Turkey's Magical Hideaways (2012)

The [Sentez] carpet experience was very good, but a bit lengthy. There needs to be a time parameter.

The [Chez Galip] pottery was interesting, but I felt rushed in the purchasing process. And the price became a problem with not clear communication.

Traveler: Barbara L. Musselman from Claremont, CA traveled on April 01, 2012

Hiking not accurately described – much more difficult than advertised.

Traveler: Paula Martinez from Claremont, CA traveled on April 01, 2012

The most fabulous part was our tour guide - Etem Ozturk. He was challenged (once by a terrific windstorm and then by a cancelled flight - Turkish Air) to reorganize our trip. In fact, when we missed the flight to connect with our return (USA) flight, he made all new reservations including seat assignments) and hotel reservations using his cell phone. He was simply amazing - although a lousy fisherman but thats another story. The 4 days on the boat were perfect. The pacing was generally excellent although the trip to Cappadocia is really long. Sleep-over at the farmer's house was very comfortable and informative. Because of heavy snows their sugar beet fields were flooded so they would have no crop this year; a difficult situation for them. But they were perfect hosts. Cappadocia was magical but a warning. When visiting some of the churches in the tufa make sure you know their schedule. We paid 8TL each to view the 'dark church' not knowing that we entered at the very end of their 10 minute viewing period. As a result we saw next to nothing and they wouldn't even consider a refund. NOT customer friendly. Not sure why this isn't on the OAT tour of the area as it appears to have the best frescoes there. But we were robbed. Bottom Line is that Turkey is way different than you now imagine - they make a point of telling you they aren't middle easterners and they don't speak Arabic - they are Turks and speak Turkish; very proud folks with a rich cultural history.

Traveler: David Ells from Centennial, CO traveled on April 15, 2012

This was a wonderful trip. I loved Turkey. The food, the people, the learning experience, museums, the Gulet and more.
The hikes were great and I am glad I brought my walking pole. I could have done a couple more. You will need these hikes because the food is so good and there was always plenty to eat.
The hotel in Istanbul was right in Taxim Square and that was perfect.
The Gulet boat trip was relaxing and the room was bigger than I was expecting. Best food of the trip was on the boat. So fresh and healthy.
Overall, this trip was a great experience and I wish I was able to take the post trip.

Traveler: Debra Mcevoy from Woodland Hills, CA traveled on April 20, 2012

The title of the trip says it all "Magical". We had great accommodations, the food was rich in colorful vegetables and our travel group got along so well, it was a joy. Some of us thought we were fit and able but needed more rest stops on some of the hikes. Our trip leader, Nurdan, had a great sense of humor and had detailed information at each site. We had to forgo some of the sailing trip due to bad weather, but our captain kept us safe and that was important.

This trip takes you from sealevel to the mountains back to sealevel. There was snow on the mountains and down to some roadsides and it was chilly at times.

Everyone we met was friendly, a vendor served us turkish coffee and we did not make a purchase - no pressure.

The sights and sounds are amazing, foreign but comforting at the same time.

Would I go on this trip again? "YES"

Traveler: Brigitte Sandifer from Sugar Land, TX traveled on April 05, 2012

Fantastic trip! Wonderful combination of big city and small village trips. Our guide, Salih, was adept at avoiding crowds everywhere we went. There were places, like the Ephesus museum, that we had practically to ourselves! The school visit and the overnight village experience were highlights. It's an active pace with many opportunities for hiking through the hills and ruins. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip to anyone. If you are fortunate enough to have Salih as your guide, you will not be disappointed.

Traveler: Mary Mccarthy from Arlington, VA traveled on March 28, 2012

The highlights of our trip was the exciting city of Istanbul, cruising along the coast on the gulet with delightful swimming in the warm sea,
Antalya, a lovely city that needed an extra day to enjoy. Cappadocia, pretty and unusual countryside and time to enjoy walking among the fairy chimneys and taking a ride on the hot air balloon.

Some downsides were the crowds in Istanbul from 5 cruise ships in port. We couldn't appreciate the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace because of the immense crowds and long lines. Wish OAT would not schedule these stops the same time as the cruises do. Why not a late afternoon stop when most of the crowds are gone?

Our guide Behlul was certainly well informed on the history of Turkey, and he was valuable to us, but most of the time he seemed to exude an attitude of self-centered intellectual superiority which was hard to take. We got the feeling he would rather have been someplace else than with a group of tourists. Several times on different occasions on the bus when someone asked a question, he would say "I told you". He seemed to be preoccupied with his own personal issues.

Our home stay was probably not one of the best stays. Our hostess was very pleasant but she and our guide talked loudly to each other in Turkish during the breakfast meal at our group's table. When someone in our group asked what they were saying, he ignored the question.

Overall, we really enjoyed Turkey but wished we had a better guide who truly was interested and more involved with our group and that we could have seen the museums minus the cruise crowds.

Go and enjoy Turkey, the lovely coastline, its people and the wonderful cuisine. It really is a beautiful and unusual country.

Traveler: Roberta Hutchinson from Mountain View, CA traveled on September 17, 2011

This is truly a magical experience. I have been all over the world, but no where have I seen more layers of history than in Turkey. It is a thrill for the senses.

When I think of this trip, I remember the stillness in the mornings in Capadoccia, with the soft whoosh of the flames from the hot air balloons as they rise over the fairy chimneys.

In Instanbul, the excitement of the city, and the explosion of colors and smells in the spice market. The fabulous history of the Hagia Sophia and the blue mosque.

On the exquisite gulet, sleeping on the mats on deck, and gazing up at the star lite sky.

The grand ancient city of Ephesus is literally walking in history. There is so much history in Turkey, that this is a treasure trove for history lovers. Just amazing.

I have to say a word here about our wonderful guide,Akyn Aykurt. He was absolutely superb. His knowledge of early civilizations, and the beginnings of languages, was a wealth of information. If you have the chance to go on a trip guided by him, leap at he chance.

This is a trip that I highly recommend.

Traveler: April Wilson from Cheshire, OR traveled on September 01, 2011

Our trip to Turkey was truly magical. Every day was a new path in a journey that opened my mind to a different perspective of a world I had heard of but never thought much about. The journey was very exciting and enjoyable due to the wonderful leadership of our OAT trip leader Mr. Adnan Duvenci.
Adnan utilized his extensive knowledge of Turkish history and ancient mythology in combination with our visits to the many archaeological and historical sites to provide us with a most memorable experience of Turkish life and culture.
The places we visited and things we did were well beyond the beaten tourist paths. We visited with a family in their home in a rock cave in Cappadocia, visited a small school and interacted with schoolchildren in Izmir, lunched with a family in their home in Izmir, toured and visited palaces, mosques and bazaars in Istanbul, cruised the Bosporus, walked the world-famous ruins of Ephesus and the sixth century Basilica of St John, experienced up-close silk thread extraction from silk worm cocoons and the art of carpet weaving, cruised the Mediterranean in a small Turkish gulet-style yacht, hiked through forests, meadows and coastal sites to little-known villages, visited archaeological museums in Antalya and Cappadocia, enjoyed an overnight homestay with a local family in a remote village outside of Antalya, and explored an underground city in Cappadocia.
We experienced delightful Turkish cuisine and under Adnan's tutelage became, if not fully knowledgeable, at least well informed of important milestones of Turkish history in the past millennium.

Traveler: Esteban Silvera from Ardsley, NY traveled on October 17, 2011

“Turkey’s Magical Hideaways”—a great name for our fabulous 17 day adventure featuring a 4-night cruise on a gulet-style yacht on the Mediterranean Sea.
Marv and I traveled with Overseas Adventure Tours (OAT) to Turkey from October 5-17. We never expected Turkey to be so modern and the people so warm and welcoming. What a truly great adventure we had!
We landed in Istanbul after a 3 ½ drive from our home to Kennedy Airport and then 2 Lufthansa flights. Istanbul is a very unique and modern city where you can partake in all the modern convinces but still enjoy and respect its ancient history and natural beauty. The people make up a “cultural mosaic” of different national, ethnic, cultural and religious origins.
We were thrilled to be able to stay in Istanbul for three days. It is the largest city in Turkey, and though it is not the capital, it is the leading industrial, commercial and cultural center of the country. At a population of near 13 million, this city is not the place to be traveling in a car or bus when people get out of work at 5PM!
99% of the population in Istanbul is Moslem yet Turkey is a secular state and people have freedom to choose their religion and beliefs. No one is forced to participate in any religious ceremonies. The Turkish people have a strong belief in their Moslem Religion but are free to go to Mosque when they can. Women and men dress in very modern styles.
Our Turkish tour leader, Nesrin Ulupinar, was an absolute delight. She laughed at all Marv’s jokes, did a fantastic job organizing us each day, led some great hikes, and gave us a superb knowledge of her Turkey through her eyes and young experiences. We will truly be indebted to Nesrin for helping to make this trip one of our favorite OAT travel experiences.
Our first full day in Istanbul was spent at the Topkapi Palace, The Hippodrome, The Blue Mosque, The Grand Bazaar, and the Suleiman Mosque. What spectacular treasures these are for the Turkish people and for all who are fortunate to see them.
We began our Istanbul journey with a visit to the Topkapi Palace. Mehmet the Conqueror began building this palace in 1459, and it served as the royal palace of the Ottoman Sultans until 1853. The treasury section caught my attention. It houses the Kasikci Diamond with its 86 carats and the Topkapi Dagger which is ornamented with valuable emerald pieces. Marv’s attention was directed to The Harem Courtyard and then to the Earth Geocache!
As we walked from the Palace to the Blue Mosque, we strolled along the old Hippodrome area and could almost visualize the chariot races that once took place there in front of 100,000 spectators!
The Blue Mosque takes its name from the interior blue 23,000 tiles. As one of the most famous religious buildings in the world, its 6 symmetrical soaring minarets make it a very defining element in the Istanbul skyline.

Our next stop was to the Grand Bazaar with its 6,300 shops—Marv knows that because he counted everyone of them while I did some serious shopping!!! This bazaar has a labyrinth of streets covered by painted vaults and lined with booth-like shops. It was easy to get lost in here!
Our final stop for the day was at the Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent. This Mosque is considered to be the largest and the most Imperial of mosque-filled Istanbul.
Our second full day in Istanbul was spent at the historic Hagia Sophia, whose magnificent dome was once the architectural wonder of the Byzantine world. Today’s Hagia Sophia is the third building built in the same place. The first two were churches that burned down in 404 and 532AD. The third church is Hagia Sophia, and it served as a church for over 900 years and then as a mosque for almost 500 years. Today it serves as a museum with both Christian and Islamic elements inside.
Next we walked across the street to see the Basilica Cistern, a vast underground water cistern laid out under Justinian in 532AD. After eating a pizza for lunch, we explored the very crowded Spice Bazaar with many colorful spices that spiked our senses.
From the Spice Bazaar we walked a short distance and boarded our very own boat which took us on an hour and a half relaxing cruise on the Bosphorus, a narrow strait between Europe and Asia connecting the Black Sea to the Marmara Sea. Along both shores we saw many attractions including ancient ruins, expensive waterfront homes, picturesque villages and the very impressive Dolmabuhche Palace consisting of 285 room, 46 halls, and 600 paintings! Glad I don’t have to clean that place!
Our last stop for the day was along Istikal Street. This was our second time back to this pedestrian street as our hotel is just a few blocks away. We so enjoyed watching the people, seeing the trendy bars, numerous shops and very stylish restaurants.
After taking an early morning flight from Istanbul to Izmir on the Aegean Sea, we drove to a small village where we had a question and answer session with the local Mayor. We were then hosted to an authentic Turkish lunch with a Turkish family in their own home. It was fun communicating with them using a website that converted our American words into Turkish and vise versa.
As we drove to Kusadasi, we saw olive and cherry orchards and pomegranate and mandarin fields. After arriving at the Kismet Hotel, we were shown to our rooms. As we entered our room, we were greeted to a breathtaking view of the Aegean Sea from our balcony. We stayed two nights here and so enjoyed the Turkish buffet specialties with their unique tastes and many healthy vegetables.
The next day was a very rainy day with some torrential downpours at some of our stops! Nesrin decided we should try to stay dry so our first stop was a journey through 2,000 years of history at the Ephesus Museum. Marble and bronze statues and frescoes from Ephesus were beautifully displayed along with exhibits of a sculptured Artemus (Goddess of Fertility & Protection), jewels, and artifacts.
When we left the museum, it was raining lightly so Nesrin decided we should next view the ruins of the 6th century Basilica of St. John who is thought to be buried here. It is also believed that St. John might have written the Fourth Gospel of the Bible while residing in Ephesus.
After a downpour at the Basilica, we boarded our bus and headed up several large hills passing by grape fields and more olive trees to arrive at our lunch restaurant. This was in a very small village where we had to walk up the cobblestone streets and paths to arrive at our restaurant which served delicious cheese and whatever pancakes. Great lunch but as we walked back down those cobblestone streets and paths, another outburst of rain from Mother Nature caused the paths to become almost impassible and a little slippery. Our hardy group walked down very gingerly and made the best of this miserable weather. At least it wasn’t ice or snow!!!

