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Report on a trip to Alanya, hotel Dolphin Botanik (02.05. 2013-11.05. 2013)
When writing the report, I pursued 2 goals. The main thing was to make such a report, which I lacked when preparing for the trip. Where it would be described in as much detail as possible - what, where, when, how much and how. Guess not everyone goes to the hotel 10 times. And my information will come in handy. That is, 1 goal is something like a guide. The second goal I set was simply to cover our trip. I have tried to group my report by function. Each group will be graded on a 5 point scale. If my report seems long to someone, don't read it. But, as a sign of respect for my week's work, refrain from empty comments. I will add a photo to the report. But I won't link the video here. I'll put it up on youtube soon.
So, let's begin.
About weather.
We were lucky with the weather. During the day it was usually around 29 degrees. The sea warmed up to 21 degrees. It rained only on the penultimate and last day of rest.
The winds were constant, but not strong. Especially considering the closed territory of Botanica. I rate the weather at 5-.
About the reception
So, we arrived at 7 am local time, arrived at the hotel. On the hand of each porter put on a special bracelet. [URL= http://imageshack. us/photo/my-images/401/040513140030.jpg/][IMG] http://img401. imageshack. us/img401/96/040513140030.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Now we could be recognized as vacationers at the Dolphin Botanic Hotel. At the hour of our arrival, there were few departing/arriving people. We were served right away. The suitcase was left outside, where the bus stopped. We were asked to fill out a questionnaire. At the reception there is one employee who speaks good Russian. The other speaks good German. The rest understand a little this way and that, but they can't speak.
After the questionnaire, we were sent to eat. Among the hotel staff there are well-speaking Russian. We learned from them where the central restaurant is located. There, at the reception, you can leave a request for an a la carte restaurant. This is a chain of specialized restaurants.
There food is free, but by appointment. We never got together for a la carte. Yes, and there was no need for this.
At the reception and only there is wi-fi. The room number and last name of the vacationer are used as the name and password. WiFi transmitter is not strong. The speed is acceptable. I never got around to using skype. But I looked at the mail and sent photos daily.
There are telephones in the reception area. On the day of arrival and departure there are also electronic safes where you can put money and documents. Check-in and check-out is at 12 noon local time. Turkish time is 3 hours behind Ufa time.
In the large hall at the reception there is a restaurant and a lot of cozy leather armchairs. There is a shopping center one floor below the reception. Photo There is also a doctor and paid Internet with computers and old "tubular" monitors. We have never used their services.
Next to the main building (where the reception is located) a new hotel is being built. I had not read about this in any of the forums before our trip.
Rating - 5.
About vacationers
More than half were Germans. The young ones among them can be counted on the fingers. Pretty quickly we learned to recognize them in the crowd. Next came the Russians, then the Ukrainians. The rest were a small percentage. The Germans are quite loud. They go in flocks. Age - for 55-65 years. Usually older couples. Sometimes you feel like you are in a retirement sanatorium. But, it's better than drunk / scolding / swearing compatriots. a photo
About Botanica
The territory of Botanica is large - 9.000 square meters. ([URL= http://imageshack. us/photo/my-images/571/100513134018.jpg/][IMG] http://img571. imageshack. us/img571/7301/100513134018.jpg[/IMG][ /URL]) After a short check-in at the reception, we got into the inner territory of the hotel. At first, everything seemed very confusing.
But soon we figured out where the dining room is, where they give out a towel, where the pools are, where the children's slides are and, most importantly, where the sea is. The hotel area is really amazing with a variety of different tree species. Most have signs - what is the name of the tree. All walkways are covered with marble tiles. In dry weather, walking on such tiles is a pleasure. When it rains, it becomes slippery. This is what we felt during the last two days of our stay at Dolphin Botanica. In the evening, almost all lawn plantings are watered. A flock of guinea fowl is constantly moving around the hotel. A special house was built for them. Photographers constantly walk along the central alley that goes to the sea. They offer paid photo sessions.
Photographers have their own photo corner where they hang samples of their work.
In sunny weather, it is very good to walk along the paths of the Botanica Park, as they are in the shade.
What struck us the most upon arrival at the hotel was the presence of a construction site next to the central building of Botanica. (photo) From morning to evening, the sound of a hammer drill, trucks and an excavator is heard.
To be honest, I didn't expect this. In the forums, no one wrote about it. In the attached photos, I displayed the location of the construction site. Please keep this in mind when you move in. Don't waste 10 bucks. You can look in any maps like Yandex or Google - where there is an empty area next to the central building - there is construction going on. The whole building has been built. Now interior finishing work is underway. Landscape work is also underway. It is best to take rooms overlooking the pool. Less noise.
At first we were given a room on the first floor in Archidea. People constantly walk past him along the path. This room is also next to the elevator.
Therefore, we immediately took certain actions and got a room on the fifth floor in the Palma building. Marked with a yellow circle. (a photo)
The noise, of course, was small, but they no longer paid attention to it. After all, most of the time we spent either in the pool, or in a restaurant, or on the beach.
For small children, the pool, which is located next to the central restaurant, is better suited. (a photo). Rather, there is a pool. One for small children. Its depth is 0.4 meters. There is also a pool for adults. Maximum depth 1.6m, minimum depth 1.2m. There is also a jacuzzi where elderly Germans love to caress.
