Turkey/Gumbet - Talk to me!

StuieUK34

Morning all,

Just booked a holiday to Gumbet (Flight from stanstead to Istnbull, then connecting flight to Bodrum), flying with Pegasus airlines.....

Anything i need to know? Like: flying to spain, etc, you just enter passport details on flight operator webpage first, print ticket and away you go.....
Flying to the USA, you would pay $14 for an ESTA, etc etc..

Do i have to do anything for Turkey?

Any average prices for stuff ? trying to figure if its 2.70 lira to the £1, or 270 lira to the £1 ? If bought an alco drink in spain, its like 6 or 7 euros for a drink (yeah, a rip off!)....
Has Gumbet got similar prices ? hope not of course!!
1 crazy question, many kebab shops over there ?!!! :rotfl:

cheers

PompeyPete

TL2.70 = £1.
£10 visa on arrival. Make sure you have a £10 note handy. Join the visa queue before the immigration queue.
There's 2 airports in Istanbul. So hope you are flying into the same one as your transfer.

Here's a recent thread...

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3734583

There are other threads. Just type "Gumbet" into the search box.

StuieUK34

Wonder who pockets the £10 ?!!!!!
Erm, as to airports, and visa/immigration queues, well..........

Flying into S.Gocken (smaller airport) at 5:15am, connecting flight leaves at 6:35am.....
sure hope thats enough time!!!

PompeyPete

That airport is on the Asian side.
It doesn't take that much traffic anyway, but at that unsocial time of day it'll be a breeze.
Don't know what happens to the tenner, but there's 16,000,000 foreign visitors a year to cream it off.
That said, almost everything about Turkey, infrasturcture, transport links, value for money, cleanliness, is spot-on.
There's a few scams too, so borrow a guide book from your local lending library, and forearm yourself.

gibson123

I have an apartment about 2 hours from Gumbet, the £10 visa just helps with Turkey's balance of payments and compared with many countries including then UK is a bargain. The exchange rate is 2.8 lira to the £ today, change you money in Turkey at an exchange shop for the best rate, or check with your bank to see if it is cheaper to use the ATM's in Turkey.

Turkey is a Muslim country so alcohol is not cheap, especially if it is imported, however you can get an Efes lager (very good quality) for between 3 and 5 lira in most pubs. The local gin is very good, and the turkish wine is also good. Imported drinks like smirnoff are available but expensive. Turkey is a very clean country and as long as you stay hydrated you will not get gippy tummy. Look out for Lokanta which are family run Turkish restaurants. Many dishes are very familiar - kofte is meatballs, pide is pizza, kumpir is baked potatoes and all dishes come with chips, salad and rice. Gumbet is very touristy, but you can do day trips to bafa lake and also Ephesus and Pammukale. Turkey is a lovely country and I am sure you will have a great time.

gibson123

No kebab shops but lots of kebap shops, the kebap in Turkey has NO resemblance to a kebab from the Uk. It is basically good quality marinated and grilled meat or veg, served with unleavened breads and salad. My favourite is the Patricalin kebap (eggplant or aubergine). Prices as low or as high as you like ... pide about 4 lira, gozleme about 1 to 4 lira, meal in good restaurant with fresh fish, wines and drinks about 60 to 100 lira per person.

Saint_Chris

Hi
We go to gumbet every sept for 2 weeks, always stay at the dost apts (not dost hotel), where are u staying?

Yes you do have to pay £10 to get into the country, could be worse, we had to pay blackpool £10 to get out, then again it was worth it......lol

premium spirits, we drink smirnoff vodka is expensive in turkey, so we always take 4 bottles out with us, we buy this from duty free on the way out, sometimes i buy a bottle at home and put it in my suitcase, so us girls have a few drinks before we go out.

gumbet is buzzing, we dont' do bar st, feel were a bit to old for that, but we do the bars at the top by the windmill restaurant, leo's and smilies, always the same most nights, dancing dancing and more dancing.

the beach is shingle but ok, sunbeds are feee as long as you buy drinks from the bars.
We always get a taxi and go to bitez beach for the day.

Shopping everything is fake fake and fake, in the shops in the street, on our 1st visit we was made up and bought loads, but in the end you come to realise it's not worth it, fake uggs go sloppy, fake t-shirts are not the size they say they are, fake watches never work.

kebabs, as said it's not your donna like at home, but like half a loaf filled with meat and salad, but watch when you've had a drink, they sometimes just fill it with salad.

If you need anymore information, go on the gumbet forum on tripadvisor, loads of help on there.

enjoy

PompeyPete

We've got 10 nights in Icmeler next month, and ten 12 nights at Calis Beach straight after.
Done Istanbul several times, and still only scratched the surface. Also Ankara, Urgup (Cappadocia), Antalya (Kaleici), Alanya, and Side.
Wasn't that keen on Side (too tacky), but everything and everywhere else have been spot-on.

StuieUK34

Cheers for the info peeps, very useful
I booked us into the Tonsunoglu apartments.....
They work out cheap, but in terms of how reviews go, this hits the spot.... we want somthing nice, small and not full of chavs...... so should be ok here
Bars we like are Karaoke bars, and the ones where peeps do a quiz, talk rubbish, etc etc.... fun places. We'll do bar st and so on, but preference is the karaoke bars!

Duly noted about the kebap's! sounds more healthier than our ones! haha!
Well aware of the fakes too, dont mind buying a few fakes, but i'll be aiming for rock bottom prices at buying the stuff.

As for drinks, wifey likes vodka/coke , so if thats expensive (including cheapo vodka), i aint going in a kitty with her then!! haha!
As said all, cheers for the info, really helpful
Now, just roll on start of June!