Peter Sommer Travels Traveller Reviews

From the moment we met our guides and crew we were assured we were going to have a wonderful time. Two weeks living and travelling with other like minded companions is refreshing and invigorating. We loved the 'morning talks' from our friendly, personable and knowledgeable guide, Dr Richard Bayliss, and his evening meal deconstruction of what we saw and experienced that day. At breakfast, the excitement of the group's anticipation of the day's itinerary was palpable. The visits to ancient sites were well orchestrated from transport with friendly locals, notes and narrative, access and health and safety (delightful logistics manager Ugur an absolute gem). The crew and food on both our gulet trips were 100% excellent. Nothing was too much trouble and always with a smile. As a result, we have come to love Turkey and the Turkish people. Our first Peter Sommer tour (Cyclades) was supposed to be our "once in a lifetime" trip. We are now booked for a third!

Peter Sommer Travels - professional, experienced, competent and reliable.

Very well led and lots of interesting sites.

Richard was very knowlegable about all sites. Information was good and he looked after everyone so well.

Even though much of our final itinerary was not the one we were expecting (due to unseasonable winds), it was outstanding. Our itinerary was well-paced, perfectly planned and executed with variety in the types of places we visited: archaeological and volcanic sites, museums, castles and monasteries, as well as wonderful little restaurants that specialise in cuisine local to each island, and beautiful remote bays for swimming and relaxing. Our guides, Maria and Graham were not only engaging, caring and attentive to our collective as well as individual needs, they were also incredibly knowledgeable and wonderful storytellers, interweaving mythology and history and helping us visualise life at the sites we visited. When we visited popular tourist destinations, they expertly guided us through the sites of interest, somehow avoiding the crowds we would have expected. The gulet and cabins were very comfortable and the food on gulet was always delicious, fresh, and varied. When in port the gulet was always moored convenient to the town centre. This provided safe and easy access to the town for those of us who wanted to continue exploring following the day’s activities. I enjoyed every day of this holiday and hope to be a repeat traveller with Peter Sommer Travels.

The team at Peter Sommer Travels (PST) was always very responsive to my queries. Logistics (such as payments, documentation, transfers, customs) were handled efficiently and smoothly. PST provided a thorough booklet on what to expect and what to bring / not bring. PST’s attention to detail and local knowledge ensured a stress-free, outstanding, informative, off the beaten track, thoroughly enjoyable holiday. Overall, I consider PST holidays excellent value for money given what is included – expert guides, all accommodation and tours, all meals on and off the boat, wine, and airport / hotel transfers.

We had an absolutely wonderful time exploring this area of Turkey from our home base on a Gulet boat. Our guide, Dr. Richard Bayliss, was exceptional--enthusiastic, knowledgeable, energetic and engaging. We particularly enjoyed Ugur, who aside from being a delightful person, made sure all the hikes, lunches, site visits......basically everything--went off without a hitch. Our traveling companions were like minded, intellectually curious people who enriched the experience with their company and lively conversations. The boat was manned by a competent, friendly crew who kept us safe and well fed. This was our second Peter Sommers trip and it certainly won't be our last. All you have to do is make it your destination airport and they will pick you up and take care of everything until they drop you back off. You are free to enjoy, explore, and relax.

This was our second Peter Sommers trip and it certainly won't be our last. All you have to do is make it your destination airport and they will pick you up and take care of everything until they drop you back off. You are free to enjoy, explore, and relax.

This trip was fantastic . Everything was arranged with precision and always with each customer being catered to with personal attention to their specific needs . The guides Michael and Nota were beyond wonderful . Their intellect , their enthusiasm , their humor , their organizational skills all exceeded anything you could ask for . In fact you didn’t need to ask because the usually anticipated your need before you knew you might have one. . The hotels were lovely and the food wonderful . The itinerary was stuffed full with wonderful things to see and do and there was so much to learn and it was taught to us with such enthusiasm and engagement.

Peter Sommer does small tours with highly educated , Phd , master level , guides who are true experts in their fields who bring the history alive with their knowledge and enthusiasm . Peter Sommer wants you to feel and experience your trip and soak in your surroundings and they go above and beyond to make sure you do .

A 'privately organised' two week boating cruise of Turkish coastal towns and nearby attractions with an emphasis on gastronomy and archaeology completely lived up to expectations. A remarkable on-board chef provided us with memorable Turkish mezze on a beautiful gulet. A senior professional archeologist and a personable 'manager' allowed us all to experience all that ancient Turkish sites have to offer.

We have toured with Peter Sommer Travel on several previous voyages and we had no reservations as to travelling with them again. The organisation is represented by an old friend, Gem who travelled with us again. A number of years arranging site visits, vehicle management, on-shore restaurants, wineries, and many other sites makes the organisation and Gem a natural in this regard. We were obviously not privy to his countless phone calls in advance of shore visits but everything was in place at every stop.

A well-balanced mix of cruising, walking, dining and water-related activities in a small group environment built around an escorted archaeological tour with expert guides who provide the context needed to bring ancient sites and people alive once again.

This was our 4th Peter Sommer holiday. We are repeat customers because Peter and his team provide a unique experience that is focussed on providing both a fun and intellectually inspirational holiday. Guides - both professional and local - are passionate about the places and experiences that they share with guests.

Excellent local tour guide and accommodation Well organised yet relaxed and simultaneously informative

Good local knowledge Excellent personalised local transport team Fabulous accommodation

This was another stimulating holiday experience with Peter Sommer Travels, and this time with the man himself (a dynamo of energy and infectious enthusiasm). The gulet was comfortable and well run, with friendly, perfectly judged service and a flexible approach on the part of captain and crew. The days were well planned, with fascinating site visits and an insight into Turkish life today. Cem, the local expert, proudly showed off his country and its people at their best (and its wines too!) whilst ensuring that everything ran smoothly. Highlight for me was the long visit to Pinara, where the many trees added romance to an already stunning site. Or was it watching the sun rise everyday, with our morning coffee; or the end of day meals with our fellow travellers; or...?

Peter and Cem were very flexible on the couple of occasions when we decided not to walk, for example arranging transport to the cable car up Babadag (a wonderful trip in itself), or arranging an afternoon snooze in a hammock in the garden of a friendly taverna in the middle of nowhere. The whole tour was well organised, easy to book, and the office staff friendly and informative.

Two weeks of small-group cruising and walking the wonderful Lycian coast in Turkey in the company of expert and engaging guides who shared their passion for the archaeology, history and culture of Turkey with us. There is no one element of this tour that deserves singling out over another as the magic of a Peter Sommer holiday is the way that each carefully thought out individual component combines into providing a truly memorable experience. This is not a passive 'luxury' holiday but rather the opportunity for an immersive experience where all senses are engaged and a renewed sense of delight at the beauty of our world and history serves to remind us of why we travel. And all in the company of like-minded fellow guests whose stories are as varied and interesting as the places that we visited. Every memory brings back a smile to our faces.

Peter Sommer Travels offers a unique small-group travel experience combining archaeology, history, and culture in the company of expert guides who are not just knowledgeable but are truly passionate about their subject matter and the places that you visit in their company. There are good reasons why Peter has so many repeat travellers and we are pleased to count ourselves amongst them.