I don't buy anything on that list The closest I'd come would be number 1, but I'd substitute coffee for tea

Kedi, it wasn't funny at the time, the bloke was trying to get me on a camel ride , and the missus though he was offering to buy me!! she was bartering like mad , trying to get a good price!!

Well I don't want to get into an argument about whether Turkey is good or bad, or even better or worse than other places - for me, Turkey is the only place I ever want to be (and yes, I have visited most other European resorts as well). It's horses for courses - each to their own and all that. I certainly wouldn't decry Spanish or other European resorts just 'cos I've had bad experience somewhere (and I have had some) - everybody wants something different out of their holiday and everybody has different expectations and experiences.

As somebody has already said, the more popular resorts in Turkey haven't opened for the season yet so how they know this year's prices is beyond me. Our friends who have bars and restaurants over there haven't begun to think about opening yet and certainly haven't set their prices already! Yes, there have been some tax rises in Turkey and yes, alcohol is more expensive over there than say some of the Spanish resorts - Turkey is a Muslim country (albeit secular) and alcohol is highly taxed.

I have certainly found such things as food and trips to be cheaper in Turkey. As for the hassle that has been mentioned, I found the hassle in Gran Canaria and Tenerife to be worse - and that was the English touts working over there!!

Having said that, I found Sanji's comments "You can keep Turkey because I wouldn't go back if you paid me, even if it was the cheapest place on earth, and I found that warm welcome was overbearing, false and slimey being pawed and unabe to look at anything for a second without them all over you" to be a harsh. We have made some genuine friends in Turkey who are far from false and slimy, I have never been pawed in Turkey (and surely I can't be the only one?) and when I am looking at anything and the shopkeeper comes over, I merely tell him I am just looking and don't have a problem.

As I say, I think it's unfair to compare any resort with another - each has its own merits and each appeals to different people. I'm glad that we don't all like the same place or else it would be hellishly crowded when we all went on holiday

JAK xx

i agree wirth you Jak , that we all want something different from our holidays , even though we didn't find Turkey " cheap " we made the most of our holiday , as we loved the scenery and i would go back to the country , only i would try a different resort . On another forum some people have compared the resort that i went to as Blackpool in the sun .......... while some love it and return year after year and like you have made lots of turkish friends i found it to be too commercialised and british for me ......... again each to their own .

I can only agree with Jakki - I'm blonde and I've never been "pawed" or harrassed in Turkey - and I've always found that a polite "no thanks, I'm just looking" works just fine when you're browsing in shops, etc. Also, like Jakki, I've experienced far more hassle from the timeshare touts in both mainland Spain and the Canaries than I ever have in Turkey. Perhaps it depends on which resort you go - but Turkey has a special charm of its own as far as I'm concerned, and much of that is down to the genuine warmth and friendliness I personally have experienced from its people. I also like to keep an open mind and find that what does make a difference is also down to how you treat people - a little politeness and respect goes a long way on both sides.

I too found Sanji's "false and slimey" comment rather harsh. I have many Turkish friends and family and none of them could ever be considered "false and slimey"

I have never been "pawed" either!

Maybe Sanji just had a bad time but it isn't really fair to comment on a whole country and a population on one bad experience.

To be fair I thought she'd only commented on her own experience!
As for the Cannaries I found it a bit like that too. It was fine where we were in Costa Teguise but as we walked down the coast a bit it seemed people would do whatever they could to get you into their camera shop. Just walking up to me and trying to shake my hand. Now I am polite but if I want to go in a camera shop I will. I don't need to be greeted everytime I walk past by someone saying 'Hello my friend, I have bargain for you inside shop' Just let me be. Now from lots of people who've been to turkey I am told by them that this is constantly going on in Turkey and it would drive me mad! Also they say because my wife is blonde and sexy (lucky me) then she would get hassled! Now if it was just one or two of my friends saying this then I might think it's just a one off but every single person I know who's been to Turkey said this happens. They do all however keep going back so it can't effect their holiday too much it's just I think it might effect mine!

Or is it affect? I don't know

I see I would only buy two items on the "basics" list - water and a cup of coffee!

I am no expert on Turkey having only been to Kalkan, but I don't recognise some of the comments about hassle and the attitude of the Turkish people as being anything close to what I experienced there.

I am very much looking forward to my trip to Dalyan later in the year, and one man's meat and all that.... even if it proves to be "expensive" (and that's all relative) I would choose Turkey over many other places I have been, but I understand that tastes differ and what suits some won't suit others. Each to their own!

Like I said "personal choice" and it's not harsh at all, that's how I feel about my holiday experience in Turkey based on the said experience, and I personally have no desire to repeat the experience.
It wouldn't do for us all to like the same thing, and it wouldn't be fair for people not to be allowed their opinion, after all we have a right to an opinion and you have the choice to be offended.
I can't see why my comment can cause so much attention, when another poster said "money grabbing, impolite to the point of insolent"
But, just to explain......I stayed in Icmeler and every time we walked past a bar, they came out linking their arm into mine or putting their arm around me, trying to get me to go into the bar for a drink, and when I said "no, we were going home" (hotel) they questioned my reason for refusing and soon lost their 'friendliness'.

When we went to Marmaris you couldn't look at anything or make eye contact before they were "all over you to buy".
We walked down through a bazaar and it was a case of eyes in front and just keep walking, and within the hour we both said "let's get the hell out of here" it was manic.
Actually, it was they who became offended at the word no.

