Welcome back to a wonderful place!

Written: 19 september 2016
Travel time: 3 — 18 september 2016
Who does the author recommend the hotel to?: For a relaxing holiday; For families with children
Your rating of this hotel:
10.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms: 10.0
Service: 7.0
Cleanliness: 10.0
Food: 10.0
Amenities: 8.0
And hello again everyone! We returned to Dolphin this year, which we are happy about. If you tune in to rest in the private sector, when you are satisfied with a certain distance from the city, then Dolphin is a star, albeit without stars : )

Not enough on the South Coast of a more comfortable private sector, where the apartment has its own territory and a closed embankment with access to the sea, its own sun loungers on the beach, in general its own beach, sea-sea-sea is completely indecent nearby.

In order not to repeat some of the details, the 2014 trip report. You can look at http://www.turpravda.ua/uc/alushta/Ellingi__Delfin_-h20316-r152601.html (I wrote it a year later, while on vacation, in general the dates got confused, but time did not affect the main theses).

Everything else is better in order.

Background.

My first trips to the Crimea with my future wife (then I didn’t know that I would be so lucky later in a good way) were not associated with proximity to the sea, there was no need. Yalta, Alushta, simpler housing, closer parties, more beds and amenities.
Basically everything that was needed. We were looking for accommodation mainly on the advice of friends, or on our own upon arrival. The honeymoon was celebrated abroad, and then we pampered ourselves with foreign trips a couple of times, until there were more of us. Zhenulya is my athlete, she loves different smart books about nutrition, upbringing and the like (unsuccessfully and tries to get me hooked on them), so for the children they decided not to experiment yet and returned to the usual. And so it went, plus then we had a younger child. So for a long time we have not been pampering ourselves with trips to the sea to more comfortable conditions in foreign countries.

(you can discuss the topic of traveling abroad with very young children, but this is more a discussion for my wife, I tried, honestly).

The most weighty argument in favor of Crimea was the advice of doctors, one child had asthmatic attacks, and Crimea went very well.
From the age of two, they began to carry in June to the Crimea, in September to Zatoka.
After 2014 , they even thought that the baby had outgrown, however, having missed one year trip to the South Coast, some symptoms resumed this winter, so in the summer the decision was unequivocal that we would go, and if we go, then to our beloved Dolphin.

Planning.
There is no need to explain that now a number of additional organizational issues have arisen and the preparation has taken longer. From the inconvenient, this is the difficulty with payment (payments do not go through), but I used to order with children in advance, plus there was no guarantee how we would pass the checkpoints, all of a sudden it didn’t work out. Therefore, we decided to apply for housing where we did not doubt the result, we simply did not consider ads for “loners”. Initially, we doubted that an order without guarantees would be interesting, but everything turned out very conveniently.

People had a “window” in a good suite for 4 days, the price from this was great, and then they promised to help us choose the option already slowly for the rest of the period. The help of the hosts in some planning matters was invaluable, I did not expect such professionalism, a desire to help, just human attention, especially understanding the not special importance of such a controversial and small order as mine.

Road.
It is not so far for us to go to the Crimea, the question was at the checkpoints. Everything went off quickly, I didn’t even expect it, of course my wife is beautiful, my children are angels, and I have good gas and a good mood, but they could have tormented me longer. They didn’t particularly look at personal things, in June everyone was still not tired, so for the trip the most “IT”.
According to the advice that they gave me and were important, I’ll clarify for others, it may come in handy (although each time the situation is different):
- travel on an internal passport, although they took a tan.
- they took the birth certificate of the children with them, but it was not useful (it is clear that our kinders are without a passport)
- we didn’t take food at all and we don’t advise you to take risks, it’s strictly with this, also no cylinders and burners
- cheated on the water of food ....They took them...I just can't call it food. My wife took her tricky sports vitamins, supplements, and various smarts, for which she took a recommendation from a nutritionist with a seal that everything was shown to her for use, is not toxic, and does not require permits for transportation. The packages were closed without breaking the tightness. It didn’t come in handy, because we didn’t look, I think they would have allowed it, but we were ready to throw all this stuff away if problems arose. These are not all the moments, what quickly got into my head, but we talked a lot with the owners by mail with questions.

Hello, Crimea and Dolphin!
We now, as usual, went to the South Coast in June, in the second half.
We were met upon arrival, told in detail how it is more convenient to do this, since our telecom operators do not work in Crimea, we were without a mobile phone at all. Therefore, once again I was glad that I agreed in advance, and with those who needed it.

