Image credit: Riviera Travel
Pair up your clients with their ideal itinerary, says Katie McGonagle
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Are you a Bear Grylls or a Mary Beard? More Hairy Bikers than Marco Pierre White? It might sound obvious, but getting to know your clients is the first step in identifying the right itinerary for them.
If they spend every weekend visiting museums, it’s a safe bet they will be more at home on a city stay in Istanbul or a tour of Turkey’s historic sites than hiking through the wilderness.
Likewise, if they love sampling street food and getting to know the locals, pick a trip that takes them to the heart of real Turkish life, rather than sticking to the well-trodden tourist trails.
Here are a few ideas for how to match travellers with a tour that suits their personality.
Best for…History buffs
Turkey was at the heart of the Greek and Roman worlds, and is awash with ancient sites such as Troy, famed for its wooden horse, and Ephesus, home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in the Temple of Artemis.
But it would be a mistake to sell it on the ancient world alone. Istanbul is packed with monuments dating from every era of the Ottoman Empire, while First World War battlefield Gallipoli is set to garner more media attention this year due to the centenary commemorations and the release of the Russell Crowe film The Water Diviner, which focuses on the conflict.
Most itineraries follow a classic west coast route to tick off key highlights. Riviera Travel’s Istanbul, Ephesus and Troy tour spends three nights in the city offering guided tours of the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia, before venturing towards Ephesus, the Acropolis of Pergamon, Troy and Gallipoli.
Travelsphere has a tour of the same name that also features a Bosphorus cruise, while Newmarket Holidays’ 12-day Istanbul and Ancient Turkey packs in the highlights before giving customers a rest with three days by the beach in Kusadasi.
For those who want to delve deeper into the wartime history surrounding the fateful Gallipoli campaign – remember the popularity of battlefields tours in northern Europe for an idea of who to pitch this to – Insight Vacations has a departure coinciding with Anzac Day on April 25 to allow guests to witness the commemorations.
The Gallipoli Anniversary and Aegean Cruise departs on April 15 and takes in sites in Greece as well as Turkey.
Exclusive Escapes has added a Gallipoli Centenary Tour. The five-day itinerary, which is led by a private driver and guide, takes guests from Istanbul to key sites including the Anzac sector and Cape Helles, where most British troops were based, along with an excursion to Troy and options to add a visit to Ephesus.
Image credit: gototurkey.co.uk
Best for…Adventurers
Who says you have to fly to far-flung destinations to indulge a sense of adventure? Turkey’s wildly varying landscapes are a playground for all kinds of active holidays, both on land and in the water, and it’s a particular hit with families looking for familiar territory to try an activity break.
All-round adventurers should opt for an itinerary that covers several sporting bases. Explore’s week-long Active Turkey! offers cycling in the Taurus Mountains, sailing, canoeing down the Xanthos River and sea kayaking to Kekova Island.
Intrepid Travel’s Turkey Hike Bike and Kayak squeezes in similar activities between sightseeing in Istanbul and a trip to the waterfalls of Pamukkale.
Intrepid’s sister brand The Family Adventure Company offers a Turkey Active Teenage Holiday for customers with older children who want to try mountain biking, kayaking, scuba diving and a two-night gulet cruise.
There are also plenty of options focused on specific activities. Walking itineraries abound, from classics such as the Lycian Way and more recent addition the Carian Trail to niche routes such as Walking the Saint Paul Trail with Explore, an eight-day circular route from Antalya following ancient Roman roads through the Taurus Mountains.
Exodus has also added two niche holidays this year: a snowshoeing break to make the most of the winter weather in Cappadocia, and a Turkey Diving Week that offers Padi certification.
Best for…Foodies
Image credit: Intrepid Travel
Turkish cuisine is deceptive in its simplicity, relying on fresh ingredients and great flavour combinations rather than complicated cookery. So the best people to learn from are the street-food vendors and home cooks – and a good tour leader will know just where to find them.
