Подробно об отеле и об отдыхе Details about the hotel and vacation

Rested with my husband from 16 to 23 June 2010. In Turkey - for the first time, but we have experience of holidays in Egypt (repeatedly in different hotels of different "star rating"), Tunisia (more than 10 resorts and hotels), as well as on the native coasts of Crimea, Odessa and in other domestic health resorts (and, accordingly, we have an idea about service and price quality).
The choice of the hotel was based on the budget and the desire for specific natural conditions: inexpensive, not far from the airport (no further than 50 km), nature (mountains, pine trees), the minimum number of tourists. So we stopped at the town of Kemer. We were offered two hotels: in the suburbs (Beldibi village) and in the very center of Kemer. We chose the second one. The main plus: the hotel is small, three buildings, which sharply distinguishes it from 4 and 5-star "brothers" (these "colossus" in Turkey look a lot like a sanatorium from the times of the USSR - many floors, noise, screaming children, elevators, crowds... ). Based on this, the Konar&Doruk hotel is an excellent choice for those who want to retire and, at the same time, do not spend money on a taxi in order to get to the city center or to the nearest disco. Went out into the street - and you are in the heart of Kemer.
In some places KEMER remotely resembles the Los Angeles landscape: green mountains and advanced street design, cool cars here and there, only one thing is missing - big white letters on the hills "HOLYWOOD". If you use patriotic notes, then the local nature and the sea with pebbles resemble the North Caucasus (Tuapse, Ashe), although many compare Kemer with the Crimea (the same Alushta). The town is oversaturated with shops, cafes, shops, parks. In addition, there is a wonderful pedestrian street, which is steeper than Naama Bay in Sharm el-Sheikh (who knows). Fish restaurants, of course, are inferior to Egyptian ones in terms of assortment and prices. Souvenirs too. It is better to bring sweets home from Kemer (we took 1 kg for 7 dollars. Bargaining is inappropriate). Clothes, leather, gold - buy in Istanbul, or at home. In Kemer it is quite EXPENSIVE.

HOTEL. So, back to the description of the hotel. Three buildings with access to the pool, to the street, and, alas, to the garbage heap. Probably, a dump was arranged there much later than the hotel was built. And the administration, you see, tried to fight this: they planted a big “puff” and several beautiful bushes to cover up the shame of the garbage heap. Unfortunately, the rooms overlooking the trash are not saved from the smell. We read the reviews before the trip and knew about such a “piquancy”, so we aimed at a room with access to the pool (for which we put $ 10 in our passport). “Baksheesh” is “baksheesh” everywhere: the settlement lasted for 5 minutes, moreover, at 9 in the morning, and not at 12 (according to the norm), besides, we were immediately sent to have breakfast, although this was not provided for in the routine. The manager at the reception even broke down a bit for the sake of appearance, taking “bakshish” - well, you don’t need it, they say... As a result, we were given the fattest (as it turned out later) “room” in the hotel - the third floor, second building, access to the pool , with a balcony, although not all rooms have balconies. So, if you are nevertheless offered a room with access to the garbage dump, don’t freak out, try changing it by verbal contact and 10 USD. And there is no need to blame anyone - after all, it was not the hotel that made the dump. By the way, about the dump itself: this is a row of iron bins (separate for each type of garbage) parked next to some simple building. A garbage truck regularly drives up to this small architectural form, and people in overalls load garbage - from each tank separately. This "fragrant" point, as it turned out, is designed for several hotels.
NUMBERS are different from those in Egypt and Tunisia - they may seem tiny to some. However, this is the principle of all Turkey: to accommodate more people at small meters (hence the high-rise hotel-ships). In the room, despite the small meters, there is: a TV (2 Russian channels), a shower, a toilet, a 2-sleeping bed (we had one). Towels are changed and the room is cleaned daily, but it is still better to be present at the time of cleaning and tell the cleaner what exactly needs to be changed or brought. Otherwise, cleaning will be limited to cleaning only. We said there were no objections. "Bakshish" -1 ue. Pick up from around 13.00. THERE WAS NO STEALING. Very accommodating and hardworking staff.
The BEACH is nearby - a little over 200 m. A significant disadvantage - it is too cramped due to the rather narrow coastline and beaches of other hotels, so your neighbor may be at a distance of an outstretched little finger from you. At the same time, the Konar & Doruk beach is the most affordable: the cost of a sunbed here is 1 c. u. (the cheapest price in all of Kemer). There are beaches for both 3 and 10 USD. Of course, they have more freedom. We often saw a picture: "balls" from other hotels (judging by the "not our" colored "all-inclusive" ribbon on their hand), they were walking on "our" beach, preferring to pay a buck, not three. Based on the situation, we determined the best option for ourselves: we go to the sea at 5.30, meet the dawn on an empty beach, swim in already warm water, sunbathe until 8.30 for free, and run for breakfast. The benefit is that the collection of money for the trestle bed starts around 9.00. Together with the collector of the beach "tax", the scorching sun also comes. Of course, you can go to the sea right after breakfast, at 7.45. You can still choose a free sunbed, but then you have to pay for a place, listen to the dialogues of nearby vacationers, screaming children above your ear, contemplate other people's heels and inhale the smoke of cigarettes of smoking individuals. Who comes at 10.00 - there are no more places. But most importantly - this option is dangerous to health: SUN. By the way, do not forget to take a good sunscreen. The beach is made of pebbles of various sizes, which presents certain inconveniences for people with delicate feet. In any case, my husband suffered every time he entered the water, so I had to buy special shoes - rubber slippers for 14 USD. There is a paid bar on the beach with the usual beach set: juice, cola, beer, orange cutters ($2, very tasty! ). Visiting the beach has its own peculiarities: you cannot bring your own alcohol here. Once they observed an unpleasant picture: two young mothers with children aged 12-14 brought with them (from the store) 4 bottles of beer. The bartender asked to remove the beer and buy it at the bar. The mothers, not understanding the local nuances that the bar is a source of income for collectors of fees for trestle beds, made a scandal with tears, but the beer was never removed. We don’t know how the case ended, it seems like the bartender tried to hush up the “international conflict”. But these women didn’t go to the sea anymore - they steamed by the pool, ruining the rest of the days of their short vacation. Surely, they will bring with them only bad impressions of Turkey.
FOOD: excellent - despite the often bad reviews on the Internet. Three meals a day, the bar is open from 10.30 to 22.00. Despite the 3 "stars", a very powerful vegetarian menu (greens, salads of all varieties, three types of olives, pickles, marinades... ). A meat dish is a must for both lunch and dinner. Sometimes there were two meat dishes at once: for example, beef cutlets and chicken, or chicken ventricles and turkey. Several times they cooked something three meters from the restaurant on a take-out table and a semicircular frying pan (khachapuri, grilled vegetables with meat, donuts, etc. ). Twice there was a watermelon. Side dishes - potatoes, rice, pasta, asparagus. Vegetables - any: boiled, fried, fresh, in batter, pickles... Soups - yum-yum. Sweets - for lunch and dinner (though not much, only 2-3 types). There were no fruits, but they can be purchased in abundance in the shops. Tea, coffee, drinks are delicious too. An important point: for the whole week the menu was NEVER repeated. Portions are unlimited. Of course, there were those who were dissatisfied. It was disgusting to watch youngsters (from Murom) sitting at the table, poking around in food and vilifying the food, the hotel, Turkey. They were all wrong. It is these customers who write nasty reviews on the Internet. I wanted to get up, take it by the ear and send it to rest on my native Black Sea (in cardboard halabuds and on fical beaches). Many complained in the breakfast reviews - they say, there is nothing to eat. I want to say that it is unlikely that at home we eat this for breakfast: scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, two types of cheese, two types of sausage (soy? I would not say), butter, bread, four types of jam and a lot of vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, parsley, eggplant, lettuce, zucchini…). We just gorged ourselves on it, after which we hardly went to the beach. Well, where do you eat so much at home? By the way, not far from the hotel there is a fast food "Burger" - something like McDonald's. So, who does not eat enough - run there.