A little further (towards the sea) there is a second pool. It's called Silent. This pool is for lovers of silence. It is forbidden to make noise, walk with air mattresses, circles and other watercraft. We only swam in this pool once. I can't say anything about him in detail.
Finally, the busiest pool is the one next to the children's slides. Actually, there are three pools. Two pools are designed exclusively for sliding down the slides. The third large swimming pool. Around this pool are the most sunbeds. The youth prevail there. This pool is the closest to the sea.
There is a beach restaurant next to it. There you can take drinks or food for free. The beach restaurant has a bartender. At will, he will pour any drink or make a mix.
In the heat, you can always hide under umbrellas. From time to time, waiters scurry between the sunbeds, who ask what to bring. The water in all pools is clean, slightly chlorinated.
Those who like to fry in the sun lie in the open air. Those who love the shade will always find a place under the trees.
Next to the slides there is a children's room.
There are only 4 slides next to this pool. I was told that these are outdated slides. There is also a block of more modern slides.
They have more exit speed due to a newer and more modern coating. The second block of slides is located next to the children's attractions. It almost adjoins the building under construction, which I spoke about earlier. I've skied both old and new slides. New ones need to rise higher. I didn't like it. The speed of descent is really higher there. There is a yellow slide with turns. The spirit is captivating.
Let's go back to the old hills. I highly recommend the yellow hill with turns. In addition, it is breathtaking when you slide down, or rather, you fly off the green slide (in the form of a pipe).
There is no division into adults and children's slides. Therefore, both adults and children can ride down the hill.
In the evenings we ran to the children's attractions. First on the first ride on typewriters. Having ridden three times, they ran to the Ferris wheel. From it you can clearly see both the territory of Botanica and the neighboring hotel Makarnas.
It is a pity that the attraction does not work for long, only until nine in the evening. And it starts at 7:30 pm. For animation lovers, there is an Arena where professional animators are engaged in children and adults.
After nine in the evening, visiting artists enter there or competitions are held. For those who like to hang out there is a night club. It is in a closed area. Music doesn't bother anyone.
Also in the evening near the Arena you can get popkorn, take various drinks and air cotton.
Slides work in the morning until 12 o'clock, then 1 hour break and work again.
I would especially like to mention the woman who keeps order on the slides. Her name is Natasha. She speaks excellent Russian. She is from Moldova. He is a very open and kind person. We clarified a lot of questions from her. She will always advise. Too bad they forgot to take a picture with her.
It is better to judge how picturesque the territory is from photographs (photo)
Now a little about towels.
When you check in at the reception, you give a deposit at the rate of one beach card equals one dollar. (photo) Instead, they issue a receipt along with a card. Thus, always on hand or a card or a beach towel.
Summing up the territory of the hotel, we can advise you to ask for a room in the Palma building overlooking the pool. And no lower than the third floor.
I forgot to mention the table tennis court. There are always good rackets and normal good balls.
Rating - 5- (due to construction).
About the beach.
The beach has two levels. (photo) Bali's houses are on the upper level. These are small verandas. You can sit or lie inside. They are occupied in the morning and all day. On the lower level there are sunbeds under stationary awnings. There are mattresses on the beds. On these mattresses we threw our beach towels. Three rows of sunbeds and then the sea. If you wish, you can lie on the pier. Large mattresses and pillows are brought there every morning.
On the pier there are four stairs for descending into the sea. It is very convenient to go down these ladders when the sea is rough. Because some kind of mud or oil film floats near the shore.
The beach is pebbly. photo Pebbles are smaller than our Black Sea coast. Just going into the sea, you feel the sand.
If you put on glasses or a mask, you can see that this sand goes further into the depths of the sea. The water is clear, the temperature varied between 20 and 21 degrees. The pool water is 25 degrees.
The swimming area is fenced with buoys. There are always lifeguards on the beach. If you wish, you can pay a ride on a parachute or on a banana. Such skiing is available only in neighboring hotels. On a parachute one person costs 40 liras, two 60 liras, three together - 80 liras. a photo
When leaving the beach, it is convenient to wash off the sea water and fine sand from your feet with a shower. In addition, there are changing cabins. Here on the beach you can always drink juice or drinks.
For those who understand - the beach has a blue flag. This symbol of quality has been awarded for 2012-2013.
Rating - solid 5.
Briefly about Teztour hotel guides.
Now I want to say a few words about Teztour's hotel guides.
When we were taken to the Botanic Hotel, the meeting guide painted the hotel guides as our best friends. Actually, it was a little different. Of course, the guides are forced to smile. They give out all the necessary information. But, no more. To all my questions, how to get to Waikiki in Alanya or a similar store selling things, they answered the following: You tell me what topic you are interested in, we will determine for ourselves where we will take you for free. But, it won't be Waikiki.
Everywhere one feels interest in certain baited outlets. Our guides were from the series: every word is gold. Moreover, the youngest of them was usually silent. You ask - one-syllable answers. You clarify the question - again one-syllable answers, and so on.
He pulled out the answer to each of his questions with ticks. I did not feel a normal human relationship. Although, formally, there is nothing to complain about. They are always on site (according to the approved schedule of presence at the reception).
