How we felt the rhythm of life for the 5th time.
I’ll tell you everything in order, but I’ll just make a reservation right away that I flew to rest after half a year of continuous office work from 9 to 6, that, in principle, I am a positive person and in order to spoil my vacation, I need at least an earthquake, a tsunami or a plane crash, at worst . The main idea is that I am writing a review in order to help tourists take the necessary things with them and to have an idea of u200bu200bwhere you are going and what you can expect.
The ticket was purchased for 10 days, 9 nights on 3.07. 2010. the day before departure.
07/04/2010 arrived at the airport at 12:50 (2 hours and 10 minutes before the expected departure).
Airport and flight.
The representative of the tour operator Lagina travel was easily located and we immediately received the documents. We went through customs without any problems and received boarding passes, on which it was indicated in black and white that the departure was at 16:00. Somewhat surprised by the postponement of the departure for an hour, they began to wait, but they were invited to board at 14:30, they took off at 15:00 like it was originally promised. On the runway, a handsome Boeing 757 of U-tair was waiting for us, brand new, in excellent condition. I was very pleased with serviceable tables, reclining chairs, retractable (when the liner gained altitude) TVs, on which the picture of a flying airplane was constantly changing, indicating the cities we were flying over, headwind speed, flight altitude and time of expected arrival, smiling well-mannered flight attendant girls .
Turkey met with humid hot air. We paid 20 bucks from the nose, got a visa, luggage and went to look for our Lagin. To deliver us to Side, the tour operator provided a Foltz minibus for 13 people with a very weak air conditioner. The guide Alexei who accompanied us was laconic: 2 words about the country, 2 about religion, a couple more words about the organizational structure of the tour operator and already in more detail about the shops (jewelry and leather and fur) of the founder of Prens (the management company of Lajina Travel), which we, in Whatever happens, you must visit. The road to the hotel took 2.5 hours, taking into account the shop, which we stopped by on the pretext of an obligatory cup of coffee for the driver, which he drank for about 40 minutes. You need to be prepared and not be surprised that every tour operator with such shops has agreements on the need to marinate tourists who have just got off the plane in the parking lot with hot buses, creating the need for food and water, which they are forced to purchase in shops. We got to the hotel at 20:10 on 4.07. 2010. and had time for dinner (until 21:00).
Side Life Hotel
If you are going to rest in this hotel and want to read reviews, look for dream paradise hotel. It was renamed last year (Simple white letters were hung on the paradise sign) - there are a lot of such reviews. The hotel is three-star, therefore, having paid 25.000 rubles for two people for 10 days with a flight, we did not expect mountains of gold. They don't speak Russian at the reception. While there was a guide nearby, the conversation was in Turkish (I speak English, and I can distinguish it). We were put on bracelets, and for the first time we were literally stunned by the realization that they were used: in some places the strings came out and they were dirty (saving should be economical). We received the key and, accompanied by a man, no-speaking English, went to the room. We saw how our bus left and halfway to the room, the receptionist caught up with us and changed our key. I'm not going to talk here about what I think about this, but in general it's unpleasant. We got room 305, which is located on the first floor (ground level). Entrance to the room through the balcony, the front door is glass. On the balcony there is a leather sofa. The room has 2 rooms, 1 bathroom. The fittings are old, the faucet in the sink works in one position (cold water), the shower cabin is old. Water from it flows onto the tiled floor, but the presence of a drain made me happy. The floors in the bathroom can be washed with a shower hose. The first room is equipped with a sliding comfortable sofa and a table, as well as a minibar (located in a cupboard with a torn off door). Also in the room there is a TV, 2 separate beds, a dresser with a mirror and 2 chairs. The door to the balcony (it is also the entrance) is completely glass, there is one window (connected to the door). The room is dark day and night, and everyone who walks past the room considers it their duty to look. The window is equipped with thick curtains, but with them it becomes even darker. The room has air conditioning, but there is no need for it, as the room is always cool. The entrance to the room is closed by the shade of trees, and the low level of the rooms eliminates the rise in temperature.
