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126-) Dear Mehmet,
My husband and I plus six of our friends arrived home after spending a fabulous vacation on the Noordam for a Mediterranean Adventure. While we were hesitant to book private tours instead of using the ship’s excursions, we heard so much about your company on Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor that I insisted we take the chance. There was no chance involved. The ships attempt to scare the passengers into using their tours by saying the ship won’t wait for you if you come back late. I never saw any tour arrive too late to board the ship. I must say that when each of us is asked for the highlight of the trip, we all shout Ephesus and NADIA!
She was as knowledgeable as possible about world history, current affairs and social mores. Her kind and considerate nature was a delight to strangers in a foreign land. She was patient, caring and paid attention to our needs and desires. Perhaps the most important aspect was that she spoke English clearly and precisely and we understood all the idiomatic comments and jokes. As a revelation, Turkey was a beautiful country with many kind and wonderful people. Nadia took us to a local restaurant and was in charge of the ordering for all 9 of us. We were delighted with the choices and service provided by the Turkish people. When it was time to leave we were all so sad that the day had to come to a close. We all hugged and promised to keep in touch. I highly recommend taking this tour and seeing the Terrace Houses. The Village of Sirince was breathtaking with the Antique Church. The Temple of Artemis is deservedly called one of the seven wonders of the world. The Celcus Library and Theatre are outstanding in their magnitude. Imagine a forum with a capacity of 25,000! If any of your perspective clients would like to contact me for more information on the PO4 tour, I would gladly provide any information that I could. Please say hello to Nadia and we will be in touch with her soon. Remember to ask for Nadia for an understandable English speaking guide.
Francine Rosen
Manalapan, NJ
Noordam sailing Sept.26, 2009
125-) Hello Mehmet,
Greetings from Canada! We are home again after a really great trip. I am happy to make some comments about our day in Turkey. Thanks for making our day so interesting and enjoyable.
We were a party of 4 from Ontario, Canada. We chose Samyeli Travel for our day excursions from the port of Kusadasi because our daughter and her husband had used this company on an “American Express” tour 2 years ago when they visited Ephesus and recommended them because the quality of service they had received. It was our first visit to Turkey and this excursion met or exceeded all our expectations. We were met promptly as arranged at the Terminal by our guide and driver and were transported comfortably in a late model, immaculate, air conditioned van
We had chosen the tour that included visits to the Shrine of the Virgin Mary , the Basilica of St John, and the Ruins of Ephesus. In addition our friends wanted to purchase a small Turkish rug and our guide .Mehmet, made these arrangements for us. We arrived “ahead of the bus tours” at the House of the Virgin Mary so were able to take some time in uncrowded conditions to really look around and spend some moments in reflection. The buses were arriving as we left and we were grateful to have spent this early time there. Ephesus, where the Apostles Paul and John , once lived was amazing! Despite the crowds that grew larger as the day wore on, Mehmet, our guide, was very familiar with the layout and directed our small group around with ease. He spoke very good English, was well informed about the history of Ephesus and made sure we saw all the “highlights” including the latrines and signs to the brothels. The Terrace House visit was well worth the “extra” fee. The “Grand Theatre”, where where Paul addressed the Ephesians in Biblical times & still used for events today, the library, the Agora etc….there was so much to see! We found ourselves alone with our guide at the ruins of the Basilica of St. John which allowed us to move freely about the place. Then off to the carpet weaving centre where we saw a demonstration of the process of carpet making from capturing silk filament from the cocoons to the hand weaving . Our friends happily negotiated their purchase of a small rug wall hanging as a souvenir of their trip. Our driver and guide dropped us back at the port as planned and we spent some time negotiating for small souvenirs’ at the shops at the port. Our guide’s knowledge of Turkish culture and history and his ready answering of questions on everything from religion, education, employment, housing, health care , military service and more contributed to a really great day!
We left Turkey feeling we would really like to return one day & see more of it.
Louise M Berglund
Celebrity Cruises “Celebrity Equinox” October 14, 2009
124-) Hi Mehmet,
WE thought our tour was fantastic. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable, thoughtful, nice, and fun. WE loved being able to create our own tour with a small group of people, we were 12. Everyone had an opportunity to ask lots of questions, and so were able to learn so much more. The village of Sirence was especially delightful. We loved our restaurant experience with lots and lots of appetizers, tastes, and flavors, and what a bargain at five dollars per person. We had a fantastic lunch. And the people that ran the restaurant were such fun, and shared some of their cooking ways. We took lots of photos, and had a marvelous time interacting. The other great thing about a private tour, was the opportunity to visit the Terraces, in the Ephesus ruins. They were a total high point. The opportunity, to walk thru homes from 2,000 years ago, with incredible mosaics, in almost perfect shape, spectacular designs and colors, was truly amazing. Bus tours, do not get to tour this area. I felt that Samyelitravel was incredibly easy, and professional to deal with. They were marvelous.
