Hidden back in the original village of Datca, about a 5 minute drive from the new coastal town of Datca, Turkey, surrounded by privacy walls is the luxury hotel Mehmet Ali Aga Konagi. The hotel is housed in a Turkish mansion, built originally in 1809 by Mehmet Ali, who was the wealthiest person in the Datca Peninsula. The mansion was allowed to deteriorate until the early 2000, when the property was bought and renovated into the hotel that it is today. Many of the original details were kept, including the wall and ceiling paintings, and the rooms are furnished with antiques. Inside the original mansion is still the family Turkish Bath, still in use today, heated by wood fires. We visited, were shown many of the rooms and the Turkish Bath and had a lovely lunch of traditional Turkish foods. We recommend this as a stop for lunch or dinner or even a Turkish Bath on any itinerary that includes Datca. Read the rest of this entry »
Turkey: Great Free Wireless Internet Connection Available
Marmaris, Turkey
We were just traveling in Turkey and the country deserves a big Hip Hip Hooray for the extent of wireless internet connections available on both luxury Gulets and yachts and the various hotels that we stayed in. The signal was very good, and best of all….the wireless use was FREE on both the luxury Gulets and yachts and in the hotels. Read the rest of this entry »
We are on board the 44 meter Gulet, Mare Nostrum cruising from Marmaris, Turkey to Bodrum, Turkey. Last night we anchored in the lovely cove of Serce Limani, with our view, looking directly out of the cove, of the Greek island of Rhodes. Today, we are cruising along the coast of Turkey to the village of Datca, Turkey, and are actually closer to the Greek island of Symi. Once we approach Bodrum, we will skim right by the Greek island of Kos, which is only 9 miles from Bodrum. This cruising area is truly a cruising area of two countries. Read the rest of this entry »
A “must do” experience in Turkey is visiting the bazaars that are part of any reasonable sized Turkish town, with the mother lode, of course in Istanbul. A bazaar visit is an experience in its own right, and time should be set aside, not just to shop, but to “negotiate”, as any good bazaar shop keeper expects a negotiation on the price and is ready to play the game. Particularly with rug shopping, where you can usually get a much better price on a handmade rug than at home, and the quality of the rugs are usually higher than what we see back at home. In addition, a good rug merchant will tell you how the rug is woven, and where. And will also tell you the story behind the rug, who the weaver was and what story the rug is telling through the pattern. All of this can make the rug a much more personal purchase and you can take home a piece of artistry with a story. Read the rest of this entry »
Where East meets West, along the Bosphorus Straits in Istanbul, creates a city that is a masterpiece in cultural diversity. This city, first known as Byzantium and then Constantinople, is now known as Istanbul, with an extensive history that has left a unique stamp on the face of this city. The extent of yacht chartering in Istanbul is a day charter in the Bosphorus Straits, perhaps to the mouth of the Black Sea or in other directions to see the many summer palaces that grace these shores. The yacht charter waters in Turkey are in southern Turkey, along the ancient trading routes. However everyone should stop in Istanbul on the way to or from southern Turkey to explore this city. We are here in Istanbul now for a stopover to refresh our memories of this lovely city on our way to the Marmaris Yacht Charter Show. Read the rest of this entry »
Ancient Ephesus was an important port city. Silting of the harbor however, has gradually moved this now historic archaeology site inland to be land locked. Cruising into the port city of Kusadasi, Ephesus is only 15 minutes away by land and well worth visiting as a day trip for a guided tour of the extensive excavations that have taken place over the years of this once vibrant economic and cultural center of ancient civilizations. Read the rest of this entry »
Going to Turkey and not seeing Ephesus is like going to Naples and not seeing Pompeii. Ephesus was one of the great Greek/Roman cities of its time. Even while an active city, extraordinary events happened in Ephesus, as attested by the Bible, with Apostle Paul’s “Letter to the Ephesians”. Read the rest of this entry »
When chartering along the southern coast of Turkey, don’t miss the Dalyan River Trip. The Dalyan River makes its presence known meandering out through a delta into a bay just next to the town of Ekincik. Ekincik is located between Marmaris and Gocek, so a charter starting in either port allows easy inclusion of the Dalyan River Trip into your charter itinerary.
The mouth of the Dalyan River is both an important natural area for turtles laying eggs, is shallow enough for net fishing, but is also the cruising entrance, in flat bottomed river boats to cruise up the river to the ruins of Caunos, the Cliffside Lycian Tombs and the lovely riverside town of Dalyan.
In our opinion, on a charter along the southern coast of Turkey between Marmaris and Kalkan, more ancient sites can be seen and explored than on a normal one week charter in Greece. The southern coastline of Turkey was the ancient trading route and Lycian, Greek, Roman and ruins from other cultures, including early Christian and Byzantine can be easily seen in a one week charter in this area either by Gulet or any charter vessel of interest.
For additional cost, guided tours can be arranged. A van and guide will meet your yacht and take you for a fully guided tour of the various sites of your choice. If you are a history buff, the southern coast of Turkey is the place to charter. Read the rest of this entry »
