Don't forget your visa!
Review Submitted: July 29, 2008
Date of Stay: July 2008
Have just returned from two weeks at this beautiful villa with our two and four year old girls. The villa was very well kept and had all the amenities one could want except the only channel available on the satellite was Al Jazeera so take along some dvds especially if you have children. The aftercare staff were always on hand to sort out minor problems and the cleaners and pool attendants exceptionally friendly. We did have a few power cuts in the evenings but these only lasted for about 20 minutes. We tried most of the restaurants which were recommended and all were fine - we were surprised by the cost of eating out and found it pretty pricey. Be warned - do not eat outside before sundown as you will be dive bombed by wasps! Also note that it is better to take english pounds as all the markets and restaurants have their prices in pounds and lira - the pound being better value. Make sure you have £10 for each of you traveling as when you arrive in Dalaman airport you will have to pay for a visa at passport control. We weren't notified of this at all before we arrived so had to pay in turkish lira and were severely stiffed 150 lira which is about £75! We also found that we had to hire a car as the roads around the villa were mostly gravel and steep. The road down to Olu Deniz is the main road and all down hill so it's quite a trek especially with kids. If this review sounds a bit miserable then I apologise because the villa itself was lovely and calming and the pool was really lovely to relax by. Just be aware that turkey is now the same as everywhere when it comes to tourists - it is not the cheap idyll that we had been told about.
Owner's Response: I am delighted you had such an enjoyable stay at Villa Babylon, thanks so much for the great review and helpful pointers for other guests.
Some further information for future guests;
For tourists travelling to Turkey holiday visa information is available at www.turkishconsulate.org.uk, please note the price and visa requirements depends on your nationality and are subject to change.
Power cuts can occur especially during extremely hot weather when the local supply is unable to keep up with the heavy demands of air conditioning. If you happen to be in a bar or restaurant, they usually have a back up generator.
You can find out the latest currency conversion at coinmill.com, please note the new turkish lire is a much traded and volatile currency so it always best to check close to your holiday time. Todays rate (30/07/08) is 2.3 Turkish Lire to the UK pound. At markets, it is important to bargain hard as there is always room for movement on the prices quoted and it is culturally expected. (This is not applicable to restaurants)
There are a supply of DVDs left in the villa at the start of each season and many are sold locally, though I do have to say more often than not they are not originals. For the 2009 season I am looking into more British channels which were previously only available with a gigantic satellite dish, this I believe has now changed so may be feasible.
Finally, while there are shops and restaurants within walking distance, I would never recommend walking to the beach as the road is too steep with many hair pin bends and though wide has no footpaths. If you do not intend to hire a car, then you can take the local minibuses that run every five to ten minutes in summer.
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