Ours was a two-week itinerary from Istanbul to Kusadasi on the Aegean Coast. Meltem Ciftci, a young Turkish woman from Izmir was our guide thoughout the tour....

Catherine George
Associate Travel Editor
The Toronto Star
Toronto, Canada
 

I had the pleasure of having Meltem Ciftci as a guide on my group tour of Turkey in 2002 and would highly recommend her.
Not only is she an expert on the history, culture and politics of her country, she can calmly deal with any snag that is inevitable in every itinerary.
Also, because of her years of experience dealing with her fellow countrymen she can offer visitors those special extras, such as visits to private homes (eg. the limstone houses of Cappadocia) giving an insight into the lives of the Turkish people.
She is one of the most professional and pleasant guides I have had in my many years as a travel journalist.


Catherine George
Associate Travel Editor
The Toronto Star
Toronto, Canada

(If you would like to read the articles of Catherine George's on her Turkey 2002 tour please click here.)

Meltem ,our guide was througly knowledgeable about the history and culture of Turkey.Nearly every minute was filled with seeing exciting places and fine dining on her tourOther Americans should discover an educational visit to Turkey.

Rober&Nancye Rickets,Danville,VA,1993

Meltem was a fantastic tour guide for our Eclipse trip to Turkey in 
August, 1999. She kept us on the move and we were constantly amazed 
at her enthusiasm, knowledge of history and sites in Turkey. It was 
the trip of a lifetime. For more information see my website about our trip at:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/davemoser/turkey
99/index.htm

Dave Moser
Arizona, USA

We loved Turkey so much. Meltem is a great tour guide who knows her subject and loves her country. I tell everyone about how much we enjoyed the trip and that we would like to go back. I have met several persons who have visited or lived in Turkey, and they all agree about wanting to return.

Lucy and Jeff Holmes-CA,USA
Turkey Trip 2003 

Our tour in Turkey was a winning combination of some history, an introduction to Turkish culture through music and cooking, exposure to poetry and religious tradition, shopping for porcelain and rugs, relaxation by the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, wonderful fresh food, an overview of Turkish society, a gracious presentation of Turkey by a proud patriot, the introduction to Turkish acquaintances of Meltem’s, and an appreciation of the role of Turkey as a modern state. In an intensive two week tour, we were had fun, were treated with consideration for our health and well-being, and travelled in comfort and safely.

Carl Berger and
Laurel MacDowell
Turkey Trip 2003 

Turkey is a wonderful place, historically and geologically. Its people are warm and friendly. It is a country that Christians, Jews, and Muslims can all visit with pleasure and joy. As for bodily needs, the hotels are excellent, and the food adventurous. Our recent holiday in Turkey and our guide Meltem was memorable.

Ezra and Ann Schabas, Toronto, Canada
Turkey Trip 2003 

Turkey is the most exciting, hospitable and interesting country we could ever visit. The history, the Roman, Greek, Christian and Ottoman ruins are all there to see and explore. The resorts are world class, the turkish people love Americans and Meltem is the most knowledgeble, articulate and warm tour guide that you will ever meet.

Bill &Didem Elosman
CA,USA
Turkey Trip 2002

Turkey in the spring was fantastic.Thanks to the expertise of our tour guide Meltem .I was througly enchanted with the sights and the countryside,especially Cappadocia and the cruise along the Turquise Coast.I also had a great time sampling the exotic cuisine.I highly recommend travellers to visit Turkey.

Charlotte Yamaha
CA,USA
Turkey Trip 2002

Our trip to Turkey in October of 2003 was truly memorable. 
The country is so beautiful, the people are friendly, and the history is unbelievable. Also we were treated by everyone with courtesy and honesty.
Our guide, Meltem Ciftci, was wonderful in every way. We were really impressed by the breath of her knowledge and experience and by her love for her country. She took great care of us and made sure we were all happy and comfortable - and she was fun.
We hope to take another trip sometime and it will be with Meltem.

Frank and Sheelagh Creaghan,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Turkey Trip-2003

"Meltem was our Overseas Adventures Travels’ (OAT) guide for almost three weeks. Her understanding of the Turkish culture and history added so much to our enjoyment of each and every stop. Her planning and scheduling of our time took into account all of needs to make the journey seamless and when appropriate spontaneous.

"To Meltem's credit her most important contribution to our trip was her 
handling of the Septermber 11th tragedy. We were on the cruise portion when Meltem learned about that situation via Turkish radio. She kept her composure, planned how to explain this to 16 US travelers and then handled all of that with care and understanding. She was especially helpful in the remaining week after 9-11 when she kept our journey track, maintaining our schedule and then working to get difficult return travel arranged.

"All in all, if you're looking for an outstanding Turkish travel experience, 
Meltem would be an outstanding guide."

Joe and Peg Hunter,Denver,USA

We very much enjoyed our trip to Turkey and particularly the insights Meltem provided about the country, it's history and it's people. Turkey has great diversity with many beautiful areas and friendly people. The tour helped us see a great deal in a relatively short period of time, and to develop our understanding of Turkish geography, history, and culture. Meltem Ciftci,our tour guide is clearly very knowledgeable about this part of the world and really made our visit come alive. I would recommend visiting Turkey to anyone interested in a wonderful combination of beautiful scenery and extremely interesting history, especially if Meltem can guide them.

Grace & Bruce Milner
Toronto,CANADA,
Turkey Trip-2003