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See what our guests
say about us. You can even send them e-mail and ask about their
experience with us. Please contact us for their e-mail addresses.
We are permitted to give them you.
THE PLOTNER FAMILY
UK (26 March-02 April 2005)
We had a wonderful time in
Turkey - the only positive thing about returning to London is that
the weather is warmer - how ironic! Thanks for helping to make
our adventure in Istanbul so memorable - Ebru was great.
We look forward to another trip to Turkey....what is a gulet?
JUDGE CHARLES
HARRIS & MRS HARRIS Q.C.D.C.J.
OXFORD/UK (06-10 March 2005)
Istanbul is not perhaps
the easiest city for first time visitors who speak
no Turkish, have no conception of its scale,and whose only knowledge relates to the Fourth Crusade or the siege of 1453. Especially if you are staying at a fine elevated spot with excellent views, but a little beyond easy walking distance from many of the important sites. It requires a bit of skill to see the mosques and palaces and galleries conveniently, since their opening times are not consistent , nor their locations congruent. Once within, it would be quite possible to waste a lot of time in aimless traipsing (which in March may be chilly). These places are not on the whole self explanatory. It is not obvious what went on where. It is not clear either where to eat, or what to eat There is much attractive boat traffic at the conjunction of the Sea of Marmora, the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus: but hours could be wasted by the uninitiated trying to discover what boat goes from where and when, and when it might return. You need help.
Unless you have a
friend who knows the city, or youreally dont mind
wasting time money and energy, you need a guide. The sort of guide you need will of course be reliable, knowledgeable and conscientious, but that is not enough. A guide needs to be interesting and informative, but not long winded; amusing but not full of fatuous jokes and silly patter; diplomatic and flexible, not adhesive to some invariable plan. A good guide knows when to talk and when not to, when to hurry along past features which do not interest and when to tarry by those that do. A good guide will not know everything, but will be capable of finding things out quickly . A good guide will be a good companion, delightful to sit down to lunch and browse with, amongst the topics of life as well as the menu. A Good guide will make you feel keen to meet again each morning, and might even engender a slight twinge of gloom when parting. We were lucky to have such a guide,supplied by Peten Travels. She was a girl whose name in translation was romantic , and whose charm and efficiency went well beyond anything which I have previously come across. Whether wet or dry, in sun or snow, she was always alert to the mood, deft with the arrangements, intelligent and fluent in conversation. Erudite in an easy, lightly- worn way, she was happy to talk (and delightful to listen to) on practically any topic, no matter how far removed from an exploration of the largest city in Turkey. One was almost tempted to make an offer to retain her services on some more permanent basis. Any party she leads, or individual she works with, will be fortunate indeed.
MR & MRS H NELIS We had an absolutely fantastic, unforgettable
weekend in Istanbul. Ebru was lovely, so knowledgeable, and great
company. We would definitely recommend her, and are already trying
to convince my parents to visit your incredible city. Visions of
the blue mosque and Topkapi palace are still whirling around my
head--fantastic memories! The food, the lively streets--it was
unforgettable. Many thanks to you, and please send our best to
Ebru.
DARGAN BULLIVANT & JOHN THORPE Thank you so much for your time and your generous hospitality over the last few days. We felt most welcome and very spoilt. We were able to get a very good idea of the type of guided tour, transportation, documentation and hotel accommodation that we will jointly promote. Thank you. In our discussions it became clear that our attitudes to customer service, quality and pricing are the same and that our target market was the same. This is very important. We are looking forward to our continuing relationship Iffet
PETER AND CAROL DITZ I would like to thank you most sincerely for making our visit to Istanbul so interesting and entertaining.
