My fiance and I are planning a gulet trip along the coast of Turkey this summer. Any suggestions as to where we should go would be most helpful! We are deifnitely planning to spend a day at Ephesus, but are a bit confused as to toher places that would be beautiful and/or offer some cultural activity. Thanks!

My impression of gulet tours, I've never been on one, is that you don't get any control over the route but they are flexible about when and where en-route they stop. Given that you want to choose one of the available itineries there's plenty to see in the area. The port for Ephesus is Kusadasi, Ephesus is well worth the trip as they are constantly expanding the site. Bodrum is very much geared to the sailing fraternity with a glitzy marina, restraunts and a famous open air disco. Culturally the harbour is dominated by a castle built by the Knights Hospitaller during the crusades. Just outside town is the site of Halicarnasus home of the tomb of Mausolus. In the area around Fetiye and Marmaris you see many tombs cut into the face of the cliffs. South of Fetiye is the site of Xanthos. You'll find the whole coastline ruggedly beautiful.

Thanks, George for your help!

Robyn, <BR> <BR>George's advice is excellent. My experience was that the gulet route was set and we ( I was with a group, so it was majority rule) set the times and stops. I would have preferred more stops as the villages and ruins are very interesting and if I wanted to spend the majority of my time swimming I would have booked a trip to Hawaii. Enjoy Turkey; it's fantastic. <BR> <BR>

Michele: Thanks for the info. We actually have the ability to choose when and where we stop- any suggestions? We are thinking of beginning in Bodrum. Any recommendations?

Robyn, <BR>George's suggestions are very good ones. <BR>I really enjoyed Fetiye, Marmaris, and Xanthos. Of course, Ephesus is amazing and try to see it early in the morning as it get HOT quickly. Kusadasi and Bodrum are both glitzy and very busy, but still enjoyable for a quick stop.Take a look at a few brochures and tours and you can make an informed decision as to where you want to stop. It's pretty easy to balance popular with relatively undiscovered places.

Robyn, <BR> <BR>Take a look at www.sporadestours.com "Sailing the SW Turkish Coast". It is a very detailed description of many places you might want to see. It includes all the stops George mentioned and a few more. At the very least, it will give you a timeline of your trip. <BR> <BR>

A good link, shame about the prices <BR> <BR>Bear in mind that Miletus and Didyma are a fair way from Bodrum and the tour presumably covers these sites by having a coach laid on. If you just turn up in Bodrum for the day you may not be able to organise such an excursion. If you have a spare day in Bodrum at the begining or end of your trip I'd recomend an excursion that took in these sites perhaps along with Priene.

Thanks for all of the help! We are planning to stay one night in Bodrum before boarding the gulet. Any suggestions on a nice hotel?