Iyi aksamlar Cenan, and Ms. Gulay Konal,

I was pleased to hear from Cenan and I must admit that I’d anticipated your request for feedback. We’ve now had plenty of time to reflect on the trip and in summary Marlene and I are very pleased with the package you provided and we are particularly happy with the execution. In the dialog below I will mention specific names and I would ask that this not be provided to other prospective clients but only used internally by Medhills or MyTurkeyTours.

I’ve commented in the past about how pleased we were to be met promptly at every airport and bus exchange. In particular Sami was absolutely reliable. Although our bus was delayed from Canakkale to Istanbul, he was there politely waiting. As I recall it was a Sunday evening and I know he would have preferred to be with his family but he was only concerned about our needs.

We were not disappointed with any of the Accommodations. Of course Dersaadet Hotel and Elkep Evi were particularly nice. Although I think both are out of your network I would recommend these without hesitation. In both cases the staff was particularly generous. Did I mention Cemil at Dersaadet? He is quite the gentleman. Of course El Ruha was also very nice and the location was a treat. We found the Zeus in Kahta to be reasonable and the breakfast was good. To be honest we arrived late so we did not get much of a feel for the facility or the neighborhood. Oh, we felt quite comfortable on the streets in every city we visited.

In Selcuk we of course stayed at the Kalehan Hotel and again the staff, Dilek Ekmen and a gentleman whose name I did not record, were very pleasant. Of course the room here was more modest than the other properties, but it was consistently clean. It did however have a number if items which needed repair. The location was good and we found multiple restaurants in easy reach. You might promote the close proximity of the Temple of Artemis, the Byzantine Gateway, and the Basilica of St. John. It would have been a treat to enter the citadel on Ayasouluk hill. We thought that if we had bicycles there we could have done Ephesus, Mary’s house and even Kusadasi easily. I liked that it did not have the glitz present in Kusadasi.

We were of course pleased when met, on time, at the airport in Ismir, and the shuttle to Selcuk was very quick. During that ride I asked if our guide, I have his name here but I won’t specifically mention him, could arrange an evening trip to Kusadasi but he hesitated and indicated that we should work through you. All that is ok. Then just before he left us in the lobby, after providing some good advice, he offered to get us to Kusadasi for 40E. We didn’t really understand the neighborhood and fortunately we declined. As I mentioned, the staff of the Kalehan Hotel were very helpful and they provided us a walking map so we took a local bus to Kusadasi for 14.40YTL round trip, two persons. I mention this not to impune the gentleman, nor were we offended because we have an obligation to be smart too, but simply to illustrate what you already know. You’re success is dependent on the quality of the sub-contractors. I believe we mentioned the fine French guide that shared our coach to Pamukkale and Hierapolis which was so engaging for those who spoke French. Unfortunately, Fazul?, while light-hearted, was not particularly informative. Given the long trip on this day and the limited time available to actually visit the alternatives this is a segment that could be skipped.

The two guides at the top of our list are Yelis who presented Ephesus and Nurullah who took us to Pergamum. Yelis was very detailed and did a particularly good job of moving us around the crush of visitors and presenting a cohesive overview of the history. She had to juggle a couple of groups with different itineraries and managed this with good success. If I could have arranged it I would have liked to arrive at the moment it opened and stay until it closed, and I wish there was but one group to minimize the overhead.

Nurulllah Galiskan was our guide to our second most favorite spot in Turkey, Pergamum. What a spectacular venue and he made a terrific effort to show us every detail. He even purchased a multicolor transparency to help use understand. After lunch and an hour in the local museum (our choice) the hand off at the bus station went well.

Again we were met promptly in Canakkale by Ali Ihsan Sidar and taken to the opulent Kolin Hotel. This room was just great and the view was spectacular. I hope you have the opportunity to stay here one day as well. We found the meals had a lot of variety so that was all good. The only down side to this hotel is the high cost of all the amenities like exercise and pool. We chose to just walk instead.

Ok, there is a third guide at the top of our list. Aukut Degre provided a very rich history of the period leading up to WWI through Turkish independence. This was a kind of a clumsy day because we were hustled over to the peninsula early in the morning but we then sat for a couple of hours as we waited for the tour to start. We were given bag lunches but these were not so great and we hand no opportunity to eat once the tour began. I’m surprised that we were not just served before the tour up on the top floor of the facility. Having said that, the tour was just great! It ran to nearly sunset and Aukut was able to really connect with the young Australians and New Zealanders that were in our group. I pressed him on history and politics and he was wonderfully balanced and candid. I learned rather a lot from this gentleman. My only regret is that we emphasized the ANZAC forces and I have a strong interest in the Turkish perspective as well. Another trip!

