Anatolia Tours & Travel

It's been 2 weeks since my husband and I we're back. First of all, let me take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful service you and your staff have provided in helping prepare for our trip. My husband and I contacted other travel agencies that specializes in Turkey tours but of all those we contacted, you and your colleagues have been the most helpful, courteous, patient, flexible and a pleasure to work and speak with on the phone and by e-mail even though we're over 3,000 miles away. We are very pleased with the package that you set up for us. We will definitely recommend your agency to our friends who have taken on a lot of interest in traveling to

Turkey

and that part of the world from our discussions of how beautiful and historic

Turkey

is. Notwithstanding, we found the Turkish people hospitable, friendly and respectful. They make you really feel at home. With your assistance it truly was a trip to remember of a lifetime for us.
Please extend our regards to you and all your staff. Have a Happy and Safe Holiday Season!

We had a fabulous time! We really loved

Egypt

and all the sites. We saw so much my head is still spinning with all the information that they told us. But I do appreciate all the history and information that they told us as it makes the sites that we saw so much more impressive and real. We were upgraded to the MS Mojito for the cruise which was a very nice ship. Our tour guide on the ship was a lot of fun as well. We did get to do the Balloon ride. Judy was so very happy that they were running again. It was a pretty nice flight. I'm not too crazy about heights so it took me a while to feel ok about the whole trip but it was spectacular to see the sun rise over Luxor. The hotel in Cairo was very nice and in a good location once we figured out where we were located and how to walk across the streets - that was crazy! The locals were laughing at us one night as we dashed across the street, running for our lives! Sharm was great as well. We really enjoyed Petra and the Dead Sea. All in all it was fantastic! We have lots of great memories, now it's just how to figure out what to do with all those photos we took!

Thank you for all your help and expertise, we really appreciate it. I'll send you a few photos soon.

Thanks!
Hetty B / Vancouver

The Egypt Rail Journey Tour (9-Day) experience was everything we had hoped for and more. This was a family dream vacation that finally came true for us. Our reluctance, as Americans to the Middle East has always been our concern for our personal safety, especially with our kids in tow. Not knowing the culture and the language only placed additional barriers.

All fears were put aside as soon as we arrived at the terminal at Cairo Airport. We had a friendly (and funny) person take us through customs and then hand us over to an awaiting luxurious air conditioned van with a helpful driver, a tour manager and tour leader! These guys were so accommodating and knowledgeable. To say they were first rate is an understatement, because you’d never find the quality of tour guides anywhere in the States! They were well versed in the English language besides other languages! We felt like royalty from the time we arrived in country and the time we departed. Whenever the agenda called for a tour, trip, a site, etc., they were always there to ensure we would not be left to guessing. We never had to wait for them. If we wanted to make a side trip going to and from…they made sure we went to the “right” places. You can’t imagine how important this little detail made our stay in

Egypt

so much more enjoyable and fun.

The advice and recommendations we had asked for, these guys delivered. We never felt we were being led strayed or taken advantage of. In fact, we were able to avoid potential pitfalls because of their caring attitude.

Looking back and reflecting on the whole experience, we did not place a lot of emphasis on the quality of tours guides/company per se. Other factors like costs, sites to see, places to stay, etc. was our primary motivation. We realize now that the tour guides can make or break the entire event. Without a doubt, we feel very fortunate that we had selected Anatolia Tours. One final note, we did enjoy the luxurious hotel stays, the sleeper train experience, the cruise ship and all of its amenities along with the magnificent views of the shoreline, and the unbelievable historical sites. It truly was a Wonder of the World experience that we will reminisce for a life-time!

