We stayed for the first time at Jiva Beach Resort down towards Koca Calis end. All inclusive, it was superb. 5 bars from 24 hour bar (very classy looking) to beach bar (new this year), you were never far from a refresherism
I've always found AI in Turkey to be very restricted on drinks - beer, votka, brendi, wine and of course Raki. But here they had a wide selection included, a very good Baileys alternative, schnapps, lots of cocktails etc.
The rooms are lovely and very clean - we had a first floor pool view which is about mid range, the ground floor rooms are more expensive with swim up pool, above are the smaller attic rooms. Plenty of towel swan activity, especially on our anniversary and the twins' 18th birthday.
The hotel set up two long tables decorated and manned with drinks waiters for what turned out to be around 30 of us for the girls' birthday party - friends on holiday at Jiva like us, friends who came for a couple of nights for the party and friends who got an evening pass to share the event with us. Jiva staff did us proud and provided cakes, happy birthday music etc - it was fantastic.
The variety at meal times was amazing, although we don't do the whole AI 'everything is here so no need to leave' experience. In fact, apart from the birthday I think we ate in the buffet three times for dinner (in a 10 day holiday) and possibly 5 times for lunch. There was the buffet for lunch but also an a la carte restaurant called Paprika, where you could get wonderful pide, chicken iskender, burgers, pizza, chicken and chips etc - if it was a restaurant in Calis itself it would be packed. We tried one of the speciality a la carte restaurants in the evening (Turkish one) and the food never stopped (or the wine
) and again top, top quality.
We used Jiva Beach as a base and it was a surreal experience at times - this beautiful, friendly, classy oasis which could be anywhere in the World but just down the road is familiar Calis Beach.
Enough of the hotel.
We found everything so cheap compared with recent years. Back to the old days (almost) where you couldn't get rid of your spends. A taxi from Jiva to the bridge (or back) was £2. Our traditional blow out meal on Birthday/Anniversary Eve at Mancero - with the likes of T bone steaks etc, daiquiris, wine, desserts, you name it - appeared on my credit card statement at £63 for 4 of us. Two lovely birthday cakes from Mancero - thanks Ray
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Boat trip with Ali with amazing lunch, beers, wine etc...£21 each.
We also did another excursion with the amazing Animal - last year's Wet & Wild safari was brilliant (much to my surprise) so 10 of us went out and did the "Up, Down, Speed" day. This was stunning - up to the launch area on Babadag looking down on the lagoon at Olu Deniz, down to Kayakoy for a wonderful lunch with wine tasting at the Lebessos Wine House, over to Gemiler Beach for the most stunning speedboat trip and beach stop before returning to Jiva, knackered. All that (pick up 8-45am back for about 6-45pm, a full, full day) - for less than £30 each...I highly recommend this man, his tours are jam packed, always something going on...
It was fantastic to spend time with so many friends - and to see Calis and Fethiye busy and bustling again, like it used to be. Our last few visits have been worrying - literally being the only people as far as the eye can see in Paspatur for example. It's great to see traders and restaurants doing good business. Some told us it was the best season in over 10 years at least.
Still, while we walked along the prom back to Jiva on a couple of occasions, as you get further down the prom you find restaurants open, but completely empty. Even more disappointing, the staff sit there and don't even look up, let alone try and coax you in. But in general, places were relatively busy for what is the last knockings of the summers season.
Probably our best holiday in Calis ever. Non-stop but we crammed so much in.
Jiva Beach is fab - I had to go to reception and book for 2019 while we were still there
I'll post some photos from my phone (because it's easier) in a reply below.
