, not checking the temperature or interviewing tourists, but simply filling out questionnaires and handing them over on the plane, at the reception desk, on the bus from Antalya to Kemer, at the hotel and at the meeting with the guide.
We got the impression that it does not matter how you feel - the main thing is that everyone has signed questionnaires, where the tourist himself indicated that he did not cough and had not been anywhere in the last 14 days...
Just like in that joke about the secret of making musical instruments by the violin maker Antonio Stradivari:
"The most important thing in a violin is varnish, but if it plays, it won't…".
Next, the standard procedure awaited us: passport control with something like a selfie by a customs officer and the eruption of tourists' luggage onto the transporter.
By the way, even at the Antalya airport, we noticed the first signs that the crisis in the tourism industry has reached Turkey.
Somehow everything has become unkempt, there are no signs of ongoing repairs, and so on.
We faced such a situation in Egypt, when there was a sharp decline in the number of tourists a few years ago.
Upon arrival in Kemer, our fears were confirmed: there were very few tourists, in the early hours the streets were generally empty, there were empty places on the beach, and the adjacent territory to hotels and beaches was desolated, in stores what was cheap increased by 2 times, but for what is expensive, there were real discounts at times.
The situation was exactly the same in Egypt…
By the way, with regard to mobile communications, in our case, we faced a similar situation as in Egypt.
This time, for some reason, money was debited from the mobile phone exponentially, just like in Egypt.
Therefore, be vigilant about the state of your mobile phone bill in order to be available to your friends and relatives: after all, you are away from home or decide to buy something, but you cannot send a photo...
Yes, what else I would like to note is that when we earlier in our reviews compared a trip to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, and, for example, the same Kemer, Turkey, the advantage of Turkey was that the sellers ignored customers until they contacted them - not like in Egypt!
And now the standard set of verbiage when Egyptian sellers harass tourists has also spread to Turkish colleagues - it’s impossible to just walk past the store, they practically grab your hands, like: “Well, give us your money! ".
But against the general backdrop of travel restrictions lately, we, tourists, cannot be caught by such trifles - we came to rest and have a rest, which is what we wish everyone!
The journey from Antalya Airport to Kemer is accompanied by standard guide questions about who has been to Turkey and how many times, a story about Turtle Island and stories about three tunnels.
Turtle Island has several names - they are all unofficial.
Two of them are connected with ancient legends. According to legend, once upon a time, a trading ship was wrecked near the island. His crew noticed that the rats (mice) fled the ship and headed in an organized manner in one direction. The sailors swam after the rats and thus escaped being on this island. So the island was named Sychan (Mouse).
According to another version, the island is called Unfaithful Wives. It originates from the time of the Ottoman Empire. Once the Sultan suspected one of his wives of treason. He told his wife to put on everything that he had given her earlier, and in this outfit of gold jewelry, sail to the island. Like, if it swims, it means it’s true, but not - so well... There is, however, an opinion that, in principle, Turkish husbands arranged such tests for their wives. Those who sailed were considered innocently accused.
But the most popular name is Turtle Island. At the mouth of the Dalyan River, Caretta Caretta turtles come to lay their eggs. And they live in large numbers just on the island.
One of the explanations for the name of the island as Turtle is that from a certain angle the island itself looks like a turtle.
So, KEMER!
This is a resort and port city on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey in the province of Antalya. It is located 42 kilometers southwest of the city of Antalya at the foot of the Taurus Mountains.
The fountain that spouted from the ground was removed from the previous trip in the central square in front of the White Tower.
The rest seems to be in place.
As we said earlier, there are almost no tourists. The locals said, but we will not vouch for them, that the number of tourists has decreased by 20 times.
It only works for us - free beaches and you can buy leather jackets for $ 70.
HOTEL: PARK MARINA HOTEL (Kemer, Turkey).
Let's say right away that taking into account the drop in the interest of the meeting party due to the decrease in the tourist flow, then, at least for the next couple of years, you need to take only 5-star hotels and relax for your own pleasure.
Or go on vacation to quieter remote places and enjoy the wild nature, and skiing or skiing in Kemer or Antalya - the benefit of minibuses run regularly.
We chose this hotel as a solid top three. Have read the reviews. Chose for price and location.
After the visit, we can tell the whole truth: positive and negative sides.
