Cultural sailing cruise in Turkey
| country: | Turkey |
| location: | Aegean Sea, Aegean Coast |
| departures: | 2010: 12 Jun, 4 Sep |
| price: | From £1745 (8 days) per adult excluding flights |
| more info: | Price includes: full board accommodation on boat, all road transfers, all crew services on boat, entrance fees & tips on land, archaeological excursions. Single supplement £475 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Beginning in Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, this tour heads north to Ephesus, one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean. En route we visit some of the most interesting and beautiful sites in Turkey.
The highlights are plentiful: from the small harbour of Myndos, where Cassius harboured after murdering Julius Caesar, to Iasos, a wealthy ancient port, celebrated for its fish market and red marble. Today one can easily glimpse Iasos’ past vitality in the splendid ruins that litter the site - from the colonnaded agora to the Roman villa decked with mosaics.
Inland we’ll see two soaring temples, the elegant shrine to Zeus at Euromus, and the gargantuan oracular temple at Didyma. While at sea there are pretty rocky coves perfect for swimming, relaxing, and fine dining.
Our final destination is Ephesus, capital of Roman Asia. One of the very first cities in the world to have street lighting, the site is magnificent - marble streets, agoras, villas, a theatre for 28,000 and an extraordinary library.
The highlights are plentiful: from the small harbour of Myndos, where Cassius harboured after murdering Julius Caesar, to Iasos, a wealthy ancient port, celebrated for its fish market and red marble. Today one can easily glimpse Iasos’ past vitality in the splendid ruins that litter the site - from the colonnaded agora to the Roman villa decked with mosaics.
Inland we’ll see two soaring temples, the elegant shrine to Zeus at Euromus, and the gargantuan oracular temple at Didyma. While at sea there are pretty rocky coves perfect for swimming, relaxing, and fine dining.
Our final destination is Ephesus, capital of Roman Asia. One of the very first cities in the world to have street lighting, the site is magnificent - marble streets, agoras, villas, a theatre for 28,000 and an extraordinary library.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Our boat is about 40 minutes from Bodrum airport, in the city’s amphitheatre style harbour. Welcome drink and dinner aboard. |
| Day 2: | A gentle cruise to the pretty coastal village of Gümüslük, ancient Myndos; where excavations have recently started. The scant ruins offer a glimpse of this once bustling fortified harbour. |
| Day 3: | We sail north east to moor in the pretty harbour of ancient Iasos, where archaeological excavations are revealing a vital and beautiful classical city. |
| Day 4: | We head inland to the temple of Zeus at Euromus, one of the best preserved in Asia Minor, and located amidst a beautiful olive grove. Then on into the mountains to Labraunda, Caria’s most sacred sanctuary, site of the great oracular shrine to Zeus Labraundus. |
| Day 5: | A morning to relax and sail. In the late afternoon we head inland from Altinkum’s golden beach to visit Miletus, one of the most significant Ionian sites, with its vast theatre, baths, and brooding atmosphere, and its most important sanctuary, the colossal and awe-inspiring oracular temple of Apollo at Didyma. |
| Day 6: | Heading inland we walk the ancient roads of Priene, an almost perfectly preserved Hellenistic (4th century BC) city. |
| Day 7: | East of Kusadasi lies one of the most celebrated ancient sites in the world: Ephesus. After seeing its glorious museum we have ample time to explore the spectacular remains. |
| Day 8: | Transfer from our gulet to Izmir airport, about 1 hour away. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
|
Environment
To help protect the environment, if we discover litter and detritus on a beach, path, etc. we pick it up, and then dispose of it properly. We regularly organise litter picking parties to tidy up a beach we are moored by and so help keep the coasts of Turkey and Greece and the Mediterranean beautiful, free from detritus, and safer for native animals. Since we are travelling by boat, the amount of water available is limited and needs to be used sparingly. Only showers are provided, not baths, and we advise customers to reduce their use of water by taking short showers, and avoiding leaving the tap running for long periods. As a result the amount of water used during our cruises is significantly less than if travellers were staying in a typical large resort hotel. We have been using the same gulet for the majority of our trips ever since we started organising tours in Turkey. We charter the gulet for almost the entire season, providing important employment and income to the boat’s crew and owner. Throughout this tour we employ local guides and location managers. We also use local drivers and vehicles to visit sites, which are often owner operated or run by a local cooperative. This ensures that money goes directly into the pockets of local people, so it is the local community that benefits. Community We try to provide tours that are above all educational tours - holidays with a cultural purpose. We believe that our tours in Turkey are a positive force, enlightening our customers about Turkey’s culture and above all its history. In stark contrast to most packages where tourists are rushed through ancient sites in order to get them into shops so guides can earn a sales’ commission, our whole focus is on exploring the historic sites. We believe that geography governs history to a great extent, so where better for people to learn about some of the world’s formative civilisations – Greek, Roman, and Byzantine, than on the ground in Turkey where the ruins are breathtakingly well preserved. We endeavour to make our escorted tours relaxing and fun, but also educational and inspirational. We think our expert led trips allow travellers to gain a true appreciation and deep insight into Turkey’s historical, political, social, and economic background. Guests find out about local customs, eating habits, dress codes, religion, and traditions fostering mutual understanding, and a sense of Turkey’s significant place in the world. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |