Hi there,

My friends and I are in the midst of researching our gulet trip for the end of May. At most, we can do 3 nights/4 days and are interested in the Fethiye-Marmaris route. I was told that this route is the prettiest.

What do others think?

Most importantly, we are all in our 40's--active, but mellow--and are not interested in crowded boats, loud music, i.e., a booze cruise or singles bar atmosphere.

We ARE interested in relaxation, beautiful surroundings, and sumptious food. We're all athletic (marathoners), but don't feel the need to "do, do, do." We're just as happy playing scrabble, reading, or watching the sun set.

So far, the companies we are most interested in are:

Before Lunch--according to Lonely Planet, has great food.
Compass Yachting--also recommended on LP.
Let's Go--has a good schedule, good reputation.
Aquamarina--recommended on Tom's Turkey Planner.
Galeo Yachting--recommended by someone here on the Forum

If anyone knows anything about the above companies, from PERSONAL EXPERIENCE or HEARSAY, we'd sure like you to respond. Other recommendations, besides those listed above, would be much appreciated as well.

We'd especially like to hear about the food, the accommodations, what you liked or disliked, who the other people were, how active you were, what you thought of your captain/crew, whether you sailed or just used the motor, etc. etc. etc. Also, what does one do if the weather is cold?

Thanks so much. We look forward to hearing the "inside scoop!"

How many of you? You are talking about getting your own boat, right?

I'm not suggesting you do this, but when we were there in late May, it was amazing how many boats were available. We could have walked along, inspected boats, and wheeled and dealed to get the one we wanted -- even for just two of us. Season is not until later in the summer.

Sorry I can't help on which companies are the best.

Wow, that was fast. Thanks, Neopolitan. We are 3 people; we need 2 cabins.

Was that in Fethiye, where you walked around?
Did you end up taking one of the boats? Any details would be much appreciated.

My sense of things right now is that we are probably NOT going to do our own boat.

Galeo Yachting quoted 625 euros/day for a 2-cabin boat, with a 3-day minimum. AKO Tours quoted 510 euros/day for a 4-cabin boat.

I haven't pursued it with either, because I wasnt sure about the cost. Sounded a little expensive. Also, I wasnt sure about how to judge the private charters, i.e. whether the charters were reputable, reliable, fun, etc.

Your thoughts? Or anyone else out there?

I went on a gulet cruise as part of a tour of the Turkish coast.

Because it was arranged as part of a tour, we had the boat to ourselves. Not quite sure how to determine who your crew mates would be, which is why I opted for the relative safety of a tour.

Our boat was owned by Hatsail and their crew was very professional.

http://www.hatsail.com/

Forgot to include the other details!

We spent the days going on hikes. Once again this was a private trip and we had our guide with us. Not sure what happens when you charter a cabin.

We would then lounge as we motored toward the next stop.

The food was quite good, as our chef took our personal preferences into consideration. The food was rmarkably fresh, as it was everywhere we stopped in Turkey.

There was also a hostess who tidied up the rooms while we were gone, laid the table, served the meals etc.

As for loud music, as far as I recall, whenever we would anchor, we had no problem with noise from other boats as they were also out for a relaxing trip.

I also think the Captain can choose from a variety of sites from which to weigh anchor, so if one site is too crowded, he may select a different spot.

We went in early June, the water was rather cool/cold in some areas, but not all.

Hope you have a great time! Let us know how it went when you get back.

That was in Marmaris where we saw all the boats. I would guess there were well over a hundred of them docked. And I'd say at least 20 or more clearly were available for immediate charter. You could pick your own itinerary. Some were quite small for only three or four couple plus crew. At that time of year, they wouldn't hesitate to let two couples book the boat.

The prices were a fraction of what you're talking about, but of course this was dealing directly with a boat owner, not going through an agent working for another agent working for a larger corporation.

As I said, I'm not sure I'd be nervy enough to go there and try to do it without a reservation, but having seen it myself, I could almost be tempted.

Hi asa4

Here are some of them.

http://www.aryatours.com/en/start_e.htm

http://www.barbarosyachting.com/index.htm

http://www.surguncharter.com/

http://www.pupa.com.tr/

They all are good

Have a nice trip in Turkey

Sinan Akdeniz

Thanks, everyone--especially the part about the cool water. I will look into Hatsail. I hadnt heard that one before.

Sinan, I emailed Arya about a week ago and then again a few days ago, but haven't heard back.

Early on, I had looked at the websites for the other companies you listed, but they looked like they were weekly charters. Nonetheless, I will email them anyway to see if they can make up a shorter trip for us.

PS. Anyone out there used/know about the charters I listed? Before Lunch? Compass? Aquamarina? Galeo?

Hi, Here's what we did. We booked a gulet with Pacha tours before we left the U.S. It was a Sunday thru Wednesday cruise from Antalya to Kas. I know they also have gulets leaving from Marmaris and Fethiye and Bodrum.
We only booked 1 cabin and it ended up being 4 americans and 5 germans. We were the only couple leaving after 4 days. We were replaced by a french couple. The crew consisted of the captain, the cook and I guess you'd call him the steward. He cleaned the rooms and they all took really good care of us, but they only spoke Turkish. They (and us) were very good with sign language! Our rooms were very small and stuffy, but each had their own bathroom with spray shower. We slept (all 9 of us)on the deck on sun mats with our cabin blankets and pillows. It was wonderful. You could almost touch the stars, they appeared so close.
Everyday we would go to a new site, Olympis, Kekova Island, Kale, spend a few hours and still have time to play in the mediterranean on kayaks and floats. There was even an icecream man in a boat one afternoon. The meals were simple but delicious. We had tea everyday that was usually something the steward bought in wherever village we'd visited. At night we played cards and listened to music or read and drank. The germans turned us on to orange fanta and beer. It was not luxurious and I know some are, but it was the most fun I've had since my kids were children or I was! Best of all, it was really inexpensive. I don't know if 7 days is too long or not long enough depending on your tastes, but I thought our 4 day was just perfect.

I'm going to Turkey (4 of us), end of May first week in June and am just starting my research. I'd like to hear from people who have taken Gulet trips without spending a fortune. We are a family, 2 parents in our 50s and 2 young adult-children. Was curious about just walking up and renting a gulet. Anyone do that?

Beware! Beware!! Try to book an upscale boat. Research all previous postings, including Trip Advisor and Lonely Planet. I was very disappointed in the Marmaris to Fethiye route--spent most of the time at anchor. Fethiye to Olympos was more interesting but beware of staying in Olympos. Walk-up bookings, although suggested by many guide books, are iffy. Many docked gulets had signs saying advanced reservations of one week needed. Most agencies cram each gulet to overflowing so a gulet sailing with last minute space available would be hard to find.