Spending money in Turkey

[Minnie_the_Minx]

do you think thats a lot? .. that was for 2 of us tho ... (I guess i missed that bit out .. sorry)

Not really, but a lot compared to what you'd probably spend in SEA (barring Singapore) eating locally

Going to Turkey was a bit of a shock to my system after going to Malaysia for the last 10 years

 

[Chairman Meow]

i think it varys where you eat .. when i visit Turkey i avoid the touristy restaurants, (who charge tourist prices) & eat where the locals eat, they are not hard to find, especially in places like Kusadasi & Bodrum.
The food is generally of a better standard & a huge amount cheaper.

I was in kusadasi last year (& every summer for about 6 years before that) & spent just over £200 for the week on food & drink. We ate out every evening & had a few Efes, lunch was generally a light snack / salad /pide so didnt cost more than a few Lira.

you can have a very good holiday for a reasonable amount of money, there are many bars that still sell alcohol at a decent price, avoid the bar street areas in both Bodrum & kusadasi, as they charge more for drinks than i pay here in England.

Thats very reassuring, I'm a bit old for bar street these days ( and sprog is a bit young for it).


I have idly considered going to SEA instead, but don't think it would be so child friendly? Any recommendations appreciated!

 

[miss direct]

Alcohol is kind of expensive in Turkey, especially wine or cocktails. If you don't drink, and eat Turkish food as opposed to in tourist restaurants, it's pretty cheap. Have fun.

 

[Chairman Meow]

Alcohol is kind of expensive in Turkey, especially wine or cocktails. If you don't drink, and eat Turkish food as opposed to in tourist restaurants, it's pretty cheap. Have fun.

I'm not going on holiday and not drinking, are you quite mad?

And what is 'quite expensive'? I know wine was always expensive in Turkey, I remember avoiding it last time I was there. So, how much is a beer /cocktail/meal for two? (ballpark will do) I suppose I should ask google. ANyone know any nice resturants in Kusadasi or Bodrum I can google?

I got a brochure for Croatia in the post this morning, so I'm wavering a bit. The pebbly beaches are putting me off though - can only fly to Dubrovnik too.

 

[Fad011]

theres a nice place in kusadasi opposite the marina
their website is http://www.dejazarwinebar.com/index.php
if you clikc on 'blog' there are examples of their menu with prices

when i was there last year, we drank the local beer 'efes' & were paying between 3-5YTL per bottle (Large bottle) obviously depending on where you drink.
most places have happy hours, or specials on cocktails, wine & spirits are expensive, thats why we stuck with beer, but the local beer is really nice.

there is a good website about kusadasi ... www.kusadasi.biz they havea forum with loads of info about recent prices, best places to eat where you can geta good meal for a decent price etc

 

[selamlar]

Its been bloody years since I had a decent holiday, and this is the first two week holiday abroad, somewhere hot for just the three of us. We're probably going to Turkey in late Aug / early Sept. How much money would you take? We want to have a really good time, we probably won't get another chance to have a holiday like this in years (or ever) and its being paid for out of our savings only because of my dad dying and leaving me some cash (which is all under probate). Anyway, no idea why I'm justifying myself but we want to have a bit of a blow out! We like to eat out at night, have a few drinks, maybe hire a jeep for a few days to explore,also go on a few trips and do a bit of shopping too. So how much cash should I take? We're going to be in a fairly nice hotel, but b&b only as I like to eat out and about.

And if anyone wants to tell me Turkey is a kip, fire away. I've been already and loved it. And there aren't many flights options from Cork.

Don't bother bringing currency with you, just draw from an ATM. As long as you draw big chunks irregularly, this works out the best. All resorts/cities/towns etc have compatible ATM's.

Up this end (considering that Mersin is def. the cheap end of the country) beer is 3-8 TL depending. You can get a snack type (i.e. kebap etc) meal from about 5 TL, but really the sky is the limit.

Personally I prefer Fetihye to Bodrum/Marmaris/Kusadasi (cough hellhole cough) as a destination. Up at the Oludeniz/Hisaronu end you have got all the bars/clubs you could want, and then there is the quieter stuff around Gocek, Dalyan etc with deserted beaches, forests etc.

 

[Chairman Meow]

Don't bother bringing currency with you, just draw from an ATM. As long as you draw big chunks irregularly, this works out the best. All resorts/cities/towns etc have compatible ATM's.

Up this end (considering that Mersin is def. the cheap end of the country) beer is 3-8 TL depending. You can get a snack type (i.e. kebap etc) meal from about 5 TL, but really the sky is the limit.

