Highlights of Turkey

Turkish Airlines economy was very good. Good paced itinerary. The ancient ruins and Gallipoli were worth the long drives. The transport used for our small group of five was a bit short on leg room. Ephesus and Istanbul were the highlight. Our exceptional guide, Busra, was enthusiastically engaging and highly knowledgeable about the sites and where to eat. She ensured everyone enjoyed their holiday. Accommodation was good. I thought the turtle hospital was a little disappointing. It needs a lot of investment. I’ll definitely be back to Turkey

This was an excellent tour. Particularly good for those interested in history and archaelogical sites, but also including city exploration, boat trips and a brief optional excursion to a beach. We also gained a good insight into Turkish culture. The trip is indeed ‘full on’ with several 8 am starts, but this was no problem for anyone in the group, including the older members. Our tour guide was excellent; she was organised, knowledgable, friendly and caring. She was with the group throughout each day and was there to help us at any time. There was slight confusion regarding collection from Istanbul airport on arrival, but this was resolved fairly quickly and does not prevent me from giving five stars for the trip. I also think that Explore should make it clear if we need to use WhatsApp at the airport. I had data roaming switched off and didn’t receive messages regarding changes to our pick up.

Great time. It’s a full on tour so you have to be reasonably fit and mobile as there’s a lot of walking involved. Also, we were only a group of 5 so had a mini cab and the trip involves a lot of hours in the cab. Turkey has some beautiful places to see. Istanbul was amazing as was Ephesus. Turkish airlines economy was amazingly good. Free food and choice of a drink. We returned to Istanbul from Dalaman airport which has been upgraded since I last went. Istanbul airport was impeccable. Lastly, Buscha. Our tour guide for the week was 5*. Very knowledgeable about everything. You can choose to do your own thing if you want. We chose to let her pick the restaurants which were all of a good quality and not expensive. I think if you have a Turkish guide you don’t get ripped off, plus she would tell us what the specialities were. Buscha went above and beyond to make sure everyone felt included and nothing was too much bother. Turkey surprised me. The President is virtually in the post for life. However, it’s a very secular multicultural society, and at no point did I feel uncomfortable. The people seemed to be able to express themselves but it wouldn’t be wise to denigrate the president. The locals were always friendly. Only surprise I noticed was that there’s tiers of passports and not all Turks can visit any country they wish. We stayed at various hotels which were all of a good standard. We only stayed at one hotel for more than one night. I’d definitely visit Turkey again. I’d been to Marmaris before but that was very touristy. If you want to experience the real Turkey IMHO this tour is perfect.

Excellent itinerary packed into one week allowing us to see so many historical sites. The transport used was a comfortable minibus and the standard of hotel used was good. I thought this trip was good value for money, especially given that costs in Turkey were similar to those at home (food, entrance fees, etc.)

Accommodation in Pammukale and cannakale was good. Accommodation at Ephesus was very disappointing - not clean, bathroom in need of major refurbishment Accommodation in Istanbul was ok Accommodation in Dalyan was disappointing. Very basic, room not cleaned after the first night, bed uncomfortable, no duvet cover. Itinerary was good. Would benefit from the inclusion of Hagia Sofia, Troy museum and terraced houses in Ephesus. The tour was very full on and would have benefited from an extra day. Perhaps the activities in Dalyan could be made optional - I did not participate in these activities although I had paid for them