Marmaris Tourist Traps

Don't take it.

They say you have a guide speaking your language, but there is not much said on a lazy boat trip...

We paid €30 the bus drove around the corner, and we had to step into one of the boats we could book ourselves for €20.
We didn't need the dutch speaking guide...

Fun Alternatives: Ask prices and book a boattrip yourself. Touroperators warn that they can take you to a commercial centre or so, but it's to book with themselves.

There's nothing interesting here!
The best market we ever seen in Turkey was of Milas. This market in Mügla is typical, but doesn't have anything to offer to the tourists. No interesting clothes,... only fresh vegetables,fruit,herbs,local clothes,some western clothes (but not worth),and also tupperware, toys,....

You should only shop in Marmaris shopping centre of other streets if you want nice products.

Unique Suggestions: Touroperator said it was nice 'typical authentic' but we are used to greater markets in Turkey, so tourist trap.

Fun Alternatives: Marmis shopping centre

YOU WILL SEE SIGNS FOR "FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST FOR 99PENCE" THESE ARE TRUE BUT A GLASS OF ORANGE OR CUP OF COFFEE WILL COST AS MUCH AS 2 QUID. LOOK FOR ONES THAT INCLUDE TEA OR COFFEE. FOR ABOUT 1.50 TO2.
00

Unique Suggestions: DRINK BEER WITH MEALS ITS REALLY CHEAP A BOTTLE OF EFES LAGER IS ABOUT 50 P

Fun Alternatives: SHOP AROUND FOR BOAT TRIPS, YOU CAN WANDER ALONG THE MARINA , CHOOSE A BOAT THAT LOOKS COMFY. GO ABOARD ASK WHEN IT SAILS AND PAY IT THEN.. YOU WILL GET A FREE DRINK FOR ASKING. THE OWNERS LOVE TO SHOW OFF

This photo shows the town beach near the marina and as you can see they pack the sunbeds so close together that you have a job just to get to the sea to swimm, so you can emagin how busy this part of the beach gets. Its so much better to hop on a dolmus and travel a few miles up the coastline to Icmeler or Turunc where its far less hectic

Unique Suggestions: Why can't they take a few sunbeds off the beach so you can have just a little space to yourself

At the airport most prices are quoted in Euros and duty free goods are more expensive than in Western Europe so don't get fooled. Also the prices for buying snacks and drinks at the gate when waiting for your flight (small kiosks) are absolutely ridiculous. Here everything is 5-10 times the price everywhere else in Turkey. A lady in front of me paid 90 Turkish Lira (that's 60 US Dollars!!) for 3 ice creams, one coke and one chocolate!! Myself I paid, silly enough, 8 dollars for one small chocolate bar and one coke.

Unique Suggestions: Rather spend your money in Turkey and not at the airport.

It's not a trap actually but not so oftenly when you like to pay the bill with credit card for shopping or meal, can be asked commission for more about 5% which can be explained because of the Bank commissions (But this is not the case.. All about Taxes). Its even better to ask before or even better if you can pay cash mostly.

Unique Suggestions: Ask if the price may same if you pay with the credit card. Or just pay it cash. which they will be more satisfied...

Unfortunately once you discover the city, you realise this is far from behind this nice little resort you could have thought! This is indeed a huge machine to make money out of mass tourism. If you need a proof of that, the city only lives during the summer months, it is completely deserted during winter!!

You'll see
- plenty of awful concrete buildings (that made me think to the North sea in Belgium!)
- overcrowded beaches
- the bazar for tourists where you will be sold some overpricy stuff you don't really need thinking you made a good deal
- the seaside restaurants where hustlers will try to grab you inside with a free drink or an apparently interesting discount. At the end you'll pay twice the normal price!
- street of nightclubs (could have indeed be funny but we were scared by our restaurant experience)

Some people seems to like a lot this atmosphere since it is so crowded. Or maybe they are simply trapped by some tour operators. I'm wondering!! Personally, I think Turkey has much more to offer than that...

If you've never visited Marmaris here's a friendly tip. If you go to the beach and use the sun loungers you may come across a man selling grapes. He will try and give you a couple to taste this is not a free sample you are expected to buy them he will try and force a punnet on every member of your party. If you don't give correct money he will give you what he owes you in grapes and away he goes like lightening. It isn't very expensive but that isn't the point!

By law he is not supposed to be selling on the beach anyway.

This trip reminded me of a timeshare type thing with professional hard sell salesmen thrown in. It was ment to be an organized excursion to visit the local vilages and view the local customs. This was supposed to include luxury coach travel and lunch. the coach turned out to be a mini bus with no air con and with the temp 40 Degrees plus this was not fun. We went to one village which was basically dead, deserted, call it what you want, there was'nt sod all there, then it was lunch, this was typically turkish Ha Ha Ha Ha (i think not) that turned out to be chicken and chips at a petrol service station. Next it was a 2 hour journey on that bone shaker they call a coach to a carpet factory, where the whole purpose of the trip came to light. The salesmen lay in wait like spiders on a web and they wanted our money. One bloke begged me for 2 hours to buy a ?1.000 carpet saying it would be shipped over to me after my holiday Ha Ha Ha No bloody chance matey. Alright they were good quality carpets but this was ment to be a day out not a gloryifyed sales pitch. I just wonder how many actually recieve there carpets.

Fun Alternatives: DON'T GO

Marmaris does have its fare share of beggers and its hard to tell which ones are genuine and which ones are professionals. They seem to come out of the woodwork when night falls. Most will ask you to buy a rose or lucky charm this makes me laugh, if there lucky charms why are they poor Ha Ha Ha. Some will even pretend to be blind. So the best thing to do is be polite and say no.