Trafalgar’s Be My Guest dining options give customers the chance to chat with local people while sampling dishes cooked the traditional way.
The operator’s Best of Turkey tour includes lunch with a local family in their Ottoman-style house, while the Highlights of Turkey option features lunch with the villagers of Demircidere.
Given the quality of traditional “fast food” here (and no, it’s nothing like a local kebab shop), it’s no surprise that Intrepid Travel has chosen Turkey for one of its Real Food Adventures and Istanbul for a Bite-Size Break.
The latter takes guests to the spice bazaar to sample local cheeses, sweet and savoury pastries and, of course, Turkish delight. This is followed by a cruise along the Bosphorus for a lunch of battered sardines, returning just in time for some mezze and even a famous “wet burger” (a garlic-infused burger marinated in tomato sauce) washed down with yoghurt drink ayran. And all in just three days.
If that whets your customers’ appetites, the 13-day Real Food Adventure also includes lessons in Turkish tea-making, a cooking class in the seaside town of Ayvalik, wine-tasting in Goreme and more, interspersed with sightseeing.
Best for…Natural beauty
Between Turkey’s rugged landscapes and diverse terrain, the wild at heart will find plenty of places to be at one with nature.
Perhaps the most jaw-dropping is Pamukkale (pictured below), which literally means “cotton castle” after its layer upon layer of other-worldly white limestone spilling over with waterfalls.
The ancient spa town is far enough inland to require a lengthy day trip from the nearest coastal resort of Kusadasi.
Alternatively, it can be visited as an overnight stay on Anatolian Sky Holidays’ Western Anatolian Tour – an eight-night trip from Antalya to Istanbul via Pamukkale, Selcuk and Canakkale.
Cappadocia offers an equally alien environment, from its famous fairy chimneys to houses carved deep into the rocks. There are many escorted tours focusing exclusively on the region or combining it with other highlights.
Among the latter is Cosmos Tours & Cruises’ Grand Tour of Turkey, which spends two nights in Avanos to explore Cappadocia, but also visits historic sites, Pamukkale, the home of the whirling dervishes at Konya, the Agzikarahan caravanserai and Turkish capital Ankara for a comprehensive insight into the country.
The natural beauty doesn’t stop at the land’s edge, and many tours chart a course along Turkey’s calm and clear waters.
Exclusive Escapes, Anatolian Sky Holidays and Peter Sommer Travels are among many operators offering gulet cruises, while G Adventures features catamaran trips from Fethiye to Bodrum between May and September.
With a maximum of eight people on board a 40-foot catamaran, the vessel can visit smaller coves and quiet beaches, stopping off for meals at waterfront tavernas along the way.
Turkey News
Turkish Airlines is set to increase the number of flights from Birmingham and Manchester to Istanbul. There will be two extra Birmingham services from March 29, bringing the weekly total between the cities to 12.
Manchester will benefit from four additional flights a week from May 25, and a further three per week from June 22, bringing the total to three flights a day.
turkishairlines.com
Olympic Holidays has added the 384-room Kefaluka Resort hotel to its 2015 Gold and Platinum Collection. The five-star property is on Akyarlar Bay in the Bodrum area. One-week packages start at £535.
olympicholidays.com
Do Something Different has added the seaside resort of Kemer in Antalya and Sarigerme near Osmaniye village in Mugla province, in response to agent demand for more Turkish product.
Excursions from Kemer include quad biking, Turkish baths, river rafting, scuba diving and a visit to Pamukkale, while from Sarigerme, customers can enjoy a four-wheel-drive safari, 12-island boat trip, moonlit barbecue cruise and a nature walk.
dosomethingdifferent.com
SunExpress, a joint venture owned by Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, is to begin flying twice-weekly from Luton to Izmir on the Aegean coast. Starting on July 11, the flights will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays. One-way fares will start at £77 including a 30kg baggage allowance, taxes and charges.
sunexpress.com