We began to unpack things and did not immediately notice that there was not a single towel in the room and the minibar did not work, or rather not like that: it works: the body is hot, and it diligently makes a characteristic sound, but the temperature inside is equal to the ambient temperature, if not higher. After reporting problems at the reception, I was assured that the towels would be in a minute, and that we could get cold drinks at the bar (Well, what the hell, you really need a fridge!! ). She strongly recommended that my refrigerator be repaired in a good way. Which immediately happened after 2 hours. They took my non-working one somewhere, and returned a brand new serviceable one. There were no towels for 6 days, each of which I started with a visit to the reception and a question about towels. Every day I was recorded in a notebook. I forgot to mention the hair dryer: it is attached to the wall in the bathroom and broke on the 2nd day of use. I reported the problem to the reception in the morning, in the evening the hair dryer was repaired (I do not rule out that they tore off the hair dryer in the next room and brought it to me, but most importantly, the result was achieved). On the 6th day of rest in the bathroom of our room, the ceiling leaked. Hefty red drops flooded the sink, the toilet bowl, and the shower too. Reported to reception. They repaired it for 2 hours, smashed the ceiling, soiled the entire floor with collapsed fragments of the ceiling, but fixed it (it leaked again after 2 days, but not so actively). And on that day a miracle happened: we saw the maids. They came (!! ! looking ahead, I’ll say that in 10 days they came to us 1 more time: they filled the floor of the toilet bowl and our brushes in a glass with water, washed the floor with a shower - in other words, it was not and is not necessary), (on the sixth day we and mastered the technique themselves) and by some miracle, we still got one large towel. After long and painful explanations on the fingers. Because, as you already understood, the maid does not speak English and Russian.
About the pool: A large, transparent, clean pool right under the windows of the restaurant, one water slide (a fun children's slide, the water in which is always on, so you can ride from breakfast to dinner all day (9-19)). There are sun loungers around the pool, and some of them are broken (the back does not hold), but there are a lot of attributes around, such as: “take it and put it under your back”. There are always places by the pool. Not everyone has enough mattresses and some of them are torn, but these are trifles and without them it is comfortable to lie on a towel. But a lot of umbrellas. The pool is monitored around the clock: they have a special employee for this. A very cheerful Turkish man who constantly checks the pool, puts chlorine tablets, in the evenings washes with a special vacuum cleaner and pours chlorine water. The condition of the pool "you can't get to the bottom of it. " It upsets the behavior of tourists (please note: not only Russians), who, regardless of body size, ride down the hill, yelling, and spraying all vacationers, reserve sunbeds for the whole day, regardless of whether they are going to lie on them, and judging by that that when you go for breakfast (from 7:30), the towels are already there, apparently the reserve "from the night. " I would especially like to note those who like to drink from glassware by the pool, drop the dishes, along with sticky booze, and instead of calling the waiter and reporting a problem, skillfully push the glass under the sunbed, even better under the neighbor’s, the atoms will suddenly present a menu conflict. And the most beautiful of them are those whose children cut their legs, and they go together as a family to complain and yell at the reception: we-in-all-blogs-write about you. And for some reason, no one writes how this glass ended up where it stuck into the child’s leg. I apologize for the lyrical digression, it's just that it's disgusting to even listen to this while being nearby.
About the restaurant: breakfast (7:30-9:00):
From hot: fried eggs and sausages. Vegetables (tomato, cucumber, lettuce, a bunch of other herbs - I don’t understand it), cabbage, onions and various oils - olive, sunflower and 2 more bubbles - I don’t know the types). Pts delicious buns with sesame seeds. For lovers, there are oatmeal and some other breakfasts filled with milk. Milk, tea, coffee with cream and soft drinks (sprite, cola, etc. ), as well as something in the spirit of “invite: just add water” atomic yellow, but chilled in direct access (I don’t know what it is, but drinkable).
