TURKEY - Kalkan, True Blue Boutique Hotel 4*
You may not even know the Turkish town of Kalkan, but you will, and here is a tip for accommodation
Address: True Blue Boutique Hotel, Kalkan, Begonvil Sk. No:25, Turkey
If you are looking for a place where peace, style and personal approach are combined, True Blue Boutique Hotel in Kalkan, Turkey is the ideal choice. This boutique hotel is located in the picturesque Kalamar Bay, where the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas meet, and offers an unforgettable experience for those looking for something special. The hotel interiors are modern, yet cozy, with an emphasis on details that create a pleasant atmosphere. Each room is carefully designed to provide maximum comfort and relaxation. The staff is also incredibly kind, always helpful, smiling, and the receptionist even helped me with my heavy suitcase up the stairs. If you arrive by car, you can park at the hotel for free, if you arrive in Dalaman, the hotel can also arrange transportation for you. I personally used Kiwitaxi and I rode like a queen, feel free to read my article about them. The driver is waiting for you at the airport with a sign, I got into a luxuriously decorated Mercedes van, I was offered refreshments, the driver even stopped at beautiful viewpoints along the way so I could take pictures, where do you get such service? And the price is very solid, considering that the ride took almost 2 hours. And I even have a discount on the transfer for you, click on the blue Kiwitaxi link above and read on.
The hotel also organizes trips to nearby towns. On their website you can find out what to see in Kalkan or where to go on a trip. And there is definitely something to see or experience here. You can also check out the complete offer clearly on my favorite trip search site GetYourGuide. And of course I will write it down for you.
Location
The hotel is located in a quiet part of Kalkan, within walking distance of the nearest beach, which is ideal for swimming and relaxation. The center of Kalkan, where you will find many restaurants, shops and historic houses, can be reached by a short car or taxi ride. The town is about 1.5 km away. Kalkan is said to have up to 300 sunny days a year, so there is no way the weather will not be good for you here! Even at the end of September, the sea is beautifully warm and during the day it is around 30 degrees.
Accommodation
You can choose from several different types of accommodation, namely suites, residences or villas. The good news is that you can stay here with your dog. You can also see the sea from the higher floors. There is free wifi with a good signal and air conditioning everywhere. Check-in is after 3 p.m., check-out by 11 a.m. An iron and ironing board can be borrowed from the reception on request. This hotel does not have accommodation suitable for the disabled, there are stairs everywhere. However, you can visit the other hotel of the same owners, namely Payava Hotel, which is wheelchair accessible.
Suites
There are 16 suites of four different types, with spacious balconies and bathrooms. This type of accommodation includes breakfast. The suites range from 35 to 45 square meters, from standard, to corner and sea-view to romantic. In addition to the bedroom, they also have a living room, are equipped with air conditioning, a mini fridge, a TV, a place to make coffee and tea, a work desk, and the bathroom has hotel cosmetics, a hairdryer, and towels.
Residences
If you prefer larger spaces, this type of accommodation might be more suitable for you. You can find residences in holiday homes of five different concepts. Dogs are also allowed here. In some types, breakfast is included in the price, in others you can buy it for 11 Euros per person. In the Garden Terrace Studio you can enjoy up to 50 square meters, there is a bedroom, living room, equipped kitchenette with refrigerator, terrace with hammock and seating furniture, air conditioning. Stone House Studios are 60 square meters and are modernly equipped. Everything is in one space, optically separated - bedroom, living room with desk and equipped kitchen. Two Bedroom Residence have two bedrooms, 65 m, and again a living room and fully equipped kitchen, as well as a bathroom. Stone House Family with Sea View are stone houses so typical of Kalkan architecture. You will find two bedrooms, living room, kitchen. Each bedroom has its own bathroom. 75 square meters. Terrace with sea view. The Cottage Apartment is designed as a summer house, 75 square meters, has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and since I lived here, I will describe it to you in complete detail.
Cottage apartment - bedroom with double bed, bedroom with 2 separate beds, living room with armchair, sofa bed, TV. There are air conditioning in the bedrooms and the living room, which is connected to the kitchen. The bathroom has a spacious shower, toilet, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, replenished daily. Vanity kit. There is also a hairdryer, towels, well-lit mirror, toilet paper, window with daylight, slippers. There are open wardrobes in the bedrooms, not too big, so don't take unnecessary things (another wardrobe is in the hallway). The kitchen is fully equipped for normal cooking - gas stove with extractor, refrigerator, freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, large basket, all utensils for both dining and cooking, electric kettle, toaster, cloth, sponge, jar, coffee dripper, microwave. It is great that cleaning is done here daily. Spacious terrace with table, chairs and drying rack. You won't miss anything here. And it's beautifully quiet in the evening.
