Discovering Dalyan - Travelling Safe: Star CaRent
Safety is a major concern for anybody who travels abroad. Whether it is protecting your money and possessions or avoiding accidents and injury, being away from home brings added dangers that we have to consider each time we travel. When we hire a car abroad, we often take for granted the fact that the vehicle will be as well cared for as our own, that standards of vehicle maintenance abroad is as high as it is in our home country and of course, that we won’t get ripped off in the process. Over the years there have been countless stories about car hire customers who have ultimately paid a ridiculous amount of money for a tiny bumper scratch, a mark that had possibly always been there.
Road traffic accidents are also a huge problem all over the world and some countries fare a lot worse than others. If you drive a lot at home, you will probably despair at the fact that you can find an accident somewhere within your journey in the UK pretty much every day and we are a small country, but world statistics show that the UK is a relatively safe country for road users. A staggering 1,250,000 fatalities happen across the world each year in road traffic accidents. While it is highly unlikely that you should be involved in a traffic accident abroad if you drive responsibly and follow the rules of the road, it is our responsibility as drivers to make sure that we hire a vehicle from a reputable company.
Car Hire in Dalyan
So what are your options in Dalyan? Well, of course you could hire a car from Dalaman airport using world renowned names such as Europcar and Avis which could potentially save you the money you would have spent on a transfer. But there are huge amount of places in Dalyan to rent a car; every shop owner and his brother seem to hire cars! However, this is where the problems begin. In Turkey, the car is insured rather than the driver. In theory, this means that with a driver’s licence, you could drive any car in Turkey, assuming it is insured. But, how do you know who is honest or not? Is the car actually from a car rental company? When was it last serviced? You are much safer to hire your holiday car through a reputable company.
I can’t say that I have personally had an experience with every car hire company in Dalyan, but I have had a couple and neither were particularly good. In fact one car I actually refused to drive as the tyres were completely bald. I ended up hiring elsewhere and the car I drove was fine but at least twenty years old and sure did make some funny noises. So, I was incredibly happy to come across the fantastic Star CaRent and the company’s manager, Rıdvan Bakioğlu, more affectionately known around town as Ricky.
Rıdvan Bakioğlu
Ricky - Star CaRent
Rıcky comes from a extensive family of over 7,000 relatives in Diyarbakır, one of the largest cities in southeast Turkey. As a younger man, he worked for his family business cultivating fields of wheat and rice. Diyarbakır is a city that has been put on the map for all of the wrong reasons over the past few years, considered as the unofficial capital of Turkish Kurdistan and focal point for conflict between Turkey’s government and Kurdish insurgent groups.
With the world media and a simple google search of the city showing a number of disturbing and inhumane bombings and attacks there in 2016 alone, it is no wonder that Ricky and his immediate family feel more than at home in Dalyan. While he happily maintains that family and friends in Diyarbakır are safe and well and that they continue to do extremely well with their farming business, his story suggests that his new life in the sleep riverside town of Dalyan was part of his destiny.
Diyarbakır
Ricky’s father first visited Dalyan in 1997 and returned to Diyarbakır claiming that the town was small. Dalyan is a small town even by today’s standards, but in 1997 it was much smaller, with just a handful of restaurants and hotels. It wasn’t until 2009 that Ricky made it over to Dalyan himself when he visited the town on a two week holiday and visited one of his many cousins who was working in a local restaurant at the time. Back in Diyarbakır Ricky had completed a business degree at the city’s university and he was ready for a move into a career. Within weeks of visiting his cousin, he found himself leaving his life and family in the southeast behind and starting a new life in the town that everybody falls in love with, Dalyan.
Dalyan Today
After a few years of working at the White House Restaurant with his cousin, in 2014, Ricky launched his new business which has gone on to become the best, safest and most highly regarded car hire company in the area. His company is mostly targeted at tourists and he understands the standard of vehicles and service that visitors from across the world have come to expect and this is why he now has one of the most successful businesses in Dalyan.
