TURKISH
DELIGHT:
Istanbul, Ephesus & Sailing the Turquoise Coast
June 2-11, 2011
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• Spend 3 nights
in lively, fascinating Istanbul •
• Marvel at Ephesus -- one of the best
preserved ancient Roman cities •
• Cruise lazily for 4 days along the Turquoise Coast
on board a top-quality traditional gulet • |
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Day
1 - Thursday, June 2, 2011
Istanbul
You will arrive into Istanbul and transfer on your own to our hotel.
If you’d like a private transfer from the airport to the hotel,
please let us know and we’ll set that up for you. Otherwise, it’s
straightforward to take a taxi. We’ll get together in the early
evening for our trip orientation and welcome drink in the hotel, followed
by our welcome dinner in the neighborhood. The late evening (should
you still have some energy!) is yours to enjoy some of Istanbul’s
nightlife.
Overnight Istanbul
Welcome drink, Dinner |
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Day 2
- Istanbul
Istanbul! What a glorious wonder. It’s home to a layering of civilization
upon civilization, of empire built on empire. It's grand, marvelous, and
chaotic. A city that straddles Europe and Asia, Istanbul is a symbol of
greatness, coveted for millennia.
On our first full day here we will explore the amazing Topkap¦ Palace,
seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years and primary residence of the
Sultans. (More detailed descriptions of the Istanbul sights on our tour
are found at the end of this itinerary.) This will be followed by a nice
lunch and then a private cruise along the Bosphorus Strait. This is a
wonderful way to become introduced to the city as this historical waterway
is dotted with palaces and fortresses on both the Asian and European sides
as well as historical seafront residences. The boat we have will accommodate
many more than our group, but we'll have it to ourselves so you can move
about freely and take photos from various angles.
Your evening is free to follow your own interests. There’s certainly
no shortage of good restaurants, and there’s plenty of weekend nightlife
to explore – including the gay kind, which is centered in the Beyoglu
neighborhood.
Overnight Istanbul
Breakfast, Lunch |
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Day 3 - Istanbul
Today’s explorations will take us to the amazing Hagia Sophia,
the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmed Mosque), and the Basilica Cistern. Again,
please refer to the sight descriptions at the end of the detailed program.
Your afternoon is free for shopping, relaxing,
or perhaps you’d like to partake in a quintessential Turkish experience
-- the traditional hamam (bath house) with a body scrub and massage.
One shopping option is the Grand Bazaar (Covered Market), a renowned
chaotic labyrinth with thousands of shops and miles of lanes, as well
as mosques, banks, police stations, restaurants, and workshops. You
might also be interested in checking out the colorful Spice Bazaar (also
known as the Egyptian Bazaar).
Overnight Istanbul
Breakfast, Lunch |
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Day 4 - Istanbul /
Sirince
We start with an over-the-top Sunday brunch at one of Istanbul's luxury
hotels. Such a fun experience!
We'll then have to peel ourselves away and head out to the airport to
catch an afternoon flight from Istanbul to Izmir. From Izmir it's a drive
of about an hour and a half to reach the idyllic village of Sirince. Sirince
sits up in the hills about five miles east of the Aegean coast amid grapevines
and peach and apple orchards and is a rather perfect collection of stone-and-stucco
houses with red-tiled roofs. We have the pleasure to stay overnight here
when cruise passenger day-trippers are not around.
Overnight Sirince
Brunch, Dinner |
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Day
5 - Ephesus
We have most of the day to visit Ephesus,
the best-preserved classical city in the Eastern Mediterranean and a
major player in the birth and evolution of Christianity. This is the
place to get a feel for what life was like during Roman times and is
a highlight of any visit to Turkey. Almost as astonishing as the site
itself is that only twenty percent of the ancient city has been excavated.
The sights within Ephesus are very numerous, and we will cover a good
number of them, including the Library of Celsus and the Terraced Houses.
Later we'll return to our base in Sirince so that you have some
free time to explore the pleasant village on your own.
Overnight Sirince
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
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Day 6 - Bodrum / Begin
Gulet Cruise
This morning we'll get an early start and drive down to the seaside town
of Bodrum, about three hours away, where the Aegean and Mediterranean
seas come together. In recent decades Bodrum has become something of a
hyper resort, but with its sugar-cube houses draped in bougainvillea and
its palm-lined streets, it has managed to cling to its original charm
better than some other Turkish coastal vacation towns gone mad. Bodrum
is gaining a reputation as something of a Monte Carlo of the Aegean with
its glitzy marina, sophisticated restaurants, and millions of dollars’
worth of yachts laying over for a night or two. As we will be here just
before the real peak season hits, it should be relatively pleasant and
low-key.
We'll take in one of Turkey’s most interesting museums. The construction
of the Castle of St. Peter was begun in 1402, and it now houses the Museum
of Underwater Archeology. An excellent museum, it brings ancient exhibits
to life with imaginatively displayed items and good informational panels,
maps, models, dioramas, and videos. The views from the battalions are
spectacular.
Next we begin our cruising adventure as we board our gulets and cruise
to a nearby bay for swimming, snorkeling, and anchoring overnight.
Overnight on board gulet
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
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Days 7, 8, 9 - Sailing
the Turquoise Coast
For these next three days we explore the waters, villages, and ancient
ruins of this gorgeous area with our two private gulets (traditional Turkish
motor-sailing yachts). This will be a time for decompression and not sticking
to too much of an agenda. Curl up undisturbed in a cushioned corner with
your book. Culinary enthusiasts can learn the chef's secret sauces in
the galley. Avid sailors and those who want to learn a little can take
over the helm and assist in navigation. Our pace is a relaxed one, with
time each day for swimming, snorkeling, and pampering by our chefs, who
serve mouth-watering feasts al fresco on deck. The meals served
on board are one of the highlights of the cruise. Our cooks prepare and
beautifully present delicious and varied meals. We can't set out an
exact timetable for these languid days as sailing conditions will dictate
our movements. Our actual day-to-day itinerary will be flexible,
and at the discretion of our captain, to allow for local conditions. Here
is a representative itinerary for this area:
Cruise to Knidos to explore the many ancient ruins which remain from this
former Dorian capital and center of medicine and therapy. Knidos was one
of the largest ports in antiquity, with one harbor facing the Aegean and
one south opening on the Mediterranean. Praxiteles, one of the greatest
sculptors of the ancient world, caused much outrage with his nude statue
of Aphrodite bringing in even more ships and wealth to this member of
the Dorian Hexapolis. The harbor has excellent waters for snorkeling and
swimming. Continue to Mersincik Bay, considered one of the most picturesque
bays in Turkey and overnight. Sail to Cokertme which has wonderful walking
paths through the village where families live a traditional lifestyle
weaving their own carpets. Spend the night in Molla Ibrahim Bay. Sail
to the north bays of the Gokova Gulf with swimming and lunch stops and
the evening will be spent either in Kissebuku (Church) Bay or the sparkling
waters of Orak Island.
PLEASE NOTE: The sails of our gulets are not always raised.
It is necessary to cruise under motor power in order to cover certain
distances in a timely manner. The crew will hoist the sails as conditions
allow.
Overnights on board gulet
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner each day |
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Day 10 - Saturday,
June 11, 2011 - Disembark in Bodrum / Departure or Extension
We'll say farewell to our gulets — and to Turkey — as we disembark
back in Bodrum this morning. You will be provided with a transfer to the
Bodrum airport (which is a 40-minute drive from the harbor) or to your
overnight Bodrum accommodation.
Breakfast
Logistical Note: At the time of publishing this
itinerary, Turkish Airlines is scheduled to operate a flight out of Bodrum
at 11:30am, arriving in Istanbul at 12:40pm. If you are flying to the
United States, you may need to overnight in Istanbul. Alternatively, and
perhaps more enjoyable, you could overnight in Bodrum after disembarkation
and take an early flight out the next morning to Istanbul in order to
make an onward connection. |
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Itinerary Note: The above itinerary represents
our best intentions for the Turkey program. Every effort will be made
to follow the itinerary as described here. We do, however, reserve the
right to alter the itinerary if circumstances dictate.
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ACCOMMODATIONS
Following is a description of the accommodation we intend to
use for this tour. We have made a special effort to select unique properties.
We reserve the right to change accommodations, but the quality will always
be the same. |
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Istanbul - Our selected hotel,
consisting of 17 suites, brings you a touch of Parisian chic in the centre
of the Cinhangir district of Istanbul. Voted one of the world’s
best 100 hotels in the Sunday Times Travel Magazine November
2008, the hotel has also been featured in magazines such as Wallpaper
and Monocle. In a city renowned for ancient minarets and bustling
markets, the hotel comes as a refreshing oasis featuring world class modern
design that still pays homage to the city’s roots. Just as Istanbul
sits with one foot in Asia and one in Europe, so too does this accommodation
provide a meeting of east and west. Mingling elements of warm Turkish
hospitality and inspired local designers with modern technology and luxuries,
it provides you the makings of an unforgettable stay where the hotel itself
becomes part of the vacation experience. It has been placed on the 2009
Conde Nast Traveler Hot List.
Cihangir is a quiet, trendy neighbourhood with a bohemian flair. Like
SoHo in London or New York, the area is filled with cafes and boutiques
popular with local artists and expat hipsters alike. It’s an oasis
of calm in this bustling city. It's walking distance to the main business
district, the Istanbul Modern Museum, and famous sights such as Taksim
Square and Istiklal Street.
There are curved headboards on the beds, artistically carved wooden banisters,
functional laptop desks and elegant wardrobes all featuring a floral motif
designed for the hotel. Sheets for the king-sized beds and towels for
the bathroom were commissioned from linen specialists in Denizli, a Turkish
town famous for producing high-quality fabrics. The marble bathrooms feature
Corian sinks and a six-head rain shower for the most serene water experience.
The lounging area in each suite has a leather sofa and marble coffee table.
Also provided are an LCD TV, an excellent DVD collection, CD/DVD player,
iPod docking station, and soundproofed walls. There’s also free
WiFi Internet, a study desk, and a safe for valuables. |
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Click on photos below to enlarge. |
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Sirince - Our chosen property
is perhaps the complete antithesis of the accommodation in Istanbul. It's
tradtional and rural, but very comfortable. A complex of renovated houses
at the top of Sirince's hillside offers total immersion into the daily
rhythm of the village life. At the upper edge of the hillside is the main
pavilion, which contains the reception area and smartly decorated guest
rooms with nouveau Hellenistic frescoes and antique furniture. A further
six restored cottages are accessed by a stone staircase, terraced below
the main pavilion. We'll use a combination of cottages and rooms in the
inn to accommodate our group. The accommodations supply plenty of comfort
and elegance without ever losing the friendly touch. Gourmet dining is
provided in the garden restaurant, and there is a white marble swimming
pool and free internet. The inn has a fabulous view over the village rooftops
and across the olive groves of the valley. The property has dozens of
fig trees, plenty of olives, some walnuts, three huge chestnuts, a few
rows of cherries, some mulberries and apricots, peaches, apples, quinces,
pears, tangerines, almonds of several varieties, pistachios, raspberries
and blackberries, and a vineyard of about 1000 stocks. Guests are welcome
to roam the grounds and eat their fill of whatever happens to be ripening
just then. |
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Click on photos below to enlarge. |
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Gulet Cruise - Roomy cabins
on our gulets all have spacious en-suite bathrooms with shower cabins.
There's a large indoor salon and roomy aft deck, fully equipped galley,
separate crew quarters, snorkeling gear, generator, 24-hour hot water,
windsurfing equipment (upon request), canoe, stereo music system, VHF
radio, television, ice maker, and full-time air conditioning. These gulets
are some of the finest examples of Bodrum-built transom-stern gulets.
They combine the beauty and grace of a traditional wooden sailboat with
the space and comfort of a deluxe yacht.
We cruise from secluded harbors to antique sites in safety, comfort, and
style. The large deck areas are perfect for sunning or for relaxing with
a good book and a cool drink. Meals are served on deck in a shaded dining
area, assuring that you will miss none of the beautiful scenery.
Each twin or double bed cabin has its own air conditioning unit, orthopedic
mattresses, and ample storage and closet space. The en-suite bathrooms
have standard flush toilets, beautifully tiled shower stalls, and basins
of polished marble. |
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Click on photos below to enlarge. |
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TOUR COST
On most Venture Out tours, the price of the trip depends on the final
number of people who sign up. This way we are generally able to offer
slightly lower pricing if we get a higher number of guests enrolled
on the trip.
$3,895 (15-16 participants)
$3,995 (12-14 participants)
$4,195 (8-10 participants)
Tour cost is per person, based on double occupancy.
Single Supplement:
$775 (hotels and gulet)
$570 (hotels only)
Please Note: Very limited availability of single supplements
on the gulets.
With a group size of 8 to 10 guests, we will operate the tour with one
gulet consisting of 5 guest cabins. With 12 or more guests, we will
operate the tour with two gulets: one with 5 guest cabins and one with
4 guest cabins.
Internal Airfare: Istanbul to Izmir. Please allow approximately $80
for this flight segment. Venture Out will provide you with the information
to book this flight. It might also be possible for you to include this
segment in your overall international air arrangements.
Tour Cost Includes:
- All accommodations in carefully chosen, unique properties and top-quality
Turkish gulets
- All meals except two dinners
- Welcome drink
- Mineral water at all meals
- All admission fees to sights mentioned in itinerary
- Tour manager to accompany group for the duration of the tour
- Local, professional tour guide for Days 1-6
- Private comfortable minibuses for all ground transportation, including
fuel, parking, tolls
- Drivers' services and room/board
- Transportation to Bodrum Airport or Bodrum accommodation on Day
10
Tour Cost Does Not Include:
- International airfare into Istanbul and out of Bodrum
- Domestic airfare for the flight on Day 4 (Istanbul to Izmir). Venture
Out will provide you with the information to book this flight. It
might also be possible for you to include this segment in your overall
international air arrangements.
