After the 11-hour flight from New York to Istanbul, we were excited to begin our honeymoon adventure! First things first....After claiming our bags (which arrived along with us!) we stood in a short line in order to pay the $20 per person Turkish visa fee. Very easy to do. After paying for the visas, we then stood in the customs line, awaiting our turn. Our flight was the only one in line, so the process took under 20 minutes.
We arranged for a transfer from the Ataturk airport to our hotel in Sultanhamet (the old part of Istanbul). Everything went smoothly and we were on our way! Our driver spoke minimal English but was able to point out some sights along the way. We drove alongside the Sea of Marmara and took in the view. Istanbul is a large city that is an interesting blend of cultures. A small part of Turkey (including Istanbul) lies on the continent of Europe, while most of the country lies in Asia.
We booked our hotel (Seraglio Hotel) on Trip Advisor due to the great reviews it received and we were not disappointed. I had mentioned it was our honeymoon trip and they tied a big red bow on the door of our room. Nice touch! The front desk staff were fabulous and very knowledgeable of all of the sights, where to eat, etc.
Although exhausted from our flights, we decided to hit the town! We were in walking distance to most of the major sights. We went to the Hagia (Aya) Sofia, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar. The architecture was positively amazing and the call to prayer heard over loud speakers was quite something to experience.
When going into any mosque, you must remove your shoes. Women also must cover their heads and some of the mosques loaned out scarves for this purpose. (But bring a scarf or wrap just in case.) The entry fee to the Hagia Sofia was about 20 Turkish Lira per person, but the Blue Mosque was free.
Although our hotel was in Sultanhamet, you really could stay almost anywhere in the city, as getting around on the tram is quite easy. (And inexpensive. A one-way trip cost 2 Turkish Lira, no matter how may stops you make.) But it was nice to be so close to the major sights.
After sightseeing, we went for a traditional Turkish dinner at a restaurant overlooking the Bosphorus. We had mezza (small tapas-style plates) and kebabs. Everything was delicious!
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
2 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
4 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
5 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.