MG & Rover - XPower Forums banner

Anyone been to Turkey recently ? Cost of living advice ?

9K views 38 replies 7 participants last post by  penfold118 
#1 ·
A bit random for xpf but I am heading to Turkey soon, near Olu Deniz /Hisaranou. I have never been to this part of the world before. I was wondering if someone has and could tell me the cost of living. We are staying self catering so will be eating out all the time. We are not sure as to how much money to take with us for are 2 wek trip. Any pointers or places to visit would be good.

Cheers Jez.
 
#2 ·
My daughter got married on the blue lagoon at Ole Deniz June last year. It is a fantastic place and quite reasonable to eat and drink out.Right on the sea front there is an italian restaurant, you will smell the garlic. Now we ate there most nights once we found it. Fantastic food !Hisaronou is up in the hills a bit from Ole Deniz but we only went through whilst being bused in and out but that looked great too. Ole Deniz is just a few streets really but loads going on. I can't remember the restaurant on the main street running down through there but it was fantastic. Two young lads got up on the bar each night break dancing etc. We had a great time there. The para gliders come down literaly over your head and land along the prom infront of you so be carefull. Only down side was mozzies. They put me on the sick when I got back as I couldn't get me trousers on for bites. Do not let the locals sell you their mozzie stuff made of lemon. IT ATTRACTS THE ******S! The hotels don't take cash you run a tab and sign for everything but you can normally pay off at anytime in reception. There is no beach at Hisoronou you have to go to Ole Deniz. Local beer is Effes which you can get in some of our supermarkets. Lovelly stuff too! Cigs were about £14 for 200. Gold is cheap and they will also make you a piece of gold if you want.
FANTASTIC. YOU WILL ENJOY. LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU GET BACK.
 
#3 ·
You will need £10 cash at the airport for each Turkish visa just to get into the country. If you don't have this you don't get it.
Go by bus (Dolmus) everywhere as it's mega cheap. They are minibuses.
I would recommend a trip to Fethiye, the bay and the fish market. Here you can pick your fish at the circular market and have a resturant within 10 feet of it, they cook it for you with extras. Very cheap nice meal and I recommend the fab sea bass.
A boat trim from Oludeniz visiting 6 islands costs about £5-£8 and you also get a fish diner. Book it from the beach.
I recommend the resturant on Oludeniz beach that has the plastic fat waiter on the front, thats the Italian Tcb 180 has mentioned, Bella something, excellent food. Can't recommend enough.
Dalyan is a good trip that's quite cheap. A boat trip visiting the cliff tombs, you get a meal and visit turtle beach also.
Horse riding to the 'Ghost Town' is very good and I would visit the Ghost Town for a day trip on the bus.
There are many trips you can go on and the 'reps' push hard for your custom.
The trouble with turkey now is that there are too many English tourists there, no offence intended btw.

Been a few times now and you will enjoy it
 
#5 ·
Some good tips, I had heard something about the visa but its good to no how strict it is ! Love fish, went to Cancal (sp) in Britany famed for its Oysters so will look for the fish restaurants.

No offence taken, we get every were :)

Jez
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the info. Staying here http://www.nicholas-heights.com/ I did a fair view microlight lessons (to the point of solo but cost to much £ ) so got a few flights booked with a British guy. I think that Italian restaurant has been mentioned on a few travel sites so will defo look out for that. Un-decided wether to rent a car or go on the paid trips ( I have heard you get dragged around shops on the trips rather than the place you booked to see ! ) so going to decide when we have a feel for the place

Jez
 
#6 · (Edited)
Dont book any trip till you get there, its much cheaper than you can imagine. I've been on many trips and have never been dragged around shops. I've never hired a car either as I didn't need it. All trips get picked up and dropped off from very near where you are staying.
 
#7 ·
That's the italian. Fantastic food. Don't be put off on the bus into the resort as you go through a couple of towns/vilages that look a bit down trodden. Boy, when you descend the hill into Ole Deniz things dont half change. Forget the reps as JT suggests. You'll find captain Donny Osmond on the front and like JT say's the trips are as cheap as.
 
