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Travellers' Comments about Syria & Jordan

Travellers' Comments about Turkey

Travellers' Comments from Timeless Tours' 2008 Gallipoli Tours

ANZAC Tour 2008
Tom. We have been home from our tour for 2 weeks now and we wish to let you know of how great the ANZAC tour was for us. Our tour group were very compatable and we got on extremely well. As you would know when a tour group gets on with each other it makes for a first class experience. I am not sure what superlatives could describe Will's knowledge on ANZAC history or that of his efforts in organisation of the tour, but anything that we could say would not go anywhere close enough. We wish to thank Will and our fellow tour members for such a memorable experience. Of course our son Greg and his wife Faye were the instigators of us being on the trip and except for a tummy bug for Greg in Istanbul they also had a wonderful tour. Their were many highlights but the standout for us, apart from the actual ceremony on ANZAC day, was our couple of hours at Shrapnel Valley. So serene there your could feel the peace of the place. So beautiful but also so sad. After ANZAC we toured Turkey then went over to the USA to New York then visited friends in Ottawa before heading home via Las Vegas and Honolulu. To have visited ANZAC Cove on ANZAC day is the fullfilment of something we have always wanted to do and thanks to you and your staff it is now a memorable experience. Once again many thanks....Alan & Eileen Jones.

Turkey Trip 2008 - including Gallipoli
Just back from our Turkey odyssey and had to let you know it was GREAT!!!!!
Will was just fantastic as our tour leader at Gallipoli and made sure everything ran smoothly - he knows so much about the campaign that although I thought I was well informed about Anzac he taught me facts I didn't know - brilliant.
Your accommodation choices for us were outstanding - each one so different but so interesting.
Your general driving guidelines were most helpful.
All told it was a most memorable holiday, and if any of our friends or rel's every indicate they want to go to Turkey we will certainly tell them there is only one way to go --- with Timeless.
Best regards, Peter Lomax & Di Burt

Gallipoli Tour 2008
We are writing to congratulate Timeless on the quality of the recent tour we undertook to Gallipoli for the 2008 Anzac ceremonies.  It was a more in-depth tour than we had ever imagined that gave us a far better understanding of the tragic events that occurred there in 1915.  The small group enables to access areas that other larger groups could not (we know this first hand from friends who were on a large 45 person tour this year).  The success of the tour was significantly due to the passion and depth of knowledge demonstrated by Will Willis.  He gave us a great insight into the events at Gallipoli not only by taking us to the many sites, but also through his in depth commentary throughout the tour.  Importantly, his commentary was very balanced and delivered without the heavy military flavour one might expect.  Further, he could not do enough to assist all members of the group feel comfortable within their individual physical limitations, ensuring that each person gained the maximum benefit from the tour.
We will have no hesitation in recommending future tours to friends and colleagues.
Regards, Julie and David Bell

Travellers' Comments about Hamit Ozturk's Boutique Turkey Tours 2007

Thankyou
Hello Hamit and Tom, 
Now that I have been home for over 3 weeks, and getting slowly oriented again after 5 to 6 weeks of travel, I would like to thank you both for your part in my great travel experience. We had some wild, stormy weather, with flooding, in Newcastle the weekend before I arrived home, but fortunately my home escaped the consequences.
Hamit, how good is your “Grand Sultan” tour? I really enjoyed the experience. I have thought about highlights and a few are as follows:
       -all the places, people and experiences in Istanbul, including the Bosphorus cruise;
       -Gallipoli;
       -all the historical sites and places in Turkey – specially Ephesus;
       -restored Ottoman caravanserai hotel in Kusadasi;
       -a couple of swims in the Mediterranean Sea;        
       -Cappodocia – landforms, cave dwellings and underground cities, the cave hotel, balloon flight;
       -an understanding of Turkish history and nation;
       -rural scenes/ traditional country people;
       -the tour group in the minibus and how well we got on together.
Tom, thank you and the people at Timeless Tours and Travel for your part in my travel experience. As well as the tour of Turkey, and flying Turkish Airlines, I enjoyed the experience of London, the UK and Ireland. All went very well. The County Hotel in London was quite good – I had no problems with the community toilet/ bathroom experience, and the hotel is at a good location. The tour director on the Trafalgar tour was excellent with a lot of experience and historical knowledge, as well as a good sense of humour. For an Australian, there is a lot of history in the UK and Ireland, as well as in Turkey! I also enjoyed the Bangkok experience, and thank you for your contribution in this regard.
Thanks, Hamit and Tom!
Kind regards, Bob Cherry