- Soft drinks and alcoholic beverages
- Visa fee for Turkey (US citizens can obtain this at the Istanbul
airport upon arrival)
- Tipping to tour guide, tour manager, drivers, and gulet crew
- Any extra hotel nights that may be needed or desired
- Personal expenses such as phone calls, laundry, minibar charges,
etc.
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ITINERARY CHANGES
While as accurate as possible at the time of printing, this itinerary
should be considered an approximate indication of the schedule and scope
of activities, trip routing, and meals, rather than an inflexible schedule
of events; it is subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control.
This trip is subject to the Limitation of Liability and all the Terms
and Conditions as detailed in the Trip Enrollment Form.
To realize the maximum enjoyment from your Venture Out trip, you must
remember that it is an adventure. The essential requirements are flexibility,
a sense of humor, curiosity and enthusiasm about new peoples and places,
and an openness to the unexpected. With a spirit of adventure and positive
attitude, we’re sure you will have a very special travel experience.
If you are uncertain about the level of comfort, difficulty, or any of
the activities described in this itinerary, please call Venture Out at
1-888-431-6789 to discuss your concerns.
California Seller of Travel #2036134-4 |
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ISTANBUL SITES
Hagia Sophia (in Turkish, Aya Sofya) is a former patriarchal
basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. Famous in particular for its
massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture.
It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years,
until the completion of the cathedral in Seville, Spain, in 1520. The
current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and
537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact
the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site (the previous two
had both been destroyed by riots). It was the church of the Patriarch
of Constantinople and the religious focus point of the Orthodox Byzantine
Empire for nearly 1000 years. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by
the Ottoman Turks and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted
into a mosque. The Islamic features - such as the mihrab, the minibar,
and the four minarets outside - were added over the course of its history
under the Ottomans. It remained a mosque until 1935, when it was converted
into a museum by the secular Republic of Turkey. |
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The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is known as the Blue
Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.
It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many
other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah (school),
and a hospice. The design of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is the culmination
of two centuries of Ottoman mosque development. It is the last great mosque
of the classical period. The architect (a pupil of the great architect
Sinan) ably synthesized the ideas of his master, aiming for overwhelming
size, majesty and splendor, but some would argue that the interior lacks
his creative thinking.
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The Basilica Cistern, also
called the Yerebatan Saray¦ or Yerebatan Sarn¦c¦, is the largest of several
hundred ancient cisterns that still lie beneath the city. Located on the
historical peninsula of Istanbul next to the Hagia Sophia, it was built
during the reign of emperor Justinian I in the 6th century, the age of
glory of Eastern Rome, also called the Byzantine Empire. This cathedral-sized
cistern is an underground chamber measuring roughly 470 by 210 feet, capable
of holding 80,000 cubic meters of water. The large space is broken up
by a forest of 336 marble columns each 30 feet high. The columns are arranged
in 12 rows of 28 columns per row. According to historians, Emperor Constantine
had already built a basilica and cistern on the same spot. As the demand
for water grew, Justinian enlarged the cisterns and incorporated the basilica.
The cistern is surrounded by a brick firewall with a thickness of 13 feet
and coated with a special mortar for waterproofing. The cistern's water
was provided from the Belgrade Woods—which lie 12 miles north of
the city—via aqueducts.
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The Topkap¦ Palace is located
on Seraglio Point, a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea
of Marmara. It is a conglomeration of many smaller buildings and four
courtyards. It was built on the site of the old acropolis of the ancient
Greek city of Byzantium. After the fall of Constantinople, it became the
administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 to 1853 as well
as the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans. Up to 4,000 people resided
in the palace. It was originally called the "New Palace" to
distinguish it from the previous residence, the site of today’s
Istanbul University. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman-style architecture
and possesses large collections of porcelain, robes, jewelry, weapons,
shields, armor, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and mural decorations.
The Topkap¦ Palace gradually lost its importance at the end of the 17th
century, as the sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces
along the Bosphorus. The Topkap¦ Palace was eventually transformed into
a museum.
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The Spice Bazaar is one of
the oldest bazaars in the city. Located in Eminönü, it is the
second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. It was
completed in 1660. The Turkish name for the market translates as “Egyptian
Bazaar.” It was famous for selling goods that were shipped in from
Cairo. As well as spices, nuts, honey, and olive oil soaps, the bustling
bazaar sells truckloads of figs, Turkish Delight, cheeses, and fruit pressed
into sheets and dried.
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