This was our first sail in Turkish waters, in an area we know little of and also the first time crossing international borders sailing. These, together with the idea that I am dealing with a company of which the reputation can only be gauged through previous reviews, raised many questions. Although all of these were promptly and efficiently answered by Necmi during the months long planning stage of the trip, I was still a little apprehensive about what we would encounter once we got there.
On arrival in Bodrum, we received clear directions to the marina in Turgutreis where all the formalities were handled in a very friendly, yet professional manner by SHY, allowing us to depart on an unforgettable holiday experience. Additional information on custom agents on the Greek islands were accurate, but at the same time could not match the excellent service we received from all the officials and the charter company throughout the trip. Everybody really went out of their way to ensure we felt welcome and without any need to worry about anything. Any problems encountered with the boat were dealt with efficiently and we were refunded for any interim expenditure to get us going again.
Thank you Necmi, for your patience with all our questions and for organising the ideal boat! I am not sure what your involvement was with the organisation of the perfect weather we experienced, but thank you for that too! Also pass on our gratitude to Cigdem Ulu from SHY for her assistance and efforts in making sure that their services were tailored to our needs. Also to Vassilis Kapadakis from the Kalymna Yachting Club and Dimitris Kastis from Greek Yacht Services on Leros, for their assistance with moorings, supplies, custom clearance, immigration and general advice.
From the entire crew of Carmen, thank you all for making our holiday a very special experience. We certainly hope we will be able to do this again in the not too distant future.
Sincere regards
Henk Lourens
South Africa
henk[at]glarch.co.za
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
We had an absolutely fabulous time on Pulp and Paper (Beneteau Oceanis 50)! Thank you very much for your help with everything and for recommending the boat. Despite being 5 years old, all the instruments, fittings, sail and rigging were in very good working order. We didn't have any problems at all in the 2 weeks we were on it. Despite its size, the four of us were able to sail, berth and moor the boat very easily.
Checking in was also a pleasure. The boat was ready for early check-in, as requested, so thank you for that too. Cigdem was ready and waiting for us at the boat to do the check-in paperwork, and it was fast and hassle-free. (In charters we've been on before we had to wait in charter offices for more than one hour to sort out paperwork etc. After being on a 20+ hour flight from Australia, the last thing we wanted was to stand in a hot, crowded office to do paperwork!)
So thank you again. We love sailing and cruising in Turkey. The coast is very well set up for sailing, people are friendly and welcoming and there are so many interesting places to see and things to do. We will definitely go back to see more!
Regards,
Meri Ariffin & the Pulp and Paper crew
Australia
rosmariam.ariffin[at]gmail.com
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