Villas
Spacious 4 bedroom villas with jacuzzi, fireplace and terrace. 200 sq m. There are also bathrooms on both floors and a kitchen. Cleaning is done twice a week and the minimum stay is 5 nights. Otherwise you will find full facilities as in the residences above.
Food
Breakfasts here are really very varied. They are served from 8.30 - 11 am. You will find typical Turkish dishes, but also common European dishes, such as cereals, various types of milk, fruits, vegetables, juices, teas, coffee, salamis, cheeses, olives, honey, jams, eggs, yogurts, butter, nutella, various types of savory and sweet pastries, everyone will surely choose. And you can enjoy breakfast on the terrace planted with citrus trees and other greenery.
Another refreshment station is the pool bar. The snack bar is open from 11-16.30 and the pool bar from 9 a.m. to midnight. You can order fresh meals without substitutes such as salads, pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches, pasta, etc. If you get hungry later, right opposite the hotel there is a small, pleasant restaurant House kitchen and bar with a large terrace and a view of the sea, where they have salads, pasta, meat, pizza or even typical Turkish dishes. You can pay by card.
If you choose an apartment as your accommodation type, which has its own, fully equipped kitchen, you can cook for yourself. A small supermarket is about 300 m from the hotel.
Pool and beach
The hotel has a fairly large swimming pool surrounded by greenery, with towels (available at reception), sun loungers or canopy couches and a pool bar with nice seating in the shade of trees. The pool is open from April to November from 8 am to 8 pm.
The nearest beach is 250 m away. The beaches in Kalkan are almost all on rocks, so you will find a number of beach clubs on piers that offer sunbeds, umbrellas and refreshments. You pay for such clubs, but don't worry, the hotel has an agreement with Yali Beach Club and Restaurant (open from 8.30 to 18.30). You will get a free entry card at the hotel reception. However, it is 2 km away and Kalkan is very hilly, so I recommend having the reception call a taxi, and for about 200 Turkish liras they will take you there. The sea in Kalkan is wonderfully clean and clear, because there is no sand, but stones, just like in Croatia. However, the sea here is significantly warmer and much saltier. The club has very comfortable sunbeds in the style of bed mattresses, large umbrellas, changing rooms and a restaurant. You enter the sea by stairs, you don't need shoes.
If you don't want to take a taxi, you can go down the hill from the hotel to the Kulube beach club. It's cheap, the entrance cost 300 lira per person but don't expect any miracles. It's better to have your own towel, the sun loungers are dirty, it needs renovation. The entrance to the water was also quite bad, the ladder with its sprays was quite slippery in the water and should be submerged much lower. If you don't have the strength in your hands and legs to pull yourself up, it's hard to get out of the water yourself. Not suitable for children. But if you can ignore all this, the sea is beautiful. And a little further away is the Kalamar Beach Club, which I haven't been to. There are also public beaches in Kalkan in the city where you don't have to pay, but there are quite large pebbles there, so definitely bring water shoes and a padded sun lounger and your own umbrella.
Summary
Even though Kalkan is very mountainous, I have probably never seen such steep hills anywhere, and I admire all the drivers in this area, Kalkan is definitely worth a visit. This is not a typical destination for Czechs. We mainly go to the areas around Antalya, where it is hotel after hotel, music blares until two in the morning and you don't sleep for a week. There is also a sea with darker sand. Here the sea is completely different, clear like in Croatia, with a rocky bottom. The local beaches with turquoise water are famous. It is warm here even in autumn. The clientele is mainly British, and the prices correspond to this, so it is really not cheap here when it comes to restaurants and bars. You can pay by card almost everywhere, but I recommend having Turkish lira for taxi drivers (you can't pay by card). I was very satisfied with the accommodation, the people here are very nice, helpful, the apartment is spacious, fully equipped and even includes breakfast and daily cleaning. It's just a shame I couldn't stay here longer. So, will you try this unusual Turkish destination? I'd love to come back.
Thank you to the PR department of True Blue Kalkan Hotel for allowing me to visit this beautiful place and write this detailed article for you.
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