Hi Tovi,
First I must apologise for taking so long with this E-mail.
Sue and I have had the most magnificent holiday in Turkey and we both want to thank you so much for putting the program together and making it happen. Not a day has gone by were our time in Turkey is not mentioned. The Kirkit team in Istanbul and Avanos were great and extremely helpful.
With so much to see and do in Turkey five weeks would never be enough time , but your program gave us so much that we do not feel that we have missed anything.
Once again thank you so much and I hope to be back again in the not too distant future.
Best Regards Robert and Sue
Thank you, Anne, for sending me this and all the other vouchers so efficiently.
When I first planned this trip I emailed about 15 travel agents, both in Turkey and ones in the UK specializing in Turkey, asking for advice. Only three replied at all, while the rest ignored my email. Of the three, one stopped corresponding as soon as they realized that my trip would be off the beaten track. The second one said that they could not organize such a trip for less than $4,000.
The last travel agent, of course, was Kirkit. You have put together for me a wonderful itinerary at a very reasonable cost, including all my requests, booking some comfortable and traditional accommodation, and visiting some out of the way sites. Thank you so much.
With all good wishes, C.
Hi Tovi -
thanks for organising our time in Cappadocia.
your extended family members are wonderful - and the atmosphere at Kirkit pension is warm, friendly and elegant. no wonder it is popular with the French tourists. I'd bought a silk sussani embroidery in Tashkent and was delighted to see cotton sussanis used as bedspreads.
last night we were dining at Efendy Turkish restaurant at Balmain and the 27yr old waitress said she was "going to Turkey for good" in 2 weeks time. I told her (jokingly) that I had the ideal man for her - 30 yr old Ender, our very special guide for the 4 day walk....I actually had my camera with me and showed her a photo - she approved. We enjoyed talking with Ender and discussing his vision for Turkey (it was election time) - he is well educated and articulate, also he was respectful - we are 67/68 years old - and he paced our walk appropriately.
we enjoyed exploring the area around Hotel Karballa and our room there was beautiful.
we invited 3 friends to dinner in the Kirkit courtyard and again, the dinner was a meal to remember. I bought our daughter-in-law/son a Kirkit navy/white tablecloth and they are thrilled with it....again, so elegant. we enjoyed the chef (his cooking and dancing) so much we bought him back a box of fresh strawberries from a roadside stall when we returned from Urfa/Nemrut tour, which he served with the other dessert. the musicians played beautifully and I loved seeing Osman and other locals joining them.
Tafu/Tutu (please excuse my spelling) is an elegant gentlemen - so kind, wise and he was able to have my Turkish bracelet (bought in 1993 in Mamaris) and a necklace (bought in Ashgabat, but probably Indian) restrung whilst we were away walking.
Yesin was full of tricks during dinner but we saw his serious and professional side when we spent an hour with him viewing his old rugs and pieces, and we bought our daughter a kilim (new one, but of course loved the old ones - she was paying) and it looks great in her old/new Ashfield (inner west) Sydney home. Yesin is also passionate about Avanos and we did enjoy his company.
This week I attended an ADFAS (Austn.DecorativeFineArtsSocy) lecture on old rugs - tribal, village, city, from a British lecturer - he has worked at Christies/Bonhams and is a valuer. I learnt so much - and some of his pieces shown on the screen were simply gorgeous.
We spent our last day exploring the back streets of Avanos, dining on a rooftop balcony (small hotel in a side street near the bridge) and watching a few local ladies washing their rugs. I think Avanos is a village that is keeping its charm and integrity, I know it will grow, but I feel that your efforts to save many of the local houses will keep this place a bit of the 'real Turkey' in years to come - congratulations on your hard work.
I've sent Kirkit details to a number of friends and of course the photos are stunning.
