Blue Voyage Yacht Charters Food and Drink

Itinerary September 6 to September 20, 2008
Welcome Friends! We are so excited that we will once again be sharing this Aegean adventure with you! Below you will find a preliminary itinerary of the places we will visit. If you click on the highlighted blue city, you will find good information about that place. I will be adding more details regularly and will be working on details for both the land and sea portion of your trip. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please e mail me or call 1.888.259.8785.

		September 5, Friday Depart USA (leave Friday – arrive Saturday) Make sure your flights arrive in Istanbul by 2PM Saturday. We will arrange the tickets from Istanbul to Izmir and 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.
Day 1		September 6, Saturday 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.
Day 2		September 7, Sunday 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. This is probably the best shopping in the whole country! We can get manis, pedis and other required beautifications. We will most certainly run out of time before we run out of money because the shops are only open until 2AM and they take credit cards!! Beautiful leather jackets, fabulous fake designer purses, beautiful gold and silver jewelry (not diamonds - that's in Istanbul), clothing, Turkish carpets, weavings, linens, scarves and lots more. This is Ya-Ya heaven! Woo Hoo!
Day 3		September 8, Monday 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.
Day 4		September 9, Tuesday 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.
Day 5		September 10, Wednesday 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.
Day 6		September 11, Thursday 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.
Day 7		September 12, Friday 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.
Day 8		September 13, Saturday 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.
Day 9		September 14, Sunday 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!
Day 10		September 15, Monday 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.
Day 11		September 16, Tuesday 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.
Day 12		September 17, Wednesday 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.
Day 13		September 18, Thursday 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.
Day 14		September 19, Friday 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.
Day 15		September 20, Saturday Istanbul - Day One. Disembark the Gundogan. Fly to Istanbul. Check into hotel. Afternoon tour of Istanbul's Aya Sofya, Byzantine Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern and Spice Bazaar. Dinner at the Galata Bridge fish restaurant. Concert of Sufi Music and a Sema Ceremony at 7:30pm.
Day 16		September 21, Sunday Istanbul - Day Two. Tour of Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, St. Savior in Chora, Bayoglu and the Flower Market. Dinner TBA.
Day 17		September 22, Monday Istanbul - Day Three. Day at the Grand Bazaar. Over 5,000 shops under on roof! Leather jackets, fabulous fake designer purses, beautiful gold and silver jewelry, Turkish carpets, weavings, linens, scarves and this is where you buy diamonds. It's another Ya-Ya day! Dinner TBA.
Day 18		September 23, Tuesday Depart from Istanbul to the USA (most flights are very early in the morning)
		Some Useful Links... Click here for five days of free Do-It-Yourself tours of Istanbul. http://www.worldclimate.com has useful monthly temperature and rainfall averages for thousands of destinations worldwide. You can plan your vacations avoiding rainy seasons or droughts. It can also assist you in deciding what to pack. 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.") Recommended Reading

This itinerary is subject to weather conditions. The captain has the right to change this schedule for the safety of the ship and her absolutely fabulous passengers.