I rate the work of Teztour hotel guides as weak 3.
About nutrition
Meals in Botanica are organized perfectly. This includes lunches, breakfasts, dinners in the main restaurant, free meals in various additional restaurants. In addition, the minibar in our room was replenished daily. The minibar consisted of two bottles of Ephesus beer, two bottles of Coca-Cola, two bottles of plain water and two bottles of mineral water. In addition, an analogue of our Snickers and salted nuts were added to the mini bar daily. a photo
There was less meat in the morning than in the afternoon or evening. But in the morning there were various cereals. Personally, every morning I took an omelette, which was cooked right in front of me. The technology of preparation is as follows.
The cook pours a ladle of the prepared solution onto a hot frying pan. The pan is on an open fire. After a few seconds, the omelet is thrown into the air, flips over in the air and falls back into the pan. Then I show the chef what to put from the filler (mix, chopped tomatoes or cheese). The chef takes the right ingredients with tongs and puts them on top of the omelette. Then in a tricky way it is thrown up and the omelet is folded in half like an envelope. All stuffing is inside. After a while, one side of the omelet is ready. The cook tosses the envelope gracefully into the air. The other side of the omelette begins to fry. I stand at the counter with an empty plate and wait ~2 minutes.
Plates, cups, spoons, glasses are duplicated in various places of the restaurant. I will say right away that we did not sign up for any of the a la carte restaurants. Therefore, I am only talking about an affordable restaurant for everyone.
It seemed to me that this part is dominated by the Russian-speaking population. The quality and quantity of food is beyond praise.
The service is a little different. The Turks love the Germans more than us. In any case, they come up to them more often to ask what to bring. When the wife spoke to them in Turkish (a few words), they liked it very much and they began to pay attention to us. But the waiters "suffer from forgetfulness. " You ask them to bring Red Wine or White Wine. They say yes yes now. You sit, you sit, you wait. In the end, you go to the counter yourself and ask for the right drinks to be poured for you. You can take wines, champagne, juices or teas. At lunch, freshly squeezed orange juice, half diluted with water, is placed near the entrance.
My daughter and I were especially delighted with fresh large strawberries. My wife really liked stewed zucchini.
Of particular note are sweets. You just can't get past them.
These are cakes, and cookies, and various pastries, and fillings.
On the large open area of the restaurant, you can take freshly fried fish or pieces of meat / turkey, or pita bread, or pizza.
A well-thought-out system of awnings allows you to create a shadow over the tables in any sunny weather. If the table has just been vacated, you call the waiter and ask to set the required number of people. At the time of our visit to Botanica, the number of working waiters and bartenders was 150. For this block, I put five out of five.
About the room
We lived in the Palm building. I marked it with a yellow circle in the photo. On the fifth floor. The windows overlooked the pool. There was no noise as the distance to the pool was decent. The room was not heated by the sun. The room had a single bed and a double bed. The building has a centralized air conditioning system. The air conditioner is located under the ceiling around the entire perimeter of the room.
Through small nozzles, air enters the room. The temperature is regulated by users from ten to thirty degrees. There are three blowing speeds.
The wardrobe consists of several sections. There is an electronic safe inside the cabinet. The photo shows that it is small. We kept our documents and money in it. The room has a minibar. This is a mini fridge. There is a small balcony with two chairs and one table.
Bathroom combined. There is also a hair dryer specially attached to the wall.
For the first 7 days, we consistently left one dollar each. Once we did not update the minibar. I called the reception and they immediately brought us a set of minibars. After that we decided not to put in any more dollar. At the same time check whether the quality of service will change. Nothing has changed.
The child wanted to see the swans that the maids put on the bed of towels. Never posted swans.
The maids know the basic words in Russian.
When you greet them in Turkish, they are pleased and they smile even wider.
Leaving a deposit of $ 25 at the reception, you get a second key to the room.
Noise isolation between rooms is excellent. But from the side of the corridor (through the door) you can hear everything very well.
Glass elevators are a special delight. Photo Each building has one of them. There is one more ordinary opaque elevator. In our building, it was possible to climb onto the roof and look at the hotel grounds from above.
For the number I put five out of five
About a trip to Waikiki.
I asked the hotel guide from Teztour - which store is better to go shopping?
The guide gave a well-memorized text about which stores they carry for free. There, they say, a good product / prices and the like. I was already savvy on this part and asked about the Waikiki shopping center, which is located in Alanya. To which the guides again began to impose their shops / outlets.
As a result, we chose 1 of the non-hot days and went ourselves. In order not to make a mistake and to be sure that we were being taken in the right direction, I used the navigator on my phone. I advise Navitel version 5 1 and a map of Turkey for 12 years. This will be quite enough to feel comfortable and confident in Turkey and not get lost.
On the seventh, at half past five, we went to Alania, to the Waikiki shopping center. Anticipating a large volume of purchases, they took a trunk with them.
We went outside the hotel gate. We waited about 15 minutes. From afar, a bus with a capacity similar to our Pazik was driving and blinking from afar with a high beam. This meant that he was asking if anyone was interested. We raised our hands, he stopped. The wife asked Waikiki. The driver specified - the hotel? The wife said no. We drove for a total of 45 minutes. After a few stops, the bus interior was completely packed. Many people were standing. The distance was approximately 35 kilometers.
