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May 26,
Monday
Depart USA
(leave Monday – arrive Tuesday)
Make sure your flights arrive in Istanbul by 2PM Tuesday. We will
arrange the tickets from Istanbul to Kusadasi and from Antalya back to Istanbul. We'll
let you know the details of the inland flight, but the cost will be
about $300 per person - we will let you know exactly. You can include
this amount in your final payment.
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Day 1 |
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May 27,
Tuesday
Arrive in Istanbul. Fly Directly to Izmir.
We will meet you all in the airport in Istanbul with your tickets to
Izmir and we'll all fly down together.
Your Turkish visa can
be purchased at the window to the left of Passport Control at Istanbul
International airport. The visa fee
for US Passport holders will be $20 USD for
a multiple entry. It MUST be
paid in cash. We all must get a multiple entry visa because we are going
to the Greek Islands.
At
Istanbul Airport - Get your Turkish Visa from the window at the left of
Passport Control. Go through Passport Control. Get
your luggage (if you have any) from Baggage Claim. (It’s always best to
just take hand carry luggage and not check anything). If you have time,
there
is a money exchange booth in the baggage claim area and it would be good
to change $100 for cab fare, etc.
Then go out baggage claim. We will meet you there.
Fly to Izmir. Take bus to Kusadasi.
Overnight at Kusadasi Turkey.
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Day 2 |
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May 28, Wednesday
Tour of Ephesus.
Dinner and overnight at Kusadasi.
Today we visit Ephesus
a major player in the birth and evolution of Christianity. Ephesus
hosted one of the seven churches addressed in the Book of Revelation,
and was home to St. Paul and St. John. We will also visit the 6th
century Basilica of St. John built on the site of the Apostle's
tomb; the House of the Virgin Mary where Mary finished out her
days in this house after migrating to Asia Minor with John; and the
Temple of Artemis
dedicated to the goddess Artemis, once considered one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World.
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Day 3 |
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May 29,
Thursday
Sail to Didyma. Dinner and overnight at Didyma.
Today we will visit the ancient trading city of
Miletus with four harbors was
once one of the biggest cities in Anatolia - larger than Ephesus.
Miletus gave the alphabet to the classical world and was also the
breeding ground for many philosophers and scientists, including Thales,
who calculated precisely the arrival of the solar eclipse. connected to
Miletus via a marble road is Didyma,
a sacred sanctuary under the custody of priests called Branchids which
housed one of the most famous Oracles of the ancient world (equaled only
by the Oracle of Delphi). The Temple of Apollo is almost all that's left
of Didyma with columns soaring over 60 feet high it is an amazing and
inspiring sight.
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Day 4 |
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May 30,
Friday
Dinner and overnight at Didyma.
One of our all time favorite
places is Bafa Lake. The lake is surrounded by the
Latmos Mountains.
These mystic mountains are an excellent area for trekking tours to cave
where you can see prehistoric paintings. Since 700 A.D hermits and monks
have left their marks on these remote mountain slopes. Byzantine
monasteries and hermit caves are a favorite destination for study trips.
The lake is also a bird sanctuary for 208 species of birds.
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Day 5 |
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May 31,
Saturday
Sail to Gumusluk. Dinner
and overnight at Gumusluk.
Gumusluk is a small village and lively fishing port, with more than a
dozen fish restaurants along the sea front, displaying a wide variety of
locally caught seafood.
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Day 6 |
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June
1, Sunday
Sail to Turkbuku. Dinner and
overnight at Turkbuku.
Referred to as the St.-Tropez of Turkey, Turkbuku is a fashionable
destination for Turkish celebrities, and fashionable society, attracted
by crystal clear waters, excellent seafood restaurants and sophisticated
hotels. Much of the seafood in Turkbuku is caught by the fishermen who
still ply their trade from the traditional wooden jetties on the
seafront.
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Day 7 |
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June 2, Monday
Sail to Turgutreis. Dinner and
overnight at Turgutreis.
With the boat docked by
the square in the
centre of town, we'll have lots to do. The otwn is stunning and comes
alive at night. Restaurants, shops, bakeries and discos will keep us all
very busy.
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Day 8 |
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June 3, Tuesday
Sail to Bodrum. Dinner and overnight at Bodrum.
A little more shopping? It's Bazaar day in Bodrum! In the afternoon
we can treat ourselves to our last hamam. Then back to the boat for dinner.
For a special treat Bodrum's famous Halikarnas Discothèque has "Foam
Dancing" on Friday nights. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
So rest up and head off to the disco at 2AM for the show.