With wet feet and some of us with wet bodies, we reached our bus and traveled back down the hills to the world-famous ancient Greco-Roman site of Ephesus. This is one of the largest and best preserved ancient cities in the world.
We walked on the remarkably well preserved, wide marble streets in Ephesus. We could see where once stood columns, temples, and statues of civic notables. We continued on to see the Temple of Hadrian, private homes with their terraces, the brothel, and the agora or market place with some mosaics still intact.
The Library of Celsius was very impressive. It was built in 135AD and is one of the largest libraries and most graceful surviving buildings of antiquity. We climbed up the stairs to check out the four statues: Sophia (wisdom), Arete (virtue), Ennoia (intellect), and Episteme (knowledge). A gymnasium for male students and classrooms were just above the library.
The Theatre was so spectacular! There were three tiers. The first tier was for the nobles and rich people. This amphitheater is the same one where St. Paul preached to the Ephesians!
Also saw “modern day toilets” for men only! Water flushed down “here” from the baths above to clean out toilet “debris”!
We left Ephesus the next morning and drove to a Turkish Carpet Warehouse. We had decided before our trip to Turkey that we would look but not buy. Well…when you visit us at our home, you just might find a really nice (Turkish) rug in our living room AND another smaller area rug downstairs in our recreation room.
Traveled onward to Gocak where we boarded our Turkish gulet-style “yacht” for the next four nights. The heavy rains continued to pound us as we ate at a small table inside as our crew members watched a soccer match on TV. Not a very good experience on our first night?!
Our gulet room was very “spacious” for a boat and our separate bathroom with its own toilet and water shower was quite nice. Our Captain was OK but the “Crew” was not very friendly. They served us our food, gave us our drinks when we needed them, helped us on and off the boats but just did not seem to have their hearts in the right places. They did not smile and recognize us very much and they seemed to be more interested in their video games. We were disappointed with this supposedly “friendly?” crew. Snorkel equipment was terrible and what we did finally get, was not working correctly.
While on our gulet, we stopped every night at a protected cove where we could get a good night’s rest! During the days on this gulet, we made trips to Daylan where we explored the Lycian tombs ( cut into cliff faces that were “Houses of the Dead”), the Lycian Ruins of Caunus founded before the 9th century BC with its ancient walls, baths, church and theatre.
We also hiked for over three hours from our “parking cove” by the sunken baths of Cleopatra built for her by Mark Antony. We did a moderate 3.2 mile hike up and down the hills passing through forests, meadows and spectacular coastal scenery. Near the top we stopped at a shepherd’s hut for tea, and, YES, another shopping experience with cow bells, spoons, forks and other stuff available for your shopping pleasure. By the time we arrived back to our gulet, we were all ready for a swim.
Another day was spent at Kayakoy, the eeriest Ghost Town in Turkey! This was once a thriving Greek village of over 1,000 homes, two churches, fourteen chapels, and two schools. It was completely deserted in 1923 when the 25,000 Greek inhabitants living here, along with more than a million other Greeks living throughout Turkey were repatriated to Greece through a massive government mandated population exchange between the two countries following the Greek War of Independence. Since then, it has stood empty and crumbling, with only the breeze from the mountains and mist from the sea blowing through its empty houses and streets!
We disembarked from our gulet at the port of Fethiye, a tourist resort on the Mediterranean Sea with beautiful bays and beaches. As we traveled by bus to Antalya, we passed through the “Food Paradise” of Turkey. We saw thousands of greenhouses filled with growing tomato vines inside. Our stops included the ancient Lycian city of Demre (Myra), where St. Paul supposedly came through in the first century. We saw the theatre and the two cliffs carved with spectacular “house tombs” carved over 2,500 years ago!
Our next stop was to the Church of Saint Nicholas. In the 4th century AD, Saint Nicholas was the bishop of this area and was known as the protector of children giving them gifts whenever he could. Beautiful frescoes were inside. The Russians have donated money to restore this church.
We stayed in Antalya, a beautiful seaside resort which is very popular with the Russians. We visited the archaeological museum which houses regional artifacts from the Stone Age to the present. The upper part of the Statue of Hercules had just been transferred from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts back to this museum. Both the upper and lower parts were joined together and once again this magnificent statue could be seen in its entirety! The Turkish people as well as our tour group were proud to see this happen.
We had the truly interesting and relaxing experience of a Turkish Bath while we stayed in Antalya! Nine of us went to a Turkish Bath. Girls were on one side and Boys on the other. The walls were thin according to our men, and they said they could hear our laughter as we enjoyed our bath experience! Little did they know how somewhat anxious we were in a place we had no idea what we were getting into and with no one speaking American!
We were lead to a glass changing room. All clothes came off and we wrapped a cotton towel around us. Our first stop was to a well heated steam bath-typed room where we rinsed off with water and then laid down on a heated marble slab. It was very hot so after a while, a water fight ensued among us to just cool us off! We were then taken out one by one to a small room with 4 slabs. Our towel was placed on top of one of these slabs, and we were motioned to lie down. We had a bubble bath squeezed through a “pillowcase” slopped all over us and were scrubbed down with a soapy loofah. Next we were shampooed and then sent to a comfortable chair to sit, relax and to enjoy a cup of “Turkish’ or Apple tea. Now we all thought our Turkish bath experience was over until one by one we were motioned upstairs to be given a very thorough oil massage. When we finally got off that table, we were limp with relaxation. We gingerly walked back to our dressing room and all of us found enough energy to find our clothes and to dress so we could safely get back to our hotel. What a truly relaxing experience that was, and I was so fortunate to experience it with a great group of newly found girlfriends!
After “floating” back to our hotel in the old section of town, most of our tour group enjoyed a wonderful fish meal overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. This might have been my favorite meal because I was craving fish, and it sure was delicious!
The next day we enjoyed our optional tour to Perge where it is believed that St. Paul preached one of his first sermons here in 46AD. We also visited Aspendos once a very important Roman trading center. Today its main attraction is a beautifully preserved Roman amphitheatre. Until recently it had been used for large concerts and other events.
We stayed overnight with a local village family. We were given their bedroom and the rest of our tour group had bedrooms in this home or in their other home nearby. We had a delicious Turkish dinner and breakfast prepared by our host and hostess and had a great question and answer session the night before. This was a very unique treat for all of us on this tour.
We next traveled overland to Cappadocia for our next three nights and for our last Turkish experience. We stayed at a Hilton Doubletree with great rooms, very comfortable beds, and excellent Turkish-style breakfasts and dinners. We were so spoiled staying here!
From here we visited the Melvana Museum to learn about the mystical Sufi order of the Mevlevi, known as the “Whirling Dervishes”. We had the opportunity to actually witness the Whirling Dervishes as they whirled, their motions representing a spiritual journey. While whirling, their arms are open with their right hand faced upwards directed to the sky ready to receive God’s beneficence and the left hand is turned down toward the Earth. They spin about 40 times per minute for at least five minutes at a stretch, and don’t appear to get dizzy! This was a very solemn and moving experience for all of us.
We thoroughly enjoyed the whimsical landscape of Cappadocia on our hike and especially in our hot air balloon! This might have been the highlight of our trip! With over 80 balloons launched that morning, we floated up and around the fairy-tale chimneys and the bewitching landscapes of spectacularly eroded tuffa (hardened volcanic ash). We saw Mount Erciyes, an extinct volcano, with the sun erupting over the very top! What a memory we will hold dear forever! Our New Zealand pilot, Andrew, was a delight, and shared his enthusiasm and love for ballooning as Vera asked him a million questions!!
We then went to Kaymakli, an underground city where several thousand people once lived. It is eight stories underground but we only went down to the 4th story. During the Hittite era as numerous armies swept across Asia Minor, underground cities were built to provide refuge during recurring threats by invading armies. This “city” was built over numerous generations and had living quarters, kitchens, granaries, stables, wine cellars, water cisterns, and well-ventilated shafts.
Our last discovery stop with this tour was to Uchisar Castle, a larger-than sculpture. We climbed up the 120 steps to the summit of the fortress to see the rocky landscape of Cappadocia. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Byzantine army took advantage of the natural elevation of three of the area's rock formations and used them as natural fortresses.
Our last day in Turkey was a travel day. It was very difficult saying “Goodbye” to our wonderful new family. We consider ourselves very blessed that we were to have Nesrin as our escorted tour guide and friend. We were amazed and so extremely fortunate with her knowledge and her passion for Turkey. We have talked about this beautiful country with so many of our friends since we arrived home.
We LOVED the 9 people we traveled with and wish to call them our “forever” friends. We laughed and talked and laughed some more. They were so easy to get to know and to travel with. We certainly hope our paths will cross again. It would be an honor to travel with all of them again.
Would we go back to Turkey again should the opportunity arise? You bet we would. This was an experience of a life time that we will never forget.

Traveler: Marvin Weiss from Scotia, NY traveled on October 05, 2011

The entire trip was wonderful. We were able to see different aspects of this very large country, ranging from the history-laden city of Istanbul to small villages (for a school visit, a luncheon and also an overnight stay at a different village). Our most knowledgeable and always empathetic guide (Iskender Alp Eren) kept our welfare uppermost, as he led us through the compulsory stops in Istanbul on to the more arcane places on our route. Missed not getting to see the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul, and loved the one in Anatalya. We especially adored: 1 our stay on the gulet (during which time we were fed and hosted magnificently); and 2 the most dramatic and unique balloon ride in Cappadocia – don’t miss it. In short, we had a great group, great guide, wonderful food = memorable time in Turkey.

Traveler: Joan and Irv Kershner from Hendersonville, NC traveled on October 15, 2011

Our trip to Turkey was one of the best trips my husband and I have taken. The variety of locals, interaction with regional people,and depth of information provided by our guide, made this vacation truly memorable. The entire experience was enhanced by the congeniality of our fellow travelers, I'd encourage anyone who loves to discover new people and places to take this trip.

Traveler: Linda Doll from Lafayette, CA traveled on October 12, 2011

This was my 3rd trip to Turkey. The first 2 were on my own. I saw 90% more with OAT because it was so well planned, our guide was excellent, transportation was instantantly available when needed and we were exposed to many unexpected adventure diversions that would never be found by the average traveler. I have 2 recommendations: (1) Lunches should have been included when all guests ate together; and, (2) we would have enjoyed another day in Instanbul, even if it meant one less day on the gulet. We went with 2 friends, and they loved it.