Then they started the inspection from the third floor, where children's things are sold. (photo) On the third floor, not a single thing fit my daughter. The wife began to get a little nervous. She didn't expect this. We decided to go down to the second floor, where there are women's things. But they couldn't find anything there either. Prices, when converting lira into rubles, were the same as in Ufa. The wife was looking for jeans for her daughter forty size with an elastic band for buttons. Why did we go down to the first floor, where there is men's clothing. Nothing good was found there. I needed shorts and jeans.
After Waikiki we crossed the boulevard and visited Mavi (photo). And then, RodiMood. (photo) However, nothing was bought there either. Alas. But we walked along the boulevard. (a photo)
At the very end of our trip to Alanya, we went to a shop where they sell leather things - bags, wallets and belts. It is located next to the bus terminus. 45 minutes bargained with the Turks.
Looking ahead, I will note that we bought these goods not far from Botanika (a 15-minute walk). There is a market with 370 pavilions. Like our Sipailovsky market.
Dolmush drivers have an interesting tradition. Approaching each stop, they blink their high beams. Passengers who want to go raise their hand, the bus stops. It happens that the driver just stops at the bus stop and talks to the locals for 3 minutes. All this time, the passengers of the bus are waiting for it to finish.
About a trip to the dolphinarium.
After resting half the term in the Dolphin Botanic, we decided to go to the dolphinarium. Moreover, a lot was read about him on the Internet. It was interesting to compare with our Sochi dolphinarium.
Any trip that is organized through Teztour guides is planned in advance and paid at the reception. We made an appointment with our hotel guide for May 6.2013. photo We left at 14-10, we arrived back at half past five.
The show itself doesn't last long. The road took about 15 minutes. To enter the territory of the dolphinarium, we were given tickets without a seat.
Let me tell you about the delivery itself. It is the same as it was in previous years (judging by the numerous videos from youtube). Only this year the coaches are from Mexico. Comparing this performance with what we saw in Sochi, I can say the following. Here the performance is weaker and shorter in time. The first part is the introduction of floating artists to the public. They are driven several times in front of the stands with spectators.
After the fur seals were presented, the performance itself began. The seals have been replaced by dolphins.
At the end of the dolphin performance, the trainers went to select the audience to participate in a small performance. First, selected spectators danced alongside the trainers and the dolphins. Why did the dolphins splash water on them.
After that, wet participants were asked to return to their seats in the stands. Those who paid for photos with dolphins went to a photo session.
For the three of us, this performance cost $100. I expected more. I will give conditionally 4 out of 5 points for this stage of our holiday.
About Gala Night.
This block will be devoted to evening performances at the Dolphin Botanic Hotel.
Every evening at nine o'clock various performances begin at the Arena. Artists of the Moscow circus performed with us. That's what it said on the poster. In fact, these were young artists who decided to earn extra money in Turkey. The oldest of them was 30 years old. We also attended another performance, which was called Turkish Night. Very young artists also performed there. There were other performances as well. We didn't go to them.
Gala Night is rightfully considered the main performance of the two-week entertainment cycle.
She speaks memorized phrases in a quiet voice from the front seat and nothing more. We were given questionnaires near the airport. But, we couldn't fill them. Questionnaires were in Turkish! ! !
When leaving the minibus, the guide said - go to the registration desk 158-159. It was my first time at Antalya airport. Everything was new.
When we got to the airport, we put our luggage on the conveyor belt. They took off their jackets, put their phones in boxes and passed them through customs. Then we went to wrap our suitcases. For each suitcase paid 350 rubles. They turned around for dollars nearby. It would cost $10. But, there was a line and we did not wait. Now we ran to the front desk. Airport workers did not even ask for documents and electronic tickets. They called each of us by our last names. I guess they had our photos on the monitors or we were the last of the departing Tezturs. So we checked in our luggage. Received boarding passes.
The flight attendants speak equally bad both English and Russian. We had a scheduled flight, not a charter. Departure of the latter is often delayed by 5-9 hours.
We were cleared to take off. The plane began taxiing. The size of the airport in Antalya is amazing. Especially, in comparison with the Ufa airport. It's amazing that all planes take off from the same runway. For the first time I saw that the planes were queuing after 200 meters one after another. We had a queue of eight planes. The interior of the aircraft is not new, but in good technical condition. They gave everyone headphones so that they could listen to radio stations. Monitors automatically fell out from above, on which a video film was played for the first hour and a half of the flight. Then more useful information began to appear. I took my navigator with me. I watched online how we fly from Antalya towards the Black Sea.
photo When the film ended, very beautiful animated information about the flight began to be displayed on the monitors. The current position of the aircraft was displayed, how much it had flown, how much was left, what altitude, what temperature overboard. It was very convenient. Part of the back rows was free. The children simply lay down on 3 armchairs and, stretched out, slept. The span in the Sochi region was very beautiful and recognizable. The well-lit elongated coast of the Black Sea was visible. At the Ufa airport, we immediately went to customs control along the sleeve. The luggage was released fairly quickly. And here we are at home. What caught my eye, or rather I felt it, was the air. Compared to the clean air of Antalya, the air in Ufa resembled a gassed factory area.
