"Old" Calis

[OldSerkul1Girl]

Hello CBF Forum  

I used to post on here a bit what must be about 12 years ago (can't believe its been that long!) For anyone who might remember my name is Karen and I married Mehmet (then owner of Serkul One with his brothers Adem and Harry), in 2006. He moved to Manchester to live with me  that year and has been here ever since. We've got 3 kids who are growing up fast and Mehmet now has his own restaurant in Urmston, Greater Manchester. We try to get back to Calis at least once a year, I still love the place  
Anyway, that was just so you know I am not some weirdo stranger asking for information  I was wondering if there was anyone on the forum who has been coming to Calis since the very beginning, i.e. from when it was just starting out as a tourist resort. I am writing a novel and am keen to find out roughly when Calis or Fethiye became known as tourist destinations, and when people started to fly into Dalaman. I know it opened in 1981 but am not clear on if there were incoming flights from the UK then or if this wasn't until later. The book isn't about Calis as such, its a novel and not a travel guide,  I just need a bit of background, so I can get the dates and context right. Any info on what it was like and the first few hotels would be also of great use.
Mehmet said it all started in 1990 but I am not convinced people weren't coming before this. I think this is just when he got to an age to notice the tourists and be more involved in that way of life.
If anyone can give me any info at all that would be great. I've been googling but its not very forthcoming and I thought it might be better to try to get the  people who really know!
Feel free to move this post if its in the wrong place
Tesekkur ederim : )
Karen

 

[KKOB]

What's the name of Mehmet's restaurant ? I get up around Urmston sometimes and I'm always on the lookout for a good Turkish restaurant.

[Highlander]

laffa, jukebox and cavfan (all late of this parish) spring readily to mind. I think they first visited in 1989.

They don't post on here very often these days but are contactable on facebook.

Good luck with the book.

[MarKar]

Sorry I cant help you with the information you need Karen, but what a lovely post to hear about the past and present, I'm sure someone will be able to help you. Good luck with the novel and let us know when we can read it.

[pstevens]

Hi there we first visited calis in 1986 we found it by accident we were staying at the lykia hotel in fethiye and asked a taxi driver to take us to a beach hence we found calis the same taxi took us to olu as well and there was almost nothing there sowe kept returning to calis .we have been visiting since 1986 and know and have known many people in that time we will be back again in august and always look forward to  our return

[Ally B]

We have been going to Calis for around 27 years now  and have seen many changes. The few restaurants on the prom were three or four steps under the prom level,there were no sunbeds on the beach unless supplied by the restaurants,the beach in places was infested with very large ants who knew how to bite. I think it was the first year that we could fly to Dalaman airport from Glasgow. Previous flights to Turkey were to Izmir or Bodrum. The first hotel we stayed in was The Gul (Rose Beach,  Rosary Beach)why we came back to Calis after a week in that place I do not know. We then stayed in the Sekatur twice then the Malhun twice then several other places until we Found the jewel in the crown  THE FIESTA I have forgotten how many great holidays we had there. But it is no more. My memory is not what it used to me but I may be able to answer the odd question.

[pstevens]

Hi ally b do you remember the black cadilacs with the police in cruising the beach road chasingvthe kids selling drinks and cakes we used to sit and watch the antics all day long and every now and tthen the sellers would come and hide by your sunbed or should i say wooden rack so the police wouldnt get them .

[OldSerkul1Girl]

What's the name of Mehmet's restaurant ? I get up around Urmston sometimes and I'm always on the lookout for a good Turkish restaurant.

Its called the 'Station Bar and Grill' KKOB, although you probably wont believe that it isn't actually a Turkish restaurant 
The link is below (hope its ok to add)- it's great for steaks, burgers, sunday roasts etc and the sea bass is lovely. If you are ever around that way do pop in and see him, he would love to opportunity to chat about home for a bit!

https://www.stationbargrill.co.uk/

[OldSerkul1Girl]

laffa, jukebox and cavfan (all late of this parish) spring readily to mind. I think they first visited in 1989.

They don't post on here very often these days but are contactable on facebook.

Good luck with the book.

Thank you! As I don't know their real names they may be tricky to track down on facebook, if anyone is in contact with them via email/facebook etc could you maybe ask them to drop me a quick mail at kkaragoz@outlook365.com if they would be happy for me to pick their brains?

[OldSerkul1Girl]

We have been going to Calis for around 27 years now  and have seen many changes. The few restaurants on the prom were three or four steps under the prom level,there were no sunbeds on the beach unless supplied by the restaurants,the beach in places was infested with very large ants who knew how to bite. I think it was the first year that we could fly to Dalaman airport from Glasgow. Previous flights to Turkey were to Izmir or Bodrum. The first hotel we stayed in was The Gul (Rose Beach,  Rosary Beach)why we came back to Calis after a week in that place I do not know. We then stayed in the Sekatur twice then the Malhun twice then several other places until we Found the jewel in the crown  THE FIESTA I have forgotten how many great holidays we had there. But it is no more. My memory is not what it used to me but I may be able to answer the odd question.

This is great info, thank you very much    My husband mentioned the Malhun but couldn;t remember any of the others that were there really early on. Whereabouts was the Fiesta located?