Traveler: James Tharrington from Raleigh, NC traveled on October 16, 2011

Wow - what a wonderful trip.
Besides being very knowledgeable and professional, our trip leader Fatos Gungor was a true joy to be with, and her enthusiasm was infectious.

While in Istanbul try and allow time for a Turkish bath at the Cemberlitas Hamam - a wonderful experience!

Exploring Ephesus and the Basilica of St. John was awe inspiring, but be sure to have your sun hat with you - there is virtually no shade available.

The gulet was great, primarily because of the wonderful hikes and exploring we did when we went ashore each day. The Turquoise coast was so beautiful, and we had fabulous views from various points on our hikes. Hiking poles were useful on some of the trails.

This was the most physically active OAT trip we have experienced, and if you are not physically fit, this may not be the trip for you, unless you are willing to stay on the gulet during the hikes.

Traveler: Mary & Jack Wofford from Bremerton, WA traveled on September 25, 2011

Great trip. I think maybe we could shorten Cappadochia section by one day - seems like we did a lot of driving on a day or 2 for a single site.

Also, we didn't get to see the school kids because our scheduled day was on a weekend. Seems like it would have been easy to shift a couple of days in the schedule so we could have seen the kids on a school day?

Traveler: Lowell Wade from Brookeland, TX traveled on October 10, 2011

What a wonderful,time travel experience.From the twenty first, to the third, and back to the twenty first century, in just seventeen days.This trip brought those high school history lessons to life.
This was our second trip with OAT, the first was to Peru, and the most exciting and rewarding.Our guide,Fitnat, was wonderful. Full of knowledge and able to share it with her new friends and guests to her country.
From the centuries old city of Ephesus, to the Turquoise Coast, to the balloon flight over the magical world of the Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia.
We can't thank OAT enough for their pre- planning and organization for this trip. We can't imagine, but look forward to where ever they will take us next.

Richard and Karen Wilson

Traveler: Richard Wilson from Arroyo Grande, CA traveled on October 06, 2011

The 4 nights on the Gullet were difficult and confining. Because there was a storm brewing on the Med. we were confined on the Gullet. There ought to have been another plan to get off and tour by bus on land. Very poor planning.

Traveler: Rita Spinal from Spokane, WA traveled on October 02, 2011

We were quite fortunate to be led by a very energetic and knowledgable director. I am not a mueseum or ruins advocate and went to seeTurkey in the raw for myself. But Fikret made piles of stones come alive in our imaginations.
To conceive how people could actually live inside cliff houses and communities was enlightening.
Turkey is as geologically different as America and it was great traveling through a small part of it.
Best of all was the gilet - three days sailing the mediteranian sea with a good group of people and a very neat captain & crew.

Traveler: Walter Neild from South Bend, IN traveled on October 11, 2011

This was my best OAT trip yet, due largely to the fantastic tour leader Fatos Gungor who was most knowlegeable and so very attuned to each of the 13 members of our group. The gulet portion was especially memorable with such delicious food dishes so healthy and beautifully presented---plus perfect weather and service. I would recommend bringing a small, individual-type portable fan as a sleeping aid for the cabin as it tends to get stuffy down below. Cappadocia was a highlight for me and the balloon ride would have been perfect had it not been for doubtful weather conditions and a rough landing with one person injured. All in all, it was an excellent experience and I highly recommend this trip---late September is the perfect time!

Traveler: Elizabeth Marshall from Powell Butte, OR traveled on September 25, 2011

Our guide for Turkey, Nurdan Onat, was one of the best. I had no idea before going to this very lovely country what to expect. Actually i was a little anxious about it, but I can tell you anyone who chooses to take the trip Turkey's Magical Hideways will be richly rewarded. It was one of the best trips ever and of course we had "seasoned OAT travelers" who were simply delightful.
No wonder this trip was a "SELLOUT" so many times when I looked at it before. As always - "Thank You OAT" - you guys are the best!!!!

Traveler: Jacqueline Regner from Cincinnati, OH traveled on October 02, 2011

We took this trip in September 2011. Now, 6 weeks later we we are still talking about it as though it was yesterday. The accomodations were in good locations and very lovely. The overnight at the farm house was a good experience with the hosts being interesting and forthcoming about their life. Throughout the trip the food was delicious. We enjoyed the experience of hiking trough all of the antiquities but are glad that we did no do all 22,000 of them!

Most of all, it was our guide, Erdal Karsli, who made the trip memorable. He was mature, knowlegable kind and funny. He would arrange for little extra stops when he found out we were interested. He answered all of the easy questions about the historical past of Turkey and never backed away from the tougher questions about Turkey today and Islam. We all learned so much about this culture.

We are better informed because we took this trip. This was our 5th trip with OAT and we are looking forward to the 6th.

Phil and Deanna Magdich

Traveler: Phillip Magdich from Fairfield Glade, TN traveled on September 09, 2011

Turkey is an amazing country, for its long history, diverse topography, hard-working creative people, and broad-minded attitudes.
We enjoyed Istanbul (although not there long enough) Antalya, Kona, Cappadocia, Ephesus, and AspendosPerge. We were very disappointed, however, in not being able to complete the gulet portion of the trip, due to stormy weather. We felt there should have been another option, rather than staying on the boat. We commend our guide and fellow travelers for their tolerance and patience with the situation. We appreciated all the sights afterwards, even more, once we left Marmaris.
The underground museum should not be missed, as well as the open-air museum in Goreme. We are thrilled to have taken this trip!

Traveler: Norbert Selbitschka from Saint Paul, MN traveled on October 02, 2011

I was happy to find that the tour, Turkey's Magical Hideaways, greatly exceeded my expectations! Fatosh was an excellent guide and trip leader, explaining many aspects of Turkish history and life. She went out her way to accommodate special requests and needs. The 13-person group of us got along extremely well, with everyone at similar ability levels and interests. The trip was fast paced, but no one was rushed. The hikes during our gulet cruise and in Cappadocia were somewhat challenging, but very scenic and fun. Food was plentiful and generally delicious. I gained a couple of pounds. The only minor flaw was one bus that could have used a better suspension system. I strongly recommend this tour.

Traveler: Carl Scott from New Braunfels, TX traveled on September 25, 2011

This was my fourth trip with Oat and again they delivered so much more than promised! Our guide, Cengiz Ozberk, was so knowledgeable! He enriched the multitude of archeological sites with his wisdom and perspective. His love of Turkey came through every day.
He arranged our day trip to the Prince Islands off of Istanbul during our pre-trip in Istanbul. Definitely, a highlight, with the horse drawn carriage ride and the boat trips. I found the Istanbul Cistern and aquaduct structures to be amazing considering the times in which they were constructed. Of course the Mosques were incredible and the Hagia Sophia was a marvel to see. I had been to Ephesus this summer and going back with Cengiz was such an enriching experience. Our home stay in Ormania in the Taurus Mountains was just so meaningful. We had two beds to each room, very comfortable and the hostess was so interested in each of oyur histories. We spent the evening with her after a lovely dinner, prepared mostly from her garden produce. We had spent the afternoon going through houses and a school in the town accompanied by her husband. The prior afternoon we were privaleged to have a fresh fish lunch from a private trout hatchery at a mountain home by a lovely rushing mountain stream. When we got to Antalya, after our Gulet trip, we were treated to a walking tour of the old city by Cengiz. It was magical and we saw Hadrian's Gate (from antiquity) and stayed in the elegant Talya hotel. Our rooms were all directly on the Meditteranean and some swam in the Med while we were there. The hotel had elegant buffets for each of the three evenings. Our guige had taken us to a deserted Greek Ghost village not far from Fethiye on our coastal travels and his historical perspective again, made the experience magical. On to Konya and the amazing Mevlana Mosque, which is an alternate site for those devout Muslims who cannot visit Mecca. Also, we saw the largest Kervansaray on the silk road with great explanations of the customs of the caravans, again thanks to Cengiz. Another highlight was the school visit in a small town where we also had lunch at the home of a local family. The conversation was lively with our hostess, all translated, for us to understand how the people in the village conducted their lives. There are no words to describe our great experiences in Cappadocia. Our hotel overlooked the entire site and had been carved into the rock formations there. We hiked and climbed and went underground while Cengiz explained the waves of different cultures who had occupied those sites in succession over thousands of years. Our side trip to the very religious performance of the Whirling Dervishes was also worthwhile. A very somber event, much to our surprise. We thank OAT and their careful planning and their excellent choice of guides for a great adventure, once again. We had been to China and Tibet, Costa Rica and Australia and New Zealand with OAT and all were equally rewarding experiences.

Traveler: Christine Harvey from Inverness, FL traveled on September 30, 2011

Of my 11 trips with this company I rate this one in the top five. The history is fascinating, the food excellent, the people warm and welcoming and time on the gulet was magical. The hotels in Kusadasi and Cappadocia were particularly well-situated
While the hikes can be quite rugged, particularly in the heat, I found it easy to find interesting alternatives.
The balloon flight in Cappadocia is a must!

Traveler: Sheri Winkelman from Portland, OR traveled on September 22, 2011

While we had resevations about this trip (Different from our past trips), the experience we had was wounderful. Our guide was great, and the small group was also wounderful. The small ship (guilet) was very comfortable and we had no problems. I highly reccomend this trip for it's adventure into new places, great people and good foods.

Traveler: Tony Beneduce from Northridge, CA traveled on September 15, 2011

A Great trip. Much more than I expected. The country now called Turkey, has a long and extremely interesting history. Istanbul is a large and thriving city with a population estimated between 16 & 17 million people. The seas around Turkey are indeed beautiful. The Turkish people are very welcoming and the history of this country is fascinating.

IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN, please put this country on your must visit list!

Traveler: William Mcgee from Atlanta, GA traveled on September 13, 2011

From the moment we arrived in Istanbul, I knew this was going to be a very special trip. The sun was shining, the skies were blue, and it stayed that way the entire trip. We did not take the pretrip as we were more interested in the ancient ruins, but we did enjoy Istanbul very much. Just seeing the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace, was awesome. Cappadocia was the experience that I had looked forward to the most. I was not disappointed. The balloon ride is a must. I felt like I was in a fairyland. The scenery is unbelievable! From the underground city to the open air museum, it was amazing. The village visits and the home hosted over night stay were much better than I expected. I really enjoyed both and meeting our hostesses was a touching experience. The food was so fresh and so delicious. I probably had not eaten so healthy in years. Antalya was a beautiful seaside town, but had many tourist. Of course, another highlight of my trip was the gulet. The crew was excellent and the boat was beautiful. We slept most nights on the deck, just because it was so magical gazing at the stars. After our daily hikes, we swam in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. I hated to depart from the gulet, but I knew more discoveries were waiting for us. Next, we arrived in Kusadasi to a lovely hotel on the Aegean Sea. This is where I had a Turkish Bath and Massage. It was an interesting experience and I really enjoyed it. You can't come to Turkey without partaking in this. Seeing the ruins of Ephesus was another event that makes a lasting impression. After saying good-bye to most of our fellow travelers, we went on to our post trip, Nemrut and the Biblical Lands. I was so glad I went on this. Visiting the ancient cities of Harran and Urfa, inhabited since the days of Abraham, was mind boggling. This part of Turkey is much more primitive than the other areas. Alot of people live the way their ancestors did a thousand years ago. We got very close to the Syrian border, but there were no problems at all. The final highlight of our trip was getting to go to Gobeckli Tepe. It is not in the program, but our wonderful, extremely knowledgable guide, Semih Saglam, included this in our itinerary. We had requested to see this, after reading about this newly discovered site in National Geographic. It is the oldest known site in the world, possibly dating 12 thousand years ago. This helped to make our trip one of the best we've ever been on. OAT has done a wonderful job in creating such a magical adventure. Safari Serengeti was my favorite trip up to now, but Turkey's Magical Hidaways ranks right beside it.

