Guide in Turkey

Thank you, Bruce Kerfoot (April ’06, pg. 83), for recommending Mehmet Ozbalci of Turfantastik Tours (Istanbul, Turkey; phone +90 212 589 33 25 or fax 589 32 56).

My husband, daughter and I took a trip to Turkey in December ’09 and hired Mehmet to guide us in the countryside. He suggested a 6-day itinerary including the ancient cities of Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus and Aphrodisias plus the hot calcium pools at Pamukkale, a short visit to the Mevlâna (Rumi) museum and shrine at Konya and a tour of Cappadocia.

Mehmet made all the arrangements and drove us in his car. The $5,200 we paid him covered hotels, breakfasts, dinners, entry fees and Cappadocia-Istanbul airfare.

We were thrilled with the trip, and Mehmet’s knowledge and delightful personality added to the visit. His English is perfect.

He was very willing to deviate from the plans to accommodate our whims. And since he leads tours for professional photographers, he knew just where to take us to get the most beautiful photos and could suggest camera settings to optimize them.

My daughter has food allergies, and Mehmet was particularly helpful talking to chefs before dinner to find out the ingredients used.

We loved our trip and the beautiful country of Turkey and heartily recommend Mehmet. We felt like we were traveling with a friend, not a paid guide.

ALICE SPIER
Poway, CA