Has Calis Changed - or is it Us?

[Jacqui Harvey]

My son and his fiancee found it far to quiet in Calis for stag and hens.  Their two groups got taxis to Hisaronu and they arrived back at 6.00 and 6.30am respectively.  

[mercury]

I liked the man Calis strip when they were individual restaurants... In my opinion they spoiled it when they put them all under one roof..   Good to see a rubbish collector on the beach yesterday.  There were two groups of hen and stag parties the other evening Jacqui and they certainly didn't find it quiet....Well it wasn't after they turned up.... 

[Phil]

Has Calis changed ?
Yes its has.

Sadly, the decision about whether the change is good or bad is too often based on the Value for Money consideration.

I have been saying for many years that Calis is good at making people come back – it is just not good at making people come in the first place.

We have been renting our Villa for about 6 years and we have some guests returning four or five times. But how did they get to hear about Calis in the first place ?? Mainly through friends and acquaintances who knew we had a villa.

Calis does not have many redeeming features such as a stunning beach, incredible views, rolling country side and blue seas. And it does have some carbuncles – the horrible hotel by the water park, some very sorry looking roads, rubbish bins in the streets, building sites etc, but somehow it does manage to grab people and make them want to come back time and time again.

During the past few years I have met a few Hisaronites and Ovacikians who have used the word “dump” to describe Calis. Unfair yes. But these people are now telling their friends via face book etc that, in their view, Calis is to be avoided. Sadly I think this undeserved label is beginning to stick and Calis may even lose the “come back” spell it has always been able to cast.

Nevertheless I still love the place for all my own reasons and I will make do with whatever Calis offers.

Without a coordinated plan Calis will continue to change, largely driven by the opportunities (or lack of them) for local people to run profitable businesses. One of the joys of Turkey is that coordinated plans just don’t happen ! !

[Saga Louts]

Yes it has changed and will continue to I am sure. Ok the canal looks a bit characterless, but I think it is by no means finished. The area aound Duck island has to be developed into what looks like a lovely park, the prom from Fethiye has  finished. Me thinks they are not doing  road either side of canal as part of this development and the connection between
fethiye and Calis front.
As for the new roads and paving etc further back. Its wonderful, no more new shoes every few weeks and so much less dust. I dont have to clean the house half as much. The only down side is I have noticed dog dirt on new pavements
but then they dont know any better.There is hardly any waste ground now. Dont blame it on street dogs. There are very few now.Not all but some owners just let their dogs roam.
Anyhow we think it is wonderful and much more up market now. fethiye is even better.

[Highlander]

Entertainment on the prom

Then.......





And now..........

[Rimms]

Of course Çalis has changed over the years, but so has the North Pole, South Pole, Sahara Desert, Canadian Rockies, Las Vegas, Benidorm & Blackpool.

Why is it such a surprise that this isn't the resort where time stood still ?

[Jacqui Harvey]

Probably, because elderly people don't like change.... Good job me you Chris and Phil are young at heart Rimms
     :   

[Highlander]

One of the great pleasures of Calis for us has been sitting on the front on a warm evening, sipping a gin and tonic or two and chatting with friends.

That is becoming more and more difficult due to the noise levels in an increasing number of establishments. It,s difficult to hear yourself think. That's got nothing to do with me getting older - I wouldn't have liked the current noise levels 15 years ago. Someone will still have to explain to me the need for it. And also the need for bright neon signage. The Baris Manco are was improved without neon signage I think. In my opinion the authorities would be better employed looking at both noise levels and neon rather than the alleged hassling or the width of restaurants at the market.

One thing of course has not changed in Calis and that is the people which is why we keep going back.

[Christie]

Having visited Calis twice a year for the past 16 years, have to admit this June we were disappointed with some aspects.  The beach dirty, no sunbeds or umbrellas, the road between the canal and promenade left really scruffy (we heard the people doing the canal work ran out of money - don't know whether that is true) but it is disappointing to see the area left so untidy.   Restaurants closed (Calis beach Indian and Soul) apparently for 'harrassing' people.   For the first time in all these years we were asking ourselves do we want to come back next year.   Having said that, we enjoyed early evening drinks on the promenade watching the sunsets, dining out along the promenade - never tire of that wonderful view, also meeting up with friends who are there the same time as us. So we probably will be back next year but possibly Calis is starting to lose a bit of the charm that always called us back year after year and that is nothing to do with our age. 

[ColinT]

But surely John, places move with the times.  If your are somewhere with loud music then don’t go back and frequent some other place instead.

For an example.  It was lovely meeting you in June, but if it had been 10 years ago I’d have had hair (not a lot mind you!).

I think a lot of people have the their old Calis memories in their heads and live on nostalgia.  We are pretty much the same, but we enjoy every visit, and really look forward to seeing what has changed, and which waiter/barman has moved on to wherever, etc.