We found Troy a good half day trip and worth the effort but it was clear that Marlene and I were add-on’s to another group’s trip. I’m afraid that their experience was cut short by the need to pick us up and drop us off. Our guide here, a tall young man who simply used the name John was not particularly enthusiastic, but I can appreciate the routine must be tedious. I’d like to spend more time here.

What I’ve not mentioned was the trip to Nemrut Dagi. Ms. Gulay was absolutely correct; it was the highlight of the trip. Our favorite photo is one of Marlene taking a photo of about a dozen young women as the sun rose. It was a long trip but one of the great memories of our lives. You might explore alternatives to CEM tours for this leg of an itinerary. The guide was not very experienced and there were two restaurants which we visited twice. Did I tell you what a beautiful country you have?

I know that each of your sub-contractors has an obligation to present the tour groups to local artisans and we are glad to acquire some special knowledge. Perhaps one of the disadvantages of independent travel is that it is difficult to manage the number of events so there is some redundancy. Marlene and I visited two ceramic shops, two jewelry shops, two rug fabricators, and a leather goods shop. We managed to beg off on one other similar event in Selcuk thanks to Yelis. Each of these merchants was very hospitable with the exception of the leather goods shop in Istanbul which I found offensive. Much of our group was older than I at age 60+ but they were presented with a fashion show that target twenty-somethings. The music was sufficiently loud that several of the guests covered their ears. When the fashion show was completed several wanted to simply find a way to the sunshine but the merchant attempted to intimidate us by saying it would be rude for us to leave without joining him in tea. While I fully respect the generosity of the Turkish culture I, and others, found this particular venue over-bearing.

The morning we visited Bircik we had a moment to step over to the Euphrates. It occurred to us that it would have been fun to have a brunch picnic adjacent to a nice part of the river…perhaps near Ataturk Dam.

Ms. Gulay. I hope that you continue to visit with each client after their arrival. This conversation was likely more valuable than you realize. Thank you.

Well, I’m about out of gas but I would again like to express my thanks for a very memorable visit. Marlene and I speak highly of the fantastic sights, most of which I’ve not mentioned, and the very pleasant people we met. I can only hope that Cenan receives the same kind of respect here as we received in Turkey…..but I fear not.


Tesekkur ederim.

Marty

Cenan,

It is hard to believe that we have been back from our trip for nearly 2 weeks. I had intended to sit down every day since and send you a note, but had so much to say so it has taken me a bit to gather my thoughts.

First of all we wanted to tell you what a wonderful trip we had. We loved Greece, but Turkey was phenomenal. I had been wanting to go to Turkey for 20 years since I had heard of Efes, but everything about Turkey: the geography, the art, the culture, the history, the seaside, the mountains, the food, and the hospitality of nearly every person we encountered in Turkey surpassed all of my expectations.

Aside from the 2 small matters to which you attended quickly and helpfully from long distance, everything was great. We were impressed with how seamless the arrangements were. We smiled with delight every time we were met at our new destination (even at 2:00 in the morning!) and picked up at our hotel on time for the next thing on our itinerary. We were so pleased with the organization of the trip and the selection of things on the tours. I also went on the balloon ride in Cappadoccia and loved every second of it.

We cannot say enough wonderful things about our tour guides in Yediz in Pamukale and the gentleman (I regret I cannot remember his name) in Istanbul, as well as the driver Ali who was our driver from the time we landed in Marmaris until we left out of Izmere. Yediz and our Istanbul guide were outstanding and really made the history come alive. If there is any way to let them know, we would appreciate it.

The staffs at all of the hotels were gracious and helpful and the location of each hotel was perfect. We were always right in the heart of the place we wanted to be. We particularly loved the the Blue Hills in Istanbul and Giramsu in Cappadoccia . I laughed with utter delight when we opened the door in our cave hotel to find such a beautiful room with traditional Turkish decorations. It was wonderful.

We are looking forward to returning to Turkey and exploring more and we thank you again for everything.

 Regards, Dev & Joseph

Dear Cenan,

We are back and still buzzing with the wonder of Turkey and its people. Thank you for putting together a varied and well-paced tour for me and Richard. The time in Konya was meaningful for both of us and having tickets to the Mevlana Festival at the cultural center was one of the highlights of our trip. Cappadocia and Izmir are so rich with history and natural wonders that we felt dazzled and well informed by the guides who took us through these places.

Please let the staff know again how delighted we are with your group of workers. We shall certainly recommend your help and organization to friends who wish to visit your unique country.

Sincerely, Leclanche & Richard