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10 Day Odyssey
featuring:
- 3 days "Classics
of Istanbul", walking tour
- 6 days, 5 nights accomodation
on luxury "gulet" Primadonna
- Swimming and snorkeling
in secluded bays
- Visits to small villages
and ancient ruins
- Special traditional meals
- Bosphorus Cruise
Journey to the ancient
past in the land of Anatolia, "cradle of civilizations"
and home to many of the world's greatest empires; among them
Greek, Lycian, Roman, and Ottoman. Lying at the heart of Asia
Minor, Turkey connects east and west not only geographically
but culturally as well. Your Turkish honeymoon will start in
historic Istanbul where you'll stay at the famous Ciragan Kempinski
Palace Hotel by the Bosphorus. You'll visit Topkapi Palace and
its Harem, which was the residence of Ottoman Sultans for centuries.
While visiting the famous 16th century Grand Bazaar you'll see
hundreds of shops and hear the ezan-islamic chanting.
Then you'll fly to the charming Mediterranean village of Gocek,
where you ease into a blue cruise life-style aboard your deluxe
gulet "Primadonna". You journey back in time
as you cruise the crystal bays and inlets of the Mediterranean
and take time to hike among the remains of ancient monuments
and cities. Your floating home is a traditional Turkish gulet,
a beautifully handcrafted motor yacht that is both spacious and
well appointed.
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For the next 6 days you'll
explore the Turquoise Coast, so named for its jewel-colored waters.
Pulling into quiet bays and coves, you'll go ashore and hike
through the countryside to medieval castles and ancient sites,
including the haunting Lycian city of Myra. Evenings find you
aboard your comfortable gulet, where you have excellent food
and wine under starry Mediterranean skies. During your journey,
you'll have ample time to swim, snorkel and water ski in some
of the finest bays in Turkey.
The final destination of
your adventure is the harbor-city of Antalya, where you'll stay
at the Voyager Sheraton with magnificent views over the Mediterranean.
You'll walk through the historic Old Quarter, savoring its atmosphere
of centuries past. You'll celebrate your journey with a romantic
dinner at a traditional Turkish restaurant on the city walls
overlooking the old quarter. Come prepared to belly dance and
be merry!
ITINERARY
DAY 1-Istanbul: Fly to Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul
is the "gateway to the Orient," a fascinating city
that is vividly alive. Beneath its splendid skyline of bulbous
domes and slender minarets lie the resplendent relics and monuments
of three empires-Byzantine, Ottoman and Roman. Upon your arrival,
you'll be met and transferred to the Ciragan Palace Hotel. You
can relax in your sea-view suite and later dine at an outdoor
restaurant (Tugra) serving exquisite Turkish cuisine. The atmosphere
is magical with the palace lit up and the ships on the Bosphorous
passing by. Later stroll down to the waterside Jazz bar for a
nightcap if the spirit moves you. Massage and Turkish bath are
available as well.
Overnight: Deluxe Sea-view suite at Ciragan Kempinski Palace
DAY 2-Istanbul: Today we will join you
after breakfast and take you on a private cruise along the Bosphorus
where we'll see Ottoman palaces along the shore, the Bosphorus
bridge which connects Asia and Europe and some beautiful 19th
century houses. An air-conditioned minibus will meet us at Yenikoy
and take us back to the old quarter where we'll have lunch at
a traditional restaurant. Later we'll take a walking tour of
Istanbul's ancient monuments, including the famous Blue Mosque,
Byzantine Hippodrome and St. Sophia. We start with a tour of
Sultan Ahmet Square, the center of historical and cultural activities
of Byzantine and then Ottoman Empires. There we visit the Blue
Mosque, renowned for its beautiful blue tiles decorating the
interior walls. It was built in the 17th century and is considered
a masterpiece of its period. A short walk away is St. Sophia,
originally built as a church by Constantine the Great in the
4th century and used as a mosque during the Ottoman era until
1935 (today it's a museum). St.Sophia is famous for its 11th
century Byzantine mosaics and it's a unique example of a church
converted into a mosque. Tonight you're on your own to stroll
on the waterfront in the historic Ortakoy district and savor
a meal at one of the famous fish restaurants overlooking the
water.
Overnight: Deluxe Sea-view suite at Ciragan Kempinski Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Dinner on your own
DAY 3-Istanbul: We'll meet you after
breakfast and transfer you to the historic Topkapi Palace which
was the residence of the Ottoman sultans for four centuries.
The highlights of this palace-museum include the fabled "Harem",
the 88 karat diamond, and the Topkapi dagger. Before coming to
Turkey you may enjoy renting the movie, "Topkapi",
with Peter Sellers which describes the attempt to steal the dagger.
We'll have lunch overlooking the Golden Horn at an outdoor café
on the palace grounds. After lunch, we can have a private visit
with one of the top rug collectors in Istanbul and learn how
they produce carpets. We'll have a chance to see the Byzantine
palace ruins recently discovered under his store. Later we can
wonder through the Grand Bazaar and Spice market to soak up the
exotic atmosphere. Dinner is on your own.
Overnight: Deluxe Sea-view suite at Ciragan Kempinski Palace
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Dinner on your own
DAY 4-Istanbul to Gocek: After breakfast
we'll pick you up and transfer you to the airport for our flight
to Dalaman. A minivan will then transfer us to Gocek, a nice
village with excellent boutiques run by artists removed from
the crowds of Istanbul. Board onto your gulet which will be your
home for the next 6 days. You will be met by the friendly crew
of your boat in the Gocek marina and served welcome drinks. Your
crew consists of a captain, cook, and first mate/barman. After
time to explore the village we'll say goodbye and you'll cruise
(20 min) to a secluded bay to swim and snorkel in the turquoise
waters of Mediterranean. On the way you'll see some small islands
and hopefully some dolphins.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Overnight: Prima Donna deluxe gulet
DAY 5-Lydae: After breakfast, you can water-ski in the protected
bay then cruise a short way to visit Cleopatra's Bath also known
as the "Sunken Bath" where you'll enjoy swimming among
the ruins. After having lunch on the boat you'll cruise to Agalimani,
which is another secluded bay where you can swim in the calm
waters of Mediterranean, sunbathe or just rest. In the late afternoon
you can take a hike to the ancient site of Lydea to explore the
remains of the temple and uncovered theatre. The path is very
easy to follow and we will provide you with a map. The path is
an ancient one passing by secluded farms high above the sea.
There are still some nomads living around Lydae during the summer
months. You'll hike back to the boat where you'll have dinner
and spend the night. All meals are included.
DAY 6- Gemiler Island: You'll have an early departure
and cruise about 1.5 hours to Cold Bay, where you'll anchor beneath
the cliffs. Here you can enjoy water skiing and other water sports.
If you wish, we will join you to lead a 2-3 hour hike to Kayakoy,
an abandoned Greek town (1,200' elevation gain). The inhabitants
left the town in the 1920s, but the roofless houses and cobbled
paths seem as ancient as any site on your voyage. In the early
summer, wildflowers grow profusely in the village streets and
inside the exposed rooms of the vacant houses. Cruise to Ship
Island in the late afternoon. Here you can take a steep (but
short) walk up to the summit of this small island and explore
the ruins of a Byzantine Monastery from the 7th to 9th centuries.
Old churches, monks' cells and graves are scattered all over
the island. It's advisable to hike there to watch the sunset
(bring some wine). All meals are included.
DAY 7- Kalkan: A 4-hour cruise will bring
you to Firnazlar Bay which is our favorite bay along this coast.
It's a nice secluded bay where we can guide you on a hidden trail
to a "secret" Roman Aqueduct. You can also try sea-kayaking
if you feel adventurous (we can provide all the gear and instruct
you it's fun and easy). Water skiing and para sailing are
also available in Firnazlar bay. In the late afternoon you'll
cruise to Kalkan which is a charming Mediterranean town (Perry
and Jale's home). In Kalkan you'll have time to sit at a local
café and enjoy shopping at boutiques selling hand woven
local clothes. This evening we will take you to a Kalkan classic,
Belgin's Kitchen. This family-run tavern is located in an old
olive factory and you'll be welcomed like family. The food is
delicious and the live band will entice you to try belly dancing.
Later you can walk the cobble stone streets and sip a Turkish
coffee at a terrace café. Or try one of the bars on the
main street where the nightlife is very active. Overnight on
the gulet in the harbor.
All meals included
DAY 8- Aperlea-Simena: Early morning cruise to Aperlea,
a sunken city from 6th century BC where you'll snorkel and swim
over the Hellenistic ruins. After visiting Aperlea ancient site
you'll cruise for 45 minutes to Kekova Island where you'll see
sunken ruins from Lycian and Byzantine times. After lunch you'll
have free time to wander through Simena village (pictured below)
and shop for some traditional Turkish scarves made by the local
women. You can hike up to the medieval castle that dominates
the skyline above the village of Simena, reached only by foot.
Next to the castle you'll see Lycian Sarcophagi- tombs- overlooking
the Mediterranean. You'll overnight at a secluded bay near Simena.
All meals included.
DAY 9- Andriake-Antalya: After breakfast you'll cruise
to Andriake-Cayagzi port where you'll bid farewell to your crew
and leave the boat. From here we'll meet you with an air-conditioned
minibus and take you to Myra to visit the ancient site and the
Church of St. Nicholas. Drive 3 hours to Antalya and check into
Sheraton Voyager. Enjoy sunset cocktails at a café built
in the ancient city walls overlooking Mediterranean. Later dine
at one of our favorite restaurants in Turkey, La Notte, which
serves traditional Ottoman cuisine under billowing tents on the
city walls.
Overnight: King's Suite at the Sheraton Voyager Hotel.
DAY 10- Antalya: In the morning we can take you on a walk through
the charming old quarter of the city where you'll see beautiful
Ottoman houses. Later, we can make an optional visit to the Antalya
Archeological museum. Selected as one of the best museums in
Europe, the museum houses treasures from many of the ancient
sites you visited during the cruise. After lunch, transfer to
the Antalya airport where we'll bid you farewell. You'll fly
to Istanbul (1 hour) where you'll be met and transferred to the
Four Seasons Hotel (pictured below) in the heart of the old quarter.
The hotel sits atop the ruins
of a Byzantine Palace and has excellent views of SultanAhmet
Square. Enjoy a sumptuous farewell dinner at a rooftop terrace
restaurant overlooking the old quarter and the Sea of Marmara.
Overnight: Deluxe Suite at the Istanbul Four Seasons.
Breakfast and lunch are included.
DAY 11- Fly Home: You'll be transferred from your hotel to the airport
where you will check in for your flight home.
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