We really liked the bar. Especially beer and music (from a tape recorder). Here, many wrote that beer is bullshit, weak, etc. For those who want to get "in the head", there is vodka (by the way, they pour exactly as much as you specify, you just have to ask humanly). About beer: light, without taste and smell of alcohol, fresh and also - without restrictions. Relaxes from the third glass. We drank 5-6 and it was great. In the morning, no hangover and no smell of fumes. You can also indulge in local white and red dry wine - sour, but pleasant. I also liked the gin and tonic. “Raki” - Turkish vodka - we didn’t like it, some sugary, although many sat only on it. Several times we observed the victims of “all-inclusive”: drunken red faces, poorly oriented “on the ground” and fooling the patient bartender. There were also those who, in a week from wine and vodka, grew a large bluish plum instead of a nose. Alas, the mentality and folk traditions are a serious thing... The glasses in the bar are clean, the service is good. You will not have time to put an empty container (at least a glass, at least a plate) - they will immediately remove it.
EXCURSIONS - in assortment. But we didn't go anywhere. We know from the stories that the tour itself will take only half the allotted time. The rest is forced shopping, which is disguised either as a “delight factory”, or as a “leather world”. For us, the most desirable excursions were daily walks around the city, during which we observed the life of Kemer and its inhabitants.
There is no ANIMATION - but do not forget, this is a three-star hotel. For leisure there are two swimming pools, a green area and complete silence. Those who want to frolic and sweat at night can visit one of several dozen discos in the city.
USEFUL ADVICE. For those departing from Boryspil Airport: ONLY 100 g of liquid are allowed ON THE PLANE. So - drink everything you need (Coca-Cola, kefir, cognac) before check-in. We were taken away cognac in a 250-gram bottle of cold tea and a liter of cola. I had to stock up on analogues (cognac) in duty free and buy Pepsi at the bar (0.5 l - 15 UAH). In "duty free" with cognac at an affordable price, it's a bit scarce, and I didn't feel like drinking anything else.
Who smokes - take cigarettes with you: a pack of "smoke" in Turkey - from 7 c. u. - a good incentive to quit smoking!
It is better to come to Konar&Doruk for lunch and dinner 30-40 minutes before the start. First, you can take a comfortable table. Secondly, there is time to enjoy the atmosphere and contents of the bar, skipping the first line of “starving” people lining up in a long “sausage”, fearing that they will not have enough food. After half an hour, the tables with food are empty, you can safely come up and take everything you need, no problem. Total: from the "aperitif" to the meal will take no more than an hour.
The main thing - do not forget that the quality of rest depends on you, on your desire to relax and see the world!
Special thanks to "Tour Tess" and Lyudmila Vovchenko (Bila Tserkva). Used the services of this tour operator for the second time, and were very satisfied.