Traveler: Kathryn Pickens from Bethel Park, PA traveled on September 07, 2011

This trip has everything--the beauty and sophistication of Istanbul, the explosion of the land in Cappadocia, small town and rural experiences, authentic exchanges with local people, extraordinary ruins that teach us about the land and history of the country, and the magical days and nights on the gulet.

Some in our group had worried about the time on the boat (small and simple quarters, we knew), but we all agreed that it was the most wonderful part of the trip, as it offered a rare experience we would not normally have--eating and relaxing under the stars, swimming in the warm seas, clambering up the little hills and mountains near the ship, and taking the time to explore various issues of Turkish life and history.

Gonca, our incredible guide, shared with us her love for her land and its peoples and the marvels of Turkish history and culture, exposed us to various local cuisines and customs, and was there for us at all times as guide, lecturer, and friend and support.

Each time we travel with OATs we wonder if we could possible have another experience that matches our last trip, and this one moved right to the top of the list.

Traveler: Enid Liess from Annandale, VA traveled on September 15, 2011

My wife Heather and I have just returned from the “Turkey’s Hidden Treasures” trip and had a wonderful experience.

Our other recent trip to Israel, and our guide, Motti Saar, was so good, we were concerned that this trip would be a disappointment. Far from it!

Fitnat Atsu, our guide, did everything a tour guide can do, plus provided humor, motivation, inspiration, a natural caring (she is a young mother) way, and a strong sense of what it means to be a Turk.

The instances of her extra effort and serendipitous discoveries are too many to list and occurred every day. There was never a dull moment!

One of Fitnat’s greatest attributes is simply that she is a woman. In Muslim and male dominated cultures, being a woman can be seen as a negative, but for Fitnat it is a positive. Fitnat has the ability to convey a balanced portrait of both sides of modern Islam, as she experiences it.

Her personal non-profit work on behalf of women and sea turtles also makes her an excellent model of modern Turkey.

Just as I hope every one of my friends going to Israel has a chance to meet Motti Saar, I hope Fitnat will be a part of the OAT experience for many, many years to come.

Great itinerary, GREAT hotels, Great ship!

Traveler: Mike & Heather Worthington from Germantown, TN traveled on August 25, 2011

Sleeping under the stars along Turquoise Coast and flying high over Cappadocia---truly magical!

Traveler: Carol White from Roseville, CA traveled on August 26, 2011

Our 2 previous OAT trips were wonderful and this trip surpassed even those two (Egypt and Tanzania Safari). We had so many memorable moments -- the afternoon cruise on the Bosporous, all of the fairy tale landscape of Capadoccia, especially the sunrise balloon ride, our "Day in the Life of a Village, with its market, discussion with the mayor and our "ladies" lunch. Spending the night with a family in another small village was special. The next day, Sept 11, we spent private time with an Imam in the wooden mosque, arranged by our excellent, charming guide, Behic. This was quite moving since he addressed the issue of violence against the unarmed. And what can we say about the idylic cruise along the Turquoise Coast. All of us felt we were living in a Holllywood movie. All this was topped by the best guide and a most congenial group of travelers. This is a strenuous trip for those who are "older". Be in good shape before you decide to do it. I would also urge OAT to always offer the pre-trip to Istanbul. 3 days are not enough and we were told the pre-trip was not available to us. I also think that Ephesus should not be at the end of the trip -- it kind of gets short shrift that way. And yet, I do think the gulet trip should be the way it was for us -- near the end. All in all, we loved this trip a lot and were sorry when it ended.

Traveler: Kathryn Gallitano from West Stockbridge, MA traveled on September 03, 2011

This is our fourth OAT tour, and as always, they have done a superb job. We opted for the pre-trip with 3 nights in Istanbul guided by Ovunc a very animated and well spoken young lady that our entire group enjoyed. One afternoon as we were having tea overlooking the "European" side of Istanbul we had the opportunity to mingle with friendly locals there. Which gave one the true flavor of Turkeys wonderful people.
Our main tour guide was Semih who was so passionate, knowledgeable, and informative about his country. We had so many memorable experiences with our group from seeing Mosques, palaces, churches, and so much more. Ballooning over Cappadocia was well worth the cost. Our home hosted lunch was delicious, as well as our "day in the life" staying with a family of four generations. A proud people that shared their home, and served us mostly things that they had grown on their farm. They were generous and genuine with their sharing of themselves with us.
There is no comparison with the time on the Gulet and the beautiful turquoise sea. It was very impressive how our crew of three on the ship worked so well together keeping us happy and well fed.
Such an amazing experience and beautiful country. OAT has outdone themselves again!

Traveler: Donald Hart from Colonial Heights, VA traveled on September 04, 2011

This was a fabulous trip, made so in large part by our leader Behlul. He gave us wonderful "up close and personal" moments, from allowing us to drop in on a wedding feast to arranging a session at a Turkish bath to stopping the bus by the side of the road to show us how sesame is grown. The whole experience was amazing!
One thing I would suggest is that if you're traveling in late August or early September, bring your hot weather clothing. It was VERY hot and humid in Istanbul and Antalya. The OAT materials suggested more long pants and long sleeved shirts than were practical for the conditions. Although OAT warned of possible problems, we women were nowhere made to feel inappropriate when wearing modest-length shorts or sleeveless tops, even in rural areas.
I highly recommend this trip!

Traveler: Roberta Davis from Pasadena, CA traveled on August 31, 2011

This was my husband and my first experience with a tour, having always travelled on our own. We were a bit concerned about the loss of independence on a group tour. We were extremely impressed and would not hesitate to recommend this trip to others. Much of the credit for the success of the trip goes to our excellent guide, Erdal Karsli. His knowledge about Turkey -- past and present -- enhanced every stop on the trip. And he went out of his way to accommodate the interests of each one of the members of the group. We covered a vast amount of ground and saw far more than we would have had we tried to organize the trip on our own. Yet we never felt harried or rushed, and there was adequate free time to allow us to pursue our own interests. The itinerary provided an excellent mix of ancient, Byzantine, Ottoman and modern sites. We know we could barely scratch the surface in only 17 days in a country as rich and diverse as Turkey, but we certainly felt we got an excellent introduction and now are eager to come back for more.

Traveler: Janie Kinney from Washington, DC traveled on September 09, 2011

We just got back from this trip, and wanted to comment about how wonderful our guide, Erdal Karsli was. Through him, we learned so much about Turkish culture, history and current events. He anticipated our every need. Not one day went by without some additional adventure or some adjustment to the schedule to enhance our visit. For example, he guided us through the villas in Ephesus, one of the most interesting new developments there. We feel lucky to have had him as our guide.

Traveler: Connie Robinson from Washington, DC traveled on September 09, 2011

1.A Day in the Life- We went to a local market and bought supplies for a fascinating and delicious lunch with the Allavy family. Learned how Turkish men "kill time" in coffee houses playing "Rummy Q".
2. Balloon ride over Cappadocia was breath taking
3. Home stay with 4 generations of the Suleyman Aydin family- gracious hospitality.
4. The beautiful days on the Mediteranean in a Gulet
5. Advice to fellow travelers
-1 Bring half the clothes suggested
-2Leave an extra for travel in case of plane problems(we missed valuable time in Instanbul)
Ways to imporve- install fans in the cabins on the Gulet.
THIS WAS A MEMORABLE TRIP WITH AN INTELLEGENT AND CARING GUIDS -AYBECK

Traveler: Ann Walpert from Boca Raton, FL traveled on August 21, 2011

This was our second OAT trip. We always travel independently but decided to try OAT's trip to Egypt and we loved it. It was a very well organized trip, had a great leader and if you want at any time to bypass a group activity or do something on your own it was easy to do. The trip to Turkey was a such a big disappointment that we probably wont go on any other OAT trip again. Judging by all the good reviews this trip just was not for us .
We had the Kusadasi to Cappadocia route. The worst part of it was the Village Home stay. We drove the whole day through a not very picturesque countryside arriving at our village at 5pm. We strolled through the empty streets for half an hour and went to our rooms, which had nothing except two mattresses on the floor, to wait for the dinner .There was no meetings with any local people or with host family members. no activities. The conversation with the host during the meal through our trip leader did not go beyond 'how many children do you have and where they are now'. After the meal we just went back to our uncomfortable basic rooms, two smelly bathrooms to share between 14 people and no shower. The only people for whom this experience could have been 'learning and discovery' are the very rich and spoiled people who never backpacked or had to travel cheap when they were young. But I don't think they go on these trips. For everybody else these two days were a waist if time and a very uncomfortable night. I don't think we had a single person in our group who enjoyed it.
The other part of the trip that was not very fulfilling for us , but others did not mind was the gulet. First of all there was nothing of 'When we arrive in Marmaris, we’ll take a short walking tour of the city, admiring its beautiful beaches and ancient Ottoman castles'. We just drove though the outskirts of Marmaris, get on the boat and took of. During three and a half days on the boat we did not visit a single seaside town, we did not see any interesting sites that Turkey is full of. We just stayed anchored a 200 meters of shore or sailed (mostly motored ) to a different cove. We did a couple of short hikes to the very miner sites ('a little-known Greco-Roman site called Lydia' is little-known for a reason) and then back to the boat. The boat was very lovely and the food was excellent, and one day on the boat would have been an excellent brake, but we felt that we did not fly 14 hours to Turkey to spend four days on the boat without seeing anything. But we were the only ones in our group who was not retired, so we probably valued our short vacations days more that the other people.
And then, after four days of doing nothing on the boat , you are rushed trough Anatolia. It's a very lovely city with a beautiful old town where you would love to stroll or sit in the old harbor with a glass of wine and watch the people, but you have no time for it, because you have a great archeological museum in the morning and a very interesting optional tour to the old Roman sites right after. And the next day again is just the drive to the village home stay. Why can not OAT just give you a day to enjoy Anatolia and have this tour not as' optional' on the way to the village to make this day not a total waist of time ( you practically pass the site) is beyond me.
And the last, but not the least was our guide. He was a very pleasant and intelligent person, he was not a bad tour leader, but he was a terrible and uninterested tour guide.
Maybe it was because his English was not perfect and he tried not to talk to much. He would offer us very limited information about the sites and I was glad I took a tour book with me that gave much more insights. He never did any off the bitten track activities, he never tried to pick a less crowded time to visit sites. He just lead us from one site to the other without ever illumination them.
So, we would have been much better of on our own than with this tour.

Traveler: Marina from Livingston, NJ traveled on April 30, 2011

We thoroughly enjoyed our Turkey’s Magical Hideaways trip with the pre-trip to Syria and the post-trip to Nemrut and the Bible Lands. Our route was Cappadocia to Kusadasi which some people think is preferred as the gullet is at the end of the trip rather than the beginning. Not sure it makes a difference if you are doing the post-trip.

All of our friends and family thought we had lost our minds when we took the Syria pre-trip due to the unrest there. We are so very thankful that we did take this part as we would never have been able to experience Damascus with Paul’s history as well as the fabulous ruins in Palmyra and the Aleppo Castle, Roman Mosaics as well as the Great Mosque of Aleppo. We were in Syria during late April, but never saw any of the violence, even though the news showed escalating clashes. We cannot say enough about OAT and our guide, Kamel Hakim, as our anxiety did heighten some. OAT staff in Boston called us one night at dinner and spoke with several of us to get a feel for our level of concern. They also called our emergency contacts to let them know that we were safe and having a good time. The Turkey regional manager, who has responsibility for Syria, joined us in Aleppo and traveled with us back to Damascus and then on to Turkey. After we had arrived safely in Turkey, OAT staff again called our emergency contacts to let them know that we had arrived safely in Turkey. Needless to say, our pre-trip group of eight were highly impressed with OAT’s service.