Pati Kelly
Celebrity Equinox October 06, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
123-) Mehmet,
My wife and I really enjoyed our private tour of Ephesus with your company. While on the tour we saw some of our fellow cruise shipmates with the big group, and so pleased it was just three of us touring and getting around the crowds. In addition, because of our specific needs, the cost was the same as on the ship’s shore excursion. Eventhough, we did not specify about lunch, Tener took us to this wonderful coffee-tea- restaurant that was a Turkish experience and paid for by our guide. One of the best parts was the private car, meeting us as we walked onto the pier, and having the guide tells us, and answer questions pertaining, to our interests. Thanks for your services and prompt replies.
Paul Krumhauer
Celebrity Solstice October 14, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
122-) Hi Mehmet,
Our private tour with Mehmet was excellent. We loved Turkey, although due to time restraints on our cruise, just a day, we only saw a small portion of this fascinating country. We loved the beautiful countryside, the food, our visit to Ephesus and small villages. Mehmet was friendly, professional, and responsive. It was a pleasure organizing our trip with Samyeli Travel and it would be my pleasure to refer others to your agency. Please see photos attached.
Regards,
Marlene Walker
Toronto, Canada
Brilliance Of. The Seas October 07, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
121-) Mehmet,
I wanted to let you know we had a great time on our Ephesus tour earlier this month. Our guide and driver did a great job.
Mark Sebastian, WA USA
Norwegian Jade October 11, 2009 (Izmir Ephesus Tours)
120-) Dear Mehmet
We would like to acknowledge your company for providing us with a wonderfully competent tour guide for our private tour of Ephesus.
Our guide, Levent, was knowledgeable, polite, well educated and he provided us with a very informative tour.
Everything ran smoothly from the prompt pick up at the port, the tour itself, the safe driving and the drop off back at the port.
This private tour was much better than doing a large group tour with the cruise ship.
I have no hesitation in recommending your company in the future.
Vilma
Grand Princess September 25, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
119-) Dear Mehmet,
We were met just off the ship by the travel agent and he took us immediately to our driver. The vehicle was new and very comfortable and our driver was wonderful ! He stopped at any occassion that we wanted to take pictures on our drive to Izmir. He was so accommodating and took us to all the places that we wanted to see in Izmir. Since we had been married in Izmir 30 years ago, it was very important for us to find the church. Mithat was determined to find this church that has since been tucked in amidst very small streets and buildings with alot of traffic. When we found the church, I cried. Mithat said to me “if you are happy, I am happy.” He seemed truly joyful that he had found our marriage place for us. This was the highlight of our trip and our cruise. The visit to the House of the Virgin Mary was very emotional. We even sat down for a glass of chai at the agency to end our day.”
I would recommend Samyeli Travel to anyone going to Turkey.
On a personal note, I would recommend Mithat to you in very high regards. I ask that you greet him for us.
I have attached several photos, you may use them as you wish. Please send us a brochure if you use them in anything so we can see if we are famous !
Thank you again for your wonderful service.
Sincerely and with gratitude,
Shelly and Stephen Stone
Minnesota, USA
Navigator Of the Seas September 24, 2009 (Rent a car with a driver)
118-) Mehmet,
We wanted to comment on how great Yuksel was as our guide!! And how great Samyeli Travel were to deal with. Everything went smoothly and without a hitch.
Marc & Patti
Celebrity Solstice September 23, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
117-)
We enjoyed our tour immensely. Our guide was excellent,knowledgeable & very personable. We absolutely fell in love with Istanbul & felt our day was very memorable.
Thank you
Regards
Tracy Selwyn
Azamara Quest August 29, 2009 (Istanbul Tours)
116-) Hello there Mehmet
Sorry for getting back to you that late. We had a wonderful trip out to Ephesus, our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the ruins and the history of the place. We felt very privileged to have all of our questions answered with no-one else around to interfere, and we were able to do it at our own pace, which was very nice. We would recommend the tour to anyone travelling to Ephesus as the price was fair and service excellent.
All the best to you
Regards
Marcel
Legend Of The Seas July 25, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
115-) Dear Mehmet,
Bulent Soysal met us at the Kusadasi port on August 27th, 2009. He provided us with such a wonderful tour experience. His passion for and knowledge of Ephesus and Turkey fascinated us. We were thoroughly impressed. We have never had such an interesting, informative tour/day and we look very much forward to returning to Turkey.
With thanks and kind regards,
Timothy McInerney
Navigator Of the Seas August 27, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
114-) Dear Mehmet,
We had a fabulous time!! Please tell Hassan that we all thought he was an amazing guide…so informative and good-natured in putting up with all of us! We promised him that we would be happy to be his guide if he came to Los Angeles, so feel free to give him my email address. Our day in Turkey turned out to be one of our very best days, so thank you from all of us.