Back at the lake with guests all weekend over the July 4 celebration. Heading back to Dallas tomorrow. So, a few moments to once again thank you for all that you did to make this trip so special and easy. We were met at the airport in Amman by Jehad Al-Abed. Jehad helped us retrieve our luggage and escorted us through customs. Our Hotel was lovely. Mohamad our guide and Riad our driver for the week showed up right on time the next day and so for the next 8 days Steve an I felt totally taken care of. The security stops would have been a little unnerving but because the military personnel at these stops knew Mohamad and Riad we never had to show them a passport. The pace was just right and the 3 nights in Petra was perfect. Great hotels in both Petra and Aqaba. I was stunned by the magnificent lobby in Aqaba not to mention the Lebanese meal we had that night on the terrace overlooking the sea. We were delivered back to Amman and after the conference four days later, it was Riad who picked us up for the airport and it was Jehad who once again escorted us through the process of getting us on our flight to Tel- Aviv. We were the envy of the conference participants who heard about our trip and were trying to make hasty arrangements for a one day trip to Petra. The fact that we also saw Amman, Mount Nebo, Bethany, The Red Sea, and The Dead Sea just rubbed salt in the wound :) Is that Dead Sea a trip or what! Nothing like it in the world. Well I hope that I have passed on a few words that you can use for any client that is interested. I will be advising my friends who plan to visit this part of the world...."don't even bother unless you can use the expertise of Lara and Anatolia Travel." Please stay in touch Lara, part of this experience has been getting to know you in a way that is personal and caring. I wish you the best and hope that some day a trip to Texas may be in your plans. Steve and I would love to host you and express just a little of the hospitality that you created for us.

I want to express my thanks to Anatolia Travels for providing such a memorable and exciting tour of

Morocco

. I cannot remember when I have enjoyed a tour more.

I want to personally thank Turkay at Anatolia Travels for his patience in helping me plan my trip. He provided me with all the information I needed without pressuring me and that is definitely a quality I admire.

I also want to thank the skilled drivers of the vans in

Morocco

who made sure all of their passengers were safe and sound. I’m not sure how to spell his name, but the driver who spent the majority of time with us was excellent. He was always polite and respectful of everyone’s comfort and took special care with three young children on board.

I cannot complete this message without a special mention of Salim, our tour guide in

Morocco

. Salim is by far the best guide I have encountered in my many travels. He was not only an excellent, informed guide but also a patient, caring, generous person who made each and every one of us feel as if we were on a private tour. He catered to our every need and went out of his way to make sure we were comfortable, safe, and, of course, enjoying ourselves. He is the ultimate professional and truly made the difference between a good tour and a superb adventure. I have already recommended this tour to several of my friends and family members, and this is due, in large part, to Salim and his excellent guide skills and outgoing personality.

My thanks again to your company, your employees, and your tour affiliates for one of the most lovely, unforgettable experiences I have had the pleasure and privilege of enjoying.

Hi Lara, the trip was fantastic. I've just downloaded my pictures and am reliving it all over again. My son, Jordan also really loved the trip. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and fun. I just can't believe how beautiful

Turkey

is and all of the ancient treasures that exist. I especially loved Kushadasi and have said that if I ever get married again, I will honeymoon at the Carisma. Antalya was also loads of fun but Cappadocia was unbelievable. I'm glad that I got a chance to see that.

I'm going to plan a trip to

Egypt

maybe next year or the year after and will definitely use your agency. Thank you for all that you did to make my trip memorable.

Hi Turkay,

We had a fantastic time!!!!! It was an adventure from start to finish and definitely at par with our trip to

Turkey

several years ago, and that's saying a lot!

We fell in love with

Egypt

and

Jordan

, loved floating in the dead sea, snorkelling in the red sea, camel rides at Giza and in the desert, four by fouring in the desert with our guide and making tea in the middle of the desert--wow!

We hope to send you some of our photos from our trip soon. Thank you very much for everything; it truly was first class for us. Enjoyed the private guides.

How are you! Hope all is well. I am now in Kathmandu, Nepal...wonderful things here as well. I will tell you that I had a great time in Jordan/Petra/ and the Dead Sea and would gladly refer you to others. It ended up being only me at first and then joined by one other along the way, but what I can tell you is that it turned from a "professional" or typical group tour into a more personal and friend like experience. The driver and guide were very good on all accounts. Friendly, helpful, entertaining, and knowledgeable. I had a lot of fu with them and they help to make it a very personal experience. Thank you and others for your time and efforts. Take care and have a blessed day.