Our Turkish guide, Ayhan Uysal, was extremely attentive throughout the entire trip. He covered everything on the itinerary and was always adding little side trips and stops along the way. I won't go into all that we saw on the trip as you can read the itinerary, but there were some highlights I will hit. We stayed in the Ahbap Konagi Hotel in Cappadocia which overlooks the “Castle” built into the tufa. The scenery from our rooms was like a postcard. The first morning we watched the hot air balloons taking off for their trips across the tufa, Fairy Castles, and other sites. The next day we took the flight—don’t miss it if possible. Other OAT travelers were not as fortunate as we as the weather was iffy and some pilots chose not to fly.

There are many ruins in Turkey with one surpassing the next. Ephesus was probably the most fabulous, but that may have had to do with the sheer volume of the city, that while in ruins is still a site to behold. Each city we visited had sites and scenes to excite the senses.

Our gulet trip was very relaxing and the hikes were needed otherwise we would have become a vegetable after our days of lounging on the boat. We did have a little stormy weather which made us take a detour, but the captain of our gulet was very professional. There were a total of three staff on our boat—the captain, chef and first mate. All three chipped in as needed. The captain helped serve the meals and even made toilet repairs as needed. The food was very nice and varied. We would have liked more seafood since we were on the water.

The post-trip did not disappoint either. Nemrut with the statues built by Antiochus I just needs to be seen. In Sanliurfa, Ayhan took us on another “learning and discovery” side trip to Gobekli Tepe ruins. These ruins are approximately 12,000 years old and were recently highlighted in the June 2011 issue of National Geographic. The pistachio reigns supreme in Gaziantep and pistachio baklava was unbelievably spectacular there--nothing like the pistacio baklava we sampled in Istanbul.

May was a perfect time for our Turkey trip—not too hot and not too cold. Snow could be seen on the mountain tops, but we were fine in our cottons. The weather on the Mediterranean was very nice even though we had a storm while on the gulet. It was never so hot that we had to sleep on deck as some reviewers have indicated.

While we have had enough ruins for a while, we were very pleased with our 14th OAT trip and are looking forward to our next adventures with OAT’s amazing trip leaders.

Traveler: Cyn from Atlanta, GA traveled on April 23, 2011

If you take the Nemrut & the Bible Lands post trip extension, insist that you visit the Gobekli Tepe (aka pot belly hill) excavation site in the Sanliurfa region! It is spectacular and probably the oldest temple remains you will ever see,. The current theory is that is was built about 9,500 BC.

Traveler: George Desmarais from Dalton, MA traveled on May 13, 2011

We just completed this OAT trip and found it to be one of the best. Our tour guide was Ayberk Akdeniz. We have been very pleased with all our GCT and OAT guides in the past, Ayberk raises the bar. He is more like your best friend proudly showing off his country. His experience and humorous personality simply made everything seamless and enjoyable. Much about this trips details has been reported by other travelers, so not much to add to the positive comments and reviews. The diversity is great and the pace is perfect. No late starts and wasting time. Food all around Turkey was wonderful. Lodging was excellent and exceeded our expectations. You will find the Turkish people to be warm and friendly.
The Gulet experience was a highlight and cabin accommodations comfortable. We are sailors and understand the compact quarters expected on a 90' yacht. Very satisfactory. OAT fails to recommend one essential item to pack. Bring your own deck shoes! No street shoes are allowed on these beautiful exterior teak decks or interior varnished floors.
As others have mentioned, do not pass up the balloon ride in Cappadocia. You won't forget the experience. It will be a memorable highlight. We took the optional trip sidetrip to Perge and Aspendos. Highly recommend that one also. We are really glad we took this one and encourage you to put it on your short list.

Traveler: Kaare Wold from Sturgeon Bay, WI traveled on March 29, 2011

This journey exceeded our expectations in every way. Not tour fans, we lucked out with an amenable, small group; a sunny and less crowded November climate; and a superb guide, Fikret Perdeici, who is fluent on issues ranging from the Turkish economy to Greco-Roman, Hittite, Selcuk, Turk, Byzantine and other historical architecture and history.

Our experience was enriched by parts of the tour that we didn’t think we would like, especially the “Day in the Life,” where we got up close and personal with people in a village of 900, who are living a way of life that will soon disappear. The overnight home stay is not at all onerous – in fact, as comfortable as staying at a Motel 6, but we could have done without it (but not our hostesses’ fabulous eggplant) and flown our way to Cappadocia, which put smiles on our faces. Though I had visited Turkey 40 years ago, I had not explored this area, which is a geological wonder.

The trip pacing is excellent, giving you more than one night in locales and giving you time to do your own thing. Our guide always got us to spots like Ephesus at the very start of the day before anyone else and took us on little-known treks he had discovered.

As for some of the other reviews:
• The hiking is not strenuous. In fact, we would have preferred more hikes. You don’t need the hiking poles. You don’t need hiking boots; just some good walking shoes.
• The gulet trip is delightful, but then we weren’t there in the heat of summer. How can one not revel in fresh food on deck, dips in the chilly Aegean and shore excursions to seldom-visited spots? Our cabin was nicer than one we had 20 years ago on a teaching cruise to Alaska.
• There’s water aplenty, especially on the tour bus.
• Definitely get out on your own and explore. We took the commuter ferry across the Bosporus to link up with our son’s college chums on the Asian side for a six-course home cooked dinner. We felt so grown up sipping tea on the ferry as businessmen shuttled home with briefcases.
• Yes, it would take some of the magic out if people on your tour weren’t active travelers.
• Remember, you don’t have to buy a rug!

We’d recommend this journey in a heartbeat. Turkey is truly a country of contrasts and a country on the brink; get there soon.

Traveler: Billie Blair from Santa Fe, NM traveled on October 31, 2010

This was not for active, English speaking people.

OAT did a terrible job on this one. There were 12 of us....9 women3 men. 6 of the women were Spanish speaking from Peru. Communication was almost impossible. One man had early onset Alzheimer's and kept getting lost or falling and never washed (he smelled terribly and sitting near him on the bus was disgusting). The other man needed a hip operation so he couldn't walk well; one woman just had a stomach operation and the guide had to make sure all her food was liquefied. The guide spent more time babysitting, trying to keep this group on schedule and make sure no one got lost. We took a hike only once - 2 miles it took this group over 2 hours. They never took a hike again.

The bugs at the overnight stay could carry you away. Over the dining table there was a bug zapper. It was 90 degrees outside but they had to keep the doors and windows closed to keep additional bugs from getting in - no screens.

We talked to a OAT representative hoping he could move us to the group one day ahead or one day behind us but he just shrugged his shoulders and said - too bad - nothing we can do. We went home after 8 days. A ruined vacation. Sad for us to go all that way and not really see and experience Turkey.

Traveler: Jacob Zydney from New York, NY traveled on August 25, 2010

This trip proved to be so much more than expected. Our tour director, Ayhan, was fantastic. He went out of his way to intorduce us to facets of his country not on the itinerary, also, his flexibility to work around things was great (like changing up the schedule on the run when the Cruise Ship it Istanbul). The diverse sights and activities made this trip special.

Want Markets and Mosques--Istanbul had them. The hotel was well located in the old city.

Cappadocia was amazing--almost like something Disney would design! The hotel, while small was comfortable with friendly owner and good food. View was great and loacted with shops and Uchisar Castle right there. The balloon ride was fantasic and a not to miss opportunity!

The people were great everywhere and the home visit gave us a great opportunity to spend time in village other tours wouldn't see.

The Gulet was a great experience! The rooms were small as advertised and we elected to sleep on deck at night (about 8 out of our 13 did). The hikes were fun and returning to the boat to swim was great.

If your interested in Roman ruins, you definitely get the opportunity to see those also.

Many people asked, Why Turkey?" Now I can say definitely because it's a magicalfantastic experience.

Traveler: Darrel Delong from Austin, TX traveled on June 07, 2010

This was one of our great tour among our 19th trips with OAT GCT.
One problem was our room on the Gulet was very HOT HOT, has small window, no air no fan, can't sleep in the room but sleeping on the deck was not bad.
All included tours, meals, lectures by our TD Behlul were great.
These are additional activities you may want to do.
1. walking up and down an Independent ave, Istanbul and sample local cousines and Ice cream
2.Walk along the Kusadasi Bay @ night or at 3 pm (our guide said it is cooler at 3 pm Ha Ha HA)
3.Swim in the Aegean Sea( they provide noodles)
4.Get lost in the old town of Antalya.
5.Ride a street car from down town to Antalya Beach
6.Have a cup of coffee or tea @ small village tea house (local men only, but all visitors men or ladies are welcome) and mingle with local.
7.take a hot air balloon in Cappadocia
8.Try apple tea ( hot or cold).
Thank you, Behlul our TD.

Traveler: Nip & Jean from Winter Springs, FL traveled on June 10, 2010

My wife Diane and I have been taking trips with Grand Circle for years and have never really been disappointed, but OAT sets a new standard. It's exactly what we bargained for in a tour. A guide, AKIN, who is second to none. He is extremely knowledgeable, personable and passionate about his country and his job. If you really want to know everything about the country you are visiting, Akin is definately your man.
The schedule was very expediently executed and well planned. The hikes were wonderful - the food, the scenery, the people, the places, the hotels and the other people on our tour - everything was just perfect. Even the other guides said, "You've got the best guide OAT has." We couldn't agree more. ...and do take the pre-trip - it wouldn't be complete without it!
Thank you OAT and Akin - for giving us everything we expected and more.
Sincerely,
Ron and Diane Rockow
Monona, WI

Traveler: Ronald from Monona, WI traveled on September 30, 2009

T - treasures - Istanbul, Topkapi Museum, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Bosphorus cruise, food, Grand Bazaar, Spice Market, Cappadocia, churches in Cappadocia, carpets, history, museums, people, school children, our great guide Mustafa, wonderful group of travelers

U - unbelievable - Cappadocian landscape, balloon ride, fairy homes, Whirling Dervishes, underground cities, ghost city

R - remarkable - gulet, Turquoise Coast, Dalyan River cruise, markets, hikes through the countryside

K - kindness - acceptance by the people, lunch in the village and visit with mayor, homestay and meals, discussions with villagers, visit to a mosque during prayers

E - Ephesus - Aspendos, Perge, aqueducts, Myra, Lycian tombs, St. Nicholas church, Hittite ruins

Y - YAHOO! - an exciting country with an unbelievable history, friendly people, and a major player in world events of the 21st century. An experience you shouldn't miss.

Traveler: Lloydene from Topeka, KS traveled on October 16, 2009

This was an awesome trip. One of my best travel experiences - and I have traveled extensively. OATGrand Circle is an excellent choice for your travel company.

Traveler: Doris from Shawnee, Oklahoma traveled on October 26, 2009

Four star tour. Terrific leader, Ilker Ozunlu, knowledgeable, friendly, an author of 4 books. Strongly recommend pre-trip to southeast area where you visit ancient biblical sites such as Antioch, very early Christian cave churches, etc. Istanbul is thriving, exciting city. Spend a day at the Grand Bazaar bargaining for stuff- I collect cheap watches- there are also scarves, chess sets, etc. Gulet cruise fun, swimming off the boat, hiking in mountains(bring hiking poles for safty). Home stay great- they have a western style toilet(everyone's great concern). Bought 4 carpets at factory - did not feel pressured as others said they were. Two days at seaside hotel near Izmir(Ephesus) was sooo relaxing. Can't think of any downside to this wonderful memorable trip.