#9 ·
Been to Turkey several times and also recommend it. Went to Egypt this year but I reckon I'll go back to Turkey next time.

All of the above is spot on. Prices were cheap to reasonable but are creeping up all the time and Turkey has one of the world's fastest growing economies.

Just remember to have a nice crisp tenner in each passport as you go through passport control for your visa. They won't accept torn/crap condition notes and don't give them anything other than a £10 note as they won't take kindly to it.

The Efes beer (lager) is the best I've had abroad. So much so that I buy it from the supermarkets over here whenever I can find it.
 
#10 ·
Just remember to have a nice crisp tenner in each passport as you go through passport control for your visa. They won't accept torn/crap condition notes and don't give them anything other than a £10 note as they won't take kindly to it.
Cheek isn't it. A £10 note to have your passport stamped and as you say they don't like other notes at all. No one tells you this when you book holidays in Turkey so you learn from other people.
 
#15 ·
That's one of the main reasons were going to Turkey. I have visited most of mainland europe and even the base cost of a holiday is getting more money and last year in Corfu we were spending serious money on living costs, average was 5 euros for a beer !

The 2 week holiday to Turkey with a few up-grades and a decent hotel has cost the same as 10 day's to Corfu in a average hotel ? !

Jez
 
#12 ·
Forgot to add. Most things you buy in Turkey are fakes. Clothing, watches you name it they fake it. You have the rubbish fakes, so so fakes and better quality fakes. They're very open about it.
I was looking at a watch in a shop and the shop owner said was this is a quality fake. I attempted to change the time on it and it fell apart in my hands lol. It was very funny at the time so I gave it back in bits. He then produced a briefcase from under the counter to show me the 'quality fakes'. Much better quality and I bought one cheaply. It still works after 3 years but the date calender goes up to 39 days instead of 31. Excellent stuff and a talking point when I wear it.
Don't ever buy any perfume though as all are rubbish.
 
  • Like
Reactions: penfold118
#19 · (Edited)
Lovely Olu Deniz
http://www.olu-deniz.co.uk/
http://www.oludenizbeach.com/
The best place to eat is on Olu Deniz beach and i've remembered it. BELLA GUSTOS.
From the main bus stop on the beach. Looking at the beach turn left and follow till you see the plastic fat waiter on the left just before the main high street. You will not be dissapointed.
Got I wish I was going with you, I love the place
 
#23 ·
Jez, you can't go in the pools at parmukale. There is a pool at the bottom, same water, that's in a hotels grounds that you can pay and go into. They don't tell you this.

It was a while back when we went , but the inlaws went to parmukale and we went to Ephesus and we had a far better day than they had. Even though we had to spend an hour on the way back in a leather factory trying to sell us leather jackets LOL.

Eating out was dirt cheap. You do get a bit of hassle to go in but sometimes they will haggle and you can get a good deal. We agreed to go to this restaurant at the other end of town if they gave it us for £5, all we could eat and if they would pick us up from our hotel. They did, gave us the phone number and came to pick us up bang on time in a very rusty VW Beetle. Brilliant.

As said don't go on boat trips with the reps, go down to the beach and book direct with the boat people. We had a full day 6 of us (and only us) on a small boat with a crew of 3 barbeque dinner included for around £20 for everyone.

All the bar staff, in any pub we visited, were very friendly. All helpful and spoke excellent english.

You'll have a great time. But before hiring a car, have a look how many dented local cars are driving around, you might change your mind.
 
#25 ·
Was going to book last week to Olu Deniz for next June, should have done it as it's just gone up £20 each due to the new taxes...........buggar
 
#28 ·
The mozzies were a problem for some folk but in the times I've been to Turkey I've never been bitten once that I know of.

I guess they don't like the taste of my blood. Either that or it's the fact I douse myself in Jungle Formula before I go out on an evening!
 
#30 ·
Well i'm about to book for next year to Olu Deniz....again. Can't stop myself as it's a fab place and the wife is paying this time.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top