We had a great time. Boating Turkey were very professional and helpful at both ends. Halcyon was also a good boat, albeit I reckon a lazyjack mainsail rather than vertical battens might be preferable next time. We were pleased with all the other features of the boat. We have recommended the trip to our friends here.
Andy Philpott
New Zealand
a.philpott[at]auckland.ac.nz
Dear Necmi
Our recent two week holiday with Captain Cevat, Hassan & Bulent onboard Yildizhanlar 11 with 3 other couples from Australia, I would describe as a wonderful life experience that was thoroughly enjoyable with lovely memories!
Where to start? The scenery from Bodrum to Gocek was incredible, the swimming in such clear tranqual waters amazing.
The food Bulent cooked was absolutely devine, always varied and obviously lots of preparation and thought put into each meal, we ate like kings and queens! The chips in the morning omelette, the fresh fish and chicken dishes were a real hit!
Captain Cevat was a delight, his knowledge of the areas we travelled, his expertise sailing and handling his gulet was obvious and reassuring, we felt very safe and looked after. We appreciated that Captain Cevat took the time to accompany us on some of our excursions, we obviously learnt more about the surroundings by having him with us to ask any questions and knowing where to go to get the best view.
But the real hidden treasure onboard Yildizhanlar 11 was Hassan, his gentle, obliging manner to our every whim was just amazing. Hassan made a point to remember what each of us liked to drink upon waking, he would have a lovely cup of turkish tea, coffee or apple tea ready for us. All throughout the day, Hassan made sure we were comfortable, well fed and watered (including the best “knock your socks off” gin and tonics!) he took care of “all” our domestic duties. Hassan did this in a very unobtrusive and professional manner, it was an absolute delight to of met him. (His smile is priceless!)
I could not fault our trip, it was just what we were looking for, lots of relaxing, reading, eating, relaxing, sleeping, eating, drinking, sleeping!
I hope other Australians take advantage of this wonderful adventure and have a wonderful trip on a gulet like us.
Russell Harrison
Australia
harro[at]omninet.net.au
I'd like to thank Boating Turkey and Necmi in particular!
It happens very rarely when I'm completely satisfied with the services offered, but this was the case.
In the beginning of may 2008 I was getting completely annoyed with constant delays and misinformation after numerous attempts to charter a catamaran via Russian or Greek companies. It was then I found Boating Turkey website, which straight away proved to be well laid-out and informative. So I sent a request for a catamaran charter and expected to wait another week or two for a reply, the usual time for the other companies. Imagine my surprise when 3 hours later I got my reply! One week later our holiday was fully booked and paid for.
I was very pleased with this punctuality and thoughtfulness. I felt like I was talking to a friend rather than a company that's trying to sell me something. Another advantage of Boating Turkey was a very detailed contract, with no hidden costs, everything laid out clearly (apparently this happens very rarely).
Our first charter with Boating Turkey was on board Lavezzi 40 catamaran, my husband and I, accompanied by a Turkish skipper Umit. Turkey, weather, wind - everything was great. Umit showed us a lot of beautiful little places which we would have never found ourselves.
Our next charter was with a larger crew of 6 people, with a skipper named Hans. This trip was even better than the 1st, it was a perfect mix of active sailing, chilling in the little deserted bays, practicing various maneuvers on a catamaran, and discovering places of cultural interest. Hans impressed us with his complete knowledge of sailing and Turkey in particular, as well as his great sense of humor.
About us: we are a married couple in our early fifties, my husband got his RYA Dayskipper qualification last year, I completed a RYA Competent Crew course. We decided to charter a few boats first with the skipper to feel completely confident when we charter the boat for ourselves.
I'd like to thank Boating Turkey, and Necmi, Umit and Hans in particular for a great time we've spent this summer! We hope to work with Boating Turkey again in the future!
Tinatin and Alexey
Russia
tinatin58[at]yandex.ruWe commenced discussions with Necmi from Boating Turkey some 9 months before our holiday in Turkey and found him to be extremely helpful in planning our yacht charter in terms of selecting the type of yacht, planning the itinerary and general information on holidaying in Turkey. We selected a luxury Gulet “ Sagapo “ from Bodrum and the experience exceeded all our expectations. From the moment we boarded the Captain and crew went out of their way to ensure we had an experience we would never forget. I can certainly recommend Boating Turkey and will use them again if ever planning a boating holiday in Turkey .
