frogoutofwater
Guest
I will be going to Istanbul for a business trip in the 3rd week of September and hope to add a few days' holiday to the trip (probably Wed-Sun). Mr. frogoutofwater and I are looking for recommendations for where to stay and dive. We're novice divers (about 30 dives each) and usually we're more interested in fish than wrecks, fauna etc - but we understand that there aren't a lot of fish to see in the overfished Med. While we hope to do some interesting dives, we view this trip as more of a "get in the water, keep your skills fresh and enjoy what's there (rather than whine about what's not there)" experience. Our priorities: 1) safety-conscious, professional dive shop with good equipment (we'll need to rent almost everything) and well-equipped boats (ideally with a WC); 2) a relatively easy trip to make logistically (since we only have a few days, we don't want to spend 3 hours on the road coming from and go the airport - although an hour is ok); 3) a hotel and village with some character (but also a hotel with air-con) - in the <150 euro price range; and 4) possibly some non-diving activities (e.g. nice walks). I have read the other threads on Turkey but am looking for some additional information.
(1) European Divers (especially the Fethiye-based location) has had some good reviews and seems to have the kind of dive boats and set-up we're looking for. What do others think? What about their other locations? Can anyone recommend one more than the others, or there reasons to avoid one? Can anyone recommend a hotel with some charm or character in the Fethiye area?
(2) I read the recent trip report on Kas and it sounds appealing (at least with respect to criteria 3 and 4 above) - but it seems it would take some time to get to.
One other question. What are mosquito levels like in late September? Bugs love me, and I hate them (almost phobic about it). All other things being equal, I'd choose the least buggy place (village, hotel).
(1) European Divers (especially the Fethiye-based location) has had some good reviews and seems to have the kind of dive boats and set-up we're looking for. What do others think? What about their other locations? Can anyone recommend one more than the others, or there reasons to avoid one? Can anyone recommend a hotel with some charm or character in the Fethiye area?
(2) I read the recent trip report on Kas and it sounds appealing (at least with respect to criteria 3 and 4 above) - but it seems it would take some time to get to.
One other question. What are mosquito levels like in late September? Bugs love me, and I hate them (almost phobic about it). All other things being equal, I'd choose the least buggy place (village, hotel).
