Turkey Vacation Review: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Aphrodisias, Private Boat Charter, Rug Factory Tour

Marcus prepared a fantastic trip for us. Turkey has long been on my bucket list, and it blew away all my expectations. During the planning process, Marcus really listened to what we wanted to see/do plus understood our travel style and provided excellent suggestions that we never would have considered. For example, on a long transfer day, he recommended that we stop in Aphrodisias to see this ancient Greek city to break up the drive. It ended up being one of our favorite locations, and while not quite the level of splendor as more famous Ephesus, we preferred it because it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves, seeing only a handful of people during our two hours there. The hotels were perfectly selected (the staff at our Cappadocia cave hotel were the nicest people ever), his food recommendations were spot-on (Turkish cuisine is amazing), and I am happy that I was introduced to the Turkish liquor called Raki. Our point of contact while in Turkey made it feel like we had a friend in the country who could assist with anything. Very helpful and extremely responsive with whatever we needed - he went above and beyond, and we owe him a HUGE thank you! Istanbul is now one of my favorite cities I've ever visited, Cappadocia's unique landscapes and the quintessential sunrise hot air balloon ride there were magical, and I am already dreaming of a return trip. Expertly planned and executed.