LOCATION:
The hotel is located near the park and the beach, at the beginning of Attaturk Boulevard. There is also a taxi rank and a public transport stop (minibuses). This is probably the only advantage of this Hotel.
OVERALL RATING: 5 (EXCELLENT).
NUMBERS:
We got a small triple room on the third floor overlooking the street, which is very bad - the noise on the street never stopped.
The presence of an air conditioner was not pleasing, since the flow of cold air due to the location of the air conditioner opposite the bed was directed not just to the head, but blew under the eyelids.
There was a refrigerator, but it didn't work.
There was a safe, but you had to pay $1 a day for it.
There is Wi-Fi in the hotel, but it did not reach the third floor.
And the availability of Wi-Fi this time was very important for us, as it has already been said, the money from the mobile account simply disappeared!
The lack of an elevator also had an effect. Of course, it was not very difficult for us to climb the stairs, not that steep, but still we wanted to get more service.
There is a TV, but all programs are in Turkish. Everything. Neither you English, nor you Russian.
At the same time, the bed linen in the room was perfectly clean - brand new.
CLEANING:
Now the hotel is cleaning only at the request of tourists, but for some reason we were not changed towels and were not offered toilet paper all week (maybe because there is no food in the hotel - see below).
OVERALL SCORE: 2 (FAIL).
TERRITORY:
There is no air conditioning at the reception. It's impossible to stay - it's hot, but Wi-Fi works.
There is a small swimming pool in front of the dining room. The dining room is small. There is also a bar here.
There is a small grocery store on the left before entering the hotel. By the way, this time alcohol appeared in stores. Heavier drinks have been added to the set of Turkish fruit wines. Prices are just space. For example, 1 liter of Martini is about $30.
OVERALL GRADE: 3 (SATISFACTORY).
dining room:
It must be said right away that if you intend to lose weight by a couple of kilograms, which was simply impossible earlier in Turkey on vacation, then feel free to buy a tour to this hotel. We were hungry all the time. There is food, but it is tasteless and not satisfying. Now you can’t get your own food on your own - all the food is covered with transparent plastic.
BREAKFAST:
LUNCH:
You have to stand in line and point to a dish that is served to you behind glass and given out through a small slot. The meat was once, and then the trimmings from the chicken.
This is probably why the toilet paper was not updated in the room (see above).
The hotel bar offers carbonated sweet drinks and wine. There is no beer (it is a pity that it is impossible to convey the intonation in the text that there is NO beer).
While standing in line for food, you are near the grill. Therefore, in the absence of air ventilation, despite two huge fans, you warm up no worse than in a hammam, up to 100 degrees!
Cutlery (forks and knives) is given to everyone packed in a separate bag, such as sterile, and then they bring spoons and dump them on a common tray with a hamuz.
OVERALL RATING: 0 (NO FOOD AT ALL).
Only one thing saved us - in front of the entrance to the hotel, on the right, there is a shawarma shop, where for 20-30 liras (3-4 dollars) you can have a very satisfying and tasty meal.
Total OVERALL RATING of the hotel: 0 (WHY DO YOU PAY MONEY AT ALL, or let them write honestly: there is no food, Wi-Fi, elevator, refrigerator and cleaning, but close to the sea).
BEACH:
The beach is located in close proximity to the hotel. Walking through the park, pass through a series of new boutiques - iron boxes selling beads and beadwork. The choice is very limited - all have identical products. But the prices are very affordable - everything is about 5 dollars.
The beaches can be conditionally divided into three zones, approximately, as in the fairy tale about Ilya Muromets:
If you go straight, you will get to the central beach. Sunbeds for $4 (plus $2 to the price of last year), but friendly staff. Animators are working. Free fruits and popcorn are handed out. Tourists from the hotel to which this beach belongs are additionally offered free water. Prices for drinks, for example, alcoholic Mahito, 30 lira (7 dollars). This beach has another advantage - it is almost empty, so it is easy to find a place. We ended up going here.
If you go to the left, you will find a beach for $2 (plus $1 to last year's price). This beach is packed with tourists and tax collectors. The latter did not leave us until we paid for the sunbed. There is no service. There are practically no free places, by the way, probably because of its cheapness compared to other beaches.
If you go to the right, you will pay $20 for a sunbed and $50 for a gazebo. The waiters are rude. Drink prices are high too.