Lastly, we found Osman yet again, the complete professional tour agent. His shy smile and dignity showed in all our dealing with him, and we delighted popping in to the office from time to time. I mispronounced his name but learnt to say "Osss-man" - not my Aussie "Ozzzz-man". I still have the newspaper article from the SMH last year - his face smiling - and I'm sure the Australian tourists will be sitting around the Kirkit table (in or out of the cave) for many years to come.
congratulations to you and your extended family - and thanks again for organising a wonderful time for us in Cappadocia and s-e Turkey.
b/regards
Gillian (& Stephen)
p.s. Urfa was a surprise and absolutely fascinating...and Mt Nemrut - I was so glad to see the sunrise and those fascinating statues...amazing Turkey...
Hi Tovi,
Just a note to thank you for taking care of our traval plans. we just returned and had a great time in Turkey. Great place, food and friendly people; I especially loved Cappadocia.
You did a great job and thanks again! P.
Dear Ann:
Josette and I we wish to express our satisfaction with the travel arrangements, hotels accommodation and guided tours you have set up for us last month in Turkey. Every thing went very well.
We returned last Sunday from our European journey. From Antalya we went to La Rochelle, then Amsterdam and back for an agreeable four days stay in Paris.
Indeed, we missed meeting you in person while visiting your office. However rest assured that we will enthusiastically recommend your agency and services to others.
Merci encore une fois et a une prochaine occasion .
Dear Tovi,
I would like to thank you for the EXCELLENT guide Nelly, that was with us in Istanbul on last 5th - 6th July.
Also Turkey has been a wonderful surprise, and I think we will be back in Turkey next year, so we will ask your cooperation again ( I would dream a cruise across the Black Sea visiting Odessa and Georgia too, for example ).
So, let's keep in touch.
Best regards.
M. A.
Dr Mrs Tovi, Merhaba & Gunaydin.
The whole family will like to say a BIG TESEKKUR EDERIM to you.
Thankfully ( we know) we have found the right travel agent.
INSALLAH , we will have fun, as have (I'm sure) the many others that have been fortunate enough to have engaged the services of KIRKIT VOYAGE and you, for their Turkish holiday..F.
Dear Tovi
Although i'm a little late in sending this communiqué, i wish to express my appreciation in choosing Abdil Bicer as our guide during our Istanbul visit.
I was pleasantly surprised with respect to this young man's competencies & credentials.
Quite dedicated & passionate to his professional career, Abdil demonstrated very good competencies & capabilities in terms of running a professionally guided tour.
Some if his strengths: A deep understanding of Turkey's complex history & quite a grasp of historic sites. He demonstrated a thorough understanding of historic, religious, architectural & technical insights & dimensions of more than 26 visited sites(islamic sites included).
In addition, he seems to enjoy high ethical standards.
If this guide further develops his professional expertise in museums' complex/intricate areas, then he would probably become a unique & valuable asset all across the board.
Kind regards
A.A
Dear Tovi
Thank you so much! We had an amazing time – it was so beautiful in the south west, everything worked brilliantly, we got to all the classical sites, enjoyed all the hotels and the very nice people who ran them, swam, did some great (short) walks (the Lycian way is incredibly steep and rocky but has fantastic views and we loved meeting tortoises on the path!) Not sure we could say which our favourite sites were, but Termessos and Aphrodisias , both your recommendations, were wonderful – I also loved Letoon (more tortoises there!) But all the sites were magical in very different ways. I was thrilled by the Dalyan Delta (and Malcolm adored being allowed to steer the boat back up the river!) – the beach there was definitely our favourite (tho’ swimming off boats at Kas was unbeatable). We thought Ocakkoy was lovely – a really good place for people like us who are appalled by Fethiye and Oludeniz (we walked from Kaya to Oludeniz and that was beautiful). So thank you, thank you, thank you! We are already planning another trip in a few years time starting maybe with Knidos and that peninsular and taking in all the sites up to Ephes and maybe going to Kos and Rhodes, too. So many, many thanks for now and we will be back!
Very best wishes and thanks for all your hard work on our behalf,
C.