Star CaRent - Car Hire in Dalyan
Ricky’s car rental business ‘Star CarRent’ has a fleet of 12 well maintained, brand new cars. Every two years a car is replaced with a brand new one, meaning that when you rent from Ricky, you know that you are driving a safe and regulated vehicle. He also owns 5 scooters, mobility scooters and over 40 bicycles, all at extremely competitive prices. Tax and insurance is of course included in the price you pay for the vehicle and Ricky can provide you with baby seats if required which are completely free if you hire the car for more than a few days. Even the bicycles can be fitted with baby seats!
Cars Less Than Two Years Old
Ricky’s car pool includes petrol and diesel cars from Opel Corsas and Fiat Albeas to Renault Clios. Petrol cars cost 80TL per day and diesel cars are 80-90TL depending on the model. Minibuses can also be provided from well respected dealerships such as Mercedes and Volkswagen should your party be too large for a car and prices start at 185TL for the day up to 200TL.
Ricky's Scooters
A Yamaha scooter will only set you back 30TL per day and a bicycle only 8TL. If you’re looking for something a little more thrilling, you can even rent a quad bike from Ricky for 100TL per day. Of course, as many great businesses work, the longer you rent you vehicle, the lower your daily price, so with Ricky, you can get some great deals on hiring cars, scooters or bikes for your entire holiday if you wish.
Bicycles for Rent
Most importantly, with Ricky, you know that the vehicle you are hiring is completely road worthy which certainly takes some worry off your shoulders! Star CarRent also guarantee the cheapest car hire rates in the area if you are looking for car hire in Dalyan. In fact, as they constantly research prices in the local market, they can ensure that you get the best price in Dalaman. So if you’re considering renting a car from Dalaman Airport, think again and contact Ricky who can arrange the best possible price for you, including transfers.
Safety Comes First at Star CaRent
If you are interested in hiring a vehicle from Star CaRent, you should check out their easy to navigate website where you can book your car hire if you wish.
The Entrepreneur
Being the businessman that he is, you can be sure that Ricky has more tricks up his sleeve than just renting cars. Sticking with the theme of transportation, Star CaRent has some incredible day tours and transfer offers through their office. A transfer is the first thing that you will need when you travel to Dalyan through Dalaman Airport. To be picked up and dropped off on time, with impeccable service and in a safe and well maintained vehicle will cost you £55 return. Of course if you arrange to hire a car from Ricky too, deals can be done for an overall price.
Jeep Safari
You may have heard of the infamous ‘Jeep Safari’, an incredible day of fun that takes you to places in the are that you otherwise just couldn’t reach in one of the company’s state of the art 4x4 jeeps. With the opening of the new Dalyan Ferry, vehicles can now cross the Dalyan River and get to ‘The Other Side’ with great ease, which has opened up a whole new world of tourism in Dalyan. Even if you have enjoyed a jeep safari in Dalyan before, you can gain a whole new experience now with Star CarRent.
For 100TL per person, which includes lunch, you will be seated in a comfortable 4x4 jeep and transported across the river on the wonderful Dalyan Ferry. Do this in 2016 and you will be one of the first to enjoy this new service. Once you reach ‘The Other Side’, you will be able to enjoy the sites of Kaunos and Çandır in addition to the regular spots of Yuvarlakçay and Radar Hill. If you have any children under the age of 6, they can go along with you free of charge.
Dalyan's Helicopter Tours
For the luxury and thrill seekers among you, this year Ricky has added a completely unique experience to Dalyan, one that has not been seen before and can’t be provided by any other company in Dalyan. Unlike destinations like Ölüdeniz and Marmaris, being a protected area Dalyan and it’s stunning Iztuzu Beach doesn’t offer waters sports or paragliding opportunities.
The Kaunos Amphitheatre
A hike up a mountain was the closest to the sky that you could ever get in this beautiful town, until now. If you have ever imagined exploring the delights of Kaunos, Lake Köyceğiz and Iztuzu Beach from above, now you absolutely can. You can now enjoy Dalyan from the skies in an incredible hour long helicopter ride above the town. However, the experience will cost you a pretty penny at €3500.
