Dennis provided incredible historical context and then wrapped the experience
package with local and current color. He was very knowledgeable and allowed us
to customize our tour adding a wonderful local lunch and non-pressure visits to
both a pottery workshop and an innovative rug establishment. We visited young
women who were being given the opportunity to learn the ancient art of rug
making. With the education in both rug making and basic life skills along with a
provided loom they could return to their homes with skills they could use to
help support their families.

My family spent a day in Turkey during our Mediterranean cruise; We sailed into
Kusadasi and wanted to make the most of our limited time to explore the area.
Denizhan, whom I found based on his tripadvisor reviews, was a godsend. He and
his driver picked us up in Kusadasi and gave us a roughly 7 hour tour of the
area.

We were able to fit in the following:
- Awesome tour of
Ephesus
- Temple of Artemis
- Virgin Mary’s house
- Carpet weaving
presentation
- Ceramic making/painting presentation
- Lunch and tour of a
small, traditional Turkish village (* a highlight—we were the only tourists in
the village despite being on an extremely large cruise ship. We had an amazing
home cooked meal with local wine and fruit picked directly on the
property!)

By using Denizhan, we spent a lot less money than we would
have on a shore excursion through our cruise line (Royal Caribbean). We also had
a private car and driver. Also, our cruise line offered no excursion that
covered everything that we were able to see.

I highly recommend Denizhan
for his knowledge, value, and his wonderful demeanor. He was a wealth of
information and his English was perfect. He was incredibly accommodating and was
the perfect host for our family in Turkey—we were celebrating my parents’ 40th
wedding anniversary and it was a truly memorable experience. Thank you
Denizhan!!

Denizhan is a wonderful guide. Very knowledgeable about the history of the area
and goes above and beyond to ensure the tour is exactly what his clients want.
Most accommodating. I highly recommend Denizhan.

Well, we had the option of course of booking our Ephesus tour directly with the
ship, Splendour of the Seas. But the costs are high, and Ephesus isn't easy to
enjoy if you are in the middle of a group of 50 other tourists!
So, 11 of us
(3 sisters, their husbands, and 5 children) wanted something different. And with
a bit of research, we came across Ephesus Travel Guide. We were impressed with
their website, with their knowledge, and their flexibility. We emailed Denizhan
with our initial enquiry, and within 30 minutes, he replied. Another couple of
emails, and we agreed an itinerary (which did not include a visit to a carpet
factory!), and the booking was made. Sometimes it's a worry when making a
private booking, especially sending money, but Denizhan said we should only pay
after our tour. That was reassuring.
Our ship docked just after 9.00am on
Tuesday 28th May; we disembarked, and were met in the terminal by our guide, Mr.
Semih Tazegul, who led us to our Mercedes Mini Bus, just as discribed. And the
rest of the day went just as smoothly. The driver was excellent, and the tour
guide superb. Semih is a well qualified tour guide, with fantastic knowledge of
Archeology, the Bible, and of course Ephesus. He used his local knowledge to
guide us through, missing most of the crowds, and used his academic knowledge to
teach us and answer all our many questions.
Without doubt, Semih was the
best guide we have used. He was courteous, knowledgable, and helpful,
particularly when my wife fainted during the trip, as a result of the heat.

We would recommend both Samih and Ephesus Travel Guide, and would encourage
others to use their services.
Oh, and you will pay less than half the price
of the ship excursions! But you get much, much more.
Thank you Samih, and
thank you Denizhan.