The accommodation option fully corresponded to the description, or even better. I have never been described in such detail in my life as here. For the first time I knew everything about housing where I was going. Before that, we rested in the 3rd line, there was a good kopeck piece, but much less. Now I came across a large option in the 2nd block, the layout and size are really cool, several balconies, bathrooms, a huge kitchen, good rooms, a bed with a snow-white mattress topper. In general, we did not expect, at such a price in Zatoka it was much worse and more expensive in the 100-meter zone. It is clear that sun loungers, barbecues, the beach were as expected, good WI-FI (very good, not like in hotels), several air conditioners, TVs, a washing machine.
Really clean and comfortable, the sea is also two steps away. For pretentious "elite" tourists, I will say that our linen was NOT white, natural, colored, clean, of good quality, ironed, but not white. Whoever has problems with this in their head - dosvidos to hotels, there is nothing to go to the private sector, so that later they can drive show-offs here.

From what upset, it is the need to move out of this boathouse after 4 days. Thanks more to Natalia Borisovna, who helped us a lot during these days, because the options at the caller and directly are two different worlds. We saw a lot of things, at least we didn’t see a boathouse better than Natalia Borisovna’s, but still we picked up the best option from her friends, also at a discount. While resting, we talked a lot with the hostess, I don’t know how, when faced with many boors, people manage to maintain such an attitude. Once again, thank you very much, both for the organization and for the accommodation! If everything goes well, then next year only to YOU!
We also looked at several other suites from the hostess, they are smaller, but no less good, so while there are four of us, smaller options will do, the main thing is that they are two-room.

Nutrition.
At this point, you don’t have to dwell too much, because those who go to the private sector with their own kitchen in a boathouse, away from the city, with a normal perception, it’s clear that people mostly cook for themselves. Therefore, I put 10 points in “nutrition”, I cook well, and very much. Especially fish on the grill and barbecue. And if you catch this fish yourself, then even now I am writing and my appetite is played out (but it’s impossible at night! ).
I love fishing very much, I made an agreement right in Dolphin with several owners, I went fishing once every 3 days. Sometimes more often, sometimes less often, because there are subtleties when it bites better.

There is a cafe in Dolphin, although outwardly primitive, but the seafood is good, and so, if necessary, we dropped by.
By the way, at the expense of prices, they are not encouraging, like in a cafe in the city. Here one tourist compared it with the Vstrecha restaurant, I don’t know how such things can be compared. The best restaurant in Alushta and a simple cafe outside the city, I don’t know. By the way, I didn’t like the risotto in the “Meeting” in Alushta, it didn’t taste like anything, and if you compare the rest of the dishes with my hometown in restaurants, nothing special at all, maybe for Alushta, yes. I didn’t try everything, I was in the “Meeting” a couple of times, but I don’t remember the “aesthetic delight”.

If milk is important to anyone, this is of course a bad situation. I don’t know how it is possible to sell such terrible kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream in stores. I haven't eaten such filth before, tried different brands, in all supermarkets - filth. For us, milk in nutrition is very important, so we suffered.
A couple of times, on the advice of Natalia Borisovna, I managed to buy homemade milk from a private trader, he brings “his own” to Dolphin, it’s a pity not often and a little. Here, good cottage cheese came out of it, and cereals made with milk are really tasty.
For lovers of sausages, there is also little quality, I secretly bought a more expensive boiled boiled meat from my wife (I wanted okroshki), because it’s toilet paper, it has spread in layers, albeit at the price of balyk or jamon at our place. In the end, they did it with chicken breast - I advise (and healthier and tastier).
Meat was taken for a barbecue at a bazaar in the city (prices, although 2-3 times higher than ours, but what to do), brisket and chicken are more adequate in price, they were bought mainly in supermarkets.

Rest.
This time we checked out the topmost tier of the solarium in Dolphin for ourselves. After Zatoka, I really missed the views of the South Coast, they are gorgeous!

The view solarium is comfortably located, this year they also made a canopy on it, so it’s romantic, there are no people at all, just like the master was resting. I don't see a problem with the beach in Dolphin since there isn't one. Everyone has their own sun loungers, there are not so many people, the solarium was almost empty all our vacation, all the tiers are almost empty. There were always places on the pebbles too. Of course, there are more people than it was in 2014, but we were comfortable, because of this, excursions worked right at the base. On the advice of the hostess, we went on a Jeep safari. Previously, I associated it with extreme trips, which is unnecessary with children, but it turned out to be completely different, we were carefully driven around beautiful places, the children were delighted and so were we.

