Cruising the Carian Coast - A2M Traveller Reviews

Cruising around the breathtaking Carian Coast, anchored in bays that have harboured ships for millennia, walking across rugged hillsides and through old olive groves, hearing vivid tales of the worshipping, warring, comings and goings of ancient civilisations . . . would alone be thrilling. But then there's the pleasure of swimming and snorkelling in aquamarine inlets, and the delight of gathering at table for conversation and wonderfully fresh and varied Turkish cuisine. A perfect combination of learning and leisure.

Peter Sommer has not lost any of the thirst that first inspired him to trace the footsteps of Alexander the Great. In dynamic and engaging style, he elicits accounts of life in ancient towns out of the rocks of worn hillsides or the carvings on fallen pillars. His passion for the history and archaeology of the land is infectious. Watching his hand outline the contours of earthquake-ravaged city walls, they almost stand tall again. As he swivels to identify the boundaries of an ancient town — the temple, agora, city gateways almost come alive with bustling crowds.

We were complete novices with this type of tour and were absolutely delighted with everything - from the itinerary, locations, guides, Gulet vessel, crew and experiences. We would turn around and do another tour tomorrow if we could! Peter, Jem and Jesper were very knowledgeable in their fields being able to answer all questions the passengers put to them. Our fellow passengers were great to travel with making the whole tour delightful. We learnt so much about this fascinating part of the world and look back on our photos with joy.

We chose Peter Sommer Tours as we wanted a guided tour of the archeological ruins along the Carian coast. Couldn't be happier with our choice as our guides were excellent and very knowledgeable, the places visited were very interesting, the Gulet vessel was very comfortable with a great crew and the small number of fellow passengers suited us perfectly. Couldn't be happier with our choice!

This Gulet trip was all we had hoped for! The Gulet and the crew were wonderful, food served by our chef Cengiz with local flavour was fabulous and the connections & walks were all smoothly executed. The sites and towns we visited were amazing and we stopped in many lovely coves for swims in the beautiful blue waters. Our guides, Peter himself, Jesper and Cem, were all so knowledgeable, personable and charming. Their interest and knowledge in the sites we visited, paired with their careful attention to details and the specific needs of their guests made it a perfect trip!

Was excellent. Every detail was attended to and everything went off without a hitch. Their extensive knowledge paired with their genuine enthusiasm and thoughtfulness made it a wonderful experience for the guests.

Fantastic trip. The boat was comfortable and well maintained; the crew were attendant and helpful and the food was fabulous. The visits to the archaeological sites were very well organized and our guides were excellent. Our archaeological guide, Philip, was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and an excellent presenter. Our local guide, Aeyup, kept us informed on local foods, wines, and traditions. It was, by far, the best trip I have ever taken.

Peter Sommer Travels made it so easy to book a tour and so many wonderful tours to choose from. They kept in contact with us to ensure that we got flights, hotel, visas, everything we needed. And when we missed our ride (100% our fault) from Bodrum Airport to our hotel Peter Sommer Travels called our hotel to check on us to make sure we had arrived safely. It was, by far, the best trip I have ever taken and would highly recommend Peter Sommer Travels to friends and family. I am ready to go on another cruise.

Virtually everything about this extremely well conceived and well-executed scholar-escorted Turkish gulet (luxury wooden yacht) was even better than anyone could realistically wish for. Can't wait to take another gulet cruise with Peter Sommer Scholar-Escorted small group (13 passengers) Tours. So relaxing, great crew and food, great swimming off the schooner in seclude coves, magnificent ancient Greek ruins to be explored, wonderful fellow passenger. Food was great, service was great, our double bed cabin with its private bathroom and good ventilation from two openable windows was comfortable There were 8 cabins on this particular gulet and the Turkish captain and crew. were greaqt

Stunningly well managed with superb quality control, great scholar-escorts and cruise personnel carefully selected...this was our second Peter Sommer scholar-escorted gulet cruise, both one week long, the first was 3 years ago along the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.

Seven days of lovely cruising from Bodrum to Gocek on board a most comfortable and well appointed gulet. Each day provided a nice balance between the natural and cultural treasures this part of Turkey is known for. A trained archaeologist brought the vibrant area history to life and a local guide added color and commentary related to life as it exists today and also interpreted the wonderful culinary offerings offered up on board the gulet.

Peter Sommer travels did a superb job coordinating the trip both before and during the journey. The personal touch is what makes this company stand out.

This gulet cruise proved to be the perfect holiday. It was extremely well organized and we were happy to find a comfortable cabin on our arrival in Bodrum. The cruise manager and guide were well informed and helpful; each excursion was interesting and well prepared. The meals were delicious and the company of the other guests was very agreeable.

From my first enquiry on the Peter Sommer website to the end of our holiday the service provided was perfect. We were given excellent personal advice as to which gulet cruise would suit us best. The transfers were on time and the luggage was taken care of most efficiently. The cruise Manager and Guide were very knowledgeable and attentive and together with a skillful and routined Captain and crew provided the framework for a perfect holiday. We would definitely travel again with Peter Sommer.

Celebrating our 40 years together (and GETTING out after COVID precautions for 18 months in US) ...Trip ran from Sunday to Sunday, Sept 26-Oct 3, as i recall... Schedule was for boating from site to site, gong ashore, visiting the ancient sites, and return... plenty of time for swimming, etc.

two Tour folks, historian and 'facilitator'... Peter and "JEM'...never saw his name spelled, so...phonetically, that was it. Boat folks, Capt. three crew, COOK,(outstanding) all quite good, having experienced another 2 week Sommers tour, in 2017., and they were just as excellent. two tour folks both excellent at their jobs, convivial, however, the difficulties of the climbs involved, affected my wife, starting on Monday, worsened Tuesday by climbing to the Rhodian fortress... So, we stayed on boat next 3-4 days, avoiding any climbing or extended walking. Excellent book collection on board. I also found the sites...not that interesting, unlike the tour thru the Cyclades in 2017... which was breathtakingly EXCELLENT. If you continue this tour, I'd recommend it as "Strenuous" ...and only for Very pbysically fit folks... Otherwise, a 'well=oiled machine' that P.SommersTravels has, all elements of trip, under Tour's control, went very well, indeed. Just we frail human were not quite up to its opportunities... Overall, WE are both pleased and would highly recommend this Tour Operator..

My husband chose this holiday as he has always wanted to do a Turkish “blue cruise”. I had never been on any type of cruise before, let alone a small group cruise, so I was a bit hesitant. However, the experience was really fantastic incorporating lots of time for swimming in stunning bays with crystal clear water as well as getting off the boat each day for some great hikes to fascinating ancient ruins. The food was very good and the tour guides were excellent. Everything detail was so well planned and the cabins were very comfortable.

Peter Sommer Travels is a very professional operation which is evident in everything from the initial communications, information provided about the trip, quality of the vessel and competence of crew. Every detail was extremely well organized by the guides who were fantastic. I would love to book another holiday in the future with Peter Sommer Travels.

I had been wanting to take a Gulet voyage since my first visit to Turkey in the mid-eighties. The voyage with Peter Sommer Travels not only met my expectations of relaxation, great Turkish food, and good company but also provided me with leaning and insight of the ancient past and modern day realities. Very highly recommended.

Communication pre-voyage was excellent in what was very trying and uncertain times. Organization was excellent and from the very first moment of dropping the bags at the wharf you knew you were in good hands. The voyage went without a hitch and had flexible time to allow for small changes.