I got some recommedations about Levent Solmaz for an Istanbul tour. I've emailed him but have not got a response. Did anyone else have trouble getting ahold of him? Any help would be appreciated.

Levent is the BEST guide!! I never had trouble contacting him. You will truly enjoy your day with him.

His emails is: [email protected]
and his website is: www.leventsolmaz.com

I emailed him on December 12th and thinking he might be on vacation waited until last week to email again. I still haven't received a response.

Has anyone else had a problem? Is he just slow to respond?

I had no trouble getting ahold of Levent (at the email address provided above by "petlover&quot a few months ago. In fact, of all the Turkish guides I contacted by email, he was the first to respond to my emails and, by the way, he was the most thorough in his response. Anyway, I've got him booked for a group of twelve of us for three days of touring in Istanbul and Ephesus in late-May 2006. Can't wait.

I too have been trying to make contact with Levent Solmaz with no luck. He comes highly recommended by many beyond this forum. I'm wondering if David is willing to share with us, what his group is being charged for what services during their 3 day sojurn in May. I'm looking for someone to lead us in shore excursions in Istanbul and Ephesus at the end of September.
Thanks.

Hello Conanthelibrian: I don't mind sharing the information at all. That's what fodors.com is all about, isn't it?

I essentially booked what is suspect is Levent's "standard" tour, most suitable for first-time visitors to Istanbul and Ephesus with limited time (we will be in Turkey on a cruise ship visit). For the first day in Istanbul, we'll visit the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, St. Sophia and the Grand Bazaar. On the second day, also in Istanbul, we'll visit the Topkapi Palace and the Kariye Museum. In Ephesus, we'll visit the ruins of Ephesus, Mary's shrine, the museum of Ephesus or the ruins of the Basilica of St. John. Meanwhile, the evening of the first night in Istanbul, we have arranged to take Levent's "Istanbul by Night" tour which includes views of the city's illuminated sites and monuments and an evening at a night club with dinner (featuring Turkish cuisine and "limited" drinks) and a Turkish floorshow, including belly dancers, folk dancers and some sort of singing entertainer. I cannot vouch for the quality of the night club, nor the quality of the food or entertainment, but we expect to have fun, nonetheless.

For the twelve of us (in a 14-seat minivan which provides room not only for the 12 of us but also for the driver and Levent), the cost of the day tours is $40.00 (U.S.) per person, per day. The cost of the night tour, including dinner, is $70.00 (U.S.) per person. With fewer than 9 people, the per person cost of the day tours rises to $50.00 (U.S.) per person, per day while the night tour's cost remains the same. Therefore, I'd expect the cost for the three days of touring, including the night club tour, to be $190.00 (U.S.) per person for the 12 of us. Of course, a tip for both Levent and the driver will need to be added to that amount.

I hope this information is of some help to you. Levent was very responsive to my request and he asked for no payment/deposit up front. I intend to contact him a little later in the Spring to reconfirm our arrangements, as was his request.

Best of luck to you in getting ahold of him. Again, he was so incredibly responsive with me, and he came so highly recommended from others who have used his services in the past (as recently as last summer), that I can only imagine he must be somehow preoccupied with other things at the moment and will get in touch with you as soon as his schedule permits.

David.

Hi David,

I certainly appreciate the information. You've answered alot of my questions. I guess I'll just wait and see and hopefully he'll get back to me. The tour sounds great and very reasonable! Thanks.

Thanks, David for your most enlightening a response. Since we don't get into Istanbul until later on the first day, we shan't be able to take in all the tours you've arranged. I suspect if Levent is Muslim, his lack of response is probably due to celebrations of the Haj. He may even be on pilgrimmage to Mecca.
Ciao for now