At the end of June, free trampolines were installed and the playground was made, so the children liked it.
Since the main idea was to help the doctors "turn out to be right" that the local climate helps the little guy from asthma, we walked along the embankment in the Dolphin in the evenings. The children were furious for 2-3 hours before going to bed (my first-line sympathy). Sometimes they took wine with them to the sun loungers, and looking after their "molecules" drank a little. Well, at least my wife accepts wine in small quantities, it’s a pity that many good points in Crimea have closed. They also practiced walking up into the forest above the Dolphin. No need to think that there are comfortable gentle paths, but still not a dirty city with cars, but a coniferous forest. We found many places that people arrange for barbecue gatherings, but we only walked so that the little ones could breathe more. There are also houses hidden from the eyes of strangers, so it was interesting to climb, it's a pity if they build up sometime.

Housing.
There is a section of especially “gifted” tourists, who in August want to rent economy for four, so that they have super conditions there. I already wrote earlier that the greedy pays twice, and someone always pays. There are still smart people who rent gazebos here, what to take from them. According to my observations, there are large boathouses in Dolphin that are very economical, old and sad. So the price of this is different. However, housekeepers are mainly called the very first floors, "garages" among the people. There are a number of dealers who even call them suites. So if you see in the photo one room in which the kitchen and amenities are at once, and this is the whole room, then this is not a suite. It doesn’t mean that economy is bad, it’s just not luxury, that’s all, economy vacation has its drawbacks.


This year, foreign contracts went into our company and the family budget grew, so we did not consider the economy, but we need to think why one is cheaper than the other.
The beginning of the season is optimal for us, the greenery is still fresh, and the air is cleaner and the sea, and the price pleases. So the problems of vacationers during the peak season do not particularly concern us, it is better to go on vacation in June and September (that is, twice) than once for this budget in August.
We do just that, it’s a pity last year we went only in September, but then it was more difficult with finances.

Let's get back to economics.
For two, maybe three, it’s not so bad to save money, for example, a mother with a child, or a grandmother with grandchildren for the whole summer, luxury will be expensive. And so you get the seashore, kitchen, amenities, air conditioner, TV box, beach at your side for an adequate price. Just do not need in this case to draw pictures for yourself super-duper luxury. Or then pay more money. Of course, I personally will not take my wife to such an economy, but there was an idea to send my grandmother with one child to stay longer (oh, if she agreed, damn it ... ), then I am considering such an economy.
Why not, it’s better to let them rest not for 2 weeks, but for 4.


We looked at the housekeepers in several buildings, the smallest were in the first line, there wasn’t even a closet, it didn’t fit, but for mine it was a feature. I don’t need it, why are swimming trunks with shorts there, but everything is important for my wife on the shelves, plus there are her jars with all sorts of useful things forever. In the second line, too, they did not see large options for housekeepers, the most optimal are the 3rd line (there are extensions more often), and the 4th. So I will surprise some of the “elite Victorias” here, that only in the 4th one came across such high ceilings, two sofas and a wardrobe climbed into the rooms, which was never observed in the housekeepers below. At best, a sofa and an armchair, a hanger is still small, that's all the housing. In general, the size of housing will be related to the size of the wallet, as well as its quality. I prefer to relax with my wife only in two-room apartments, on vacation the children should be separately, so the low season has been my friend for many years.
Stupid Tourist Syndrome, or Derevtsova's Syndrome.
I wrote a lot in my first review about what Dolphin is, but then there are still smart people who scream about the need for them to have a large selection of cafes, the city center, call these boathouses hotels, they see administrators here (who do not exist), go to Dolphin at this, then they get upset and say that they “read the reviews”. They didn’t read anything, even if they didn’t understand what kind of place it was, and that they didn’t have to go to the private sector for service. Once again I confirm that it is important for us personally in the rest to be close to the sea, its cleanliness, it is important to cook ourselves, good living conditions and affordability. This year in June, our vacation in the Crimea (in terms of paying for accommodation) was no more expensive than in September in Zatoka, only the conditions in Dolphin are better (we don’t take economy).
If you need especially elite service on the seashore, white beds, bonnets - dressing gowns, then multiply the price by 2, and if you are 4-6 people, then by 3 - 4 and go to another place, "Hellas", or the like. I also agree with other opinions here that go higher from the sea, to the hills - so that it is cheaper and better. And so that it’s cheap at the peak of the season, spacious and of high quality with the sea under your nose - well, it doesn’t happen, at least in the Crimean resorts, and in Zatoka too.
We are small “grow up, get stronger”, then hello far abroad at last! In the meantime, it’s not bad, we don’t complain, we just think well before we go somewhere.

P. S. It’s a pity I found few photos, I just didn’t take them with me, they were so accidentally lying around. Here it is June 2016. How fast time flies, ahhhh.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original