What a wonderful time we all had, a fabulous itinerary, great company and food and superbly organised by the two of you.
REVIEW OF TURKISH DELIGHTS – MAY 2015
Tantalising Turkey Surpassed All Expectations!
We travelled some 2,500 kilometres around this vast and intriguing country, taking in the incredible landscapes of the interior, including the fairy chimneys and strange land forms of Cappadocia. (which some of us floated over in a balloon!) as well as the beautiful coastline and incredible Istanbul. In Kusadasi, we enjoyed a bustling sea-side ‘cruise ship’ location and then in Assos, a sleepy little fishing village with few visitors other than ourselves…We walked over truly remarkable ancient cities..brought to life by our excellent guide, Hakan, who helped us to feel the reality of the footsteps which had once passed over the same stone roadways and steps. We had fun at a carpet co-operative and several of us succumbed to the allure of a beautiful hand-made carpet…(We received these a week ago, sent to us free of charge thanks to the support given by the Turkish govt. ‘ a marvellous way of keeping the tradition (often women weaving at home,) flourishing into the modern world.
We found the Turkish people as gracious and courteous as we’d remembered them. We did far too much to recount but suffice to say we enjoyed tasty fresh food, some excellent concerts, mesmorising whirling dervishes, the mind-boggling grand bazaar, beautiful mosques and palaces, riches and jewels observed with our eyes on stalks..and we marvelled at the cleverness of our ancient forebears as we walked about, often small, museums filled with treasured. We said Turkey was a country full of riches and joys and all on the tour greatly enjoyed becoming acquainted with her. ‘a great tour!
JUST A FEW OF THE MANY GLOWING TESTIMONIALS…….
“May I thank you both for the organisation of a wonderful trip. The itinerary was marvellous… – the history as told by Hakan who obviously loves this subject, actually visiting the sites we all vaguely knew about, the caves and underground city, the balloon flight, carpets and ceramics, caravanserais, Gallipoli site, markets, fab food, fab hotels, calcium carbonate cliffs, fruit and vegetables – fresh!! shopping – ouch!! and so it goes on. It is hard to fault – maybe too short! Thank you again – it is a holiday we will all remember with love and longing for Turkey.” Glenda E, Sunshine Coast
“What a wonderful time we all had, a fabulous itinerary, great company and food and superbly organised by the two of you. Somehow you were able to cater to our changing wishes and give such a diverse group the opportunity to see and do all they wished… well done. Hakan really was a wonderful guide. I very much appreciated learning from him and also his patience and expertise. Of course the star of the show was TURKEY, an absolutely wonderful country.” Gwynne, Adelaide
“Well here we are, back home again. Our trip with you both was amazing and of course your usual organisational expertise made everything run so smoothly. Thanks again for giving us a wonderful experience.” Glenda L, Brisbane
” It was an amazing trip. Each day was topped with something new, a new experience or adventure. Amazing boutique hotels offering very special accomodation. For instance the Spa at Lake Sapanca, The Caves Suites at Goreme, waterfront luxury at Efe in Kusadasi, peace and quiet in Kervansari Assos and the indulgence of the art deco Eresein Crown Hotel in the heart of Old Istanbul.Friends ask what was my favourite place that we visited. Not an easy question to answer. Was it: my Aladdins cave room, hot air balloons and fairy stacks of Cappadocia ?” Linda G, Qld
We said it at the time, but we were certainly treated to the ‘dream team’ to accompany us…with the very knowledgeable, very organised, always eager, helpful, polite and immaculately dressed..(correct badge and lanyard at all times!) Guide and Tour Director, Phil and the very dedicated, willing and masterful driver, Lee. (We’re already talking to Phil with regard to our our Scotland the Brave tour in a couple of years…not technically his main area but it is..to quote ‘doable!’ and he’s done it before. We can always use local guides where he doesn’t feel his expertise is sufficient! Fingers crossed we secure both Phil and Lee for Scotland 2021. That would be fabulous! By the way, Phil declared our tour the highlight of the season for him!)