Feedback re Ozturk Turkey Tour
The tour was everything they said and more. The accommodation was, wherever possible, in the old parts of the cities and quite charming. All very high standard. We stayed in a caravanserai in one place, and in a cave (a 4 star cave) in another. The organiser had gone to a lot of trouble to arrange for meals in unusual and also charming places. The organisation was also very generous - we went for a boat trip down the Bosphorus and we had a boat big enough for a hundred people all to ourselves. We followed the coast for quite a lot of the trip, which meant spectacular water views. One of the major highlights is the balloon trip - must go with Cappadocia Balloons though. That was an experience I will never forget - absolutely wonderful. Most other balloons sort of went up and then eventually came down - our firm's balloons went up and d! own like yo-yos. I didn't know you could do things like that with a balloon and wow! was it fun! Great value for money.
I think that anyone wanting to do a comfortable, entertaining, well-organised tour of Turkey would do well to consider Ozturk.
Susan and Sal

Ozturk 17 Day Tour in Turkey
I want to let you know that the tour was first class, only 10 people plus Hamit and a local guide and a driver. We travelled comfortably in a small coach and stayed in small hotels off the tourist track for most of the nights. All of our lunches and dinners were lovely and some quite spectacular. I guess by now you will guess that I thought the trip was beaut - and you are right. I can heartily recommend it for anyone looking for something just a little different. The country and its people are great. We never felt uncomfortable or threatened.
Regards, Graeme Robin

Travellers' Comments about Syria

Syria - 2007
You have been a wonderful guide for us in Syria ... our visit has been far too short to see and appreciate everything!
Lawson Lobb and Jill Harris

Travels - 2005
Dear Tom,
Just to let you know that our travels have been going very well - thanks to your excellent arrangements ...
We really loved Syria - quite a unique place - the souks of Old Damascus and Aleppo were amazing.
Arrangements in Turkey have also worked splendidly ...
Car arrangements have also worked well - the car from Avis Adana got us up to Mt Nemrut with no trouble!
Best regards,
Rod and Jane

Travellers' Comments from Timeless Tours' 2006 Gallipoli Tours

Gallipoli 2005
I would like to tell how much we enjoyed the whole trip. Your choice of hotels in Istanbul, the Accura and the Richmond were good choices - close to the sights and to the 'feel' of Istanbul. 
The tour of the battlefields and ANZAC DAY itself were well conduct and well organised.
Thank you very much, Anthony and Ros Fairbrother

