August 12-19th 2023

Flight time from JFK to Istanbul is 9 hours. We plan to fly into Istanbul, spend a few days. Then fly to Dalman Airport (1 hour) to catch NAYK2 in Fethiye.

We will be sailing on a gulet, a traditional design of a two-masted or three-masted wooden sailing vessel from the southwestern coast of Turkey, particularly built in the coastal towns of Bodrum and Marmaris.

Things you need to know now

• We will be cruising this route. https://www.guletescapes.com/gocek-oludeniz-gocek/
• We board the boat at 4pm August 12th. We are due to disembark at 10am Saturday Aug 19th.
• Our vessel NAYK2 will be at Fethiye Gulet Port (in Turkish: Gulet Limani) either docked or at anchored.  Here is a map link. 
• Matt, myself, and Jeanette are staying at Orka Boutique Hotel. It's a 10 minute walk to the boat. Map below
• Jeanette is getting off early for a commitment. If you need to get off early for any reason, airport transfers are at an additional cost (150 EUR per transfer) 

• Payments on board

  • Please note that only cash payments are accepted on board. The local currency in Turkey is Lira. However, payments on the boat can be made in EUR, GBP or USD as well.
  • Tipping is at the passenger's discretion. Should you wish to leave a tip for the crew, around 5% - 15% of the charter fee is considered industry standard. 

• Packing

  • We recommend packing lightly as you don't need much on a gulet cruise.
  • Bring light clothes (shorts, a few t-shirts, swimwear, sandals) as well as something warm for the evenings just in case.
  • Make sure you have comfortable walking shoes as some of the towns/islands visited may have cobbled streets and some stops involve an optional walk. 
  • Water shoes are also advised as some of the beaches are pebbles or you might want to climb onto rocks in coves. 

• Our Turkey rep Melissa will create a Whatsapp group in advance of us boarding the boat.  This is why she needs everyone's flight detail (in case of delays)  If you can’t reach Melissa, you can also contact Arzu, Deniz or Arif.

  Melissa will be our primary contact in Turkey. All our reps are available on whatsapp too.

  • Melissa: +90 536 880 99 79 
  • Arif: +90 539 502 23 47
  • Arzu: +90 535 390 63 32
  • Deniz: +90 535 285 35 37
  
  
• All meals are on board, except these two dinners. We pay ourselves at the restaurant.
  • Off the Pinaralti Bay, Yazz Collective is only accessible by boat. Local craftsman made the wood oven where slow food is made. Healthy bowls and vegetables and fish are on the menu. I’m excited about their large wine cellar. Instagram.
     
    Adaia is in a market like setting. I am looking forward to fresh baked bread from the stone oven. Apparently, we can pick our eggs from the chicken farm in the backyard and dine on a Mediterranean fish menu, traditional lahmacun and pizza by the stone oven.  Instagram

NAYK 2 was built in 2022, length 26 m (85 ft), accommodates 12 guests in 6 double cabins

Crew; Captain + 3/4

Water sports: 2x sea kayak, ringo, 2x SUP, water ski, snorkelling equipment, fishing tackle, 5m tender 75 hp

She is moored in Fethiye

A little jetlag hack I love

• Joya Dass​, founder of the Womens Leadership Lab
• Former TV news anchor, business news

•  Matt Bevington (Managing Director, Branding and Design)
• Joya's partner

THE ITINERARY

A note.  The Captain is authorized to change the itinerary due to weather conditions. Daily programs can be re- organized upon requests of the guests.

 Fethiye 

We arrive from Istanbul, Friday August 11th to the city of Fethiye before we board NAYK2 on Saturday.  I love immersing myself in the culture I am visiting. One way to do that is through some rigorous exercise. There are a ton of active things to do in Fethiye. 

• Paragliding, skydiving for the best views of the area.
• Another way to get the best views of the local area are the cliffs above the town:  The 4th-century B.C. Rock Tomb of Amyntas and a huge amphitheater. Bring your hiking shoes, because climbing up the cliffs is a bit of a slog. Visit Tlos, an ancient Lycian city that was inhabited until the 19th century. Its ruins are remarkably intact and you’ll get a real feeling of the place it used to be as you wander and peer at the tombs carved into the rock face.  
• If an easier day hike is of interest, there is a hiking trail that runs for 300 miles between Fethiye and Antalya, following the coastline that was home to the Lycian league of city states in the 5th century BC. You can make a day hike out of it.
• The Saklikent gorge is 300m deep and 11-miles long. It’s made of limestone and one of the biggest in the world. It’s carved out by water that rushes down from the Taurus Mountains when the snow melts in spring, and from April to November.

 The Fethiye museum has impressive archaeological digs. There is a turtle reserve at Iztuzu beach, butterfly reserve AND of course, rugs galore to buy.

Day 1 – Göcek

Göcek is where the Taurus mountain range meets the Mediterranean  

While the population of Gocek is usually 4500, it expands to 7.000 in the summer.  Known for its yacht tourism, Gocek has six marinas  

Göcek coves and the 12 islands are a hidden paradise. The main island beach is reachable by water taxi from the harbor. Other beaches are easily accessible by car or taxi. Amongst these is Sarıgerme, a long sandy beach. Beyond Sarıgerme is the protected beach of Iztuzu in the Dalyan Delta. In the opposite direction, the famous beach at Ölüdeniz is only 40 minutes drive away.

The Twelve Islands can be reached by private charter boats, simple fishing boats, and larger yachts.  

Because of its climate, Göcek is renowned for growing wonderful tangerines and lemons as well as oranges.