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Day 9 |
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June
4, Wednesday
Sail to Gokova Bay. Dinner and overnight at
Gokova Bay.
After breakfast, we will enter the protected Bay of Gokova in Mersincik,
a bay is surrounded by forests, you will travel leisurely to Cati Lagoon
for lunch. The afternoon is yours to visit the beauties of this region.
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Day 10 |
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June
5, Thursday
Dinner and overnight at
Gokova Bay.
After breakfast
cruise to Sedir Island where it is told that Antonius brought golden
sand on this beach for Cleopatra. Popularly known as Cleopatra’s Island,
this is the site of ancient Cedreae. This island boasts an incredible
beach with fine sand composed of fossils and a magnificent view of the
Kiran Mountains across the bay. It is one of the most enjoyable sites to
visit, the ruins of Cedreae whilst of a modest size are overrun with
shrubbery and olive trees set in the gentle protected waters and
offering a selection of breathtaking views.
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Day 11 |
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June 6, Friday
Sail to Knidos. Dinner and overnight at
Palamutbuku.
Depart in the morning for Knidos, an ancient Carian city, to visit the
remains of the Greek and Roman amphitheater, acropolis and temple, which
housed the famous statue of Aphrodite. Then we are off to Palamutbuku
for what it sure to be a wild Backgammon Championship at Cafe Vino - and
some delicious home made cheese cake.
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Day 12 |
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June
7, Saturday
Sail to Ova Buku. Dinner and overnight at
Datca.
Sail to the tiny
village of Ova Buku. The village itself has a great little bay for
cooling off; for those looking for a little more privacy, a short hike
away is a lovely long and isolated beach; a perfect afternoon retreat.
Then off to
Datca the waterfront is lined with little bars, tavernas
and shops. Walking towards the beach, there is a tiny lake, with a
surprisingly powerful "mini-waterfall" - a great and very cooling
massage experience.
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Day 13 |
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June 8, Sunday
Sail to Hisaronu. Dinner and
overnight at Keci Buku.
Sail to Keci Buku. A well-sheltered hideout described as a "gem" in
the Turkish Waters Pilot - and it truly is. A wide, sweeping bay
surrounded by pine forests.
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Day 14 |
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June 9, Monday
Sail to Bozburun. Dinner and overnight at Bozburun.
After breakfast we
will continue following the bay northward around the Gulf of Hisaronu
until we find, hidden away in its own exclusive inlet, the town of
Bozburun, famous as one of the
gulet-building centers of Turkey. Dinner and overnight in Bozburun.
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Day 15 |
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June 10,
Tuesday
Sail to Bozukkale. Dinner and overnight at Bozukkale.
After a leisurely breakfast
we make our way out of the Bay to Bozukkale ancient Loryma, at the tip
of the Bozburun Peninsula where the ruins of the ancient harbor and
castle remains can only be reached by boat. Although the Turkish name
means "ruined castle", the castle on a hill at the entrance to the port
is in relatively good condition. It’s a fun, easy to hike to the top of
the castle where you have a fantastic view of the peninsula. In the
afternoon we'll get some fresh baked bread from the bread lady!
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Day 16 |
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June 11,
Wednesday
Sail to Marmaris. Dinner and overnight at
Marmaris.
Sail to
Marmaris,
an important stage on the Anatolia-Rhodes-Egypt trade route. The
city's museum is placed in the 16th century citadel, built by Suleyman
the Magnificent. The shopping district of Marmaris
abounds with colorful bazaars and markets. You can find Turkish carpets,
textiles and embroidery, leather, copper and brass wares, jewelry and
onyx carvings and the locally produced pine-scented honey is superb.
Dinner and overnight in Marmaris Marina.
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Day 17 |
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June 12,
Thursday
Sail to Ekincik. Dinner and overnight at
Ekincik.
After breakfast we will set
sail for Ekincik, a small quiet cove just north of Dalyan.
You can rent a water taxi to take you to the beach. Rest today -
tomorrow is a busy day full of adventure! Dinner and overnight at Ekincik.
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Day 18 |
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June 13,
Friday
Dinner and overnight at
Ekincik.
After an early breakfast, you’ll take a water taxi
to
Dalyan or ancient Kuanos is your
next port of call - and one of our favorite places! The Delta, with a long, golden sandy beach at its
mouth, is a nature-conservation area and a refuge for sea turtles (Caretta
Caretta) and blue crabs. At a bend in the river, high on the cliff face
above, you can see the fascinating ancient harbor city of
Kaunos,
with its magnificent Lycian tombs carved into the rock. We will explore
the ancient city of Kuanos, with it's interesting ruins, tombs and
incredible views form the top of the fortress. After a supurb lunch at
one of the fish restaurants along the river, we’ll visit the famous
Thermal Mud Baths, that have muddied the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Sting,
and many other celebrities. From here you can go back to the beach or
directly to the boat.