VIVIENNE BUDLENDER Dear
Iffet,
KEVIN, SHAYNE,
MARK&MIC
SOUTH AFRICA (17-22 December 2004)
Dear Iffet,
On behalf of myself, Shayne, Mark and Mic we would like to thank you for your amazing warmth and hospitality and for your patient with us during our visit to Istanbul. We are really enjoyed your kind nature and learnt so much about so many differnt things from you. You gave us huge insight into the Turkish culture & customs and you really are a great AMBASSADOR to your country. If you are ever in South Africa, please look us up, so that we can return the hospitality. Take care and have a happy New Year with warm regards.
MR&MRS COATES
Dana&Bob,
VICTORIA SCHONFELD
NEW YORK / USA (07-10 October 2004) / Ýstanbul Dear Iffet,
Thank you again for introducing us to your magnificent city.
It was so fascinating and beautiful and haunting. And it was a
true privilege to be guided by you. You are not only
knowledgeable but truly caring. We all were so grateful to
you.
I have been talking to some friends about putting together a group for a biblical archeology tour. What mnths are the best for weather? We don't want a rainy trip nor one that is too hot.
LENNART
BERGSTROM
Dear Iffet,
LESLIE DASHEW
THE BLACK SEA
REGION AND CAPPADOCIA
ARIZONA / USA
(02-12 September
2004)
EMMY SCHORR
NORTHERN ANATOLIA AND
CAPPADOCIA
CHICAGO / USA
(02-12 September
2004)
I wish to thank Peten Tourism again for the extraordinary tour of Northern Anatolia and Cappadocia. From the moment I landed, a day early, in Istanbul where I was greeted by Iffet with a bouquet of flowers, I realized Peten Tourism had a style all its own. As our small group moved through your beautiful countryside in a comfortable and spacious late model Mercedes van with its excellent driver, the careful planning of every detail in our itinerary became apparent. We experienced life in charming small villages located beyond the well beaten path without missing the sights in the major tourist centers; whenever possible we stayed in unique boutique hotels; every meal became a culinary adventure of local or regional specialties; the travel book prepared by your office became our reference every step of the way; and last but not least,our outstanding, knowledgeable guide never missed an opportunity to keep us immersed in the fascinating history, culture, past and present of one of the great cradles of civilization that is Turkey. COLIN SIMPSON / MIKE
RICHARDSON / GEOFF CUTTING Colin, Mike and I are all home and comfortable
after our amazing PHILIP FRANCIS Thank you for organising a most excellent tour which I personally enjoyed very much, and I think that I can say that for the other participants as well. MR&MRS SUZANNE & DAVID C
ARCH We had an educational and enjoyable trip to your country. Your itinerary was excellent, Gokcen was very pleasant and informative, and the entire trip proved to be a memorable one. We surprised our friends when returning home by saying (independent of one another) that we enjoyed Turkey more than Greece… in spite of our time at the Olympics! We do plan on returning and exploring more of your country. Colm McNulty (
Wellington College) I would just like to inform you how pleased we were with the service you provided on the Turkey leg of our First World War Battlefields trip. Our guide Ebru was excellent. She was helpful, very informative and very good company. We would be most anxious to avail of her services in subsequent trips. The hotel was first rate and most welcome after our long outward trip. The facilities were excellent and the rooms spacious and comfortable. The variety of food avaiable ensured that all tastes were very well catered for. The boat trip around Cape Helles to ANZAC cove was a significant highlight of our trip.I can assure you that we have every intention of using your company for our next trip.I have no hesitation in recommending your company . Please feel free to use my name as a teacher at Wellington College in your advertising. Thank you again Iffet and we shall be in contact in future. JEREMY STAFFORD-DEITSCH Turkey is so rich in spell-binding archaeological sites that the more you see the more you realise that you have only scratched the surface. For the second year running Peten Tours has smoothly arranged my complex itinerary - to world famous sites and to others equally intriguing if less well known, to sites that are relatively accessible and to others that are wonderfully, spectacularly remote. Thank you once again for having the in-house expertise, the professionalism and the flexibility to adapt to my requirements. MICHAEL HUGHES / STUDY
TOUR " I am an archaeologist and recently was a participant on one of Peten Travel's archaeological tours, which was extremely well-organised, with expert guides, first-class hotels and an excellent service all round. Would thoroughly recommend the tours to anyone interested in ancient civilizations". MRS.MARION KNOTT /
STUDY TOUR Discovery of so many wonderful places, and universily warm and friendly welcome we received from the Turkish poeple. MR&MRS CAIRNS /STUDY
TOUR Turkey has became a country we would like to visit more often & especially the archaeological sites we have been to MR&MRS B. LINDSAY What a
wonderful trip we had and how much we thank you for organizing it
all. Everything on the trip was terrific. We all loved Ebru – she
was a perfect guide, very intelligent, well informed, and so
pleasant to be with. She knew just how much information to give us.