Historical sites within 60 minutes' drive: Fethiye Museum, Pınara, Tlos Letoon, Xanthos, Telmessos and Patara

Day 3 – Tersane Island – Domuz Island

Tersane Island is a total swimmers paradise with crystal clear waters, coves and sheltered bays on the east side. 

It used to be called "Telandria." When the Ottoman Empire started using it as their port during WWI, the name was changed to "Tersane" meaning  “dockyard.” The remains of the original dockyard can be found in the sea if you go swimming. 

The island was populated with Greeks. Everyone left in 1923 when there was an agreement to do a population swap between Turkey and Greece. If you go exploring, (the island only measures about 1 square mile) you can find the ruins of their homes, the tomb of their ancient chief, two churches, maybe some goat herds, and their fruit orchards.  

The island is the biggest island in the Gulf of Fethiye.  Although currently uninhabited there is a restaurant Tersane Koyu Restaurant. 

Reviews:
"Came here for the 1st time last week (sailing around Turkey) my family and I loved it here. Out of all the places we went to last week this is my favourite. Beautiful setting, family run who are lovely and amazing food for excellent money. Had the goat and lamb which was perfect. "

"Lovely restaurant in a protected cove with crystal clear blue water. Dishes served with 5 types of mezze. Main dish depends. we had red mullet and koftes."

Later, our captain will take you to the pine trees and olive groves of Domuz Island, home to many wild pigs. (The Turkish word for 'pig' is 'Domuz.')  During the Ottoman era, Domuz was purchased by Abbas II of Egypt, an Ottoman viceroy of Egypt. During the Turkish Republic, it was sold to Sedat Simavi a journalist and a businessman. 

These days, you won’t see many wild pigs, but you will see olive trees dotting the island all the way down to the coastline. 

If you go exploring on land, there are hidden ruins that date back to the Byzantine era and World War I.  

Day 4 – Kızılada – Fethiye

Kızılada is called the "Red Island" because of the color of the beach at sunset.

While its a wonderful snorkeling and swim stop, the water drops off quickly after 5 meters, so be careful. The bottom is rocky. Consider bringing sea shoes.

Check out the  19-century lighthouse on the southern tip of the island. Today its been reimagined as a seafood restaurant and hostel. 

Its famous because in 1953,  Air France Flight 152 en route to Beirut from Rome made an emergency water landing 2km off the island after the engine lost power mid flight. With the help of the keeper of the Kızılada Lighthouse, customs officials and fishermen, 38 people survived the accident. The location of the aircraft's wreck underwater remains still unknown.

Kızılada was re forested in 2014 with about 5,000 saplings of Turkish pine, laurel, carob and Turkish sweetgum . After plantation, the saplings were treated with banishing chemicals to protect them from wild goat and hare living on the island. 

Day 5 – Ölüdeniz – Gemiler Island

Ölüdeniz means "dead sea" in English and is famous for its large lagoon, The water is calm  because it is protected by the sandy promontory, Kumburnu.  This area is a national nature reserve, and you can either rent kayaks or paddle board.

Oludeniz is world famous as a paragliding destination off of Babadag mountain. The town is a charming village, with traditional Turkish fare and shops selling handmade ceramics and textiles.   Take the water taxi rom Belceğiz Beach over to Butterfly Valley (Kelebek Vadısı). 

Your boat then sets sail to Gemiler Island, a beautiful spot famed for its churches that were built between the fourth and sixth centuries. It’s also known as St Nicholas Island because of the belief that it was the location of the original tomb of St Nicholas (that’s Father Christmas to you and me!)

Day 6 – Monastery Cove (Manastir Cove)

Surrounded by forest and violet cliffs, Manastır Cove is one the most favorite anchorages in Göcek bays. There are two coves to explore.

When we dock, be sure to grab your snorkel because beneath the surface is the sunken remains of a hammam.  According to legend, it was built by the ruler of the ancient settlements on the slope.

If you decide to climb the hillside, you can see Port Gökgemile and open sea.

Day 7 – Sarsala Cove – Sıralıbuk

Hidiv Abbas Pasha was the governor of Egypt during the Ottoman Empire. He came to Dalaman, lured by the prospects of game hunting and promise of wild life. A French construction company was tasked with building him a hunting lodge, but at the same time, the company was building a railway station in Egypt.  By mistake, they mixed up the two projects. So the lodge was constructed in Egypt and the rail way station (seen above) was constructed in Dalaman. No trains run through it, but its fun to stroll by.

At the head of the cove there is a cozy restaurant with a T pier  

Later, we set sail to Sıralıbuk, great for snorkelling.

Day 8 – Fethiye

After enjoying a leisurely breakfast, you’ll disembark at 10am with an air relaxation and head full of memories.  

Restaurant recommendations

Testimonial

Tara Lubonovich, Brand Strategist, Artist

Day to day, you don't have the chance to really connect with people over an extended amount of time. You might meet somebody for an hour dinner and have a few minutes of isolated time to talk to them. But on a trip like this, you get the opportunity to really get into deep conversations, participate in activities, and  get to know people on a deeper level than you would in another setting.    

The sea swims and those magical moments were really helpful in getting me to properly disconnect from all my stress.    

Being physically out of New York, I realized this is my "make or break moment" to become a full-time artist. I've got to do it now.  

There's usually a million other people on trips we take, but on Joya's trip, we got to experience the purity of the water all by ourselves during the private sea swims. Just our group. I think that was completely amazing.   

I knew Joya was a great planner, and its her business — but I was pleasantly surprised everyday by everything she had planned.