Staying in Kalkan

We are going to Turkey for our honeymoon in August. We can’t wait! We are planning on being in Kalkan on August 23rd and staying throughthe 26th (2007)….but I am having a little bit of trouble locating good (but relatively inexpensive) hotels/pensions/B&Bs in Kalkan where I can book over the internet or telephone. What has been happening is that I will email or call and they will tell me that I can only book through some overpriced booking agency in London….these agencies will only book package deals with flights included and 7-14 days stays….this is totally NOT what we are looking for. We just need 3 nights lodging in Kalkan at a reasonable price….does anoyone have any advice for me?

Many thanks in advance!

Alex
USA

My advice? Show up, look around, and find a place you like. We traveled the whole med coast last month and had no trouble finding reasonably priced accommodation anywhere. By reasonably priced, I mean in the order of 60-70 a night.

Agree with cochradi. Never book in advance. There will always be rooms. Why are we Americans so dead seat on booking ahead. It causes more problems than it solves.

I hear you...my concerns are that we'll be arriving by plane to Dalaman in the evening and then driving by car to Kalkan....if we arrive on time to Dalaman (at 7PM) we'll likely not arrive in Kalkan until around 10PM...you think we'll be able to find a decent place no problem at that time in the middle of high season?

thanks for the advice!

Are you stuck on Kalkan? There is a great place just to the west (ie towards Dalaman) called Patara, a very lovely and not overly touristed spot. If you like, I can tell you where we stayed - I am sure that they will have space available - if not, everywhere else will.

If you are stuck on Kalkan (which is nice, mind you, just over-Anglicized), then you may want to book a place to lower the stress level - but yes you could find a place.

I do not know of any places inside Kalkan but I know of a place, the Patara Prince, directly outside of the town. It might be a little pricey but it is really worth it. I generally disapprove of such "resorts" and prefer more central accomodations, however this one is very close to Kalkan and is beautiful. Because they are in the same cove, you can walk to Kalkan in about 15 min or take the shuttle bus (we go every evening to walk around and eat).

The hotel is set on a steep hill and you can dive straight into the waters beneath. If you enjoy swimming in the deep sea with fish below you, it is the perfect location. You can lounge on the rocks above and explore the secluded caves that are nearby. Can you tell I really love this place? We have traveled extensively in Turkey and this is my favorite place on the coast. Good luck!

http://www.pataraprince.com/index.asp<BR><BR>(note: while it is called the Patara Prince, it is not in Patara, it is considered to be in Kalkan.)

I believe in Turkey it is only necessary to book hotels in advance if you are seeking luxury or first class establishments.

Great thanks all for the advice....you've been helpful.........but what was that about the French Rugby Team??

Drive on a half-hour to Kas, and you'll be in a nicer place by far.

Islamlar in the hills above Kalkan, if you have a car. There's an English woman and her Turkish partner running a B & B place called Grapevine Cottage. It's a pretty litlle place with a number of trout restaurants and very quite a as you can imagine. Well placed for Patara beach, Saklikent, Tlos etc.

Hi

My wife, daughter and I stayed in the hotel Zinbad in Kalkan for four days this summer - the room was pleasant - small view of the sea - very clean, pleasant and the interior corridor walls decorated with rugs. Murat, the main receptionist, was very friendly and welcoming. Faisal cooked wonderful meals which we ate on the roof terrace overlooking the harhour and sea - the food was exceptional value (cost for the three of us at end!). Five different starters everyone night followed by a main course and fruit - fantastic value and very enjoyable.

Wonderful value, welcoiming staff - we will stay at the hotel again - if you haven't been to Kalkan before, you can pay £25 upwards for 2 'restaurant' measl...so the totla cost per night half board for the three of us was...£40.

If you want a pleasant stay at a pleasant hotel with exceptional value, consider the Zinbad ..and no, I am not related to the owners!!

Paul & family

Hey thanks a lot for the suggestion. Actually, we ended up staying at the Kulube Hotel (www.kulubehotel.com) and it was fabulous. Super nice staff, gorgeous location on the side of the sloping hill down to the sea, and exceptionally good service. I would recommend it to anyone!