I was back at my apartment on Tuesday at 10pm and last night I was able to finally download the pictures. I am still tired from my trip but it was definitely worth it. Greece was what I expected and more!

All hotels were very nice and clean; the one in Athens had a view from the terrace to the Acropolis and I just loved it! It was very nice to be in the center because I was able to walk everywhere. The one in Delphi was closed, but we ended up in a better hotel with also a beautiful view. Same in Santorini; the hotel was closed so they transfer me to one in front of the beach, so again I was happy that the original hotel was closed.

All transfers were always on time and I was so afraid about the one after Santorini to my hotel back in Athens because it was after 11pm, so it was the only moment I was afraid that the cab would not show up, but of course he was there.

The tours were great and the tour guides were very knowledgeable. It was very good to know all the details that they shared with us.

In summary, best trip of my life so far (and I have been in Italy, Spain, Russia, Belgium, Argentina, and England). It was my first time not doing it by myself (first time that I booked at tour) and I do not regret it at all. Next time I am traveling by myself, I will definitely book a tour. And I will definitely recommend Anatolia Travels to my friends. You guys were great and I can not stop thanking you for your help; I can not imagine how much your worked to pull this off in such short amount of time.

Attached is a picture of me in front of the Tower of Winds in the Roman Agora in Athens. I know everybody loves the Parthenon, but this structure always fascinated me and wanted to so bad to see it.

Ivette C. – PA, USA

May 2009

We are back home. The trip was great. Our tour guide Ece was very knowledgeable and had great personality; the hotel were wonderful, food was very good, we enjoyed our vacation a lot. And it did not rain much, just twice and we spent that time in the museums. We want to go to Egypt next year so I will contact you in advance. Thank you very much.

I am sorry it has taken so long to send you a reply. We had a great trip thank you very much it all worked out just as we wished and I have bragged about your company since we came home, I especially want to say "Ramon " who was in charge of all for us was fantastic, Mona was our guide in Cairo, we had Guerguis, and unfortunately I can't remember the rest of the names but all were very courteous, knowledgeable, friendly, and fun! The ship was fun also. Do wish the boat would supply coffee and tea with the meals without an extra charge! One thing we would suggest to your travellers is, a friend told us to bring lots of 1$

U.S.

to use for tips and I wish we had really listened and brought at least 100 of them! Thank you again for all your help.

The trip truly was everything we had hoped for … and MORE. What a wonderful way to travel!! We started out with a couple of days in Paris … that was a great way to adjust to the time difference. We were so excited to be there that we didn’t even notice that we were tired!! Our time there was magical and we started to think that maybe we had already experienced the best part first. Boy … were we wrong!!

The

Egypt

portion was truly amazing. What an incredible country steeped in so much history going back thousands of years. I wish I could have absorbed more but at the end of each day, our head was spinning. When I think back at all the different elements of the

Egypt

trip, I am overwhelmed by all that we saw. Each day would be better than the day before – if that was possible. The camel ride up to the monetary was quite comical … of course, riding the camel back down was a greater thrill. Going inside King Tut’s tomb and seeing his mummy still there is chilling even now when I think of it.

The Shepheard was a great choice of hotel, by the way. Good location and fun being right on the Nile watching the crazy traffic there.

And, then came

Jordan

. We knew we would love Petra but had no idea how much we would enjoy the entire

Jordan

experience. Our guide and driver there were incredible, by the way. The guide’s name was Steve … a little on the wild side which made the trip exciting and he was truly in tune with what we were there for and made the Jordan portion a trip we will never forget. He broke it into segments so we could enjoy each day to its fullest. He suggested an added donkey ride at Petra to see the monetary. We were reluctant at first but were so glad that we took his advice. What an amazing journey … up a narrow ledge to the top of a mountain on a donkey. Then, joining a donkey caravan out of the canyon that night after dark with the moon and stars guiding us … we were so excited. He surprised us with an impromptu picnic on a ledge overlooking a panoramic view of the Dead Sea … having stopped earlier for all our favorite Jordanian foods!!

