Turkiye
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THE COLLIS CHARTER- GULET CRUISE PORTION
22 August to 1 September, 2007
This document contains some more detailed information about your holiday. Please
read it carefully and do not hesitate to be in touch with us if you have any
queries.
TOUR LEADER
Mr. Jeremy Barnett will be your tour leader. As well as ensuring that everything
goes smoothly during the tour, Jeremy will help you in any way he can - changing
money, telephoning, and so on. If you have any queries during the course of your
holiday please do not hesitate to bring them to his attention.
LECTURER
The trip will also be accompanied by Richard Ashton. Richard formerly worked in
the Foreign Office and served in both Ankara and Athens. A specialist on the
coinage of Rhodes, Richard is now the editor (classical) of the Numismatic
Chronicle. Richard will give a series of background talks on the sites you will
be visiting as well as providing insights into the history and ancient culture
of the area. Richard lectures regularly on our tours and I know that he will be
delighted to discuss any aspect of the classics and classical life at any point
during the tour!
AEROPLANE TICKETS
Those who have booked their flights with Wilmslow Travel (ex-Hermes
International Travel) will receive their tickets approximately two weeks before
departure. Those who have booked through other means will probably already have
their tickets in hand. Turkish Airlines’ (TK) flights depart from London
Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3. Please check in at least two hours before
departure.
Both Jeremy and Richard will be flying out from London ahead of you as Emin
Saatci will be meeting and taking care of you during your Istanbul stay. Jeremy
and Richard will be at Izmir airport to meet you and should be recognisable by
the blue polo shirts I hope that they wear with the Westminster Classic Tours
logo and name embossed on them (and they have both met with Margaret Collis
before). They will be looking out for those on the two flights from Istanbul
that arrive half an hour apart. Then it will be straight on to the bus for a
very busy day in Ephesus and surrounds before joining your gulet, Aegean
Clipper, in Kusadasi.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
We strongly advise that you take out adequate travel insurance, including cover
for medical attention and/or medical evacuation if necessary, and request that
you let us have the details if you have not already done so. Please be sure to
take the policy with you and to have the emergency telephone number of the
insurance company to hand should you need it.
PASSPORT
You will need to bring your passport. If you have a British or US passport you
will need a visa which is obtainable on arrival in Istanbul. In effect, this is
a sticker placed inside your passport, bought from a desk at the airport
immediately before you pass through immigration. The cost is currently £10 per
person for UK passport holders and $20 per person for US passport holders. UK
passport holders must pay with an untorn ten pound note - or two fivers - and US
passport holders must pay in US dollars - again the notes must be in good
condition. Change is not always available. Holders of other passports who need
visas should ask the Turkish Consulate in which currency the visa is payable.
Please make sure your passport is valid for six months after the return date of
your holiday.
MONEY
We advise you not to change money into Turkish Lira (TL) before departure. The
best thing to do is to take cash (dollars, sterling or euros) with you and
change it in Turkey. Travellers cheques can be cashed but not always as readily
or at as good a rate. ATM machines are now widespread in the major resorts, but
may not always be functioning. Apart from the cost of your visa and a
contribution towards a consolidated tip for the crew at the end of the week (£60
-70 per person for the whole crew is recommended), your expenses should be
limited to private on-shore purchases and extras such as water-skiing (petrol
costs only) or para-sailing (speedboats ply the coastline with these facilities
during the season). There are also 2 canoes, a windsurfer, fishing and
snorkelling equipment on board.
Credit cards are widely accepted should you choose to buy a carpet or other
large/expensive item. Your bargaining power, however, will always be
strengthened if you pay in cash! Please note that torn or crumpled foreign
bank-notes can be difficult to exchange in Turkey. Scottish or Northern Irish
banknotes are very difficult to exchange and even when accepted the rate of
exchange can be up to 30% lower than sterling notes.
HEALTH
Although Department of Health regulations specify that no innoculations are
necessary for the part of Turkey you will be visiting, it is nevertheless
prudent to ensure that your anti-tetanus is up to date - polio too.
All our boats carry basic first aid kits and there are pharmacies and chemists
in all the ports we visit. However, we would advise you to bring items such as
mosquito repellent, sunscreen and aftersun with you.
Food is carefully bought and well cooked and prepared - there are high standards
of cleanliness in the galley - so tummy trouble is rarely a major problem.
However the change of diet can sometimes affect people and you may like to
consider bringing something to calm your stomach.
The eastern Mediterranean is normally calm but it can become windy quite quickly
at any time of the year. We usually know in advance what the sea will be like
and will navigate accordingly. If, however, you are prone to motion sickness,
you should have warning of any forthcoming discomfort and be able to take the
relevant medication. “Stugeron” (an anti-histamine) can be bought over the
counter at most pharmacies and has proven effective in most cases.
