Turkey Review, Tour of Gaziantep, Worship Ceremony, Mosques, Cooking Class, Culture, Art & Food

Review by traveler

Kristen W.

9.3.2019

General Info

Traveler Review

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Turkey

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

Beginning to end, everyone at this travel team exceeded our expectations.
The trip, designed by our planner, was on point. She not only ticked all the boxes that we felt were "must haves" but she advised us carefully and clearly how to maximize our time in country by making unique suggestions, based on her understanding of us as travelers.
The staff who delivered on the trip, and most especially out guide, went above and beyond to make this trip not just memorable, but perhaps one of our best trips of a lifetime of travel. For example, our guide learned the extent of our love of food and cooking, and delivered by taking up up and down the back alleys of Gaziantep to have all the specialties of the region (including a trip to a famous Katmer bakery). We couldn't have known to ask for this -- but it was exactly what we desired.

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

Actually, our guide made the trip what it was. We so enjoyed our time with him! He was kind, tolerant of our ignorance and willing to educate, unflagging when we wanted to hike in the heat, and such a careful listener. He got to know us quickly and was able to tailor aspects of the trip to make each day different and unforgettable.
For example, our guide also arranged for us to witness a Sufi/Dervish worship ceremony and afterwards have an intimate conversation with several Sufis. He also showed us hidden mosques and archaeological treasures, like Zeugma. We didn't know to ask for such treats -- our guide just figured us out and delivered. Beyond that, I will never forget the food in Turkey. I ate all of it, and wanted more. And, since we took a cooking class, I will be able to reproduce at least some of it back home!

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

I would try to figure out how to spend more time. This was a whirlwind, and the country is so rich with culture, art and food! I could have happily spent another week exploring Turkey with our guide. I would have loved at least one more night in Gaziantep and a few more days in the Izmir area. I would have also explored whether it made more sense to drive from Gaziantep to Cappadocia rather than fly GZT-IST-ASR. That was a long day of travel after a long day of food touring. The only hotel I didn't like was in Cappadocia. It was hot, the mobile air conditioner unit was so loud and blew so much dust I couldn't sleep (and it wasn't very cooling either), but it was sweltering hot without it. I would have thought a cave house would be cooler? Perhaps there are better options?

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Turkey Review, Tour of Gaziantep, Worship Ceremony, Mosques, Cooking Class, Culture, Art & Food

General Info

Which Country (Countries) did you visit on this trip?

Your overall comments on the trip and the travel company:

What were the most enjoyable or memorable parts of your trip?

If you could take your trip again, what would you do differently?

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