Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Icmeler, the ultimate beach resort!

Icmeler is a Turkish beach resort, off the country’s southeast coast. Lying at the confluence of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, Icmeler seems to have on offer something for everyone without the frills and whistles that Marmaris, another Turkish resort in close proximity to Icmeler, have to offer. It is not as loud, and not as crowded as Marmaris, yet has its own charm in a rustic sort of a manner. Icmeler is in fact popularly referred to as a village resort, which has all the basic amenities that any reputable beach resort should have like sparkling beaches with shimmering sands, with rollicking hotels in the vicinity, without the hangover of a tourist spot that is bursting at its seams.

Icmeler’s location along a bay, with mountains in the backdrop, makes the overall setting that much more breathtaking. In fact, that is one of the reasons why once tourists get an inkling of this place, they get hooked to it and prefer coming back again and again, year after year! There are resorts galore, all along the beach, with all of them having a veritable range of water sports and boat trips on offer. The water sport games on offer include diving, parasailing, beach volleyball, scuba diving, and banana boating. As far as boat trips go, a truly memorable one is the Gulet Cruise boat pleasure trip from Icmeler ‘starting point’, straight into the Aegean Sea. For the more luxuriously inclined, there is also the Blue Cruise luxury trip commencing from Icmeler. Overall, it is boat trips like the aforementioned that visitors tend to add to their lifetime repository of all time favorite memories!

When it comes to food, there are restaurants galore in Icmeler. Local delicacies like the ever-popular kebabs can be had with a veritable range of wines, including raki, the traditional Turkish wine, made from aniseeds. Another local specialty dish available across Icmeler’s restaurants is the Guvec, a clay pot casserole stew of meat and vegetables unique to Turkey. The Devamli Hotel has a restaurant by the name Love Boat that serves lip smacking stews. If local cuisine is what you are after, the Turkish House on Turunc House serves authentic Turkish cuisine, served with traditional Turkish music playing alongside. On the other hand, if you are looking for international cuisine, head straight to the Majestic Restaurant which serves a delectable mix of Italian, Indian and Chinese food offerings. If you are feeling really majestic and imperial, that too on a Sunday afternoon, head straight to the Kingsland Chinese Restaurant that serves up an authentic British lunch.

On the shopping front, Icmeler does not have much on offer with the central shopping mall being the sole source for collecting souvenirs of a trip to this wonderful place. Tourists would in fact be better off making a special trip to nearby Marmaris for all their shopping requirements.

Overall, a trip to Icmeler is a matter of a lifetime’s memory, to be cherished forever!

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