Thank you again!
Michelle Connell
Costa Serena August 20, 2009 (Istanbul Tours)
113-) Dear Mehmet,
I want to thank you for the excellent tour of Ephesus that we had on 14 Aug with your guide, Jinghis. We were picked up at the ship exactly as promised, and taken in a very comfortable, air conditioned van to Ephesus. While we were there we visited the house of the Virgin Mary, the ruins of the city of Ephesus itself including the Terrace Houses, the basilica of St. John and the Temple of Artemis (once one of the 7 Wonders of the World). Jinghis was an excellent guide, bringing us to each of the sites and giving us a very thorough explanation of the site and then letting us tour the site on our own. I much prefer this to a full guided tour, where you must stay with the guide and follow his strict itinerary and timetable. We had tours like that in Rome and Pompeii, and I feel we missed a lot by having to keep up with the group and not being able to linger at the more interesting spots. Besides touring the ruins, Jinghis brought us to a local restaurant where we had an excellent lunch of Turkish salad (very much like Greek salad), kebabs, meatballs and other local food. I would highly recommend Samyeli Travel and particularly Jinghis, to everyone.
John Harrahy
Ruby Princess August 14, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
112-) Hi Mehmet,
One of the highlights and most enjoyable days on our vacation was our day in Ephesus and Kusadasi. Our guide Gengus (Cengiz) was waiting for us on the dock. Our driver was prompt and courteous. Ephesus is an unbelievable site to see. Our guide was charming, and informative. We wished he could have traveled with us to all the sites on our trip. We will definitely recommend your agency and we hope to return to Turkey and see Cappadocia some day soon. We will let you know.
Gale and Allen Lehner
Nautica, August 4, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
111-) Dear Mr. Dagdelen,
I apologize for not getting back to you earlier with comments and feedback on the Ephesus tour. On behalf of our group of 12, I can say that the Ephesus tour was one of the best if not the best tour we had on the cruise. The size of the area, the quality of the structures still standing and the beauty of the ruins was exceptional and moving. A definite “must see” is the terrace houses for their unbelievable size, workmanship and quality of the paintings, tile and marble remains.
Our tour guide, Bill (his English name) was superb. His knowledge not only of the ruins but of the ancient culture and the current Turkish culture and people was superb. His stories, anecdotes and datiled understanding made the tour all the better. And who knew that our tour guide would be a professional archeologist who worked on the preservation of the structures at Ephesus!!!!! What a bonus. He was friendly, informative and took the time and effort to learn our names and where we lived. He even joined a number of us for lunch at a local “restaurant” he recommended so we could enjoy the local food of Turkey. I would recommend the Ephesus tour through Samyeli Travel to anyone making the trip to the area.
I have also attached a couple of pictures of our tour. Thank you again for a wonderful experience.
Ken Papaj
Legend Of The Seas July 25, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
110-) Hi Mehmet,
We thoroughly enjoyed our day with Gengis (American spelling) and the tour he provided through the ancient ruins of Ephesus. The day started with him being there as we disembarked our ship at Kusadasi, us being one of the first groups out of the port and therefore arriving ahead of the crush of tourists at Ephesus. Gengis was articulate in English, knowledgeable regarding the history of this great ancient city, and kept us going at a pace to insure we would see everything there was to offer at this historic site. Being that it was an extremely hot day we were thankful for our driver and the air-conditioned Volkswagen coach for the ten of us.
Having seen the cost of the excursions offered by our cruise ship, we were extremely pleased that we found your wonderful tour business and that the day turned out well beyond our expectations and well within our budget. We would enthusiastically recommend samyelitravel to any group wanting to see and hear about the treasures of the ancient cities of Turkey and Greece. We are attaching a couple photos of our group while at Ephesus.
Sincerely,
Gary & Diane Giannoni,
Ruby Princess July 23, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
109-) Dear Mehmet,
Thank you so much for making our visit to the ruins of Ephesus and the Terrace Houses a truly wonderful experience! We were a group of four, and in spite our anticipation and high expectations, your company delivered a beautiful and memorable day, which is saying a lot considering that our entire itinerary was spectacular! Our tour guide, Abraham, was a pleasure. He was knowledgeable and did a fantastic job of working the tour around our pace, our interests, and our questions. Your price was less than the cruise line excursion, and when we saw the large groups struggling to keep up with and hear their guides, we knew we had made the right choice by booking with you!
Outstanding! We’ll recommend you highly!