When writing the report, I pursued 2 goals. The main thing was to make such a report, which I lacked when preparing for the trip. Where it would be described in as much detail as possible - what, where, when, how much and how. Guess not everyone goes to the hotel 10 times. And my information will come in handy. That is, 1 goal is something like a guide. The second goal I set was simply to cover our trip. I have tried to group my report by function. Each group will be graded on a 5 point scale. If my report seems long to someone, don't read it. But, as a sign of respect for my week's work, refrain from empty comments. I will add a photo to the report. But I won't link the video here. I'll put it up on youtube soon.
So, let's begin.
About weather.
We were lucky with the weather. During the day it was usually around 29 degrees. The sea warmed up to 21 degrees. It rained only on the penultimate and last day of rest.
The winds were constant, but not strong. Especially considering the closed territory of Botanica. I rate the weather at 5-.
About the reception
So, we arrived at 7 am local time, arrived at the hotel. On the hand of each porter put on a special bracelet. [URL= http://imageshack. us/photo/my-images/401/040513140030.jpg/][IMG] http://img401. imageshack. us/img401/96/040513140030.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
Now we could be recognized as vacationers at the Dolphin Botanic Hotel. At the hour of our arrival, there were few departing/arriving people. We were served right away. The suitcase was left outside, where the bus stopped. We were asked to fill out a questionnaire. At the reception there is one employee who speaks good Russian. The other speaks good German. The rest understand a little this way and that, but they can't speak.
After the questionnaire, we were sent to eat. Among the hotel staff there are well-speaking Russian. We learned from them where the central restaurant is located. There, at the reception, you can leave a request for an a la carte restaurant. This is a chain of specialized restaurants.
There food is free, but by appointment. We never got together for a la carte. Yes, and there was no need for this.
At the reception and only there is wi-fi. The room number and last name of the vacationer are used as the name and password. WiFi transmitter is not strong. The speed is acceptable. I never got around to using skype. But I looked at the mail and sent photos daily.
There are telephones in the reception area. On the day of arrival and departure there are also electronic safes where you can put money and documents. Check-in and check-out is at 12 noon local time. Turkish time is 3 hours behind Ufa time.
In the large hall at the reception there is a restaurant and a lot of cozy leather armchairs. There is a shopping center one floor below the reception. Photo There is also a doctor and paid Internet with computers and old "tubular" monitors. We have never used their services.
Next to the main building (where the reception is located) a new hotel is being built. I had not read about this in any of the forums before our trip.
Rating - 5.
About vacationers
More than half were Germans. The young ones among them can be counted on the fingers. Pretty quickly we learned to recognize them in the crowd. Next came the Russians, then the Ukrainians. The rest were a small percentage. The Germans are quite loud. They go in flocks. Age - for 55-65 years. Usually older couples. Sometimes you feel like you are in a retirement sanatorium. But, it's better than drunk / scolding / swearing compatriots. a photo
About Botanica
The territory of Botanica is large - 9.000 square meters. ([URL= http://imageshack. us/photo/my-images/571/100513134018.jpg/][IMG] http://img571. imageshack. us/img571/7301/100513134018.jpg[/IMG][ /URL]) After a short check-in at the reception, we got into the inner territory of the hotel. At first, everything seemed very confusing.
But soon we figured out where the dining room is, where they give out a towel, where the pools are, where the children's slides are and, most importantly, where the sea is. The hotel area is really amazing with a variety of different tree species. Most have signs - what is the name of the tree. All walkways are covered with marble tiles. In dry weather, walking on such tiles is a pleasure. When it rains, it becomes slippery. This is what we felt during the last two days of our stay at Dolphin Botanica. In the evening, almost all lawn plantings are watered. A flock of guinea fowl is constantly moving around the hotel. A special house was built for them. Photographers constantly walk along the central alley that goes to the sea. They offer paid photo sessions.
Photographers have their own photo corner where they hang samples of their work.
In sunny weather, it is very good to walk along the paths of the Botanica Park, as they are in the shade.
What struck us the most upon arrival at the hotel was the presence of a construction site next to the central building of Botanica. (photo) From morning to evening, the sound of a hammer drill, trucks and an excavator is heard.
To be honest, I didn't expect this. In the forums, no one wrote about it. In the attached photos, I displayed the location of the construction site. Please keep this in mind when you move in. Don't waste 10 bucks. You can look in any maps like Yandex or Google - where there is an empty area next to the central building - there is construction going on. The whole building has been built. Now interior finishing work is underway. Landscape work is also underway. It is best to take rooms overlooking the pool. Less noise.
At first we were given a room on the first floor in Archidea. People constantly walk past him along the path. This room is also next to the elevator.
Therefore, we immediately took certain actions and got a room on the fifth floor in the Palma building. Marked with a yellow circle. (a photo)
The noise, of course, was small, but they no longer paid attention to it. After all, most of the time we spent either in the pool, or in a restaurant, or on the beach.
For small children, the pool, which is located next to the central restaurant, is better suited. (a photo). Rather, there is a pool. One for small children. Its depth is 0.4 meters. There is also a pool for adults. Maximum depth 1.6m, minimum depth 1.2m. There is also a jacuzzi where elderly Germans love to caress.