Lunch (13:0-15:00): vegetable soup (this is not a soup in Russian, where products float in the broth, this is a liquid puree with rolled vegetables) every day is different, especially delicious was served cream soup with mushrooms, cutlets ( type of semi-finished products) seems to be beef and herbs, chicken (legs or breasts in tomato sauce), noodles (a feature of Turkish noodles is that no matter how hot it is when applied, it becomes cold by the time you reach the table. Recommendation: take just a little bit of noodles, or rice or couscous is better (something between rice and noodles is a Turkish national dish) Fried vegetables such as cauliflower, tomato are also served hot, but here I’m unlikely to give details, because vegetables I don't eat anything in principle, except raw, but there really is plenty to choose from. And all kinds of salads in assortment. In addition, they bring fruits (apples, or peaches, or plums), watermelons or melons.
Afternoon snack (16:00-17:00)
Occurs at the pool bar. Usually they bring pastries or fruit (2 times out of 10 days). The quantity of it is limited to 2 trays, so I recommend you hurry. Drinks are available all as at breakfast + alcohol.
Dinner (19:00-21:00)
At the entrance to the restaurant, a chef meets you, who prepares the main course in front of tourists. In our memory, these were: noodles with vegetables, fish, vegetable cutlets, chicken, some kind of meat. The menu is about the same as for lunch (if rice is for lunch, then couscous and various soups in the evening), a wider assortment of salads and pastries (2 types: we called it “something in oil” One type: a muffin in oil and another type - cookies in oil. They say this is a special way of cooking dishes in syrup, but it looks and tastes like sunflower oil (an amateur in general). The choice of drinks is the same and alcohol, incl.
Digression: For those who do not know: the all-inclusive system in Turkey is: * unlimited consumption of food during special allotted hours, * unlimited consumption of drinks and alcohol produced in Turkey in a certain period of time (in Side Life bar operates from 11 to 23). Any imported alcohol is paid extra, any Cocktail containing alcohol (except raki vodka + cola, raki vodka + sprite) is paid extra.
I liked the cuisine of the hotel. With rare exceptions, the food was decent and tasty, BUT. The picture is overshadowed by the behavior of tourists. Gorgeous are the people who come to dinner an hour before the opening of the doors of the restaurant and wait in a crowd, later running into the room with a look as if they had never tasted food anywhere and had come from a hungry land. Mothers resting with children are magnificent, who give their children as much fruit as an adult does not eat in a month, and then these fruits, slightly bitten, lie around the pool, attracting the attention of ants and Oh, YES! This mother herself runs to complain to the reception: there-at-your-ants-run-at-the-pool. And it is not strange that there is not enough fruit for everyone, because if everyone grabs them in such portions, then the hotel will simply go bankrupt and become mired in ants. I was also shocked by those who have never heard of a queue in their lives, and actively working with their hands in the crowd, make their way to food (or should they be taken to the "hungry edge"? ).
Disadvantages of the hotel: fruits could be handed out in portions (one or two per nose - I know there is such a practice in Turkey) - they would not go broke on the production for this waiter. A similar picture with cakes. And there are also few plates for hot "so-called tureens". I also saw a picture with them: a mother runs up to the waiter, her eyes burn and starts quietly at first, and then in raised tones, literally switching to ultrasound, yelling to the waiter (attention here): “Give me a BIAL”, “You don’t know what PIAL? Paragraph.
Other: On site there is a hairdresser and a hammam with various types of masks and body wraps. Guys, I'm not a fan of stripping in a crowd of drooling Turks, so there is nothing to tell. I didn't trust my hair either. Ice cream and everything you might need urgently are sold next to the pool: pareos, hats, swimwear, children's inflatable joys at normal prices. On the way to the beach, a market with souvenirs and dec. Necessities.
Beach: it simply does not exist, and perhaps it is somewhere, but we did not find it. The hotel is really 150-200m from the beach, but this is from the nearest fence and a door boarded up with boards and beds. If you calculate how much you really have to walk, then at least 400-500m (on the way bypassing the hotel territory or leaving near the pool). The path to the beach lies past a series of containers (rarely cleaned) and liquid waste flowing from them, exuding a certain smell when heated. When the hill was overcome, we found the beach of the Side Princess Hotel, whose vacationers were not marked with bracelets. A specially trained boy walks along their beach and asks which hotel guests are from. The system is insanely simple: take off the bracelet (soap will help you) and Voilà you are the guests of Side Princesses. The information is unverifiable and no one will touch you. If you walk along the promenade and look closely at the tourists, you can find other beach options for hotels without bracelets, but CAUTION: some five-star hotels provide a special beach towel. I wish you not to sleep. Or you can not bathe and give 3 lira for 2 sun loungers and shade and relax on your health. There is really another option: Near the Side Princess beach there is a tent with water activities (bananas, a parachute, a crazy sofa, skis, etc. ), so if you make an acquaintance there or in a nearby restaurant (Turks are sociable people and will come themselves, it’s enough not to be rude and do not send them off: women, especially Russians, are held in high esteem by them), then you can get permission to use sunbeds for free.
