What's Alanya like for hassle?

It's our first time to Turkey, we've been warned about them trying to get you into shops, bars etc, but reading through this topic i'm getting a bit worried.

Dont worry laura , just say a polite no and walk on ,dont let yourself be browbeaten into anything you dont want ,as i said away at the start of this topic turrkey virgins reading some of the comments on here will get worried ,just remember these are only individual opinions ,do your own thing and make up your own mind .I am sure you will enjoy turkey as the good points as far as i am concerned totally outweigh any bad points .Have a good one.

Bluepeterno1

i was in turkey for the 1st time last october, i didnt find i had any hassle or rudeness with the restaurants and bars whatso ever.. the only thing that scared me was the markets.. i felt everybody was pulling at me, i found it really scarey, and the £300 in my pocket to spend on pressies etc stayed in my pocket... during my week in marmaris i had often passed a shop that sold everything but never had any hassle to spend my money there.. but on my last day, thats exactly what i did.........
it hasnt put me off going back, as this october im going out there for 2 weeks with my 3 young daughters, but in all honesty, i can say i wont go near any markets

I have generally found the Turks to be very honest. Not all the people you see in markets are Turkish though even if they look like they are. It is prudent to be a little cautious.

If I had £300 (I wish - sigh....) in my pocket it would be held somewhere very safe. A smaller bundle of money, say £30, would be ready to spend. Pulling out a big wadge could be inviting trouble.

It saddens me to say that if I ever had anything nicked on the beach or by the pool I would suspect a fellow holiday maker, not the Turks.

Very true Ian B ,been going to turkey 2/3 times a year now for years , twice i have dropped my wallet in the market ,as i am partially sighted and the twice a turk ran after me and handed it to me , its happened twice at home ,and never got it back , makes you think .

Bluepeterno1

At the risk of going off topic, I must add my experience of Turkish honesty. Last year in Marmaris we were at Tiernas Irish Bar near the point centre. Our youngest daughter who is 7 was feeling tired so we got a taxi back to our apartment in Armutalan. When we got into the apartment I realised my camera had fallen out my pocket so I ran back down to the taxi rank. On the way, I realised my mobile phone had fallen out of my pocket as well. When I got back to the taxi rank at the point centre, I explained to the man sitting outside the little cabin what had happened. He got on the radio and five minutes later, the taxi I had been in was back and so was my camera and phone. I tried to reward the driver but he wouldn't have it and kissed me on both cheeks. I felt as if he was thanking me!!

As for the hassle, it doesn't bother me as long as it's good natured and I will stop and have a bit of banter with the hassler. However, if I don't want to go in I won't but sometimes promise I'll try and come another time during the holiday. The problem with that though is the Turks also have bloody good memories and the next time you walk past they remember you

They do, indeed, have good memories.

ian b.. im not suggesting for 1 minute that i felt i was going to be robbed, im just so claustrophobic that i couldnt cope with the markets... i would have been happy to spend my money at the bizarre if they had just left me alone to decide what i wanted to buy... i love turkey, and will keep going back!

Fact you do get hassle in Turkey, Deal with it, Or dont go it's as simple as that, Im a regular to these parts, I enjoy the hassle as part of the holiday, From every hairdresser asking you if you want a shave after you have clearly shaved the same day, To the many Market traders whom let you believe your buying things at 10 lira when you try and pay for them they ask 20 lira, It's part of the wonderfull experience of this country which is I believe a more friendlier enviroment than any other European destination, Consider this also, These people only work for 6 months of the year from May to October, We pay far less in Turkey for most things that we are likely to take home.

rwb exactly the way i see it and have said so from the very start of this disscussion ,but i was rubbished by certain people for saying so.

Bluepetrno1

I dont mind the friendly banter type hassle. Its the offensive and abstructive type of hassle.

I do see everyones points and understand them, its a case of personal preference here and everyones is different.

I agree with the enforcement that has been put in place to protect people against those who are rude, obstructive and arrogant.

One thing is for sure, even if the hassle remained the same as last year Id still be as excited as I am about going

Me to philmarcus off tomorrow morning.

Bluepeterno1

Thursday for me, I really need to start packing!

Enjoy your hols, the weather hasnt half picked up. Have a great time!

Thanks sme to you .regards

Bluepeterno1

Just got back this morning from Marmaris and I must say that the hassle from restaurants was down to a minimum. Apart from the beach front it was almost non existant. We did not go near the marina so can not comment on that area, We stayed very close to Bar X as we prefer that area. There was still plenty of "perfume and English cigarettes, you know how much" but the amount of places getting closed down for three days is getting the message accross.

In the eleven years we have been going to Marmaris this was the quietest we have seen it.

Jim.

RWB I second your comments totally. Fact, you do get hassled in Turkey likewise in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. If you don't like it, don't book the holiday. There are plenty of other places in the world just a nice as Turkey without the hassle. Why put yourself through it, if it makes you uncomfortable?
For me it's part of the holiday and the overall experience.

Laurence

I think it all depends on what people mean by hassle. Being asked to go into a resturant is all very well, but people grabbing you by the arm or swearing at you is more than hassle.

I'm glad the authorities in Turkey are taking it seriously, they obvioulsy see it as damaging their tourist industry and I guess they imagine that its a contributory factor as to why bookings are down.

Yes it's true people dont have to go there, but a 'put up or shut up' attitude isn't very helpful to either Brits who want to go there but enjoy an evening out without a load of grief or Turks who want to make their living there.

Turks have commented on this forum that hassle isn't part of their culture.

Well said doepsmc.

It's unfortunate that some first timers to Turkey are put off ever going again by some of this, in your face, hassle. As other have said, it's part of the whole experience for me now. It doesn't really bother me but I've been going to Turkey for about ten years now but it certainly used to until I learned to handle it. A fim but polite "no thank you" (even better in Turkish) is usually enough to stop it. There is a fine line between banter and hassle and a market or bazaar without the banter would be a dreary place indeed.

I'm probably more irritated by seemingly every trip somehow including yet another gold factory. This is very low key hassle and it is clear that the excursion and tour operators are on a "per head" commision to deliver punters to the darn places. I just tell the salespeople that I have no intention of buying anything from them and that I have been kidnapped on the way to somewhere else.