Pirili Beach by JaycB
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- Category: Locations & Holidays
- Published: 02 January 2008
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Perili Beach Club by JaycB I've just returned from a week at Sunsail's Perili Beach Club, and as I'd been keen to hear first-hand reports before I went, have decided to write down my own impressions of the place. |
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Someone at the boatshow told me that the transfers are now quicker as a new road had been built, but the road is only half-finished and it's been done in an odd way - you drive along for a bit and then the road just turns to bumpy dirt track for a mile or so, then another new bit of road begins, then the dirt track again etc.... if you have kids this part won't be fun. To be fair though, they do try to make up for the awful journey by laying on fantastic hot soup when you arrive, and also keep the bar open late for you too. The Club itself is a wonderful, enchanting mix of architectural styles. Rather than one big block, there are many buildings, all different, some big, some small. As the whole place is built on a small hill running down to the beach it feels very much like that quirky little village in Wales where they filmed "The Prisoner". The waterfront bar is spacious and there are loads of comfy chairs and sofas, as well as some huge armchairs that are great for chilling in with a book. There's also another bar a short walk along the beach that stays open later, with a more chilled feel - this is where the staff tend to hang out. The restaurant area is partly covered but open to the elements, so those staying here out of season should pack fleeces or hoodies for evening wear as it can get cold. Generally the club is well laid out but you should be aware that some of the rooms are quite a steep uphill walk from the central bar/restaurant/swimming pool areas. The rooms themselves are simply superb. They pride themselves on no two rooms being the same and having spoken to a lot of the other guests this seems to be the case. The bathrooms are simply huge, with his n' hers wash basins. We found we had no shower curtain and no spare blankets but a quick call at reception led to a maid popping up with them right away. If you're lucky enough to have a balcony facing the sea then you'll get some spectacular sunset views. The food is great and breakfast was a truly awesome pig-out every day - there's just so much to choose from :) The meals are really a kind of mixed up half-board arrangement, with all breakfasts included but with either lunch or evening meal included on the other days. You can get lunch snacks from the bar on non-inclusive days. The sailing area and general rules are explained on the first morning (this is also the time that you can book lessons or courses). Dinghies and windsurfers are allowed to sail in the large inner "lagoon" that's formed between the headland and the island just offshore, and out to an imaginary line approx. 3/4 mile out. Windsurfers who can waterstart are permitted to sail beyond the submerged sandstone causeway that links the island to the shore and out into the large bay of Datca, so long as they go in pairs. It's worth noting that apart from some annoying wind peculiarities (more about that in a minute), windsurfers and dinghy sailors need to keep their wits about them on busy days as the inner bay gets quite crowded. Also, the day yachts need to motor through this area in order to get to the open sea. |
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For the first few days of the holiday the wind was NW, which meant it was cross-off. I was told that during the summer months this is the dominant direction. In the summer the wind builds gradually during the morning but while we were there it tended to be over F3 by 11AM, increasing to F5-6 in the afternoons. In the NW direction, this meant that the sea stayed relatively flat in the inner bay, although by mid afternoon I was struggling terribly due to my lack of "on-the-sea" experience. | |
There were about 6-8 really good windsurfers there who were having a fantastic time during these first few windy afternoons. I was told that the outer bay beyond the spit offered better bump 'n jump conditions as it is less sheltered.
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Apart from the transfer journey and the terrible queues at Dalaman (which isn't Sunsail's fault of course), my only big complaint is the way you have to get out of your room by midday on the day you leave, then be separated from your baggage until you leave. I expect this on an 18-30 or Thomson cheapie holiday, but not from a premium brand like Sunsail. Mark Warner don't do this. Why can't people stay in their rooms until an hour before they leave? The combined outbound and inbound journey times still give over Would I go again? Definitely... just let me know when the road's finished. |