The view from the shore to the sea is identical on all beaches - the beauty is indescribable. We enjoyed the splendor of the purest sea water, smelling of fresh watermelon, and a beautiful view of the cozy bay, framed by dark blue-gray-green mountains in a light haze.
OVERALL RATING: 5 (EXCELLENT).
After walking around Kemer and going to the sea, we recommend everyone to take several excursions or make an independent trip to Antalya.
ANTALYA:
Antalya is a resort city famous for its Old Harbor where yachts moor and beaches surrounded by huge hotels. It is located on the Turkish Riviera, a stretch of Turkey's Mediterranean coast that attracts tourists due to its clear blue waters.
The most interesting thing is that the distance from Antalya Airport to our hotel in Kemer is about 40-45 km, but the journey from Kemer to Antalya will take more than 1.5 hours and feels like more than 100 km - the minibus went around all the intersections and adjacent villages, gathering tourists and bringing local residents.
Earlier, as far as we know, 2 types of minibuses went through Kemer: just a fixed-route taxi (bus) and an express minibus.
The route first passed through the location of the White Tower on the central square of Kemer, and in order to take an express bus, you had to go to the highway.
Now we can say for sure from our experience: you just leave the hotel and in front of the park that goes towards the sea, cross the street and go to the bus stop.
There is a taxi rank right there. The cost of a taxi from Kemer to Antalya is 500 liras (about $70).
The fare in a minibus from Kemer to Antalya is 12 liras ($1.7).
Therefore, we recommend getting from Kemer to Antalya by minibus for 3.5 dollars for a couple of tourists, and returning by taxi - we were charged only 189 liras (27 dollars) by the meter.
We offer to get in Antalya to the Migros shopping center and take a taxi to get to Hadrian's Gate for 20 liras (3 dollars).
Hadrian's Gate is a triumphal arch erected in honor of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited Antalya in 130. These are the only surviving entrance gates of the walls surrounding the city and harbor.
As we already wrote in our reviews, Hadrian's Gate is in front of the entrance to the old part of the city / Old Town, and on the other side is the wonderful Karaalshuglu Park (Karaalioglu Park).
Being near Hadrian's Gate, you understand that no photographs and other people's stories will betray the atmosphere of the city and warmth, suede-looking stone and those wonderful sensations from getting to know a part of history, so everyone should definitely visit Antalya and be sure to visit the attraction of Hadrian's Gate, Moreover, it is one of the symbols of the city!
Here you will have a choice - either go through Hadrian's Gate to the Old City, or go to Karaalshuglu Park (Karaalioglu Park).
We decided to walk along the paths already known to us through the narrow streets and the observation deck above the port.
This time and this hour in Antalya in the Old Town there were only two tourists, that is, we. There was no one else - only waiters in cafes and sellers in shops.
Having reached the observation deck, to our amazement, we opened a small staircase towards the harbor and decided to risk going down it. And they weren't wrong!
Last time, to go down to the port embankment, we walked around the entire Old Town, and now we are just a few steps and we are in the port.
There are cafes with amazing views of the harbor.
Go ahead and get to PORT.
The heart of the Old Town is a very beautiful port (Kaleici Marina). Once it was the main port in Antalya. To protect the city from external enemies, powerful fortress walls were built near the port, which are very well preserved to this day. In our time, the new main pier of Antalya has already been built, but the port in the Old City is operational, it is now used only for the delight of tourists. It is worth passing by elegant yachts and ships for every taste and size, and you will immediately get a lot of offers to ride along the coast of Antalya, to see several nearby waterfalls.
ELEVATOR (Elevator Kaleici) - a platform above the Old Town overlooking the bay and there is an observation deck with a glass floor and you can look at the boats through a telescope for 1 lira. Here again, why do you need lira in Turkey.
LIFT - free (two buttons: up and down).
On the observation deck (at the top of the elevator) such views are breathtaking!! ! Red brick roofs of houses against the background of the blue sky and the blue sea, ships in the port, ancient fortress walls - the beauty is indescribable!! !
Here you can take a break from the incredible heat in numerous cafes.
TOURS:
The question of who and for how much to take excursions on vacation is a purely rhetorical question.
We always take excursions in Kemer from the tour operator Ginza, it has somehow historically developed.