Our last two days at the Marriott Dead Sea were truly what we needed and a perfect ending to an incredible journey!! We treated ourselves to spa services both days, relaxed and read our books.

Lara … the entire journey was one we will never forget. It was wonderful having someone there handling everything … how different for us not to have to think about anything other than having a good time.

Thank you again for all your efforts. When we are ready for our next adventure, I will definitely be in touch to see what other part of the world specialize in. By the way … what other part of the world do you specialize in????

I will send you a few pictures once we have time to sort through the thousands we took!!

My two and a half week break over the Festive Season has come to an end today (sob, sob!!) but it has been good. I hope you have similarly had a great festive season.

Oman

was a fascinating country to visit and we have great memories. Thanks for a thoroughly well organised tour. The hotel we stayed at (Holiday Inn al Madinah) was very clean, well run, had great food and we had a nice room. By the way, if I ever have some money lying around, I’d buy a holiday home in Sur. What a fabulous coastal town that is!

My best wishes to you and Anatolia T & T for a peaceful, prosperous and precious 2009!

I wanted to let you know that we had a, wonderful time in Egypt & Jordan. Everything went smoothly no problems at all. The tour guides were excellent the hotels were beautiful especially in

Jordan

. The transportation was excellent; I must say that our favourite place was Jordan! we enjoyed the holy sites and also the country is very clean, the people are more proper and respectful it's very different from Egypt of course a lot more expensive they have a higher life style than the Egyptians I'm sure you already knew this..

Thanks you for the Excellent job you did in arranging everything so perfect for us. Again we Loved Jordan!! and the people too. I Wish you and your family happy holidays and a Happy New Year!

Dear Nil,

We just got back home last night and I could not wait to write to you and thank you so much for a very successful and blessed tour.
Your choice of Guide for our trip was God sent and we all feel enriched by our relationship with you and Bulent. Everyone was very pleased and is looking for a future opportunity to return. Our hope is that Bulent will be available when the time comes, Inshallah.

Thank you also for all the care that went into making this pilgrimage memorable, including the lovely rooms for Kimberly and I at the Arcadia. Thank you for asking me to trust you. The view and location made the difference, and the staff and the food were excellent for our needs. We also would like to have the same driver (Furkan) who together with Bulent became during this trip and from now on part of The Way of the Heart family. We fell in love with them and of course with all that the Beauty of Turkey, just like it happened to me in 1999. This time was even more meaningful, as the Sufi connections and divine synchronicities opened many doors to some beautiful Baraka and unexpected blessings that are still unfolding.

I could go on and on, but for now, Thank you.

Many blessings,

Eduardo P. – Arizona, US

We are back as of Friday evening. We had an amazing time, in both Istanbul and Athens, thanks to your thorough planning and coordination. Our tour guide(s) were incredibly knowledgeable and responsive to our questions. We were so happy with the fact that we had almost private tours (few other people) despite having paid for large group tours in most instances. We loved Istanbul and are still overwhelmed with the richness of the palaces, mosques and beauty of the city. As you know, we arrived during the tulip festival and were amazed with the various hybrids of tulips throughout both the European and Asian parts of Istanbul. The Jewels in Topkapi were so amazing! The food was great and the Turkish people were so friendly and accommodating. I could go on and on. Athens, Delfi and Cape Sounion tours were also great with knowledgeable guides. We had no problems. Weather was perfect in all countries and April is the best month to travel in those countries. Again, I want to thank you for your assistance and will extol your professionalism to others. Should I decide to go the Eastern Europe or the Middle East again, I will definitely use your services! (you have my permission to use my comments on-line).

I've been meaning to email you to tell you what an incredible vacation we had!!!! We are seasoned travelers and this has been one of the best experiences we've ever had. Our guide Steve and our driver Shawge were the best we've ever had. Not only were the sites beautiful but the cultural experience was one in a million. We were welcomed into local homes and were treated as family. We were taken care of every step of the way and felt 100% safe the entire trip. I will definitely recommend you to our friends and family.

It was absolutely fantastic! I am still catching up at work from being gone so long, but I will call you

by the end of the week to tell you more about it, and also send you some pictures. Our guide was

extremely helpful. The Dead Sea Marriott and the Aqaba Hotel were both very special.