Traveler: Stephen from Honolulu, HI traveled on September 28, 2009

This was my 3rd OAT trip and they just keep getting better and better. This trip gave a viiew of contemporary Turkey in Istanbul as well as small village life. Our tour guide was so very knowledgeable and he helped make the history and the archeological sites come alive.

Thoroughly enjoyed meals in small, non-touristy restaurants and the four day sail on the Turquoise coast was relaxing and enjoyable, with wonderful meals eaten on deck. Cappadocia was fascinating and our small hotel was delightful.

I especially loved our hotel in Istanbul, the Sultan Ahmet, which was within walking distance of the Blue Mosque and Haggia Sohpia.

All in all a wonderful experience and a trip I would highly recommend.

Traveler: Paula from Peekskill, NY traveled on October 13, 2009

This was a fantastic trip. Istanbul was so interesting, especially being there in Ramadan. The Armada Hotel was great. Could have stayed a day longer. Our leader, Kadir, was wonderful. We had a lot of fun with him and he was very knowledgeable about the history. Recommend reading up on the history before you go.

Recommend Hot Air Balloon ride in Cappadocia. Decided against the Whirling Dervishes optional tour. Really
needed a little down time and enjoyed
a swim at the hotel. Carpet factory was fascinating, but felt too much pressure to buy. Marina Hotel in Antalya was very nice. We opted to not go on the optional tour to Perge & Aspendos. Instead we took a boat ride and had a lovely lunch and relaxing day. The Turkish Bath was an experience. Unfortunately the two ladies running it were constantly talking to each other, in Turkish. One talked on her cell phone while she was giving me my massage (phone hooked in neck). Also had a child there that they kept talking to. Not relaxing at all. Cleanliness could be improved upon.

Really liked the 4 nights on the Gulet. Nice to relax after hectic days.

Kismet Hotel in Kusadasi was wonderful, although we didn't have much time to enjoy it. An extra night there would have been nice. A day to relax befoe the long flight back home.

Traveler: Glenis from Sunnyvale, CA traveled on September 07, 2009

You can see how much I enjoyed this trip, my 4th with GC, by viewing the photos I took at the following website: http:magicalturkey1.shutterfly.com The access code is "dsben"
I think you'll see and feel the magic. David

Traveler: David from Williamsburg, VA traveled on September 21, 2009

Our tour guide Akin was the most brilliant, kind,wonderful guide I have ever had. The whole experience of the trip was unforgetable. Every day was something different, and exciting. The whole trip was one big highlight. I went in October, and the weather was great. OAT does the best job of making the trip the best. I would recommend Turkey and Akin over and over.

Traveler: Judith from Laguna Woods, CA traveled on October 05, 2009

This was trip #18 for us with GCTOAT and would be rated in the top 5 but no higher. The trip as offered is great - in particular,Istanbul has ben cleaned up since our last visit and was much more attractive. We went to see Cappadocia and were not disappointed. This is a unique area and we were able to visit several parts of it,topped by the balloon flight which is one of the best optionals we have had. The Mediterranean is always attractive and Antalya is a very pretty place made peaceful by its pedestrians only old town. Kusadasi is also a pretty port - Ephesus is still impressive despite the enormous crowds coming off the cruise ships. The hotels were all of high quality although it was rather a shock to find in Cappadocia that we were in a different hotel from the one shown on the hotel list we had left behind with our children. (Hint - check the e-mail - apparently the change showed up there.) Fortunately no emergency erupted !!
Downside : can OAT not do something about enforcing its requirements ? We were slowed down badly and had a couple of hikes abandoned because two members of the group could walk only about 200 metres and that on flat land. We were also cramped on the minibus because two members had shown up with 36 inch wheeled rigid suitcases !!
Most disturbing was our Trip Leader's habit of changing the itinerary often at the last minute so that we did not know exactly where we were going or what to wear. A couple of hikes were abandoned entirely and we were given "swimming time" - we live at the beach !! The gulet trip is rather long - we would have preferred another day in Antalaya or Kusadasi especially since the first night aboard,advertised as to be spent in a peaceful bay,was actually spent tied up at the dock in Fethiye which was very well lighted and extremely noisy.Our Trip Leader was a fine historian and archaeologist but somewhat remiss about some details.
We will make no comment about the overnight family stay.
The air travel was fair except that Izmir-Zurich-Washington-Orlando makes for about 26 hours of travel with only half of it in the air.
Overall,a good trip and we would recommend it.

Traveler: George from Ormond By The Sea, FL traveled on September 21, 2009

“Fantastic” describes our Turkey's Magical Hideaways Trip (Sept 12-28, 2009) - the best of all or our 7 OAT trips. Everything was excellent including the archeology, culture, country friendliness, fellow travelers, guide, architecture, cleanliness, history, scenery, air travel, and weather. Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Aegean Sea, Ephesus, and many towns and lesser archeological sites were wonderful. It doesn’t get any better. Apart from the standard tourist experiences, we really enjoyed interacting with the Turkish people as described below.

Our guide, Ovunc, was absolutely outstanding. In addition to her enthusiasm, attention to detail, knowledge and care for her guests, she provided many unique “discoveries”. She often charmed strangers, smoothly interpreting our questions and the answers, and drawing out fascinating information – she’s a truly gifted tour guide.

Some examples. Three 25ish jovial Kurdish males at a countryside petrol station were invited onto our bus to answer our questions. Two elderly praying ladies in a mosque very willingly answered questions as we and they sat on the floor. During an afternoon hike in Cappadocia, we stumble unto a lady farmer with two children working in a field (more like a desert). After some friendly, engaging conversation, we were gifted some fresh tomatoes. Farther on, on a new hike for our guide, we engaged a man on a remote hillside. After some pleasantries, we continued on when suddenly unforgettable melodic flute music echoed amongst the hills. On another hike, this one on very challenging uneven terrain, we visited with a goat herder family living far from civilization. On two occasions we spoke with groups of “retired” men as they were playing table games at roadside cafes. An afternoon visit with a town mayor and other town leaders was intriguing. Our guide, Ovunc, brilliantly interpreted each fascinating encounter.

During the longer bus rides, our guide was willing to almost continually provide a historical narrative of the area and culture. We really appreciated the background information. And during any free time in the cities, she offered to stroll neighborhoods with us to engage people and admire the architecture. And we did.

I’m sure other travelers to Turkey with OAT have had a similar wonderful experience. OAT has outstanding guides and excellent itineraries. We highly recommend Turkey as a delightful, fascinating travel destination.

Traveler: Jerry from Saint Paul, MN traveled on September 12, 2009

On Sept. 1, 2009, we embarked on this, our 9th OATGCT trip. This trip is so well named for the locations of all our hotels were truly magical hideaways.

As soon as we arrived at our hotel in Istanbul, we stood in the courtyard and admired the Blue Mosque - we were right there!! This location in the old city combined with a fabulous guide, Tulay Tetik, and it being Ramazan, made the city stay totally magical. At night as you walked around Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, and the Hippodrome, there were hundreds of people awaiting the 'call to eat'. The kiosks had cotton candy, ice cream, steamed and grilled ears of corn, and many other Turkish delights. We saw street performers, a man on stilts, a show with fire eaters, and so many people enjoying being with their families.

That was only the beginning of the magic. I always think of these OAT adventures as 'Christmas' because each day you awake to wonderful surprises: what will we see today? what will we learn? what special discovery is in store? where will we stay? what kind of food will we have today?

The trip was rigorous although you could opt out of some of the walks. I never knew I could walk so much. My husband did all the hikes and loved them; I did some of them. And on our gulet, we swam whenever we had a few minutes for the Sea was wonderful and it was not difficult to get in and out of the water. There were fins and snorkles and noodles available.

If you go and weather is at all good, take the balloon ride in Cappadokia - it was the best of three we have ever taken. And imagine the skill of our pilot landing the basket right on the trailer of his chase vehicle.

The boutique hotels were fabulous in every way: rooms, lobbies, dining rooms, and accessibility to what is interesting to tourists. Usually we stayed in the older part of the city. In Kusadasi, we were on a promontory in the Aegean. Kudos on the best hotel selections ever.

Our guide, Tulay, was interested in only one thing: that we all totally enjoy ourselves. She was very well educated and very helpful in resolving any issues, like my forgetting my special battery and charger in Istanbul. I told her my problem, she said, 'Don't worry, you'll have it tomorrow night ' and I did!

Yes, I think most of the trips with OATGCT have been excellent but this came out right at the top of my list.

I ended up using an umbrella when walking some of the sites as I found it cooler than a hat. We took light hiking boots and they were just right. Also we all found the walking sticks very useful.

The gulet was comfortable and the food was fabulous. Tulay prepared everyone well before departing on any excursion so we knew if we wanted to hike or what to do if we wanted to stop.

I always worry about water, especially when it is warm. It was easy and inexpensive to buy, especially using Tulay's suggestions of when to get it and how much to get. Even though it is annoying to have to get it yourself, it was easy. A liter in the little store near our hotel in Istanbul was the equivalent of $.70, cheaper then in the US.

I had not expected to see so much of the country itself. There was a great diversity of geography, culture, people, foods, ruins, museums. The homestay was surprisingly delightful and the food was so good.

If you read all the prep material and pack accordingly, you will be well prepared. We had about 24 hours of torrential rain , especially when boarding the gulet, but we all had our rain gear.

I hope you enjoy your trip!!

Traveler: Judy from Rockland, MA traveled on September 01, 2009

This is our eighth trip with OATGrand Circle.
It was a wonderful trip. Turkey is an interesting country, lots of diversity in the landscape. Also many ancient ruins in wonderful condition considering their age. The boat trip was great and rooms are small but adequate. Loved the overnight stay and the home lunch
It was Ramadan when we were there and tasting the food after sundown was wonderful. Turkey is not at the very top of our list but having been to Africa, I don't know what would beat that.

Traveler: William from Elverson, PA traveled on September 11, 2009

I and ten of my fellow traveljunkies landed in Istanbul on August 29, 2009 for our first OATTravel adventure. We had been anticipating this trip for 10 months. I had done alot of research on different tour operators, including some we had previously traveled with. We chose this tour because it covered most of the sites and cities we wanted to see and included a four night Gulet Cruise atowards the end of our itinerary.

This trip met and exceeded all our expectations. Our guide Okan was extremely flexible, knowlegeable and
competent. All the wonderful experiences
that make up the beautiful and complex mosaic of Turkey were all in this tour.
We visited Istanbul during Ramadan and we had the opportunity to enjoy some of the festivites. The unique geological features of Cappodiccia were a must see and the Hot Air Balloon a must do.
The ruined cities of antiquity, Ephesus, the Lycean tombs and the Turquoise cruise
we did it all!

And, after all that we got to relax and enjoy
the beautiful Aegean Sea on our yacht!
This is what traveling is all about and this is why I travel.

Traveler: Michele from Irvine, CA traveled on August 28, 2009

This was my first trip with OAT and I cannot recommend them too highly. I am eager to go on another adventure with this outstanding company. I have traveled to many parts of the world independently and with several upscale companies. OAT is at the top of my list for quality and value. The small size of the group, the personal attention from our tour guide, and the unique opportunities we had to explore and meet people were all remarkable.

Our tour guide, Ayberk Akdeniz, was impressively knowledgeable, very personable, good-humored, and very responsive to our interests and concerns. He went out of his way to help us learn about and appreciate Turkey. He was a key ingredient in the success of the trip.

Turkey offers a wonderful combination of fascinating history; beautiful and diverse scenery; and warm and friendly people. We began our tour in Istanbul and ended with the fabulous Mediterranean cruise. I liked this direction for the trip – the relaxing cruise and a visit to Ephesus (despite crowds) were perfect ways to end the two weeks. I did all the optional tours and recommend them highly. Like Helaine (who comments below and was on the same tour), I would gladly repeat this trip.