What we can say right away - do not take a hammam. Now this is a dubious pleasure, as before it costs $ 10 per person, but you will not get half the pleasure that it was before.
Now this is more of an introductory tour of how the hammam is made, and not the procedure itself.
Since we have already been on almost all the proposed excursions, this time we chose a trip to the so-called Turkish Maldives (Sulu Ada Island).
TURKISH MALDIVES:
The cost of the tour is 20-25 dollars per person.
Before the flight, we read a lot of reviews and looked at a huge number of photos, so we could not help but go there.
This is a beautiful island with two snow-white beaches and clear, unusually blue water called Sulu Ada, which means Water Island. The island got its name due to the source of crystal clear spring water. However, tourists who visited there and appreciated the beauty of the local nature chose a different name for it - the Turkish Maldives. The island is located in the province of Antalya, not far from the famous Olympos in the Kumluca region.
You can get to this paradise only by boat, which sails from the pier in the resort village of Adrasan.
The color of the purest water captures the spirit.
The name of Sulu Ada is translated as “Water Island”. And he got this name for a reason. On the island of volcanic origin, in addition to wonderful bathing bays, there is a mineral spring with healing water. It is for her that residents of the surrounding villages and towns often come to the island. Local residents claim that those who regularly drink this water on an empty stomach will be able to get rid of diseases of the kidneys and intestines.
We, of course, also swam from our boat to the shore and got drunk from this source.
The boat trip takes several hours and a couple of stops for swimming.
We advise you to try to get on the boat first and steal the mattresses, because basking on sun loungers without mattresses will not be so comfortable.
During the trip, they are fed twice: fish plus pasta with salad and the second time tea and a piece of watermelon.
We therefore recommend bringing plenty of water and something to snack on.
When buying this tour, immediately check with the guide the number of passengers on the ship - it is better to settle for small boats.
Returning back to Kemer, we were looking forward to shopping on Attaturk Boulevard.
And then it turned out that on Fridays in Kemer there is an exit bazaar. The entire street in front of our Hotel was blocked and hung with tents, under which we seemed to be at home in Odessa at the 7 km industrial market.
Prices were indeed lower than in Kemer stores, and the quality was not higher than in the 7 km market.
After looking at the presented goods, in the form of, of course, the original T-shirts of the world's most famous brands, and leather bags that can scare robbers in a dark alley or at least arouse their compassion, we decided to direct our efforts to squander the saved money on purchases still in the shops of Kemer.
SHOPPING:
As we have already said, due to the lack of tourists in the previous quantities, the prices for all useful things in the form of souvenirs and other dust collectors have increased, but some mandatory attributes of any shopper in Turkey, like leather jackets, have become really cheaper.
Leather shoes, bags and jackets can be bargained at such low prices, sweet for the heart and wallet of a tourist, that we not only bought leather jackets and shoes for ourselves, but also brought them to friends and family, while conducting video conferences on a mobile phone - we arranged a photo session !
Prices for leather shoes are from 10 to 20 dollars. good quality. Handmade.
Leather jackets are about $100, you can bargain like us for $70.
Leather bags cost around $30.
And as usual, when buying two things in one store, for example, to a bag and a wallet, both things can be bought for $50.
Silver and gold have not fallen in price, as have products with sultanite.
Prices for sweets packages, like everything for $3, and coffee prices for $1 per bag, have remained at the old level.
The only thing that can be bought cheaper in Kemer's Carrefour supermarket, for example, a bag of coffee for 5.95 liras, which at a rate of 7 liras per dollar, will be cheaper than in stores on the boulevard.
You can also buy water or juices at the Carrefour supermarket during your vacation, which will be 1.5-2 times cheaper than buying on the way to the beach.
The Carrefour supermarket is located near the central square of Kemer with the White Tower towards the mountain (opposite side from the sea).
At the same time, the prices in Duty free at the Antalya airport upon departure pleased - discounts on almost everything from 30 to 50 percent. Therefore, each passenger on our plane back to Odessa was loaded on board with busy hands - each had a bag with purchases.
Returning back, with cold anguish we said goodbye to the warm, no, even hot water of the sea of the beaches of Kemer.
Although the sadness of parting with Turkey was a little brightened up by discounts in Duty free shops at Antalya airport and viewing photos while waiting before the flight.
We wish you all a wonderful holiday!
THANKS FOR RATED REVIEW!! !