I just wanted to say what a great time we had! I loved the small group atmosphere; we each were given personalized service and undivided attention by our tour guides. The guides on the tour & in Istanbul were professional, very knowledgeable and had a wonderful sense of humor. The key to enjoying the tour is really having a great guide that is patient, personable and experienced....we definitely had that. I was so happy that we were able to switch our Istanbul tour from the start of the trip to the end, which allowed us the agenda we were seeking. I was especially impressed that our Istanbul transportation could be rearranged on site to include personal stops to varying shopping establishments; it felt like chauffeured limo service.

This was my first extended escorted tour - I investigated several companies before choosing Anatolia Tours. It was the higher standard of hotels, the smaller group size and the reasonable pricing that helped with my selection. What was also comforting is speaking to Lara at Anatolia; she was so informative and helped me with my choices. In fact, she contacted me after booking to let me know which markets would be closed on my last few days in Istanbul - she rearranged my tour to include the shopping I wanted to do before I flew home. It was this personalized service that made me feel confident I made the right choice.

Being in the travel business (both leisure and corporate) for over 25 years, I know when expectations can fall short, from the quality of accommodations to the quantity of value. I can happily say that my choice was great and I would highly recommend Anatolia and their Classical 10 day Turkey Tour. We can't wait to go back and try the Eastern side of Turkey next time.

Please except my sincere thanks for the well organized tour to Morocco which i thoroughly enjoyed

There were no short comings or nothing to complaint. Accommodation, tours and the food etc were excellent.

May i also thank you for organizing my tour in a professional manner in a such a short time

I am also planning a tour to

Greece

through your company towards the end of the year and lets see how it goes .

Hi Lara,

Sorry for not getting back to you earlier but work has been very hectic since I got back and when I get home the last thing I want to do is look at a computer :)
Our Jordan trip was amazing! The weather wasn't great (rain,snow, cold winds) but we had a superb guide (Aiman) and everyone in our small group got along really well.  Aiman was by far the best guide we have ever come across, not only knowledgeable about the area & its history but also able to present the information to us in an exciting and captivating way.
We only wish we had two nights in Petra instead of one (and everyone on the tour agreed) as that was the most beautiful place on this tour and we would have loved to have a day at leisure there to relax.
We did get to relax at the Marriott Dead Sea, the 3nts that I have booked there were well worth it, the hotel was beautiful and the spa fantastic ... I got an Arabic coffee body scrub, my mom had a massage, and we both enjoyed the pools (including one with water from the Dead Sea).   I attached a couple of pics for ya!
Thanks so much for all your help with this booking.

Julia S. – London, UK

Dear Anatolia,

We returned home earlier today from a wonderful break in Turkey. Everything went smoothly and the service from your guides and from the two hotels used was excellent. Omer, Bersen and Deniz were our guides and their knowledge of their country and its history and culture added greatly to our enjoyment of our visit.

We were fortunate to visit Cappadocia following a heavy fall of snow. While this made walking a little difficult it added to the magic of the place. We did the balloon trip which was a new experience for us all. The cave hotel was special. The hospitality from all the staff was superb. We had been allocated the cave rooms which we particularly enjoyed.

Thank you for arranging all of this. My sisters and I will be recommending Turkey, Cappadocia and your company to friends and family.

And now for next year! Do you run trips in Jordan?

Kind regards,
Michael M.

Ireland February 2008.

Hello Lara,

"I wanted to thank you for all your help in getting this trip together for me. I had a great time in Morocco. I would definitely recommend Anatolia and would absolutely use you guys again in the future. Thanks for all your personal attention and assistance! It made a huge difference."

Regards,

Nick G. – Miami FL – USA
October 2007

Lara;

The actual tour was great. Our guide Alps is one of the best. I work for a major hotel chain and I see a lot of tour guides. He is one of the best I have been with. We had a wonderful time and I look forward to working with you again.

Bud P. - Dubai - UAE
November 2007

Hi Nil!