If you reach the embankment and go to the left, then after 20 minutes of fast walking you will find the port. There are many shops, clubs and nightlife in full swing. If you go along the road (on which the bus brought you) towards the port, you will find ancient ruins - good photos are obtained. Across the street from the hotel is a shopping center with jewelry and a little further away - with furs. The hotel is geographically well located and within walking distance of ancient Side, several markets and good shops, as well as a port with boats.
About the car: if anyone is interested, we rented a car. I remind you that I am talking about myself and your opinion may well not coincide with mine. IMHO: the car should not be taken from the guide, because they want 80 bucks for a car. We rented 200 meters from the hotel (towards Antalya on the road), first Accent for a day for 40 bucks + gasoline for 15 bucks (enough for 110 km), then Gets for 35 (post discount for customers) for a day. In Side there is where to go and what to see. All rental cars in Turkey are insured with comprehensive insurance. There were no problems with the return, the agency staff is Russian-speaking. In addition to cars, we took a “Sea Walk” from them for 25 bucks for two. We were taken by bus from the hotel at 9 am and rode on a yacht on the sea all day. Showed the turtle and gave 4 times to swim. Everyone is friendly and attentive. The price, as it turned out, included lunch, which was grilled in front of us on the island. Lunch offered a choice between chicken and fish. Also on the plate was a bun and a salad. Tips: find a place on the yacht in the shade. We sat on the prow under the sun and were pretty stunned by it all day. The cream is almost gone. Take drinks with you, as on a yacht, they go beyond the cost: $ 4 for a can of hilt (in the store the same can: $ 1.75-2.20), $ 2.5 - a bottle of sprite / cola / fanta / water ($ 1.25 on average in shop).
I especially note the lovely guide Olga. Which at first tried to gather us together (I and my husband were at the hotel from Ladzhina), and so: the lady did not want to start for a long time and did not listen to what I was explaining that I was enough here and their exorbitantly expensive excursions did not interest me. The answer was: let's wait for your husband (he went away for a smoke, so as not to sit and listen to the same thing). Well, as usual: instead of telling the time of the return transfer, flight and insurance features, they advertised their excursions. I explained that I was NOT INTERESTED in the excursions that I was on and which I can buy around the corner for 5 times cheaper. This made the lady angry and she told me that they would not pay me anything if something happened to me, and if I was drunk, then in general. So that nothing happens to you, you need to be careful, but the concept of "drunk" has a share of alcohol in the blood. Do not be afraid of the guide's delirium. The lady tried to find out my phone number in order to provide information about the transfer, but I insisted on a fax. And the day before departure (on the 13th) we received a fax that on the 14th at night (at 2:00) we were leaving the hotel (we had 4 hours left). And the apotheosis of the tour operator's delightful service was the transfer with the air conditioner turned off (perhaps for the sake of economy), in which there was nothing to breathe and 2 tourists became ill at each stop. On insistent requests, we received air conditioning 50 minutes after check-out from the hotel. And OH YES! We were brought back to the shop at 3 o'clock in the morning. For a cup of coffee for the driver.
My husband and I are very pleased with the rest, we got a lot of pleasant emotions, a chocolate tan (it’s a pity that it peels off in shreds) and have long been humorous about problems like “no towels”, “ceiling leaking”, “dibilous hungry tourists”, “stupid guides”. In general, I wish everyone to learn to relax. From experience I can say: there are hotels better and worse than this, and you can relax well if you wish, everywhere. And I will also say that if you are going to Turkey to take an exam at a hotel for stardom, then Side Life is unlikely to pass it, I recommend looking for money for another option. Have a good rest.