Iztuzu by Helicopter
If you are interested in booking any of Ricky’s tours, feel free to contact him today!
Mobile: (009) 0536 879 99 79
Email: dalyanstarcarent@gmail.com
Dale Colson
During the winter, Ricky works with his associate and friend Dale Colson building and developing property in Dalyan. Dale works with Ricky in the Star CaRent offices and it is Dale that you will speak to if you wish to organise a transfer, mobility scooter or wheelchair for your stay in Dalyan. Ricky thinks of Dale as an older brother and the two of them clearly love working together. The Star CaRent office has a peaceful and happy atmosphere about it and it is the relationship between these two businessmen which creates an environment which makes you feel welcome, at ease and very safe.
Dalyan's Mobility Scooters
This is just as well as Dale Colson is a man with his fingers in many pies and he is the man you will need by your side should anything go wrong during your time in Dalyan. An Englishman with a Brunei Malay and Turkish background, Dale is fluent in many languages, but most importantly English and Turkish. If you need assistance with a situation in Dalyan such as an accident, theft or trouble with a local, Dale can be on hand to offer a translation service for you if needed. If you are buying a property in Dalyan and you need a translator of official documents or with your lawyer or authorities, Dale is the man to contact.
Dalyan Accommodation
Dale is a property guru in Dalyan. I said he has his fingers in many pies and that was not a lie! Not only does he own and rent apartments and villas, but he runs a maintenance company which can provide services to homeowners in Dalyan. If you need work to be done on your property, you need your grounds tended to or your pool cleaned, Dale is the man to contact. He also offers a full cleaning service for any owners renting their properties to visiting tourists. If you are thinking about buying property, Dale can offer full legal advice with purchasing property and knows the system back to front if you are considering applying for a residency permit in Turkey. He can also assist with the construction and design of your property if you are planning to purchase off plan or build your own.
All of Your Vehicle Needs at Star CaRent
Safety is not just about the vehicle you drive, Dale ensures that whatever your situation, however you need help, you are looked after and feel safe at all times, whatever your problem may be.
Feel free to contact Dale if you have any questions or require assistance of any kind.
Mobile: (009) 0543 939 86 62
Website: www.dalyan-accommodation.com
Loving Dalyan
I have always believed that in order to see and truly understand the heart of a place, you have to understand the people. Businesses are not just a restaurant, a translating service or a car hire shop, businesses are families and people. The Turkish are some of the most hospitable people in the world and this is more than apparent at Star CaRent. From Ricky’s brothers playing outside and helping to clean vehicles to his mother offering customers a glass of çay, everything in this office screams welcome.
With Star CaRent, you are not just parting with money to get a car for a day, you are building a relationship with a family and making friends. Do right by them and they will do right by you. Neither Ricky nor Dale are originally from Dalyan and so they understand what you see and what you want to experience as a visitor. With Dale’s British background, he knows the standards that you expect to see too. More than anything, both young men have built new lives in Dalyan, a place that they chose because they fell in love with the atmosphere, the energy and the local beauty of the area. They want to share that with you as their customers.
Find Star CaRent in Dalyan
Ricky loves Dalyan because it is a quiet and relaxing town, a place where you can forget everything. In his spare time he hugely enjoys sport and fitness and uses the local area to capitalise on this. During the winter time when the tourists stop arriving, Ricky gets up at 7am every morning and walks for miles, enjoying the peace. During the winter time he can walk around Dalyan and the surrounding areas and not come across another soul. He has spent many winters exploring the local area and beyond, now he can advise you of the best places to see when you hire your transport from him; he can tell you the secrets of Dalyan. See Dalyan as he does when you hire a car with Ricky.
Many thanks to Ricky for the use of his beautiful photos of Dalyan taken from his helicopter tour in May.
The Dalyan exposé has begun! The project will run until the 23rd of May and will include a lot of exciting articles and videos on our YouTube channel with interesting interviews with business owners and those who work in tourism in Turkey. We'll also be tackling safety issues and what terrorism means for Turkey and the beautiful riverside town of Dalyan.
See our Exposé Page Here
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