Curragh Travel :: Blog

We stayed in the Palmin Sunset Plaza Hotel. The Hotel is about 7 minutes drive from the centre of Kusadasi. The local ‘Dolmus’ stops right outside the hotel and costs only €1 to get to either the centre of Kusadasi, or Ladies Beach. Staying in the Sunset Plaza meant we could use the facilities in the Palmin, Sea Pearl or Tropicana Garden Hotels. They were all withing walking distance of the Sunset Plaza.

 The Sunset Plaza is set up on a height and as the name suggests, the sunsets from the hotels terrace are FANTASTIC!!! The food and staff in the hotel were great. They greet you on arrival and get to know your name, room number and preferred drink over the course of your holiday. Generally we found the staff to be very pleasant and friendly and nothing was too much for them to do. The hotel had entertainment every night. There was live music, Magic Shows, Fire Shows and a BBQ Buffet. There was also a small children’s club and children’s entertainer.

Nightlife in Kusadasi is great too! There are plenty of restaurants that stay open until the early hours (3am!!) and they have live entertainment. The bigger restaurants offer a pick up and drop off service once you eat/drink in them. Other bars that are in the area include ‘Sean’s Irish Bar’, ‘Smiley Mileys’ and Murphy’s Bar & restaurant. If you want to party the night away – bar street is where you need to be! Jimmy’s, The Shamrock, Kitty Shea’s – to name but a few all stay open until the last person leaves. Generally they will give you your first drink free. If you are unsure where to go on bar street, there are plenty of locals outside to try and coax you in. Generally it is just a bit of friendly banter and once you are inside, they look after you making sure you don’t leave the bar!!!

We went to ‘Ladies Beach’. It was close to the hotel and a lovely sandy beach. Very safe for children. All along the beach, there are an array of bars and restaurants all offering ‘Denny Sausages’, ‘Lyons Tea’ and even ‘Dairygold’ Butter. There was a charge of 5 Turkish Lira each for the beds and and additional 5 Lira for the umbrella. There are also 2 big water parks in Kusadasi. We went to Aquafantasy and it was a good day out. Adaland is another one where you can swim with dolphins.

 All in all, we had a great time in Turkey and can’t wait to go back!!! One thing that was slightly annoying, were the staff in the shops. We had a bit of banter with them but sometimes they can be slightly intimidating if you dont buy anything. They will always ask if you want a price in lira or euro. We always went with the lira and it turned out to be cheaper!

  Top Tips:

- When shopping, if you are just looking, just look. Once you ask a price or touch something, the staff will be all over you!!

- Shop around for the best deals. Some of the shops/restaurants further down the strip are cheaper that the ones at the start.

 - Take the Dolmus into town. They stop at midnight but they are a great (and cheap) way to get around.

 - Taxis increase by 50% after midnight so make sure you have enough lira to get you home!!

Recommended Hotels:

- Couples: Palmin Sunset Plaza or Sea Pearl

- Families: Palmin Hotel

- Young & Lively: Tropicana Gardens Hotel or Melissa Apartments