To celebrate the new year, cultural tour specialist Peter Sommer Travels has revealed details of a new 15-day Turkish Odyssey cruise, journeying the nation’s southwest coast onboard a traditional handcrafted gulet in an unforgettable discovery of the region’s history, culture and food.
Guests onboard the new Turkish Odyssey cruise will visit hidden archaeological sites, vibrant markets and a traditional carpet-maker, and savour wine, honey, olive oil and more produced in villages along the way. Travelling one of the most beautiful coasts in the Mediterranean by handcrafted gulet, there will also be ample time to swim, snorkel, kayak or simply relax on deck.
The 15-day Turkish Odyssey cruise departs September 15, 2024, with rates from AU$9,680* per person per cabin based on double occupancy. A maximum of just 14 guests can join the cruise.
Archaeologist Peter Sommer, the founder of Peter Sommer Travels, said guests onboard the company’s newest gulet cruise would reap the rewards of our decades of research, exploration and personal connections in Turkey.
“Our intimate knowledge of the region includes familiarity with both world-famous and lesser-known ancient sites, and friendships with some of its finest artisans and food and wine producers. Rather than just going there, join us for an unforgettable experience as we truly get to know the archaeology and gastronomy of this spectacular coast,” Mr Sommer said.
The Turkish Odyssey begins in Bodrum and ends in Göcek, cruising around the Datça and Bozburun Peninsulas and into the Gulf of Fethiye. Traveling along this wonderful turquoise coast, guests stay aboard a wooden gulet handcrafted in Turkey, anchoring in scenic inlets and bays each night, and disembarking each day to explore villages and archaeological sites, and enjoy local delicacies.
With superbly rich fields, hillsides and waters offering the freshest ingredients, this region of Turkey has become famed for its food and wine. In Etrim, guests will enjoy a lunch of classic Turkish dishes and see how Turkish carpets are traditionally made. Included are tours of the vineyards to sample vintages at two wineries, one in the pretty hills east of Bodrum and one in Datça, where wine has been at the heart of the economy for more than 2,000 years. And there’s a chance to learn about olive production at a historic mill in the tiny village of Bayir.
The region is also home to inspiring archaeological sites including at Stratonikeia where the excavation of an enormous city is underway to reveal a history going back more than 4,000 years with remarkable Greek and Roman buildings. Guests can gaze into the azure waters of the Serçe Limani inlet and learn about the underwater excavation of a 1,000-year-old shipwreck filled with a delicate cargo of glass and explore the towers of the magnificent 2,300-year-old fortress of Loryma, dramatically set overlooking the sea.
Food and archaeology converge at the settlement of Lydae. A track from the inlet of Ağlımanı offers views over turquoise waters then crests a ridge to reveal monumental tombs, tumbled statues and columns, and the scatter of ancient buildings. There, guests break bread and enjoy tea and honey with a goat herder who lives with his family among the ruins, tending his animals and beehives, and gathering wild herbs like sage, oregano and thyme.
*Rates are per person, twin share and include accommodation, all dining and beverages (unless otherwise stated), expert-led excursions, entrance fees, tips and transfers. Flights are additional.
