Unlucky tourists or how we visited the Crimea.
One evening, we sat down, thought, and decided to go to the Crimea. We are me, my husband and our smart 3 year old daughter. And all this was preceded by an advertising mailing to a mobile phone with a link to the Hellas Semidvorie hotel. They invited a company with them in the form of a grandmother, a sister and a two-year-old ringleader - a nephew. A couple of months before the intended vacation, we booked 2 extreme rooms “Standard” and began to count the days until departure.
And now the hour "X" has come.
About the road. Train Yekaterinburg-Simferopol with 2 trailer cars in Volgograd. Tin. We traveled in a separate compartment. Given the presence of 2 babies, one of which was born with a built-in propeller, I repeat: "Tin"! The lack of a dry closet and a normal air conditioner quickly made themselves felt. During the stops it became unbearably hot, and even out of need not to go.
All toilets were closed in front of customs. According to the conductor (he warned about this in advance), the toilets were closed for 2.5 hours, but in fact it lasted more than 3 hours. At first, Russian customs officers checked us with prejudice, poking at a suitcase and asking us to show its contents. Then the Ukrainian customs. Serious men, but compassionate to sleeping children.
About the hotel. Since the check-in was at 14.00, and we arrived at the place at 11.00, we had to walk into the heat. Not quite clean (or not at all clean after the train) and, accordingly, not quite satisfied, we tried to enjoy the air and the surf.
Settled. First line, 10 meters from the sea. Huge room with a double bed, a large balcony, a separate bed for the kids. The beauty!
On the third day of our stay, we finally decided to visit the children's room. As stated by the hotel administration: "from 15.00 to 17.00 (drawing, modeling)". They came. We saw a bored aunt. By 15.00, 11 children had pulled up along with ours. What did my aunt do: ignoring the conversations of the kids and their attempts to attract at least some attention to themselves, she turned on a full-length cartoon, and attention: she began to watch it !!!! ! And then I saw the disappointed faces of the children and the questioning looks of the parents! For 30 minutes spent in the children's room with the "animator" absolutely nothing happened.
Evening entertainment for children: the same bored aunt, with an absent look, is located near the construction site (the unfinished hotel building, heavy equipment nearby, etc. ). Where are the safety rules????? ? At my questioning look, she said apologetically, "It's like animation. " In general, what the hotel administration called animation turned out to be “babysitter” in fact. Thus, on vacation for children, the latter were deprived of children's entertainment. We even had to enter into correspondence with the hotel administration about this through the feedback and suggestions book. By the way, the correspondence turned out to be more effective than our repeated requests. So, those who decide to visit this hotel will have to take note of this.
About food. We purchased accommodation + breakfast for 128 hryvnia per person (4.1 * 128). Breakfast was varied: dumplings, dumplings, scrambled eggs, cheeses, sausages, dairy products. The pancakes were especially good, for which there was a queue, but it was worth it! Green tea was given out from under the floor, and then after the next letter in the book mentioned above. For reference: for 128 hryvnia it is possible to have a good lunch for three at a nearby cafe. Lunches could be ordered in the cafe of our hotel, but the price tag was not commensurate. Price and quality did not match.
There was a restaurant "Lemon" on the shore, in which a disaster occurred if visitors occupied more than 3 tables. The order had to wait more than 1.5 hours. The local chefs took so long to give us macaroni and cheese, which was left untouched due to their disgusting. And instead of the barbecue and grilled vegetables declared in the menu, they brought us meat from the electric grill and porridge from vegetables. It became quite sad.
Local waiters are a separate category of people in general. They looked like leisurely Estonians on their last day at the job.
We're bored. We decided to go to Alushta. Transportation is organized by the neighboring hotel "Morskoy". For 15 UAH per person "maximum pleasure" in a stuffy bus. The bus runs on schedule, because if you are late or do not fit, everything is fucked up, it is almost impossible to leave! It took us an hour to call at least some kind of taxi. Solution: go to the Crimea on your own car!
Alushta is a dirty soviet resort. I don't want to go back there.
Tours. Excursions are offered by "Marine" and "Hellas". At least a boy is sitting near the stands of Morskoy, who is able to answer questions, although he only sits there from 11.00 to 14.00. In "Hellas" stands are simply put up without price indications. After lengthy questions from the administrator, it turned out that "Ellada" sends on excursions from Alushta and to the price tag of the excursion is already not small, you must add the cost of a taxi, which is 140 UAH. in both directions (140 * 4.1).
Children were taken to the Partenita Dolphinarium through Morskoy for 150 UAH. (fortunately, children under 3 years old are free). The performance is so-so, 40 minutes long. Entrance without a tour was 60 UAH. adult, 40 UAH for children.
Walked, looked Partenit. Picturesque park, with cute squirrels and important cormorants. But the bus spoiled all the favorable impression of the trip. Stuffy, hot, and the guide told the children all the way about severed hands and terminally ill people. Well, to know!
My husband and I visited Mount Ai-Petre. Two hours on the road in stuffy transport. Ropeway. Height 1240 m. Beauty. On the mountain there is an oriental bazaar with sweets, spices, barbecue (finally! ), plov and other delights of the southern cities of the former USSR.
About the sea. There is no such sea anywhere! Nowhere in the CIS))) It is beautiful, clean and oddly salty))))) Every day at the same time (about 11 o’clock) tons of jellyfish sailed to the shore and for comrades like me (I’m afraid of them at once) swimming it ended there.
It's time to head home. 2 days before departure, we asked the hotel administrator to provide us with a transfer to the train. However, at the appointed time, the car did not come for us. But we had such kind faces and a positive attitude that the administrator, with horror on her face and a nervous tremor, found the transport for us. The children shouted at the top of their voices: hurrah! We are leaving the Crimea! That's it.