A little further (towards the sea) there is a second pool. It's called Silent. This pool is for lovers of silence. It is forbidden to make noise, walk with air mattresses, circles and other watercraft. We only swam in this pool once. I can't say anything about him in detail.
Finally, the busiest pool is the one next to the children's slides. Actually, there are three pools. Two pools are designed exclusively for sliding down the slides. The third large swimming pool. Around this pool are the most sunbeds. The youth prevail there. This pool is the closest to the sea.
There is a beach restaurant next to it. There you can take drinks or food for free. The beach restaurant has a bartender. At will, he will pour any drink or make a mix.
In the heat, you can always hide under umbrellas. From time to time, waiters scurry between the sunbeds, who ask what to bring. The water in all pools is clean, slightly chlorinated.
Those who like to fry in the sun lie in the open air. Those who love the shade will always find a place under the trees.
Next to the slides there is a children's room.
There are only 4 slides next to this pool. I was told that these are outdated slides. There is also a block of more modern slides.
They have more exit speed due to a newer and more modern coating. The second block of slides is located next to the children's attractions. It almost adjoins the building under construction, which I spoke about earlier. I've skied both old and new slides. New ones need to rise higher. I didn't like it. The speed of descent is really higher there. There is a yellow slide with turns. The spirit is captivating.
Let's go back to the old hills. I highly recommend the yellow hill with turns. In addition, it is breathtaking when you slide down, or rather, you fly off the green slide (in the form of a pipe).
There is no division into adults and children's slides. Therefore, both adults and children can ride down the hill.
In the evenings we ran to the children's attractions. First on the first ride on typewriters. Having ridden three times, they ran to the Ferris wheel. From it you can clearly see both the territory of Botanica and the neighboring hotel Makarnas.
It is a pity that the attraction does not work for long, only until nine in the evening. And it starts at 7:30 pm. For animation lovers, there is an Arena where professional animators are engaged in children and adults.
After nine in the evening, visiting artists enter there or competitions are held. For those who like to hang out there is a night club. It is in a closed area. Music doesn't bother anyone.
Also in the evening near the Arena you can get popkorn, take various drinks and air cotton.
Slides work in the morning until 12 o'clock, then 1 hour break and work again.
I would especially like to mention the woman who keeps order on the slides. Her name is Natasha. She speaks excellent Russian. She is from Moldova. He is a very open and kind person. We clarified a lot of questions from her. She will always advise. Too bad they forgot to take a picture with her.
It is better to judge how picturesque the territory is from photographs (photo)
Now a little about towels.
When you check in at the reception, you give a deposit at the rate of one beach card equals one dollar. (photo) Instead, they issue a receipt along with a card. Thus, always on hand or a card or a beach towel.
Summing up the territory of the hotel, we can advise you to ask for a room in the Palma building overlooking the pool. And no lower than the third floor.
I forgot to mention the table tennis court. There are always good rackets and normal good balls.
Rating - 5- (due to construction).
About the beach.
The beach has two levels. (photo) Bali's houses are on the upper level. These are small verandas. You can sit or lie inside. They are occupied in the morning and all day. On the lower level there are sunbeds under stationary awnings. There are mattresses on the beds. On these mattresses we threw our beach towels. Three rows of sunbeds and then the sea. If you wish, you can lie on the pier. Large mattresses and pillows are brought there every morning.
On the pier there are four stairs for descending into the sea. It is very convenient to go down these ladders when the sea is rough. Because some kind of mud or oil film floats near the shore.
The beach is pebbly. photo Pebbles are smaller than our Black Sea coast. Just going into the sea, you feel the sand.
If you put on glasses or a mask, you can see that this sand goes further into the depths of the sea. The water is clear, the temperature varied between 20 and 21 degrees. The pool water is 25 degrees.
The swimming area is fenced with buoys. There are always lifeguards on the beach. If you wish, you can pay a ride on a parachute or on a banana. Such skiing is available only in neighboring hotels. On a parachute one person costs 40 liras, two 60 liras, three together - 80 liras. a photo
When leaving the beach, it is convenient to wash off the sea water and fine sand from your feet with a shower. In addition, there are changing cabins. Here on the beach you can always drink juice or drinks.
For those who understand - the beach has a blue flag. This symbol of quality has been awarded for 2012-2013.
Rating - solid 5.
Briefly about Teztour hotel guides.
Now I want to say a few words about Teztour's hotel guides.
When we were taken to the Botanic Hotel, the meeting guide painted the hotel guides as our best friends. Actually, it was a little different. Of course, the guides are forced to smile. They give out all the necessary information. But, no more. To all my questions, how to get to Waikiki in Alanya or a similar store selling things, they answered the following: You tell me what topic you are interested in, we will determine for ourselves where we will take you for free. But, it won't be Waikiki.
Everywhere one feels interest in certain baited outlets. Our guides were from the series: every word is gold. Moreover, the youngest of them was usually silent. You ask - one-syllable answers. You clarify the question - again one-syllable answers, and so on.
He pulled out the answer to each of his questions with ticks. I did not feel a normal human relationship. Although, formally, there is nothing to complain about. They are always on site (according to the approved schedule of presence at the reception).
