East to West (Classic Plus) Pre-Departure
Thank you!
First of all, thank you for booking your Turkish gulet cruise with us! This document has all the useful pre-departure information you will need including your check-in location, what to bring, what to expect, the rules, excursions and contact details for your local Representatives.
Have a great cruise!
The Go Sail Turkey Team
Visas
Some passport holders require an E-Visa for entry to Turkey. Please check to see the requirements for your
nationality here: https://www.visasturkey.com/
Arrivals and Check-in
The Cruise Voucher that accompanies this pre-departure document contains the specific details for your meeting points, office location and contact details for the local check-in agency. Please print the Cruise Voucher off or save it to your phone/tablet. Our ground Representatives may wish to see it at check-in.
What is a gulet?
A gulet is a traditional wooden cruising vessel, which comes from the southwest coast of Turkey.
Similar boats can be found across the Mediterranean region. Gulets vary in length, height and breadth and it is believed that no two gulets are identical. They range in size from 14 to 35 metres and can sleep between 4 to 30 people. Our boats mostly sleep 16 to 18 people.
Most gulets are not rigged for sailing and use diesel engines instead. Our boats are ideal for cabin cruises as they have large sun decks, comfortable communal areas and a variety of cabin layouts.
Accommodation
Your cabin on our Classic Plus boat will have a private bathroom (shower and WC), and limited space to store your baggage. With the Classic Plus boat, we also include air-conditioning as part of the package. This can slightly vary on the timings but we work on 6/7 hours per day. Usually it is 8pm – midnight to cool the cabins and then 2-3 hours in the afternoon.
As cabin layouts are different on every boat, cabin types (doubles, triples, twins etc) cannot be guaranteed at time of booking. However, we always ensure couples share a private cabin (double or twin).
Double beds: While we do our best to provide double beds where possible, certain booking configurations can result in some couples receiving a cabin with twin beds. Even though we cannot guarantee double beds, we will prioritise those couples who request them in advance. Please email us at info@gosailturkey.com to request a double.
Important: It is important to remember that on these cruises most people favour sleeping on deck under the stars and hardly anybody sleeps in the cabins overnight at all. Bedding in the cabins can be used to sleep on the sunbed mattresses outside on the upper deck.
Covid-19
Please check for Covid entry requirements from your country: https://www.visasturkey.com/travel-and-entry-restrictions/
Many Covid-19 restrictions have been dropped in Turkey, although many remain in place that you should be aware of.
(1) Masks are no longer needed outdoors or in indoor settings with adequate circulation. You DO NOT need to wear a mask when on the boat.
(2) You may have your temperature measured at the airport as there are random checks.
(3) Cleaning. A stricter cleaning regime is in place on the boat and in cafes/bars/restaurants/toilets in Turkey.
The Crew
Our gulets come with 3-4 crew members on board: a captain, 1 or 2 deckhands and a chef. The captain is entirely responsible for the gulet and his passengers while at sea, and it is important you heed his advice at all times.
Our captains are all local to the area and have been cruising this region for most of their lives. They are there to help make your trip a special one!
Food
If you love food, you will love Turkey! Filling our bellies isn’t just a necessity on a Go Sail Turkey cruise – it’s an event! All your meals on board are made from fresh, locally-grown ingredients.
Breakfasts are traditional Turkish fare, which includes eggs, tomatoes, cucumber, cheeses, fresh bread, olives, spreads, fruit and often Turkish specialities such as sigara borek.
We serve vegetarian dishes for lunch with a mix of salads, vegetables, rice and pasta dishes.
For dinner there is a buffet spread with lots of salad and Turkish dishes. Each night a different type of meat is also served up including chicken, fish and kofte. Afternoon tea and biscuits are also provided.
IMPORTANT: if you have a diet that requires vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free food, we can cater for you! However, we MUST know in advance so please email Go Sail Turkey regarding your dietary requirements (if you haven’t already).
Please see our Magazine article on our site about food onboard here.
Drinks
Drinks (apart from afternoon tea/breakfast beverages) are not included. It is not allowed to bring your own drinks on board and you won’t need to as there is a stocked bar on board.
We try to keep prices the same as a typical bar on the mainland, which means prices are around 45-50 Turkish Lira (around 3 Euros) for an Efes beer (500ml) or glass of wine. IMPORTANT: Your cruise includes unlimited bottled drinking water so help yourself!