The sun can be deceptively hot and burning, especially on a boat with cooling
sea breezes. You should bring whatever protection you need from the sun and be
careful in the early stages. In the evening it may cool rapidly and you should
bring a jacket or a jersey with you.
Some of the sites are rough underfoot and strewn with rubble. Jeremy will advise
you about walking conditions on the various sites in advance. However, it is
essential that everyone has good walking shoes and you will not go wrong if you
use these on every occasion. Flip-flops, sandals and thin-soled shoes are far
from ideal for any of the sites we visit. If you have a telescopic walking pole,
you might find this a useful aid on some of the sites. These can usually be
bought at most good camping or sports stores.
PERSONAL SAFETY
Tourists are always vulnerable to pick-pocketing which is currently on the
increase worldwide. Typically, theft is non-violent and opportunistic, and
therefore a few sensible precautions should help you to avoid the distress of
losing personal property or money. When on shore excursions please take care,
just as you would in any urban centre, keep a close eye on handbags and camera
equipment, keep money out of sight and do not travel with any unnecessary
valuables.
If you are unfortunate enough to have someone make an attempt to steal something
from you please do not offer resistance as this may lead to injury.
THE BOATS
You join your boat, the Aegean Clipper, on the first day of the cruising portion
of your trip in the marina at Kusadasi. The Aegean Clipper has four members of
crew: a Captain/ owner (Ergun Malatyali), a First Mate/bartender, a seaman/cook
and a steward. We have chartered the Aegean Clipper for several years now and
know her crew extremely well. She is technically a motor yacht but is known
locally as a ketch or gulet. She has a teak deck and is about 41 metres long.
She can travel under motor or sail, has VHF radio and other navigational aids
but still retains her original character.
Many people now bring mobile phones with them and in the main these seem to work
well, although you should check with your supplier that the international
facility on your telephone is activated; there is good coverage from both Turkey
and Greece. There is also an onboard PC and a fax machine for those who wish to
stay in contact with the office during the cruise. If you do not have a mobile
phone, people who may like to contact you on the boat should in the first
instance contact our UK office on +44 208 286 7842; they will be advised of the
best way of reaching you. In an emergency, both Jeremy and Richard will have
mobile phones on which calls can be made.
All the cabins have a private toilet and shower. The cabins also have locker
space and hanging space for your clothes, although you should not need many
changes of clothes. You will be provided with towels in your cabin but it is
advisable to bring a beach towel with you. As the Turks do not use plugs in
their sinks you may find it useful to bring a universal plug which fits into
small basins.
Clothes that have been washed (the Aegean Clipper has a small washing machine on
board) can be hung out to dry on lines put up over the foredeck. There are no
facilities for ironing on board.
Above deck there is a saloon and on the after deck a shaded dining and sitting
area. Forward is the sun deck and another shaded area - ideal for reading or
just snoozing!
If there is anything malfunctioning in your cabin or your bathroom, please tell
Jeremy immediately and he will try to see that it is fixed as soon as possible.
The boat has a bar which is operated by the crew and one of them will be happy
to bring you drinks on request. The bar will have local gin, vodka, raki, beer,
wine, coke, fruit juices, etc. All drinks are included in the cost of the
holiday. Wine is normally put on the table at both lunch and supper. The boat
carries plentiful supplies of still mineral water. This is your drinking water
and most people take a bottle of water on site with them and to their cabin when
they turn in for bed. Jeremy is always available to communicate anything to the
crew, but the captain speaks fairly good English.
SMOKING
Smoking is not permitted in the cabins or the lower gangways. There is plenty of
space above deck in the open air for those who want to smoke, however. If you
smoke on deck always use an ashtray and when on the boat please bear non-smokers
in mind.
EMERGENCY DRILL
Your life jacket should be in your cabin when you first come aboard. Make
certain you have located it and keep it easily accessible at all times. Jeremy
will go through safety procedures with you before the boat leaves. If you have
any concerns about safety, please communicate these to Jeremy who will act as
appropriate.
USING YOUR FACILITIES
There is ample fresh water for washing. The wash/hand basin in your cabin has a
mixer head which, when lifted out, acts as a shower.
No paper should be flushed down the loo. A waste bin and liner are provided in
each bathroom and all paper and other detritus should be placed in the bin which
is emptied daily by one of the crew. All waste is incinerated in ports well away
from the harbour. Attempts to flush paper down the bowl will render the
mechanism inoperable and the Captain apoplectic. All toilet and shower
facilities will be more clearly explained to you when you arrive.