Personally I prefer Fetihye to Bodrum/Marmaris/Kusadasi (cough hellhole cough) as a destination. Up at the Oludeniz/Hisaronu end you have got all the bars/clubs you could want, and then there is the quieter stuff around Gocek, Dalyan etc with deserted beaches, forests etc.

Yes, I've been to Olu Deniz / Hisaronu / Fethiye and I agree its lovely. There are no flights from Cork though. I think we can only fly to Bodrum, or, err Bodrum.

I have not yet ruled out booking flights and accom myself as the choice in the travel agent is so limited. I canonly find one hotel for instance that is not 100% Irish. *shudders slightly* I have been frightened by reviews praising restaurants for their Dairygold butter and Denny's sausages, and terrified by hotels described as @Ballymun in the sun'.

 

[Fad011]

Personally I prefer Fetihye to Bodrum/Marmaris/Kusadasi (cough hellhole cough) as a destination. Up at the Oludeniz/Hisaronu end you have got all the bars/clubs you could want, and then there is the quieter stuff around Gocek, Dalyan etc with deserted beaches, forests etc.

i like kusadasi, but agree that parts of it (same as most touristy places) can be awful, bar street are is a hellhole, but there are some beautiful beaches , national park, & some nice bars that dont attract the 18-25 crowd. (I hated Marmaris tho, was like blackpool in the sun)

Booking flights & hotel seperatly at the moment is usually more expensive, the flights into Bodrum / Izmir are pricey at the mo, guess as more people are heading to Turkey, hotels can be booked cheaply tho, its just the flights that sting you.

if you dont want a hotel that will be primarily Irish, have a look at UK companies & get a cheap flight over from Cork to one of the UK airports & fly from here. I know that many of my irish friends have told me that the hotels they have the choice off are all Irish only (The ones in Kusadasi are owned by the same Irish guy, who seems to have his hands in many other tourist traps in town, boat trips etc) - i am always a bit shocked that so many irish people want to holiday with only irish people, surley one of the main reasons for going abroad is to mix with other nationalites & experience new cultures.

 

[Chairman Meow]

i like kusadasi, but agree that parts of it (same as most touristy places) can be awful, bar street are is a hellhole, but there are some beautiful beaches , national park, & some nice bars that dont attract the 18-25 crowd. (I hated Marmaris tho, was like blackpool in the sun)

Booking flights & hotel seperatly at the moment is usually more expensive, the flights into Bodrum / Izmir are pricey at the mo, guess as more people are heading to Turkey, hotels can be booked cheaply tho, its just the flights that sting you.

if you dont want a hotel that will be primarily Irish, have a look at UK companies & get a cheap flight over from Cork to one of the UK airports & fly from here. I know that many of my irish friends have told me that the hotels they have the choice off are all Irish only (The ones in Kusadasi are owned by the same Irish guy, who seems to have his hands in many other tourist traps in town, boat trips etc) - i am always a bit shocked that so many irish people want to holiday with only irish people, surley one of the main reasons for going abroad is to mix with other nationalites & experience new cultures.

Thanks for the response, really useful stuff. Glad to hear you think Kusadasi is nicer than Marmaris, we stayed in Icmeler nearby and thought it was lovely, but we weren't hugely impressed with Marmaris. We thought about getting flights from somewhere else, but its a bit of a faff really, and as we live virtually next door to Cork aiport it would be a shame not to make the most of the short connection at one end anyway, especially as we are traveling with a kid. I heard that about the Kusadasi hotels all being owned by the Glynns, but I have found one hotel in the Sunworld brochure that is more international ( Hotel Batihan) so am tempted to book that one. Ballymun in the sun is NOT what I'm after!

The travel agent told me that for the kind of holiday we want (direct flights, nice hotel and family friendly) our options are imited if we don't want Spain/majorca/lanzarote. She said it was pretty much either Turkey, Tunisia or Italy really. Or one hotel on Croatia, or long haul. But I'm not sure about long haul for a relaxing fortnight with a kid. I'm open to suggestions though!

My husband says I'm over analysing and we should just book Turkey but I quite like thinking over all the posibilities.

 

[Fad011]

the Batihan is a really nice hotel, the location is excellent, its on Long beach (which is beautiful) its about 15 mins from town by dolmus, far enough away from some of the madness, but close enough to go into the centrum is you want to.

not sure how old your child is, but there is a water park a few mins walk from the hotel.

the hotel is really popular with Dutch & Belgian familes, as well as British & Irish.

Apparently the food is pretty good in the hotel, & there are some nice bars & restaurants close by, so you dont have to go into the centrum for a night out

 

[Chairman Meow]

the Batihan is a really nice hotel, the location is excellent, its on Long beach (which is beautiful) its about 15 mins from town by dolmus, far enough away from some of the madness, but close enough to go into the centrum is you want to.

not sure how old your child is, but there is a water park a few mins walk from the hotel.

the hotel is really popular with Dutch & Belgian familes, as well as British & Irish.