Happy Holidays! Apologies for not giving you feedback since my return from Morocco but work has been insane.

Thank you so much for arranging our trip! We had such an amazing time. The tour guides were wonderful

Thanks again and have a great holiday season. May the New Year be even better than this past one :-)

Cheers!

Shay – New York – USA

October 2007

Dear Lara,

Many thanks for the wishes and here's wishing you too, the very best of everything, for the new year about to dawn. Hope 2008 brings you much health, wealth, but mostly happiness!
I never did round to writing you after we returned from Morocco. We had a great time in Morocco and made a few new friends as well, from far off lands!

Thanks again, for all your assistance.

Cheers!
p.s. Attaching a family photo of us, while on tour in Morocco.

Satyajit – Sri Lanka

Hi Lara,

We had a great time both in Greece and Turkey. Everything went smoothly. Loved loved Cappadocia. It is a magical land. The cave hotel was so relaxing and the food delicious! I would recommend this hotel rather than the standard hotels as it is very unique. The owners were lovely as well. The Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and The Chora were also very beautiful and interesting. The frescos were amazing. Ephesus was breathtaking, had no idea it is so enormous. There was something special at every place we visited. Tolga, our tour guide, is so knowledgeable and very passionate about his country. It was truly a lesson in history. Now if only I can remember everything!!

Istanbul is such a huge city. 18 million!! It was interesting watching the drivers and especially the buses maneuver around the city. They pass each other with only millimeters between them. We did the ferry cruise up the Bosphorus and walked around the Asian port. We did a lot of walking, up to the spice market, around the Marmara sea. Shopped a little at the Grand Bazaar, but found it very difficult as they don't let you shop! Enjoyed a profiterole at Inci. They were delicious but one a year is enough!! All in all it was a lovely trip. Santorini was a favorite as well. So beautiful and relaxing. Our tour group was small. Started with 18 and then finished at 10 so it was nice getting to know them and we will keep in touch with a couple of them.

Anyways it is back to the grind. Thank you for all your help and if you are in our area, please come and visit or stay the night.

Take care,

Regards,

Lori T. – Whistler BC - Canada
October 2007

“Finally we are home from our trip to Turkey & Dubai. I’d like to thank you for your flawless arrangements on our behalf. We had a great time and thank you for considering my senior parents while choosing the accommodations. Cappadocia was wonderful and so was the cave hotel. We saw so many wonderful places, ate so much delicious Turkish food, and met a lot of amazing people. We definitely want to go back and explore further…”

Sarah H. Sydney NSW - Australia
Sept 2007

“My wife and I have done a lot of traveling and Turkey trip was one of our best trips ever! - Professionally planned itinerary, excellent hotels, superb tour guides and no last minute surprises; all travel arrangements went off without a hitch. Thank you for a great trip; we would definitely recommend you to our friends”

Andrew M. - Detroit MI – USA
May 2007

Dear Nil

The Sunday N.Y. Times travel section has an article about cooking schools, starting with our cooking class in Turkey. I thoroughly enjoyed the class. Since returning to Tokyo, I've gone to the trouble of finding all the ingredients for lentil soup made with red lentils. Delicious. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to write, as I do want to thank you. Our trip was super. Our guide was great, and we were all delighted by her knowledge of the city and enthusiastic personality. I bought a lovely kilim carpet at a shop she recommended and it arrived here before I returned. Every time I look at it I think I want to return to Turkey some day soon.
Once again, thanks.

Sincerely,

“Thank you for a very well organized trip, our Egypt tour was a success! Lara was very efficient, helpful and very pleasant to deal with. All our arrangements worked flawlessly and the selected hotels were excellent. Meanwhile we’ve been considering visiting Morocco next year, and we’ll be definitely in touch with Anatolia Travels for our next trip”

Dear Lara,
Just wanted to thank you again for your super organization, we had a wonderful time in Morocco. Thank you for suggesting Tangier at the end of the tour, it was a beautiful place. The tour was very good, and the hotels were fantastic! Thank you again so much for your help and I will happily recommend your services to my friends.

Yuka C. – Richmond BC – Canada
Feb 2007

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