The Schedule
Cruising the Turkish coast is a fun way to explore this country. However, we should remind you that this is NOT a fully guided tour. There will be check-in information when you board your gulet and daily information presented on board to give you an outline of what you will see. Please feel free to read up on the destinations prior to your cruise.
Sometimes we may need to alter the schedule depending on sea/weather conditions. This will be at the Captain’s discretion. We cannot refund any monies if the schedule has to be altered due to such safety considerations.
What is included?
The following is included on your cruise:
– 3 nights’ accommodation on a traditional Turkish gulet
– Full-board (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches & 3 dinners)
– Afternoon tea/coffee
– Crew service, port fees and charges
– Unlimited bottled drinking water
– Use of onboard equipment such as snorkels and masks, board games, cards and floating devices.
What is not included?
The following is not included on your cruise:
– Drinks are not included – see above.
– No towels are included (beach or bath towels).
When laying on our sunbeds, we ask that you use a sarong or beach towel to protect them.
– Entrance fees to sites including Butterfly Valley, St Nicholas Island and Simena Castle. These can be paid in cash when you enter each site and will total around 40-50 Turkish Lira for all 3 sites (around 15 Euros).
– Optional activities such as paragliding and scuba diving.
– There is no wifi or internet access on board
– Visitor tax of 10 Euros per person (can be paid in Euros or Turkish Lira on day 1 check-in)
– Tips (Tipping is not compulsory but very welcome if you feel you have received good service. Tip amounts are totally up to you – as a guide approx. 40 Lira per crew member per day is fair for good service).
Optional Activities
On our cruises there are extra activities that we think will enhance your travel experience in Turkey. It is totally up to you whether you decide to participate in these activities.
The 2 main optional activities are paragliding (135 EURO) and scuba diving (50 EURO).
In high season it is advisable to book these activities in advance to secure your place.
You can book by emailing: info@gosailturkey.com
Full descriptions of excursions are here:
https://www.gosailturkey.com/excursions
What to Bring
As a general rule, please try to pack light! Space is limited on a gulet so where possible it is better to have backpacks and small cases, not 30kg suitcases. You will not need much on the cruise, here is a list of essentials:
-A pair of comfortable walking shoes and pair of thongs/jandals/flip-flops
-A couple of pairs of shorts, skirts, dresses
-A couple of t-shirts, singlets, vests
-A jumper for cooler nights in low season
-Swimsuit, hat and sunscreen
– Please pack your own towels (bath and beach towels)
– Toiletries, aspirin/paracetamol and seasickness tablets
– Conversion plug (Turkey uses European sockets)
If you are planning to visit any religious sites or mosques please bring something to cover your knees and shoulders.
Other things you could bring along are an mp3 player full of music to play through the boat’s sound system and a good book. Even though most of our gulets have a few snorkel/mask sets onboard, it might be a good idea to bring/buy your own if you are a keen snorkeller!
Electricity
Turkey uses the same plug as most European countries which is a two-pronged round pinned plug. On the boats, you are able to charge your belongings when the generator is on. This is at breakfast time, and around both afternoon tea and dinner time. There are plenty of sockets in the boat so everyone can be charging at the same time.
There is a hair-dryer in each cabin too!
IMPORTANT: Please do not use hair straighteners, blow dryers or any other appliance that cannot take less than 220V. Your appliance may get damaged if you do so.
Other things
A few extra things that you need to know:
– Please do NOT bring your own drinks on board.
– Please ensure you visit an ATM prior to boarding the boat. You will need to have enough money for entrance fees, ice creams, drinks in towns and any optional activities. You will also need to pay the bar tab at the end of your cruise in cash (Lira or Euro or mixture of both is fine).
-There is one ATM stop during your cruise in Kas (pronounced CASH, which makes it easy to remember!)
– We will email you 2 weeks prior to your cruise to get your passport details for the boat transit log as well as your pickup and drop off locations (only for 4-day cruises that start or finish in Olympos/Demre).
– Wi-Fi: Although there is no wi-fi onboard the boat, you can obtain Turkish sim cards or dongles from kiosks/tech shops in Turkey to get local coverage, which is usually decent.
Resolving Any Issues
We only wish to have happy customers on our cruises. Most problems can be resolved quickly and there is no reason to endure ongoing issues. However, unless we know about a problem, we cannot resolve it. We encourage you to communicate problems immediately and we have found most issues are often language or cultural issues. We have put together this step-by-step guide to the resolution process:
Step 1: Please communicate problems to the Captain and/or crew immediately so they are able to address them.