Bravo, OAT!

Traveler: Anne from Sherman Oaks, CA traveled on June 16, 2009

This was our 1st OAT trip, 2nd GCT. We agree with all the accolades other travelers have given to this marvelous trip and country. We've found that we benefitted from reviews that added helpful hints.
Therefore: heavy hiking boots aren't necessary, but a sturdy shoe with good grip is helpful, as well as a hiking pole.
We were there 616-73 and it was in the low 90's. We found that we could wear shorts in places like Ephesus, Antalya, the gulet and Cappadoccia and didn't offend anyone as other tourists were in shorts also.
Two of our bus drivers had water supplies on board so we tipped them generously for providing us.
If you shop for beautiful handmade pottery, wait to buy one fine piece at the artist potter's stop in Cappadocia.
** The ruins at Ephesus opens at 7:30 am. It would be great if you could get your group and leader to agree to be there when it opens and eat a late breakfast afterwards. The benefits would be ample: you'd beat the heat, be ahead of the cruise ship hoards, and early morning photography would be terrific. OAT take note please! We were there by 9ish, but even earlier would be great.
Our group found in bargaining with sellers of spices etc, that one had to be very firm that they were only buying a certain amount and would pay for no more.
Iranian saffron makes great gifts for yourself and foodie friends. We paid $5gram for nice gifts.
Rug sellers are persistant, but when we told them we had plenty of inherited rugs at home and just liked to admire them, they backed off and we just enjoyed talking about rugs and their country.One of our favorite sales pitches was "But this rug was woven from the fur that is under the chin of the sheep, only the softest and finest wool."
Selcuk, our guide, was excellent and a "foodie." So we had great lunch stops, where we mostly ate outdoors, which was great. Make sure you eat a "pancake" for lunch. It's a 14" square of thin dough lightly filled with small bits of meat and veggies and cooked on a pan that looks like an upside down wok.
If you're into buying a table cloth, our group admired and bought the hand printed Hittite patterned cloths in Cappadocia. They are black ink prints of deer ,peacocks and abstract plants. Inexpensive and handsome.
Certainly in the hotter months wear light colored clothes, have hats and I would recommend a light colored small umbrella to use as a parosol.
On the gulet, make sure you spend an evening on the cushions enjoying the stars. Nancy guiltily skipped the Ataturk movie to enjoy the quiet.
Ear plugs are part of my travel stuff, as I'm a light sleeper, and were helpful on the trip. We needed a small towel for the gulet when swimming. The sea swims were fabulous!
You'll

Traveler: Bruce and Nancy from Fairport, NY traveled on June 16, 2009

My trip to Turkey in June 2009 (my sixth with OAT) was spectacular because of the outstanding itinerary and because we had the absolutely best guide, Ayberk Akdeniz. The hotels were quite good (and some were superb) and very well located. The gulet was delightful and I enjoyed the hikes and other land excursions taken from the gulet -- although one less day would have been sufficient. The food was fantastic throughout the trip. The pacing of the trip to fascinating places and sites was active but not rushed. Our days were full and productive. Ayberk speaks perfect English and has a hilarious and devilish sense of humor. Also, he gave generously of his time to add various extra outings and activities (such as to a stunning temple called Didyma and a village called Sirince). He also treated us to Turkish delicacies in Istanbul, taught us how to make stuffed grapeleaves while on the gulet, and in Kusadasi he took us for a ride on the sailboat he's built and that is moored there. We gained significant insight and knowledge about Turkey from him -- about the people, culture, history, and archaeological past. I especially liked the visit to the rug store in Cappadocia which is a museum-like experience and a feast for the eyes. To anyone reading this: take the optional balloon ride over Cappadocia. And to OAT: keep using the fantastic hotel in Cappadocia; it has a direct view of one of the most magnificent parts of that extraordinary landscape. All of the museum visits were worthwhile. Reader: in Antalya use your free time to visit the Kirac Museum. Note: if OAT continues to use the Tuvana Hotel in Antalya, be sure your room is not on the first floor because there is no privacy from these rooms which have street or pool views. My only suggestion is for OAT to add one more day in Istanbul (rather than adding that time as a longer pre-trip only) and to program a bit more time in Kas. My own idiosyncracy: I didn't like the homestay, regarding it as a waste of time as I find all homestays due to the language barrier and superficiality of the encounter. I wish the homestay had been optional. I would much rather have stayed in nearby Konya where we could have spent more time in that fascinating city, which is the home of the whirling dervishes (an optional evening event that absolutely should be taken). I would gladly repeat this trip.

Traveler: Helaine from Urbana, IL traveled on June 16, 2009

In recent months, we have all seen the ads on television inviting us to visit Turkey. Turkey is rich in history with the ruins of Roman theaters and aqueducts, Hittite monuments, early Christian sites, beautiful mosques with graceful minarets, first-class museums, and World Heritage sites like Mount Nemrut. Istanbul offers beautiful and historically significant architecture including the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Topkapi Palace in a compact easily walkable area. Geographically diverse, Turkey is a beautiful destination with lush green agricultural areas full of pistachio and apricot trees and fields of red poppies, snow-topped mountains, thick forests, and miles of turquoise coastline. The food is tasty; kebabs, of course, but also countless meze, yogurt soup and baklava. Just as historically, Turkey has been the meeting place of East and West, modern Turkey stands at the crossroads between the Muslim world and the democracies of Europe and America. The people are welcoming to Americans, and we have much to learn from them as well.

Choosing Turkey as a destination is easy, but many travel companies including cruise lines offer tours of Turkey. Choosing to travel with Overseas Adventure Travel is accepting an invitation to really experience Turkey.

My husband Larry and I were on the tour Turkey’s Magical Hideaways in May, 2009. The five day pre-trip introduced us to the more traditional, conservative areas of southeast Turkey. Beginning with our first dinner on a patio beneath the ramparts in Gazientep, we enjoyed every minute of the next three weeks. We climbed to see the massive statues of the gods at Mount Nemrut, fed the sacred carp in Urfa, visited the cave where Abraham was born and the cave church of St. Peter in Antioch, and saw our first examples of mosaics, markets, and mosques.

In Istanbul we walked to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace, and cruised the Bosporus. In Cappadocia we hiked through valleys full of wild flowers, toured cave churches and underground cities, and floated over miles of exotic tufa formations. Finally we cruised the beautiful Turquoise Coast. However, it was the “discoveries” that really made the trip memorable.

Our guide Okan Cuhan led us to see aspects of Turkey not available on standard tours. In Urfa we attended a celebration of Youth and Sports Day at a local stadium where we witnessed the patriotism of the Turkish people and their pride in their youth. We stopped at a unique wooden Seljuk mosque in Beysehir and a Hittite monument near Budak built in approximately 1800 BC. We ate in local restaurants and had home-hosted lunches in several locations as well as a tasty lunch prepared by our bus driver at Mount Nemrut. We had a private dinner in a beautiful garden in Antalya and crabs fresh from the Dalyan River for lunch. Okan has friends in unlikely places. As we hiked through a beautiful valley in Cappadocia, we stopped for apple tea at Hassan’s shelter, and later in the week we visited a shepherd and his family. Okan also led us to the best baklava in Turkey. When we wandered the streets in the village of Budak where we spent the night in a farmer’s home, we were welcomed by the local residents including the iman who proudly showed us the village mosque. Okan managed our time so that whenever possible we missed the crush of tourists from the cruise ships. When we toured Perge, for example, we were literally the only group at the site. Okan used every minute to educate us about his country. He even provided videos including a biography of Ataturk that we watched on a long bus ride. Okan Cuhan is an excellent guide, proud of his country and eager to share his knowledge with tourists.

Our trip to Turkey was our fifth OAT trip. Everyone of the trips has been a success, but Turkey’s Magical Hideaways may have been the best yet.

Traveler: Marie from Damascus, Maryland traveled on May 14, 2009

This was our fifth OAT trip, and while we have enjoyed them all, this was the best. We loved the history, the people, the food . . . I have just read some of the reviews from previous travelers and don't understand the complaints by some that others in their groups couldn'twouldn't do the hikes. While we are fit and certainly able to "walk three miles unassisted" and more as suggested in the pre-trip information, we did occasionally opt out of planned hikes. Those hikes proceeded as advertised and our absence represented no inconvenience to others.
The gulet was a high-light for us and we enjoyed the time on board relaxing or swimming while others hiked. We enjoyed the opportunity for leisure time and - unlike one or two other Oat adventures - we felt no pressure from our excellent guide to participate in every planned activity.
And hey, visiting a carpet factory is as much a part of the Turkish experience as exploring ruins and visiting mosques.
Great trip.

Traveler: Jere from Walnut Creek, CA traveled on June 17, 2009

The Turkey trip was excellent in all respects (except for some very hot, humid weather). Erol Savda is a excellent guide—knowledgeable, energetic, entertaining, very well organized, and has a great sense of humor. He was attentive to the interests and needs of each of us, and proud to show off the wonderful attributes of his country. He ensured that we did everything on the itinerary, but shifted activities around in such a way that we got to do more, like a couple of additional walks and an extra hike in Cappadocia, and a visit to a small, but exquisitely tiled mosque in Istanbul.

I like the variety of cultural, historical, architectural, geographic, geological, and interpersonal adventures on OAT trips, but this one was exceptional. The gulet portion was a delight—spectacular scenery, lovely boat, excellent crew, and a mix of Roman ruins, natural history, beautiful water, and great hikes. The hot air balloon in Cappadocia is a do-not-miss, and that goes for the optional excursion to Perge and Aspendos.

Turkey is a wonderful country. The people are so welcoming, and I was impressed with the infrastructure—light rail in Istanbul, excellent highways, beautiful bridges, and well-manicured parks. Turkey has done an excellent job of preserving and displaying its incredible history. (The archeological museum in Antalya will take your breath away.) All in all, I highly recommend Turkey’s Magical Hideaways.

Traveler: Donna B from Vancouver, WA traveled on June 02, 2009

What a beautiful country!!!!!!!!!! This is an incredible trip and I recommend it without reservation.

I will concentrate my review though on two negatives. I had the very same problem that Margaret from Washington had. People are taking this trip who can't walk 3 miles per day unassisted and then these same people complained to the trip leader about all the walking. I was going crazy until I talked to our excellent OAT
trip leader who then made sure I got all of the normal hikes and even more. There is alot of flexibility on this trip so ask for maximum adventures or just read Lonely Planet or Frommers and be ready to do extra things whenever you make a stop. And the only other bad thing was a whole day of rug and pottery shopping in Cappidocio. Here we are in one of the most spectacular areas of the world and we have to get pressured by Turkish rug salesmen to buy their rugs. Stay at your hotel or get in a taxi and take a hike instead.

Traveler: James from Denver, CO traveled on April 08, 2009

Despite promotions that the signature activity of this trip was walking and warnings that participants be able to walk unassisted, most of the people on this trip were unable to walk the equivalent of more than one or two blocks without assistance and furthermore, they expected help from fellow travelers andor monopolized the services of the guide.

Walks were curtailed, eliminated, or prolonged. One hike, which was supposed to take 2 hours, lasted an exhausting 5 hours—for which we had inadequate food and water.

Our guide, Oslem (from Cappadocia) was notably kind, knowledgeable, enthusiastic—a tribute both her country and O.A.T. Unfortunately, she was so burdened by a group with such diverse abilities that she could not serve all equally.

Turkey was a fascinating country and made especially so through the insights of the guide. Also impressive is O.A.T.’s commitment to giving back to the countries it visits. However, I was deeply disappointed with the discrepancy between what O.A.T. promised—adventure travel—and what it was.

O.A.T. either needs to introduce better screening or adjust their trip description. This was not what they said it would be.

