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Don't miss an opportunity to tour Ephesus with Turgrul Reviewed October 26, 2015 Turgrul promptly met us at the dock at 7am with Mario and his comfortable Mercedes van. We did a driving tour of the area surrounding Ephesus while we waited for the gate to open at 8am. We were the first to enter and consequently had the entire venue to ourselves for most of our tour thanks to the walking route that Turgrul had planned. This was an extraordinary experience with a guide who quickly became our friend. His knowledge and 'big picture' outlook gave us a unique experience that related different cultures, religions and peoples. Turgrul had the experience to pull all of this together in a very entertaining way. It felt like he filled our day even though it was only a 4 hour tour....and it was worth every penny. This was definitely the highlight of our 2 weeks in Greece. Now, I had told my travel agent that absolutely NO rug shops should be on this tour prior to booking!! However, by the time we finished the amazing tour of Ephesus, we completely trusted Turgrul when he suggested we go to a place on the way back to view Turkish rugs. He stressed we were under no obligation and thought we would enjoy this weaving co-op because of our appreciation of history and culture. We agreed ...but I was skeptical. And boy, was I WRONG! This was like a 'living history' museum!! Zirve Rug is a co-op that appreciates women and their works of true art. Turgrul turned the tour over to a person who educated us on the co-op and it's mission. The 4 women demonstrated the spinning of the silk from the cocoons, then showed us their amazing weaving techniques. The men then offered us wine or Raki and proceeded to literally throw rugs around the room! This was to demonstrate the amazing color changes that occurred when the rug's position changed. We learned so much and gained so much respect for the women's skill and art. And there was NEVER any pressure whatsoever to buy anything. We felt like we had gained a new friend on this tour with Turgrul. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your visit to Kusadasi with a rewarding, educational and entertaining experience with Turgrul. He truly enjoys his job and takes a lot of pride in what he does.
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https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297972-d2072025-r315463936-Ephesus_Kusadasi_Guide-Kusadasi_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html#REVIEWS
FABULOUS DAY IN EPHESUS AND SIRINCE WITH TUGRUL!!!! Reviewed October 1, 2015 My husband and I had the perfect day with Tugrul! Our private tour began when he met us as we disembarked our cruise ship for a day of ruins in Ephesus and a visit to the village of Sirince. We have previously visited these sights with a different private tour company 18 months ago, and while we had a good day then, our experience with Tugrul was far superior. He is a warm, gentle soul with a wealth of information. He knows every little detail about Ephesus and his English is perfect, perfect, perfect! We is extremely gracious and his passion for sharing his country with us was crystal clear. He really wanted us to have a great day, and we did! One of the things that we really enjoy doing when we travel is to get a sense of daily life in the locale we are visiting. I had mentioned this to Tugrul in emails preparing for our tour, and he definitely delivered. When he walked with us through Sirince, he made sure that we had personal interactions with the people who lived there. We met a young woman baking bread in an outdoor oven. Tugrul purchased a loaf to take home to his wife, but he made sure that we sampled a taste first. The bread was divine! Then, we visited a restaurant, where we met the "best" chef in Sirince to see what was being prepared for the evening. Of course that came with a taste, too. Lastly, we met an elderly woman with the most expressive face and radiant blue eyes. She was lovely, and Tugrul engaged her in conversation in the kindest, sweetest way. By the end of our visit, we really felt like we experienced daily life with the locals. At the end of our tour, Tugrul returned us to the cruise ship, but in about 10 or 15 minutes, I realized that I had left my "favorite" hat in his car. I thought I'd never see it again. We called Tugrul to see if he was still nearby. Although he had traveled a distance from the ship already, he immediately turned around to bring my hat to me. Tugrul is a real gentleman, and HE is the reason that your day at Ephesus and Sirince was so magical. Thank you, Tugrul, for making magical memories for us! Don't miss out - book Tugrul for your tour in Kusadasi! You will be glad you did! |
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June 2017
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Tugrul Sokmen | Certified Tour Guide in Kusadasi, Ephesus Turkey
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