Apparently the food is pretty good in the hotel, & there are some nice bars & restaurants close by, so you dont have to go into the centrum for a night out

Ohh thanks, that soulds ideal for us. Jude is eight, so a nearby waterpark would be aces! I'd love to be right on the beach, the only other hotel I quite fancied ( Palmin SUnset) is apparantly a climb down to the beach, so that was a bit offputting, also 100% irish clientele, So Looks its Batihan here we come, wahey! Your help is much appreciated!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Ohh thanks, that soulds ideal for us. Jude is eight, so a nearby waterpark would be aces! I'd love to be right on the beach, the only other hotel I quite fancied ( Palmin SUnset) is apparantly a climb down to the beach, so that was a bit offputting, also 100% irish clientele, So Looks its Batihan here we come, wahey! Your help is much appreciated!

South East Asians love children, especially if they're blonde

 

[Chairman Meow]

Hotel Batihan is booked and paid for today - hooray! We're off in ten weeks, can't bloody wait. I toyed with going long haul, but this looked easiest with a sprog. The hotel has three water slides, three pools AND a private bit of the beach and we have a room with a balcony and sea view and I am just BEYOND excited. It was 300 euro cheaper than the quote I got a few weeks ago too. Wheeeeeeeeee!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Hotel Batihan is booked and paid for today - hooray! We're off in ten weeks, can't bloody wait. I toyed with going long haul, but this looked easiest with a sprog. The hotel has three water slides, three pools AND a private bit of the beach and we have a room with a balcony and sea view and I am just BEYOND excited. It was 300 euro cheaper than the quote I got a few weeks ago too. Wheeeeeeeeee!

I hope your private bit of beach has a bit of space

 

[lilli]

I hated Marmaris, (near Bodrum, a tourist trap) we were on a fixed timeline and budget with honeymoon gift vouchers, the only thing that kept each of us sane were each other!! But tbh we like a quiet get away from it all holiday.

If you are in the area visit Dalyan a very quiet resort town with nearby mud baths and an awesome VERY quiet beach, where the locals holiday

 

[Chairman Meow]

I hope your private bit of beach has a bit of space

The beach we are on is called Long Beach and is apparantly 18km long, so I reckon there will be plenty of room.

Lilli, I've been to the mud baths at Dalyan before, it was great fun and a very nice boat trip. This time I want to go on a jeep safari (sprog will love the water fights), and we will definitely be going to Ephesus, I also like the sound of Sirince the wine village. I know Kusadasi is very big and busy, that's why we got a hotel a few miles out so we can dip in and out. We're also going to hire a jeep for a few days to explore. Excited!

 

[Chairman Meow]

Just got back last night and we had an absolute blast! Our hotel was fab, with three pools and waterslides, and we were also right on a glorious beach with loads of comfy sunloungers (and a very nice beach bar). We did loads of stuff, visited Ephesus which is incredible, two waterparks, saw dolphins, went on Jeep Safari in the National park (massive all day water fight, and brilliant fun!), went to a Turkish night and saw lots of bellydancers and whirling dervishes, went on a boat trip, hired a jeep and went up to Sirince to try the fruit wines, ate out every night, did lots of shopping and lots of lazing around - it was bloody marvellous! The weather was the best of all - mid 30 degrees the whole time but with a lovely sea breeze so it was never too hot. I'd go back to Turkey like a shot. Kusadasi isn't the prettiest resort I've been to but we loved it, as there was so much to do. And Turkey isn't as cheap as it was, but where is? Its still cheap though. Anyway, its a bit of a shocker coming back to a grey and cold Ireland, but needs must. Must start saving for next year!

 

[Gromit]

Glad you had a good time. Sounds like you packed a lot in which leaves me a little ashamed.

Turkey was one of the best holidays I've had but all we did for the whole two weeks was:

sleep
swim
eat
drink
chat and play cards with the locals

 

[Chairman Meow]

Glad you had a good time. Sounds like you packed a lot in which leaves me a little ashamed.

Turkey was one of the best holidays I've had but all we did for the whole two weeks was:

sleep
swim
eat
drink
chat and play cards with the locals

That's not an option when you have an eight year old boy in tow though ( unfortunately). We had a lot of down time though, we kind of alternated days doing stuff with lazy days so that worked well for all of us.

Its cold and raining today, my husband is in deep depression, and saying he wants beer for breakfast but its not the same here!

 

[clicker]

Welcome back....glad you had such a wonderful time!