Traveler: Margaret from Washington, DC traveled on April 27, 2009

Fantastic trip! Dedicated guide, Ayberk Akdeniz, made this trip especially fun and informative. He was energetic, very helpful with personalized assistance; very knowledgeable and kept us moving while still allowing time to stop for those afternoon tea breaks so we could soak up local ambiance.

We weren't crazy about the gulet and would have preferred to stay on land mixing more with the local culture.

Other than that, this was indeed a magical trip and we would highly recommend it for the diversity, history and natural beauty.

One major complaint in general - water needs to be provided. It just can't cost that much bought in bulk and sometimes it was difficult to find.

Oat did a fantastic job on hotel, meal and itinerary choices.

Traveler: Roxanne from Boise, ID traveled on April 14, 2009

My husband and I just returned last week from Turkey's Magical Hideaways trip and pre-trip. It was our first OAT experience although we have traveled independently overseas many times. OAT had been recommended to us by several friends who had all had wonderful experiences on their trips and we heartily agree with them after our recent adventure.

From the moment we began the pre-trip our guide Cengiz welcomed us to "his home". His enthusiasm was contagious as we experienced the sights and sounds of a different culture. With a history going back several thousand years, one could easily be overwhelmed. However, Cengiz had a vast knowledge of history for each area we visited, making it so much easier to appreciate the wealth of antiquity that Turkey has to offer. He seldom had a question asked that he could not answer, but when he did, he was able to research it and find the answer quickly. I was surprised that he could adapt the schedule to fit in interests that the group expressed. Whether it was archeology or a Turkish bath, unexpected surprises by Cengiz made each day more memorable than the one before.

Turkey is a beautiful country, much greener than expected with snow-covered mountains. The people are very friendly and we certainly felt safe-a fact I mention because it has been asked of me several times upon my return. We had great weather and I found the food delicious. The pre-trip was a favorite for us as we loved the hike up Mt. Nemrut, ride on the Euphrates River, and the various Biblical sites. We enjoyed several lunches with local families including the home stay and overcame language barriers with Cengiz as interpreter. Aspendos and Perge are worth the extra trip as was the balloon ride. We were lucky enough to see the sails up on the gulet. All in all, the whole trip was a wonderful experience.

Traveler: Patricia and Lloyd from Littleton, CO traveled on May 08, 2009

This was an incredible trip! It was the perfect time of year and covered so many WOW places. Our guide, Hakan, knew EVERYTHING except the names of flowers!
To see where civilization began and the Apostles lived and traveled in Mesopotamia was spine-tingling. The tulips were in full bloom in Istanbul and the history of that city is quite "active!" The monuments were a treat to visit and Hakan brought history alive as we went through them.
Cappadocia is gorgeous, surprising, and beautiful. The hot air balloon option is really worth the money--what a view--what photos we got! Nice hikes in weather just right for walking.
Anatalya continued to be more great history and enjoyment. What a coastline!
The cruise up the coast of the Agean on the 100' , 50 ton wooden sailing ship was one of the highlights and the main reason this trip stood out when we were trying to decide between this and another tour company. The crew was super-service oriented and gave us every possible experience we could imagine. The hikes in the hills when we anchored were wonderful and the swimming was a ton of fun, even with the water still a bit chilly. Spending the nights anchored in the coves with a billion stars lighting the sky wasn't too shabby!
Then Ephasus--WOW, what a way to complete the trip. AMAZING.
The people of Turkey were very friendly, especially when they understood we were American (only 20,000 Americans a year go to Turkey--can't figure out why!). They would invite us into their shops for tea or want to try to talk with us (no sales pitch involved).
Don't miss this experience. We recommend going in a clockwise direction if you have the option--they also run it counter clockwise. Having the ship cruise near the end is a better way to relax near the end. The pre-trip is really worth doing--if you're going all that way, why not "get it all?"

Traveler: Bob & Judy Barit from Willow Grove, PA traveled on April 22, 2009

This is an educational experience that ties history, the Bible, and peoples together in a fascinating way. Turkey is a crossroads of cultures through out the world historically. The people who live in Turkey relate that history and give an open and friendly welcome. No other country has so many ties to so many parts of the worlds past. A country you may want to see twice for many reasons.

Traveler: Jeanette from Rancho Cordova, CA traveled on April 22, 2009

We thoroughly enjoyed the trip from beginning to end.

Our interaction with a Muslim family for a home hosted lunch and also an overnight stay was very warm and understanding our thoughts and theirs are very much alike.

The history, cultures, and food was shown to us by our tour director Oguz. He has a very good command and understanding of the English language.

Our stay on the gulet was a very nice relaxing time, and the cook really outdid himself with each meal.

We would recommend this trip to anyone wanting to experience the Mideastern part of the world to learn about the past, present and looking ahead to the future.

Thank You OAT for such a great trip
Ron and Carol Miller

Traveler: Ronald from Belleville, IL traveled on April 21, 2009

Fifteen trips with GCTOAT and Turkey ranks right up there with the best of them. It helped that Oguz, our tour director, had extensive knowledge of the history and the various locations visited throughout the trip. Seems like he knew most of the people we encountered along the way also. This was a memorable trip and experience and I very well may revisit this wonderful country.

Traveler: George from Tucson, AZ traveled on April 21, 2009

This was our 7th trip with OAT. The OAT philosophy is to get off the beaten path - and on this trip we got waaaaay off. Of course we spent time in Istanbul, visiting the VERY crowded Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and Blue Mosque. Millions of tulips were in bloom in Istanbul, making April an especially delightful time to visit.

Actually, our first stop in Turkey was in the totally non-touristy south-central area. Six of us did the pre-trip, which included the very ancient city of AntakyaAntioch, equally ancient mosaics in Gaziantep, a climb up snowy Mt Nemrut to see the massive stone sculptures erected by Antiochus I, and several days in wonderful SanliurfaUrfa which included a visit to a town that has been continuously inhabited since the days of Abraham! We saw NO other Americans on our pre-trip, and only a few European tourists. It was authentic and delightful!

Then we flew to Istanbul and joined the rest of our group. The crowds were overwhelming (to me), and as interesting as Istanbul was historically, I was delighted to leave and head inland again. Our next stop was Cappadocia, which has the most bizarre land formations imaginable. The whole surface is white volcanic rock called tufa. There are cones and columns. Caves. Underground cities. Churches carved into the tufa. Many people live in cave-homes, which gives the area a very bizarre look. You might want to "Google" Cappadocia to get an idea of what I'm talking about. One highlight was a hot air balloon ride. Another was a 3 hour hike in and among the formations. Loved it.

Then we were on to a teeny tiny village in the absolute middle of nowhere where we stayed overnight with a local family. This is the kind of thing that OAT loves to do! You get to see a slice of local life that you would never have the opportunity to see otherwise. I was very apprehensive about the home-stay beforehand, but it turned out to be a highlight of the trip. Tiny town of about 500 people. Mostly farmers and fishermen. Our "family" spoke no English - but our guide was there to translate, and it is amazing what you can communicate with sign language! We had our own sleeping room (actually the front room of the home) as did everyone on our tour, since we split up into two houses for the night. The next morning we visited the local school, and it happened to be International Children's Day - a huge holiday in Turkey. The entire town was there for the special presentations by the children. We just blended ourselves right in (ok. we really didn't blend in...... but we became part of the audience) and enjoyed the songs and speeches - none of which we understood!

Then it was on to Antalya on the Mediterranean coast. Blissfully we were in Turkey off-season, so it wasn't very crowded. I understand that it can be a "zoo" at high season! This is an area that has been inhabited since the stone age, and there are museums, archeological sites, etc. galore. Endlessly fascinating! And lastly, we spent 4 nights aboard a Turkish Gulet (sort of like a sloop with 2 masts.......and sails that never raised......we motored everywhere). We "cruised" up the Turquoise coast, stopping many times along the way for historic sites and for hiking. The Turquoise coast is steep, mountainous, and ROCKY. Hiking boots had been recommended by OAT, and we were soooooo glad that we had them! We did at least one hike each day. Up. Way Up. (and then down, of course, which was often the more treacherous). One highlight was supposed to be the opportunity to swim in the Mediterranean. We didn't because it was much too cold.

Our trip ended with a visit to the famous site of Ephesus (amazing) and the Ephesus museum.

We talked politics with our wonderful guide, Mustafa Kemal Topcu. He was extremely open, frank, and knowledgeable concerning the problems that confront modern day Turkey. Ate grrrrreat food. And saw a way of life that varied from the ultra-traditional and conservative to the most modern. Would we recommend Turkey as a destination? Absolutely! According to our guide, the BEST times to be there are April and October. The weather is the best (not too hot) and the crowds are not too awful.

Traveler: Diana & Dave from El Sobrante, CA traveled on April 10, 2009

After 16 OAT and Grand Circle trips we have to rate our recent trip as one of the best. We loved the variety this trip offered. The beauty of the Turquoise Coast, the wonder of Cappadocia, the History of Istanbul. Our guide was Finat Aksu. What a treasure she was. She was willing to be flexible and also stick to the schedule. On a special day in Istanbul she included the underground Cistern. What a fine that was. I also liked the fact she was open about controversial items such as the Kurdish issue, the opium fields,the circumcision customs,etc.without being judgmental.We truly learned about the beauty and the history of Turkey. We were so lucky to have such an intelligent and beautiful guide to share her knowledge with us.
Dolly Buettner

Traveler: Roger and Dolly from Saint Paul, MN traveled on April 06, 2009

My husband and I just returned from a glorious April in Turkey. Our trip was one of the first few departures of the season that included both the pre-trip to "Nemrut and the Bible lands", and the post-trip to Istanbul. Because of an unseasonably late snowstorm, we were unable to reach the summit of Mt. Nemrut. Instead, we had a delightful picnic lunch at a lower elevation. Although we were unable to see the archeological ruins on Mt. Nemrut, I still recommend going this time of year because the tulips are in bloom in Istanbul, the fragrance of orange blossoms fills the air in Antalya, the drive through the snow covered Taurus mountains is breathtaking, and the lack of the heat and crowds of summer.

Our guide, Erdal Karsli, was knowledgeable and very passionate about his country. Our congenial small group of twelve shared great food, cold Efes dark beer, and many laughs. Getting to know these interesting people was like a trip within a trip!

Some of the "out of my comfort zone" activities ended up being my favorite experiences of the trip...jumping off the gulet into the cool, clear waters of the Mediterranean...the serenity of the optional balloon ride in Kapadokya...the overnight stay with the family in the village on the shores of Lake Beysehir. Also, if you take the post-trip to Istanbul, don't miss taking a turkish bath at Cagaloglu Hamam. This traditional Turkish bath is listed in the book, "1,000 Places To See Before You Die" and proved to be a worthwhile and interesting experience!

The post trip provided us with three extra days to experience Istanbul on our own. We took a ferry to the Asian side of Istanbul, tried some quaint cafes close to the Armada hotel, and had some great social interactions with Turkish students wanting to practice English. The local people also shared with us their excitement over Obama's visit to their city. Take this trip...you won't be disappointed!

Traveler: Allison from Pismo Beach, CA traveled on March 27, 2009

Anyone with the slightest interest in history, breathtaking scenery, fabulous and cheap dining, a dizzying array of activities, people and places should run, not walk to sign up for this trip.

Our PD, Ayberk, is phenomenal. He knows SO MUCH about SO MUCH and can't wait to share it--while making you laugh. His people and organizational skills are stellar. He kept us hopping--even during the bus ride days I did not get exhausted or bored because he filled these days with terrific places to stop and explore (and eat great food)!

I've been on 15 OATGCT trips now, and I have to say this is tied for first place with the french burgundy barge. The best money you can spend!

Traveler: Vicki from Troy, VA traveled on March 28, 2009