I rate the work of Teztour hotel guides as weak 3.
About nutrition
Meals in Botanica are organized perfectly. This includes lunches, breakfasts, dinners in the main restaurant, free meals in various additional restaurants. In addition, the minibar in our room was replenished daily. The minibar consisted of two bottles of Ephesus beer, two bottles of Coca-Cola, two bottles of plain water and two bottles of mineral water. In addition, an analogue of our Snickers and salted nuts were added to the mini bar daily. a photo
There was less meat in the morning than in the afternoon or evening. But in the morning there were various cereals. Personally, every morning I took an omelette, which was cooked right in front of me. The technology of preparation is as follows.
The cook pours a ladle of the prepared solution onto a hot frying pan. The pan is on an open fire. After a few seconds, the omelet is thrown into the air, flips over in the air and falls back into the pan. Then I show the chef what to put from the filler (mix, chopped tomatoes or cheese). The chef takes the right ingredients with tongs and puts them on top of the omelette. Then in a tricky way it is thrown up and the omelet is folded in half like an envelope. All stuffing is inside. After a while, one side of the omelet is ready. The cook tosses the envelope gracefully into the air. The other side of the omelette begins to fry. I stand at the counter with an empty plate and wait ~2 minutes.
Plates, cups, spoons, glasses are duplicated in various places of the restaurant. I will say right away that we did not sign up for any of the a la carte restaurants. Therefore, I am only talking about an affordable restaurant for everyone.
It seemed to me that this part is dominated by the Russian-speaking population. The quality and quantity of food is beyond praise.
The service is a little different. The Turks love the Germans more than us. In any case, they come up to them more often to ask what to bring. When the wife spoke to them in Turkish (a few words), they liked it very much and they began to pay attention to us. But the waiters "suffer from forgetfulness. " You ask them to bring Red Wine or White Wine. They say yes yes now. You sit, you sit, you wait. In the end, you go to the counter yourself and ask for the right drinks to be poured for you. You can take wines, champagne, juices or teas. At lunch, freshly squeezed orange juice, half diluted with water, is placed near the entrance.
My daughter and I were especially delighted with fresh large strawberries. My wife really liked stewed zucchini.
Of particular note are sweets. You just can't get past them.
These are cakes, and cookies, and various pastries, and fillings.
On the large open area of the restaurant, you can take freshly fried fish or pieces of meat / turkey, or pita bread, or pizza.
A well-thought-out system of awnings allows you to create a shadow over the tables in any sunny weather. If the table has just been vacated, you call the waiter and ask to set the required number of people. At the time of our visit to Botanica, the number of working waiters and bartenders was 150. For this block, I put five out of five.
About the room
We lived in the Palm building. I marked it with a yellow circle in the photo. On the fifth floor. The windows overlooked the pool. There was no noise as the distance to the pool was decent. The room was not heated by the sun. The room had a single bed and a double bed. The building has a centralized air conditioning system. The air conditioner is located under the ceiling around the entire perimeter of the room.
Through small nozzles, air enters the room. The temperature is regulated by users from ten to thirty degrees. There are three blowing speeds.
The wardrobe consists of several sections. There is an electronic safe inside the cabinet. The photo shows that it is small. We kept our documents and money in it. The room has a minibar. This is a mini fridge. There is a small balcony with two chairs and one table.
Bathroom combined. There is also a hair dryer specially attached to the wall.
For the first 7 days, we consistently left one dollar each. Once we did not update the minibar. I called the reception and they immediately brought us a set of minibars. After that we decided not to put in any more dollar. At the same time check whether the quality of service will change. Nothing has changed.
The child wanted to see the swans that the maids put on the bed of towels. Never posted swans.
The maids know the basic words in Russian.
When you greet them in Turkish, they are pleased and they smile even wider.
Leaving a deposit of $ 25 at the reception, you get a second key to the room.
Noise isolation between rooms is excellent. But from the side of the corridor (through the door) you can hear everything very well.
Glass elevators are a special delight. Photo Each building has one of them. There is one more ordinary opaque elevator. In our building, it was possible to climb onto the roof and look at the hotel grounds from above.
For the number I put five out of five
About a trip to Waikiki.
I asked the hotel guide from Teztour - which store is better to go shopping?
The guide gave a well-memorized text about which stores they carry for free. There, they say, a good product / prices and the like. I was already savvy on this part and asked about the Waikiki shopping center, which is located in Alanya. To which the guides again began to impose their shops / outlets.
As a result, we chose 1 of the non-hot days and went ourselves. In order not to make a mistake and to be sure that we were being taken in the right direction, I used the navigator on my phone. I advise Navitel version 5 1 and a map of Turkey for 12 years. This will be quite enough to feel comfortable and confident in Turkey and not get lost.
On the seventh, at half past five, we went to Alania, to the Waikiki shopping center. Anticipating a large volume of purchases, they took a trunk with them.
We went outside the hotel gate. We waited about 15 minutes. From afar, a bus with a capacity similar to our Pazik was driving and blinking from afar with a high beam. This meant that he was asking if anyone was interested. We raised our hands, he stopped. The wife asked Waikiki. The driver specified - the hotel? The wife said no. We drove for a total of 45 minutes. After a few stops, the bus interior was completely packed. Many people were standing. The distance was approximately 35 kilometers.
