Cruising Western Lycia Traveller Reviews

Our gulet cruise along the Lycian coast was the second Peter Sommer tour we have taken. Like the first one, we loved the mix of archaeology as explained by our expert guide, the delicious traditional Turkish food, the swimming and the camaraderie of our group of eleven fellow travellers. we will definitely consider further Peter Sommer tours.

Peter Sommer Travels is efficient, helpful and employs high quality guides.

This was a relaxing tour of Lycea, looking at the remains of ancient civilisations. OK, it might not be for everyone, but we loved it. We lived on a gulet, an attractive 100ft sailing boat, with an attentive crew, a skilled cook, and a bar. Generally the mornings were spent relaxing and swimming off the boat or from a nearby beach. We would then travel to the day's site, and take the guided tour in the late afternoon or early evening, when it was beginning to cool. We would then sail to an anchorage, then have dinner eat and chat late into the night. The food was typically Turkish, and though I'm no nutritionist, it struck me as being very healthy, as well as tasty and well presented. The guides were excellent: Alan, a university lecturer and archaeologist, was a knowledgeable and interesting talker, and there was never a yawn or dull moment. Meanwhile a Turkish guide assisted by setting things up, arranging transport and restaurants etc, and generally fixing things so the whole thing ran very smoothly. The itinerary was flexible, so when at one point we found ourselves near an abandoned Greek village, from whence the grandfather of one of us had been expelled in the 1920s - of course we diverted to visit this important and haunting place. It was not a cheap holiday, but it was certainly excellent value, combining good service, interesting excursions, and relaxing in the sun.

The literature was well presented, informative, and easy to understand. The descriptions were accurate and there were no unpleasant surprises. Booking and admin were very well done, while not being in the least remote - we felt that they were interested in us. Everything went according to plan, and we have not been bombarded with marketing mail afterwards. It would have been helpful if they could have arranged the flights - this was not too difficult on line, but of course it is easier for a company that does it a lot, than for someone who rarely flies. All in all, many other operators could learn a lot about customer service from these guys.