Whilst sun bathing on the beach we had several young men who elbowed their way into our group (we went with another couple from York and their son, who we had met a few years before in Ibiza.) they were supposedly soldiers and they came cadging cigarettes, and when we thought giving them a cig might get rid of them, it didn't until we had to be rude.

fair I thought she'd only commented on her own experience!

Thank you Chivas.
Each to their own.

sanji wrote:

Like I said "personal choice" and it's not harsh at all, that's how I feel about my holiday experience in Turkey based on the said experience, and I personally have no desire to repeat the experience.
It wouldn't do for us all to like the same thing, and it wouldn't be fair for people not to be allowed their opinion, after all we have a right to an opinion and you have the choice to be offended.

Ok fair enough. I do think you must have had a much worse experience than most people who go to Turkey though.

Chivas, my experience, having lived in a Turkish resort is that women who are with a partner do not get hassle whatever their hair colour. Single women, especially if the are young, pretty and wearing skimpy outfits, will get lots of attention though, even more if they give attention back. Turkish men are super flirty with single women but they usually respect a married woman as long as she shows no interest in them. In all the time I lived there I never once experienced hassle from anyone.

it was a case of eyes in front and just keep walking, and within the hour we both said "let's get the hell out of here" it was manic.

Yes, I recognise that experience Sanji but hubby and I were almost running to avoid them. When we ventured down the street in Gumbet on the first night of our holiday, we couldn't go 4 paces without somebody accosting us to come into their bar/restaurant. Even when we said we'd eaten they wanted us to look at their menu for next time. Well to do this once- fair enough but we didn't come out to spend our whole evening looking at menus. They would follow us up the road when we said no, until the person in the next bar took over I said to Hubby, where the hell have we come to?

When we returned to the hotel we were telling other repeat guests of our experience and they said that's the way things were and we'd get used to it. The second night we were ready for them and rude or not we just ignored them after an initial hello. The good thing was that once we'd been there a couple of days we had peace as they were targetting the new arrivals. Despite this, we did get used to it and had a great holiday and we're returning to Turkey for our second time in August. I wonder if we'll get the same experience in Olu Deniz

we love Turkey but I can still recognise your experience too Sanji and we experienced the same in icmeler .Having to run the gauntlet of restaurant after restuarant along every given street wanting to show us their menu every single evening . Each one could see that the last one had been given a polite no thanks , we've already eaten but still they persisted . Things are different now I believe in that hassle is frowned upon and there are harsh penalties for those establishments that continue .

For the first few years we actually enjoyed it and we could get a whole weeks entertainment out of buying a watch and a handbag but i'm afraid it's worn off on us now . Hubby has grown to hate it now although I will admit some resorts are worse than others .

I wonder if we'll get the same experience in Olu Deniz

In our experience no shirley and what you do get seems to come more from the excursion sellers than restaurants. For some reason we dont have a problem with it in Olu because it's a smaller resort and not as heaving as some . Oxford street experience coupled with hassle definately doesnt agree with my hubby. . although last time we went to olu it didnt feel right without the hassle , you kind of felt ignored and that they had all been stripped of their personality . it takes a lot of restraint by a Turk to sit in his watch or handbag shop and let you browse while keeping his mouth firmly

I also have family from Turkey, one of them Having married a turkishman , lived there for over 20 years and run 2 very sucessful busineses in Kusadasi with her husband . She used to have nothing but kind words to say about their hospitality and friendliness but that feeling has evaporated over the years .Now she tells us to never believe a word they say .

Doesnt put me off going back though .

lyn

On another twist my wife also says she won't go to Greece because you have to put your loo paper in a bin? ( It too is too hot in summer?)

My only experience of Turkey is a holiday we took in Antalya in 2000. To say that I enjoyed the holiday would not be quite true. Yes the hotel was great - apart from the Thos Cook rep and I fixed him - the people we met were great. Friendly and helpful at all times when we went out and about.
But I found the way that the town had been ruined by the AI hotels upsetting. Bars and restaurants deserted. With the best will in the world you could not expect people who had paid for their food and drink already to ignore that and pay all over again.

In May we are to go to Turkey again. We will be interested to see if out impressions then are different.

fwh

Chivas69 wrote:

On another twist my wife also says she won't go to Greece because you have to put your loo paper in a bin? ( It too is too hot in summer?)

Tell her to buy some nappy sacks - problem solved!

On another twist my wife also says she won't go to Greece because you have to put your loo paper in a bin?

this also applies to Cyprus especially the older hotels, most of the more modern accommodation have a holding tank fitted with masserators
[like a king size blender] which blends the waste so it can then be pumped into the drainage system , but the same rule still applies [as it dose in the uk] Never put disposable nappies or female medical supplies down the loo

wizard

I'm blonde and I have never been "pawed" I must be going to the wrong places

I can imagine the hassle that used to happen putting people off from ever returning to Turkey but it seems now the shops,bars and restaurants are now shut down for 3 days if caught hassling tourists.
I have been going for 20 years and went to other countries in between and Turkey is where I prefer to spend my holidays now.
I walk around Icmeler on my own without any hassle from anyone and feel more comfortable here than many other places.
I have heard of muggings in some Spanish resorts and my nieces boyfriend was murdered on one of the Canary Islands a few years ago,so I will stick with Turkey.

Do you know, I read loads of holiday sites (sad I know but I enjoy it ) and is it just me or does Turkey create more comment than many other resorts? Maybe it's just one of those Marmite places - you either love it or hate it (I love it)!

JAK xx