Step 2: If you feel the issue has not been resolved, you must inform the local Representatives in Turkey. They are responsible for resolving problems and will assist however they can.
Step 3: Sometimes it may not be possible to resolve a problem. However, we should be given every opportunity during your trip to do this for you. If you still wish to make a formal complaint this can be emailed to info@gosailturkey.com with information on the issue and the steps you took to resolve it.
In any critical situations please contact local Representatives (Alaturka) 24hr line or Go Sail Turkey UK emergency line listed below.
Step 3: Sometimes it may not be possible to resolve a problem. However, we should be given every opportunity during your trip to do this for you. If you still wish to make a formal complaint this can be emailed to info@gosailturkey.com with information on the issue and the steps you took to resolve it.
In any critical situations please contact local Representatives (Alaturka) 24hr line or Go Sail Turkey UK emergency line listed below.
Contact Lists
Local Representatives (Alaturka) Office: +90 252 612 5423
Local (Alaturka) 24hr line: +90 532 773 0916
UK Sales Office: +44 20 3290 3209
Go Sail Turkey UK Emergency line: +44 (0) 781 5164552
Trip Itinerary – East to West
The following is a guide to your itinerary for the 4 days. It is by no means definitive as it is dependent on weather conditions, although your Captain will strive to follow it as closely as possible:
Day 1: Olympos /Demre/ Ucagiz
to Gokkaya Bay
Transfer at 10am from Olympos. The transfer to Demre takes about 90mins, where there is another pick up at Demre bus station round 12pm. We board our gulet in Ucagiz just after midday and cruise to a bay for a swim, snorkel and lunch.
Next up is the fascinating Sunken City, a 2000 year-old ancient town which was destroyed by an earthquake. We cruise over this protected World Heritage site before crossing to Simena Castle for the climb to the top to take in the magnificent view over the bay.
Our overnight stop is in Gokkaya Bay or another bay nearby. In the evening, there is sometimes the option of taking the tender boat into Ucaygiz to spend a couple of hours in that coastal village.
Day 2:
Gokkaya Bay to Kas/Aquarium Bay/Kalkan
A nice, easy start to the day – breakfast in a nearby bay with the chance of a morning swim.
We then cruise to Kas, a fishing village with a charming harbour where we dock and disembark to explore the local boutiques, which specialise in handmade jewellery and clothes. We finish the day in Aquarium Bay – a breathtaking spot for swimming and snorkelling, followed by dinner. We will either spend the night in Aquarium Bay and sleep under the stars on deck, or overnight in Kalkan town, where you can enjoy the nightlife there.
Optional excursion: Scuba diving 50 EUROS (pre-book: info@gosailturkey.com)
Day 3: Kalkan to Butterfly Valley / St Nicholas Island
We head north in the morning, heading for Oludeniz and Butterfly Valley.
After breakfast we stay here for swimming and an optional hike up to the waterfall. Butterfly Valley is famous for being the home of over 130 different types of butterflies but they only appear in large numbers at certain times of the year so let’s hope we get lucky!
Afterwards, we head over to Oludinez, Europe’s most photographed beach and one of the best sites in the world to paraglide. In the evening, we anchor at St. Nicholas Island in time for a short hike up through the island’s ruins to witness the amazing sunset.
Another night under the stars anchored at St. Nicholas Island.
Optional excursion: Paragliding 135 EUROS (pre-book: info@gosailturkey.com)
Day 4: St. Nicholas Island to Fethiye
On our last day we enjoy breakfast at St.Nicholas Island and then cruise over to Tarzan Bay or Samanlik Bay for a swim and lunch.
We finally dock in Fethiye in the afternoon (around 1-2pm) with plenty of time for last-minute pics and farewells to your onboard family.
Whatever you are doing after your cruise, we wish you bon voyage and thank you for booking with Go Sail Turkey!
The Go Sail Turkey Team
OUR OTHER BRANDS
We also run Croatia sails – both 18-39s and mixed-age. We have 4 different routes, with 8-day, 5-day or 4-day options.
As a Go Sail Turkey customer, you get a 5% discount on any of our Croatia cruises. For more details: www.gocroatiasail.com
We also have skiing trips in Sarajevo’s Olympic mountains in Bosnia, which are only 45mins from Sarajevo.
Experience the slopes that were home to the 1984 Winter Olympics. We offer packages that focus on one mountain or a mixture of mountain and city break.
As a Go Sail Turkey customer, you receive a 5% discount on a ski trip. For more details: www.ski-sarajevo.com