Then they started the inspection from the third floor, where children's things are sold. (photo) On the third floor, not a single thing fit my daughter. The wife began to get a little nervous. She didn't expect this. We decided to go down to the second floor, where there are women's things. But they couldn't find anything there either. Prices, when converting lira into rubles, were the same as in Ufa. The wife was looking for jeans for her daughter forty size with an elastic band for buttons. Why did we go down to the first floor, where there is men's clothing. Nothing good was found there. I needed shorts and jeans.
After Waikiki we crossed the boulevard and visited Mavi (photo). And then, RodiMood. (photo) However, nothing was bought there either. Alas. But we walked along the boulevard. (a photo)
At the very end of our trip to Alanya, we went to a shop where they sell leather things - bags, wallets and belts. It is located next to the bus terminus. 45 minutes bargained with the Turks.
Looking ahead, I will note that we bought these goods not far from Botanika (a 15-minute walk). There is a market with 370 pavilions. Like our Sipailovsky market.
Dolmush drivers have an interesting tradition. Approaching each stop, they blink their high beams. Passengers who want to go raise their hand, the bus stops. It happens that the driver just stops at the bus stop and talks to the locals for 3 minutes. All this time, the passengers of the bus are waiting for it to finish.
About a trip to the dolphinarium.
After resting half the term in the Dolphin Botanic, we decided to go to the dolphinarium. Moreover, a lot was read about him on the Internet. It was interesting to compare with our Sochi dolphinarium.
Any trip that is organized through Teztour guides is planned in advance and paid at the reception. We made an appointment with our hotel guide for May 6.2013. photo We left at 14-10, we arrived back at half past five.
The show itself doesn't last long. The road took about 15 minutes. To enter the territory of the dolphinarium, we were given tickets without a seat.
Let me tell you about the delivery itself. It is the same as it was in previous years (judging by the numerous videos from youtube). Only this year the coaches are from Mexico. Comparing this performance with what we saw in Sochi, I can say the following. Here the performance is weaker and shorter in time. The first part is the introduction of floating artists to the public. They are driven several times in front of the stands with spectators.
After the fur seals were presented, the performance itself began. The seals have been replaced by dolphins.
At the end of the dolphin performance, the trainers went to select the audience to participate in a small performance. First, selected spectators danced alongside the trainers and the dolphins. Why did the dolphins splash water on them.
After that, wet participants were asked to return to their seats in the stands. Those who paid for photos with dolphins went to a photo session.
For the three of us, this performance cost $100. I expected more. I will give conditionally 4 out of 5 points for this stage of our holiday.
About Gala Night.
This block will be devoted to evening performances at the Dolphin Botanic Hotel.
Every evening at nine o'clock various performances begin at the Arena. Artists of the Moscow circus performed with us. That's what it said on the poster. In fact, these were young artists who decided to earn extra money in Turkey. The oldest of them was 30 years old. We also attended another performance, which was called Turkish Night. Very young artists also performed there. There were other performances as well. We didn't go to them.
Gala Night is rightfully considered the main performance of the two-week entertainment cycle.
She speaks memorized phrases in a quiet voice from the front seat and nothing more. We were given questionnaires near the airport. But, we couldn't fill them. Questionnaires were in Turkish! ! !
When leaving the minibus, the guide said - go to the registration desk 158-159. It was my first time at Antalya airport. Everything was new.
When we got to the airport, we put our luggage on the conveyor belt. They took off their jackets, put their phones in boxes and passed them through customs. Then we went to wrap our suitcases. For each suitcase paid 350 rubles. They turned around for dollars nearby. It would cost $10. But, there was a line and we did not wait. Now we ran to the front desk. Airport workers did not even ask for documents and electronic tickets. They called each of us by our last names. I guess they had our photos on the monitors or we were the last of the departing Tezturs. So we checked in our luggage. Received boarding passes.
The flight attendants speak equally bad both English and Russian. We had a scheduled flight, not a charter. Departure of the latter is often delayed by 5-9 hours.
We were cleared to take off. The plane began taxiing. The size of the airport in Antalya is amazing. Especially, in comparison with the Ufa airport. It's amazing that all planes take off from the same runway. For the first time I saw that the planes were queuing after 200 meters one after another. We had a queue of eight planes. The interior of the aircraft is not new, but in good technical condition. They gave everyone headphones so that they could listen to radio stations. Monitors automatically fell out from above, on which a video film was played for the first hour and a half of the flight. Then more useful information began to appear. I took my navigator with me. I watched online how we fly from Antalya towards the Black Sea.
photo When the film ended, very beautiful animated information about the flight began to be displayed on the monitors. The current position of the aircraft was displayed, how much it had flown, how much was left, what altitude, what temperature overboard. It was very convenient. Part of the back rows was free. The children simply lay down on 3 armchairs and, stretched out, slept. The span in the Sochi region was very beautiful and recognizable. The well-lit elongated coast of the Black Sea was visible. At the Ufa airport, we immediately went to customs control along the sleeve. The luggage was released fairly quickly. And here we are at home. What caught my eye, or rather I felt it, was the air. Compared to the clean air of Antalya, the air in Ufa resembled a gassed factory area.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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