Kalkan…a Turkish delight
Kalkan has been on our wish list for a few years, and after a few diversions such as winning a stay at a beautiful hotel in Cyprus, enjoying black tie elegance on the Queen Mary 2 and making a splash on a sailing holiday on a Greek island, we finally made it! We stayed in a boutique hotel within walking distance of the centre of picturesque Kalkan, with all its shops, bars and restaurants jostling side by side.
GETTING INTO THE HOLIDAY MOOD FAST
To ensure a nice relaxing start to our holiday, we stayed at an airport hotel the night before, and also booked ‘meet & greet’ for the car. After a lovely meal, we went to bed, to find it one of the most comfortable beds ever. We had an early start to catch our flight – however, we awoke completely refreshed. We flew from Gatwick and found check-in and security was surprisingly stress-free. I'd also booked us into the airport lounge, and it was great to relax there, having breakfast and reading the papers before our flight was called. Leaving the wet weather behind, we arrived at Dalaman airport to lovely sunshine. Our private transfer whisked us off to our hotel, where we were warmly welcomed.
KALKAN...BY DAY
This holiday was for pure relaxation and sunshine, so we did not want to have a busy schedule. We’d picked out a few things we wanted to do and booked them in advance – otherwise, we just took each day as it came – perfect.
We enjoyed having our own plunge pool, with its lovely view. It was great way to start the day with a brisk dip before breakfast. Breakfast was all the better for having more wonderful views from the restaurant. Then we relaxed by the pool, with the occasional dip in one of the hotel’s two pools.
Kalkan has a number of beach clubs; there was one within walking distance of our hotel, which we visited one day, and other beach clubs are reached by water taxi from the harbour. They are set into the bottom of the mountain side, and you can sunbathe, swim and enjoy a meal there. Some offer watersports as well.
If you prefer beaches, there are a number to choose from. Kalkan's small white pebble beach is very popular and in the evening you can watch the boats returning to the harbour. The others are Patara beach (with its turtle breeding ground) and Kaputas beach, each offering different experiences and facilities.
We had lunch several times at the hotel which was very enjoyable and enabled us to retreat to our sunbeds and books afterwards for more relaxation and sunshine. To ring the changes, walk down the winding cobbled streets to one of the harbour restaurants – you can enjoy a drink on one of the big sofas first and then have lunch by the water. Keep an eye out for turtles!
One excursion we’d pre-booked was a day cruise on a gulet (a traditional Turkish wooden sailing boat). It was great fun, with spectacular views, lovely people, plenty of room (just 5 couples on board), and a very nice lunch. Our captain moored the boat off various islands, and left us to enjoy the crystal clear waters to cool down. There were steps down from the boat for those not keen on diving off and some flotation devices if needed. We heard good feedback about a few more excursions which we’ll try next time.
I also went off for a Turkish shave – highly recommended, even if I did look like Steptoe for a few days beforehand. On Thursdays, there is a market to visit, with local farmers selling fruit, vegetables, cheeses and honey.
KALKAN...BY NIGHT
As we walked down from the hotel to the centre each evening, it was wonderful to see all the lights of Kalkan. We never got over how pretty it was. After the first evening, we learned about a short cut which meant we could avoid going down one rather vertiginous road… and even more importantly, avoid returning up it.
Before we left the UK, I had arranged dinner reservations in 4 restaurants with great reviews, to ensure we did not miss out. For the other nights, we just ate wherever took our fancy.
The many restaurants range from fine dining and traditional dining to pizzas and meatballs, from locations tucked away in back streets or by the harbour, to on the rooftops or on a terrace, and we had a great time every evening. It was fun to go for a pre-dinner drink at one of the bars lining the streets, providing a great vantage point to people-watch.
It’s often not known that Turkey is a wine producing country. Having said that, we tended to drink the house red and there was only one restaurant where we didn't like it. For the rest of the time, it was absolutely fine. I enjoyed the local beer too. Of the 4 restaurants I’d pre-booked, one gave us fine rooftop dining & the most fun service, another gave us fine dining in a waterfront location and the remaining ones gave us fine dining and fine service. We always ended up chatting to the diners next to us, swopping feedback on hotels, restaurants and excursions.
The shops are open until very late, and it was good to be able to browse the shops after dinner – you can buy just about everything – from real Turkish delight to high-end leather goods. Some jewellery shops were advertising "real fakes", so at least you knew what the deal was! We found a nice bar with live music on the way back to the hotel, which provided a relaxing end to the evening.
Like we do wherever we go, we tried out every day phrases in the local language. We probably sounded like Officer Crabtree from “‘Allo ‘Allo” to the locals – “God moaning” - however, the locals did seem to appreciate our efforts.
Many people we talked to had visited Kalkan before, and I can fully understand why they return time and time again. There’s a great buzz to the place, it’s classy, welcoming and set in stunning scenery. I’m sure we’ll be back.
I’ve got lots of hints, tips and excellent contacts, so if you’re thinking you’d like to visit Kalkan, please do call me on 020 3432 2510.