The itinerary was very good, the hotel a nice mix, the boat was
very luxurious, the price was very good. Everyone we met on the trip
was very pleasant and the service was always excellent. SUZANNE&DON KOPAS We loved our time in Turkey. Many thanks for all your wonderfull plans. Hope to see you again. THE WASHINGTON
POST Your "Pearls of the Byzantine Empire"
tour was recommended in a letter
Many thanks for wonderful times we spent in Ýstanbul GAYLE STARR &
SUSAN BERG Iffet, Susan and I just got back last night and we were talking about how much we enjoyed being with you. I have decided that Istanbul was my favorite city, largely because of you! We saw so many incredible sites there and you were a wonderful host! I look forward to visiting there again although it may be awhile since I spent "billions" while I was there. I think I've run out of money for the time being. I can't wait to receive the rugs. You have convinced me that next time I come to Turkey I need to allow more time. DR.
PAMELA MARSHALL I would like to thank you very much for your efficient organization of this tour. Your Agency did a terrific job. MARK
SHEEHAN Just a short note to say how much we appreciated how well organized the tour was with you and how much the students enjoyed their time in Turkey. I will be in touch in the near future to let you know about the next tour in 2004 - it will either be in April or July. LESLIE
DASHEW / PHOENIX, Iffet, I think about my wonderful trip often. I have told many people about how wonderful you made that trip for me. And I am stirring up interest in bringing a group of friends to Turkey some time in the near future to travel with you. That would be great fun. PROF.
JOHN PAUL HEIL / St.LOUIS As a leader and participant of several different study tours to the Mediterranean region in recent years, I can heartily recommend a visit of Turkey with Peten Tours. All of those on our tour to western Turkey in June of 2002 were very favorably impressed with the professional expertise, personal concern, and thorough preparedness of Peten. Our tour guide, Dr. Ferudun Ozgumus, was highly qualified and the best guide of any tour that I have been on, both from a professional and personal viewpoint. We were provided with very helpful maps, illustrations, and information for the whole of our carefully planned itinerary. All of our educational goals for the tour were achieved and surpassed with full satisfaction in ways that went beyond our hopes and desires for learning as much about Turkey and her people, both past and present, as possible. Peten is obviously committed to pleasing its clients. I look forward to participating in future visits to the rich treasure that is Turkey with Peten Tours. MR & MRS SMITH
/ HOLLAND As we look at our pictures and think back over the trip, we realize how much we really saw and learned. Mehmet is a treasure. He couldn't have been nicer and certainly had all the information we could handle. I will definitely recommend your agency to anyone I know traveling in Turkey. MR &
MRS ELDEAN / HOLLAND We all had a wonderful time on our Turkey vacation and I would love
to share some thoughts. The trip was well organized maximizing the
time each day. Each day still remained flexible to include places
and things of interest to each of us. Our guide, Mehmet was extremely
knowledgeable in history, art, religion, and politics. We seldom
stumped him with our questions. He had a wonderful sense of humor
and was "easy" to be around. I particularly enjoyed the
attention paid to restaurant and eating stops. We experienced a
variety of eating adventures and styles that we all enjoyed. It
was GREAT
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