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Day 19 |
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June 14,
Saturday
Sail to Gocek Bay. Dinner and overnight at Gocek Bay.
Gocek Bay, or more correctly the Gulf of Fethiye covers some 60-70square
miles, with numerous enchanting anchorages, where you can cast anchor,
either for a swim and a lazy lunch, or for the night.
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Day 20 |
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June 15,
Sunday
Dinner and overnight at
Aga Limani.
Sail to Aga Limani,
a nice little cove where you can swim. There is a small beautiful
beach that you can swim to from the boat. There is a great hike here
– just follow the road that you can clearly see on the right of the
small beach. The views from the top are spectacular. Dinner and
overnight at Aga Limani.
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Day 21 |
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June 16,
Monday
Sail to Fethiye. Dinner and overnight at
Fethiye.
Sail to Fethiye.
In
the city of Fethiye, ancient Telmessus, shopping, nightclubs, a
shave, manicure, pedicure, haircut, an incredible fish market, the best
Doner Kebap in Turkey, a fabulous hairdresser, restaurants and internet
cafes abound! This has become one of our most favorite places.
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Day 22 |
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June 17,
Tuesday
Sail to Butterfly Valley. Dinner and overnight at
Gemiler.
Sail to Butterfly Valley.
Hike to George's House for lunch and the waterfall. Sail to Gemiler
and stroll to the top of
Gemiler to see a
breathtaking sunset at St. Nicholas Island. Grab a bottle of wine and
some glasses and make it a sunset cocktail party! It's easy to get back
down - even in the dusk.
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Day 23 |
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June 18,
Wednesday
Sail to Kalkan. Dinner and overnight at
Kalkan.
Breakfast on the boat, then
you’re off to the charming fishing village of
Kalkan. You’ll
take a mini bus ride to Letoon,
Xanthos,
Patara, three of the most
important cities in the Lycian League - Or cool off
at the Mediterranean’s longest beach - Patara Beach - also one of the
best body surfing and sand castle building beaches in the world. Kalkan
is a colorful hillside village and one of our favorite stops that offers
quaint cafes, unique boutiques and the nicest people around.
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Day 24 |
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June
19, Thursday
Dinner and overnight at
Kalkan.
Before breakfast the captain will take off in the early morning (this
will be your only early wake up day). Breakfast
on the boat, then you’ll take a bus to
Saklikent, a natural gorge
which offers a wet and wild hike up the gorge to a waterfall. This is a
must! After a light lunch at one of the many unique restaurants along
the gorge you can take a tube ride down the river. This place is
awesome! Kids of all ages will enjoy this day.
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Day 25 |
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June
20, Friday
Sail to
Kas. Dinner and overnight at
Kas.
Want a carpet?
This is the place! Ismail the carpet dealer will entertain and
astound you.
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Day 26 |
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June
21, Saturday
Dinner and overnight at
Kas.
Explore Elmali, Pinara.
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Day 27 |
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June
22, Sunday
Sail to Kekova. Dinner and overnight at
Kale.
Breakfast on the
boat then we sail on to Kekova,
the underwater city. Here we will visit the magical city of
Kale, the castle of the Knights of
St. John, and relax with a beer or a cup of tea and enjoy one of the
most beautiful sunsets you’ll ever experience.
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Day 28 |
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June
23, Monday
Dinner and overnight at Karakoy
Bay.
After breakfast we
will sail on to a cute village of
Ucugiz. This authentic village
receives very few tourists and it is nice to walk the streets and mingle
with the villagers. Explore the Lycian Tomb ruins, swim and relax.
We can hike the Lycian Trail from Kale to Karakoy
Bay. Spend the day swimming and exploring the coves.
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Day 29 |
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June 24, Tuesday
Disembark the Gundogan. Fly to Istanbul.
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June 25,
Wednesday
Depart from Istanbul to the USA (most flights are very early in the
morning)
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Some Useful Links...
Click here
for five days of free Do-It-Yourself tours
of Istanbul.Just knowing
how to say “Thank You” in Turkish willl bring smiles and open doors.
Learn some Turkish! Rosetta Stone offers an excellent Free
Demo -
http://www.rosettastone.com (Click on "Individuals" then "Free
Demo.")
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