Click image for all photos
Customer Reviews
Overall:
We are back and I must say, THE VILLA WAS ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!
More than we could ever have imagined... We were wowed, stunned, grateful and pleasantly surprised at every turn. Each day became richer and better. We loved having "our own home" and being able to cook. Villas clearly are the only way to travel. Our 5-star hotel in Istanbul was a huge disappointment after the villa. There is no way we could have known how much we would love villa-style-living and the ability to both be peaceful at home and then forage out to such wonderful sights (ruins at Patara were also amazing) when desired.
So, thank you, thank you, thank you.
Enjoyed Most:
The villa itself is fabulous. I'm sure everybody says that. While it sounds like there had been problems in the past (power, bugs, etc). we encountered NOT ONE snag in our stay. We loved every bit of it, especially the pool, the terraces and the master bedroom and bath upstairs. Someone was kind enough to leave a couple of rafts under the downstairs stairs for our Extreme Pool Pleasure (great move! I hope they
remain) and we did much of our dining al fresco under the sun, moon, and shameless swathe of creamy Milky Way which materialized nightly after the Moon had made her pass and just dazzled us to no end. The telescope on the middle terrace is a GREAT ADDITION.
Enjoyed Least:
Nothing!
Surrounding Area:
We indulged in much star gazing and exploration of the mountain range to the south of the villa where there are ancient terraces which, we learned from Hasan, our most excellent host at the Bodamya Restaurant, the village folks used to take their animals to graze for nourishment and to keep them out of home gardens.
Nearby Events or Locales:
Saklikent Gorge. Hands down, fabulous. Only about an hour away.
Reasonable. Awesome. Challenging. Lovely. And then delicious food and setting after making the trek into the mountains.
Tips or Restaurants:
Which brings us to the second most fabulous part of the whole thing, aside from the villa itself. The Bodamya Restaurant. Who knew the best food we would have in all of Turkey (including over a week of dining throughout Istanbul) would be within walking distance of the villa? We meandered over to the Bodamya (original name of the village now also known as Islamlar) many mornings and evenings to start and end our days and could not have been happier with the setting (idyllic, shady, breeze, views), service (Hasan was lovely and answered all the questions we accumulated each day about the local region and Turkish life in general, including much education from a villager's point of view about economics, politics, culture) AND food!!!! All fresh, delicious, surprising to the palate and super reasonable. Plus, the joy of meandering back to the villa under the balmy night sky after a delicious dinner and a glass of Raki cannot be beat. The restaurant made the villa seem far less "remote" than it would have otherwise. We were just wowed that it was so wonderful and /right there.
David, July
Overall:
The villa was way beyond my expectations, once you see it all together with the green of the trees, the ocean and the mountains as a backdrop, it is really breathtaking.
Enjoyed Most:
It was very peaceful, and I loved the personal touches the owners had all over the villa, their pictures, etc.
Enjoyed Least:
The drive from the Dalaman airport is quite long, if you get there at night you'd be lost.
Surrounding Area:
The town of Kalkan and Kas were magnificent, about a 15 minute drive. There are also other beaches and Saklikent, the ruins, Patara Beach.... there is a lot to do.
Nearby Events or Locales:
The whole area is a village to which we walked to in the morning when we exercised but there is nothing there except for small mosques and a small food store.
Tips or Restaurants:
There is a restaurant going up from the villa that you can walk to or is a two minute drive called Mahmut, they have a fish farm so the fish is very fresh and you pay half the price that you would pay in the town of Kalkan. They also have free Internet service. In Kalkan my favorite restaurant was Doy Doy - the mixed grill is excellent and the service is superb. The people in general are very nice.
Directions:
It was a little difficult but we called the contact person whose number we had and they helped us.
Check In Out:
The neighbors were wonderful and since they look after the property there was no problem at all with the check in or out.
monica, June
Overall:
It was a fabulous week at a spectacular villa with breathtaking views. While the photos are good, they don’t quite capture the magnificent setting and views. I wish that we had stayed there two weeks, rather than one. There is so much to see and do in the area, and yet it is nice to have time at the villa.
Enjoyed Most:
The pool and terrace! The well-stocked kitchen, the spacious living/dining room, the bedrooms, the bathrooms, the views.
Enjoyed Least:
Nothing.
Surrounding Area:
It is perched on a hill/mountain just outside of the village of Islamlar (not much there but a mosque and 5 fresh trout restaurants!) and about 15 minutes from the upscale seaside resort town of Kalkan.
Nearby Events or Locales:
Where to begin? It is about a 20-minute beautiful drive along the coast road to Kas. We spent 3 days in Kas because we found it so charming! Then, for spectacular Lycian ruins, Xanthos and Leto are about 20 minutes away by car. Patara ruins are about the same distance away, as well as the Patara beach, a big, wide, long sandy beach. The beach is protected because of a kind of sea tortoise, so there are no high-rise hotels right there. Just a really beautiful beach to spend the day. There is also Kalkan – for night life. If you like to hike there are LOTS of hiking trails in the area. Further afield are ruins galore – it’s a very historic area – as well as charming towns.
Tips or Restaurants:
The neighbor, Harry, hikes with his dogs every evening. If you like to hike, let him know, because a trek with Harry is an experience! Be sure to try the trout restaurants. You can walk or drive to them. Go to the market days in Kalkan and Kas – and then prepare some fabulous meals at home. The fresh produce is the best I’ve found anywhere.
Check In Out:
Easy. Harry’s wife, who is Turkish, will greet you (be sure to call to advise her of your arrival time) and explain everything to you.
Suzanne Pidduck, June