Susan McGrath
Lowville, NY USA
Splendour of the Seas, July 21, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
108-) Hello Mehmet,
Thank you and everything went well: our guide was extremely knowledgeable and it was great to have him guide us through Epheseus and all the other sites. There were 10 of us in our family and even the 4 teenagers found it all fascinating! I had been there before and did NOT learn anything from the cruise tour I took but so much of it was explained now. We were very glad we added on the visit to the houses; we really would have missed out if we had not seen them. There is so much more to see than there was in Athens and so much is preserved so well. Keep up the good work!
Thanks again,
The Rand family
Navigator Of Seas Thursday July 16, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
107-) Hello Mehmet
We had an absolute great day. Our guide, Sammy, was so knowledgeable and as interested in our welfare as we were in your beautiful country. At every moment, he wanted to make sure we were comfortable and satisfied with our tour. Having kids on the tour is not easy but Sammy was able to keep them very engaged. We had the right blend of tour with commentary and time for ourselves to explore the sites and shopping. It was a grand time and we thank you.
Very best regards
Dave Lenhard and family
Legend Of The Seas July 13, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
106-) Mehmet
Many thanks for giving us an excellent guide and safe driver. We had a most delightful and historical day with Gehgis ( American spelling ).
I would be most happy in the future to recommend both of you.
Murray Ginsburg
Navigator Of the Seas July 16, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
105-) Dear Mehmet
We have arrived safely back in Canada and I just wanted to write to thank you very much for the service your company provided while we were in Turkey. Our guide, also Mehmet (assuming not you) was wonderful. He was polite, informative and helpful in all ways. His tour of Ephesus was very detailed and we enjoyed it very much. We would recommend his services to anyone we know who is travelling to Kusadasi.
Thank you again
Denise Tapiero
Celebrity Solstice July 01, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
104-) Hi Mehmet,
We had a wonderful time on our tour of Ephesus!!! This was one of my son’s favorite stops on our trip. I’m sure a lot of that had to do with the fantastic tour guide, Nadia. She was very knowledgeable and easy to listen to.
I’m attaching several photos of our tour – enjoy!
Kathy Andres
Legend Of The Seas July 01, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
103-) Hi Mehmet,
We really enjoyed our tour with Gokhan our tour guide.
He is so passionate about his country and knowlegable about the ancient history and the modern Turkey. He is very friendly, very detail, knows everyone, and always try to keep us under the shade in the hot weather.
I was surprised that for 4 people we got a private guide and a driver for the tour. It was a lot nicer than the cruise ship excursion and value for the dollars. I definitely will recommend it to my friends and family and will put comment on Forum.
Please thank Gokhan for the wonderful tour.
I am attaching some photo.
Lisa (from Canada)
Noordam June 24, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
102-) Mehmet,
On our visit to Kusadasi in June, 2009, we had an outstanding guide. He took us to Ephesus and gave an excellent tour. Very informative. We also visited the Temple of Artemis and St. John’s as well as the House of the Virgin Mary.
We had been to Ephesus before but did a cruise ship bus tour. This time we did the private tour, and I highly highly recommend doing a private tour. We were met at the port with no problems, had great transportation and, as I said, an outstanding guide.
I would use this tour company again!!! That is the highest praise I can give!!!!!
Thank you.
Diane Braziunas
Legend Of The Seas June 07, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
101-) Dear Mehmet:
I’m sorry that it took me so long to reply but we did not comeback from Europe until June 20th and a week later my grandson was born, we have been very busy.
We had a wonderful time in Ephesus, everything was great, the transportation, the sites that we visited and specially the tour guide Nadia, very professional, her knowledge was incredible what a great personality.
Definetly I will recommend Samyeli Travel Agency to all my friends that want to go to Turkey, I also will like to tell you that we were very impressed with your country, Turkey is a beautiful place and the people are very nice.
I’m sending you the picture that we are with Nadia.
Thanks again for a wonderful tour.
Dania Alameda
Celebrity Solstice Sunday May 31st, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)
100-) Dear Mehmet:
I want you to know that Ephesus, Turkey was one of the absolute highlights of our 3 week vacation. We flew into Rome for 3 days, took a 12 day Princess Cruises tour through Italy, Greece, Kusadasi/Ephesus and Monte Carlo, ending with 5 days in Venice. The one day we spent in Ephesus was so incredible and we owe much of the delight to Yalcin, our tour guide through Samyeli Travel. He was engaging, polite, extremely well educated and gracious. We loved him, we loved Ephesus, we loved Turkey and the Turkish people. There were 6 people in our group and each of us has had a small sample of Turkey with the desire to return and see more! We felt the tour fee was very reasonable, especially split among the group. We took several other tours, but the one with Samyeli was by far the best. We highly recommend you and when we return, we will book with you again.
Thank you for helping to make this vacation amazing!
Dan and Jackie Flesher
Bakersfield, Calif.
2009 Princess Cruises
Sincerely,
Jackie Flesher
Crown Princess May 23, 2009 (Ephesus Tours)