Cruising to the Cyclades Traveller Reviews

We sailed from Bodrum, Turkey to a great many of the Greek islands (Dodecanese and Cyclades) on a Turkish gulet. We were led by two extremely knowledgable, as well as personable, archeologists. We visited archeological and cultural sites on the islands and were also treated to an amazing array of delicious food - Turkish on the boat and Greek on land. Additionally, we were very fortunate to share this experience with some wonderful fellow passengers - two thirds of whom (us, included) had been on one or more previous trips with Peter Sommer Travels. That fact alone should be quite an endorsement. It was a small, only 15 passengers, very personal journey, with plenty of time for relaxation as well as education.

This was our second trip with Peter Sommer Travels. We were thrilled with the first one we took, which was led by Peter Sommer himself. And this, our second, fulfilled every expectation that we had and then some! The trips are for small groups and are led by experienced archeologists who are very knowledgable about the areas visited. Additionally, the guides are genuinely friendly, extremely helpful individuals. And the meals and accommodations are top rate. We have already booked another trip with Peter Sommer Travel for next spring!

Cruising to the Cyclades was our second gulet cruise with Peter Sommer Travels and it was even better and more special than the first trip (Cruising the Carian Coast) which had been so impressive we were anxious to book a second trip. The fact that 10 of the 15 guest on the Cyclades tour were "repeat" Peter Sommer Travels guests immediately indicated previous happy travel experiences. The cosmopolitan guests were an amazingly congenial and gregarious group and that added to the overall success of the trip. Although Peter Sommer Travels cannot guarantee the personalities of the travelers, these archeology-focused trips attract a to some extent "self-selected" group of people and the fact that such a high percentage are repeat travelers with the company is some "insurance" that the group with be a fun group. The Aegean Clipper is a beautiful and spacious Turkish gulet. The captain was a gregarious, humorous, knowledgeable,delightful person and his crew were friendly, competent, and attentive. The two guides were fantastic, that is knowledgeable, personable, and very caring. These two guides were so good that we and three other passengers signed up for another Peter Sommer Travels tour in 2015 with these two guides! The Turkish food on the boat was terrific and abundant. The Greek food on the islands was terrific and abundant. Finally, the sites visited could scarcely have been any more perfect for a vacation trip. The islands were different and each special. The sites on the islands were often very beautiful and were always very interesting. The variety of sites from ancient temple ruins to a sponge factory to a steamy volcano made for a fascinating trip. The walks, hikes, and climbs were all manageable (and my wife and I are in our late 60's), but vigorous enough to balance the constant supply of excellent food and wine. Many people on our trip were very literally experienced world travelers and most if not all of the guests on this trip indicated that it was one of, if not the, most fabulous trip they had been on.

We were fortunate to have Peter Sommer himself as a guide on our first trip with his company (Cruising the Carian Coast) and we were so impressed with him and with how perfect the trip was in terms of all arrangements and itinerary, that we thought immediate, "We must do another trip with Peter Sommer Travels." However, I thought we might be very lucky to have had Peter Sommer himself as our main guide and we could have less good fortune on one of the future trips. So, I asked Peter about the selection of the other guides. He proceed to give me a lengthy, detailed history of how additional guides were added to his growing operation. His mini-lecture gave me great confidence that we would have great guides on any future Peter Sommer Travels tours we took. Cruising to the Cyclades proved beyond a doubt that the guides are as good as Peter Sommer himself! Fortunately,at the end of our cruise in Bodrum, Peter Sommer was able to spend some time with all of us on our last evening and he was just as pleasant and gregarious as he had been on our first trip. He had the satisfaction of hearing from me and from other guests how unbelievably wonderful the trip had been. And, he had the pleasure of hearing that five guests had already signed up for a 2015 tour with his firm. I believe it is safe to say that Peter Sommer personally witnessed the amazing esprit d'corps among the guests, captain, and crew at our final dinner/party on the Aegean Clipper. One final observation: Although even Peter Sommer cannot control the weather it is important to note that for our two-week adventure, it rained once but only at night (as in Camelot).

I spent two weeks with 15 other guests on the Aegean Clipper, a lovely wooden gulet. We sailed round the Cyclades, seeing stunning scenery (especially Santorini & Nisyros), visiting fascinating archaeological and historical sites, with marvelous guides who took us to restaurants where we were treated like family & fed like royalty. Some nights we moored in harbours, other times we stayed in small coves where we were the only visitors. Really delightful.

Peter Sommer Travels is a is a small firm that I first traveled with in 2007; since then I've done several trips with them in Greece and Turkey. I've always found them professional, friendly & helpful. They have trained & experienced archaeologists on each holiday, and provide a really varied and enjoyable experience. The welcoming atmosphere on their trips is very important to a single traveler like me, and other guests always seem eager to meet and share their stories.