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https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297972-d2072025-r281642576-Ephesus_Kusadasi_Guide-Kusadasi_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html#REVIEWS
Fantastic sights with the best guide imaginable! Reviewed June 20, 2015 Kusadasi was a stop which I didn't anticipate enjoying as much as I did. Ephesus was massive and there was so much history and so many interesting things to see. And visiting a carpet making cooperative and learning about Turkish rugs and enjoying authentic Turkish food was fantastic. The best part of the day was undoubtedly our guide, though. Tugrul was a remarkable source of information. He not only answered all our questions, but elaborated when he answered our questioned and told us things we didn't even know we didn't know. His English was better than most people I know in the States. He was constantly giving us little bits of information relating what we were seeing to the etymology of certain words which was fascinating to me. Going to Turkey, I certainly was not expecting to learn quite a bit about English, but Tugrul is that good! He helped us to determine an itinerary for the day that best suited the amount of time we had and was more than happy to adjust the schedule depending upon our energy level and other factors. Tugrul was remarkably engaging. Not once did it feel like he was regurgitating memorized information. Every piece of information he passed on to us felt like it had the utmost importance with the way he told it. He was also very enjoyable to talk to about current events in Turkey and the Mediterranean region and was able to switch from ancient events to current events instantly with the same passion for both. The tour was such a pleasant surprise on the trip. As the day was ending I grew sad because I did not want it to end. I strongly recommend Tugrul as your guide. I could not imagine a better guide.
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https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297972-d2072025-r280844740-Ephesus_Kusadasi_Guide-Kusadasi_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html#REVIEWS
Tugrul is sinmply the BEST Reviewed June 17, 2015 Tugrul gave our group of six a fantastic tour. He is extremely professional, konwledgable and communicates very well. We can all only recommend him for tours in Ephesus, Kusadasi and Izmir. Tugrul, you were the highlight of our whole vacation. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297972-d2072025-r280562428-Ephesus_Kusadasi_Guide-Kusadasi_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html#REVIEWS
One of our best guides anywhere! Reviewed June 16, 2015 Tugrul was an amazing guide for us. First and foremost he is incredibly knowledgeable well beyond what we expected. Yes, he knows about Ephesus, the buildings, etc but he insists on using precise terminology (about, for example, the so-called "amphitheater"); he knows about engineering (and would talk about how the Romans built their aquaducts); about Pythagorus and what he taught people; about the marble and the sargophagi; about the type of labor it took to build the place; the details about the books in the Library and what the inscriptions say...and on and on. He didn't dump the information on us: He revealed it in response to questions so we never felt as though he was just going through rote reporting. He was listening to our specific interests. Amazing. THEN he also understood my husband's walking limitations and planned the visit so it was easy going. Because of this we also had the place almost completely to ourselves until we got to the Library. His flexibility with the tour was perfect but he was oh so right about insisting that we get all the way to the Library. (He threatened to carry my husband, which would have been amusing to see since he is much larger than Tugrul). When we wanted to go to a rug place at the last minute he called and arranged that. Then he took us to a lovely uncrowded restaurant where we got terrific fresh seafood that they were willing to prepare without salt...again for my husband. Tugrul was open to discussions about contemporary Turkey, about the situation with Armenians, relations with Greece...He was open, informed, and passionate about his love for his country. He was fine with the fact that we disagreed about some things...all done with an open heart and mind. We learned a lot about ancient and modern Turkey. Oh...and his English is close to perfect and where it wasn't he loved getting feedback to make it even better. In sum, intelligent, knowledgeable, flexible, kind, open minded and eager to learn. What more can one get in a guide? He is now, I hope, a friend. |
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Tugrul Sokmen | Certified Tour Guide in Kusadasi, Ephesus Turkey
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