There are electric points in all the cabins which are double entry sockets (220
AC voltage and 12 volt DC). If you wish to use the sockets please bring an
adaptor. The Aegean Clipper has a generator which operates the points; just ask
Jeremy or one of the crew to turn it on.
CLOTHING
Most of the cruise boats on the Turkish coast go in for informality and we
suggest that the same should apply on Aegean Clipper. There is no need to dress
up for meals although guests often prefer a change of clothing in the evenings
when it becomes noticeably cooler.
T-shirts, shorts, light trousers or skirts are the obvious choices and you will
not require many changes of clothing. A sweater or two will be useful in the
evenings. If you harbour hopes of sleeping out under the stars you will need
something really warm - quite apart from a blanket which will be provided. A
lightweight anorak or similar is a good idea, just in case the weather turns
nasty - but the likelihood is that you will not have to use it.
Whilst on board it is a rule that no shoes are worn. There will be a place by
the gangway for shoes worn on shore.
OTHER ITEMS
You will have received a reading list. It is fairly comprehensive and you will
have to be selective. Do not worry if you do not have time to make any inroads!
If you have any of the guides or maps listed we suggest you bring these with
you. You may also be able to get hold of some of the books to read on the tour
from your local public library.
If you have lightweight binoculars you might also like to bring these with you.
Films etc. are all available in Turkey but it is better to buy films, batteries,
favourite tipples and so on at the airport before you depart. There should be
some basic diving equipment on board (snorkels, masks, fins) but if you use
these and have your own, do bring them. They will fit better and probably be
better quality! There will be backgammon on the boat, but if you have a
travelling chess set we suggest you bring it, playing cards as well. If you
enjoy painting or sketching there should be some marvellous opportunities for
this.
Please bear in mind, however, that luggage space on the gulet is limited. A soft
bag rather than a rigid suitcase is recommended.
MEALS
The food is typically Turkish with lots of fresh fruit, vegetables, pulses,
fish, octopus, squid, lamb, chicken, yoghurt, etc. The vegetarian dishes are
generally excellent. Meals are prepared on board by the cook with predominantly
fresh ingredients and are of a high standard. All meals are served on the shaded
rear deck. Menus vary according to the availability of fresh produce. Please let
us know as soon as possible if you have any specific dietary requirements. If
you have any foods or dishes you would like to try out, please tell Jeremy.
We usually have breakfast at about 08:30 but tea or coffee is available earlier
if you are up and about. Breakfast typically consists of bread, cheese,
conserves, olives, eggs, yoghurt, honey, etc. Lunch is a two-course meal and a
salad invariably accompanies the main course. The second course usually just
consists of fresh fruit. It is the lighter of the two main meals and is often
mainly vegetarian. There is usually a more substantial main course in the
evening - chicken, fish or lamb perhaps - and often a variety of salads and
mezzes. Again, we normally follow with fresh fruit and there is Turkish coffee
for those who like it.
DAILY ROUTINE
If you have never had a holiday like this before it will come as a pleasant
surprise that although it is an active holiday it is also very relaxing. Once on
board, the vessel becomes a moving hotel. It is not possible or desirable to
give exact times or distances as much depends on the winds and the weather.
Ideally we like to motor/sail for about three/four hours a day, usually in the
morning before the midday wind begins to blow. Known locally as the meltem, this
wind comes off the sea, beginning around 10:30 and dying down around 16:00. It
has the effect of cooling the air in the heat of the day. On some days we may
weigh anchor at about 07:00 - or even earlier. On such mornings breakfast will
be served - weather conditions permitting - whilst the boat is under way.
Whenever possible we aim to arrive at a suitable inlet by late morning where we
can swim and relax for a while. The lecturer normally gives a short talk over
drinks before lunch. The ideal time for most site visiting is in the late
afternoon when it begins to cool - and when any landlubbers have moved on - but
on some days the programme calls for an earlier start.
On excursions, Jeremy and Richard will take you round the site and will stop at
various points to explain what you are seeing and/or give you some general
history about the site. There is no fixed pattern and every tour is different.
This is how we think it should be. The small numbers of the group means that we
can spend more time on items of individual interest than might otherwise be
possible. We always aim to be back at the boat in time for a swim, shower and
drink before dinner.
Most Turkish and Greek sites are littered with archaeological debris and many
are poorly policed. However, you should not under any circumstances remove
anything from the sites - however simple or ordinary it may seem. It is an
offence even to take fossils or plants or bulbs out of Turkey without express
permission.
We hope that the above will answer some of your questions about the trip and
will give you a flavour of what to expect. Inevitably it is not intended to be
comprehensive and individuals will have their own queries. Please do not
hesitate to be in touch with us if you have anything to ask, however small. We
will be very pleased to hear from you.
Westminster Classic Tours
August, 2007