Sent to Alan Jones 2GB:
Dear Alan,
I have just returned from a trip with my family to Gallipoli for four days including Anzac Day followed by a trip around The Somme battle fields in France visiting the Australian sites and cemetries.
I have tried to instill in my children the heritage of our great country and the debt we owe to so many who have fought for us, especially the fallen.
I have taken my son to every Anzac Day march since he was three and the welcome home march for the Vietnam Veterans. As he is now eighteen I decided the time was right to take him, my sixteen year old daughter and my wife to Gallipoli.
We travelled around the Gallipoli Peninsula with our tour leader, who is a Vietnam Veteran and a Historian and who has now completed seven of these tours. He has a vast knowledge of the Gallipoli Campaign and Turkish History. For four days we travelled to Anzac Cove, Shrapnel Valley, Lone Pine, Johnston's Jolly, Quinns Post, The Neck, Suvla Bay, and Cape Helles.
Whilst I was in France I heard that back in Australia there was a lot of flack directed at young people because of rubbish left at the Dawn Service and that some were laying amongst the graves at the Lone Pine Ceremony. Some Australians just have to be knockers and some in the media are prime examples. There was no fault with the young people and there was minimal damage by the road widening at Anzac Cove, our guide said it has been done in a very sensitive way. What appeared to be massive damage on the television screen is actually the natural terrain.
As you have always supported young Australians I would like to put a view to you from someone who was there, rather than that portrayed through a television camera.
There were over six hundred buses end to end on the entry road to Anzac Cove for the Dawn Service, a line over six kilometres long. My family was on bus No.60 and it took us about fifteen minutes to walk to the site, you can only guess how long it took from bus No.600. We arrived at 10PM the night before and there were already young Australians there who had hiked how many kilometres from neighbouring towns into the site, after back packing across Europe.
During the night I was the coldest I have been in my life, the cold went through to your bones and you could not stop shivering. It certainly drove home the conditions of our diggers coming ashore wet, with pack, rifle and shovel, and under fire. There were twenty thousand of us there over night, of all ages, and there was not one case of bad behavior.
I was just so proud of our young people in the reverence and respect they observed during the service.
We then walked in a long orderly column up the long steep hill to Lone Pine on Second Ridge. Most Australians do not realise and would not believe how far our boys got to over such difficult terrain. This column contained Aussies of all ages, some, like a 78 year old lady with our group, stopping occassionaly for a breather, but all carried to the top with the emotion, all with no sleep.
The ceremony at Lone Pine is a completely different atmosphere, just as the Dawn Service and the March are in Sydney. There would have been at least twelve thousand at Lone Pine.
At both Anzac Cove and Lone Pine my family was lucky to get seats in the stands. At both sites the young people were packed in where ever they could find a space.
I was immensely proud of the reception they gave Mr.Howard, the obvious warmth of these young Australians as they mobbed their Prime Minister and insisted he do a circuit of the site to meet them all was outstanding.
When the Veterans sitting in the stands were called up to sit up the front with the dignitaries, the support they received from these young people was reflected in their faces as they walked forward, they were absolutely amazed and overwhelmed. One eighty year old plus digger kept going, like he was walking on clouds, right up to very front where Mr.Howard insisted he stay. I am a grown man and I have to admit I had a tears in my eyes. These old soldiers will remember that moment to their last days, not for shaking the hand of the Prime Minister or Prince Charles, but the overwhelming respect they received from these young Australians.
When we were leaving Lone Pine I turned to the other members of our tour and said I am just so proud of the young people of our country.
The criticism of the rubbish at Anzac Cove is unjust, there were only a few rubbish bins, not nearly enough for twenty thousand. The arm chair critics who were not there do not realise that the War Graves Commission employs the Turkish people to erect and dismantle the stands and clean up the sites, in a country of high unemployment.
Lone Pine was the site of the hardest and costliest fighting for the Aussies in the campaign, between the 6th and 9th August 1915 in 3 days and nights of fighting, there were 2000 Australian casualties and 7000 Turkish casualties. In 1918 a British visitor observed you could still see evidence of the bloodshed.
I honestly believe that a young digger laying in that hallowed ground would feel comfort in a young Australian wrapped in our flag laying next to him.
There was no disrespect, there was only the utmost respect. Australia should be proud of these young people who are the same age and are made of the same character as the boys they were there to honour.
Alan, I realise that this is too long for you to read, but I had to get it off my chest, and you understand young people.
Thank You,
Yours sincerely,
Warren Baker.
Timeless 5 day Anzac Day Program 2005

Thanks
Hi Will.... I would firstly like to thank you once again on behalf of Helen, James, Victoria and myself, for making our Gallipoli experience so special.... I am absolutely convinced that the trip to Gallipoli and Turkey would have been wasted for the most part if we had not had your knowledge and experience. Your affability, demeanour and sense of humour are a credit to you, as is the group of diverse individuals you managed to blend into such a harmonious whole....
Thanks mate, Warren, Helen, James and Victoria Baker.

Thankyou for our Tour of Gallipoli
Just thought I say a huge thankyou for such a wonderful trip. It met all expectations and more. The country was fascinating, the scenery spectacular and the guides and people of Turkey were so welcoming and friendly. Our guides Jasmine and Chris were so knowledgeable and we had a ball with them.
We'd definately recommend this trip to anyone asking and have already convinced a few friends they should check it out.
Once again thankyou so much. We have some fantatstic memories.
Many Thanks
Noeline Boland

Anzac Day 2005
We had a fantastic time in Gallipoli, much of it due to your expertise and planning. We actually met another couple in France (who we spent a week with - small world) that were in Gallipoli at the same time as our tour group, but they missed the Lone Pine Service as their Turkish tour guide told them to wait for the bus to take them to it. Kirsten and Duncan Bryce

Travellers' Comments about Turkey

Cappadocia - 2004
Tom,
Have just returned from Turkey and just wanted to thank you for organising our trip to Cappadocia.
We loved every minute and everything worked like clockwork, from the pick up at Kayseri to the flight from Ankara to Istanbul. Ali, our guide was excellent with a wonderful knowledge of the history of the area and comparative religions. The Museum Hotel was a great experience and quite beautiful having dinner on the terrace overlooking the Valley and the town of Goreme. We also did some wonderful walks from the hotel into the township. Omar is a gracious host.
Finally, the hot air Balloon trip with Cappadocia Balloons was an experience never to be forgotten. We were lucky enough to have a German film crew on our flight with a guest anthopologist who had been living and working in Goreme for 20 years so his intimate knowledge of the area was a bonus.
Lars, Omar and Ali say "Hello" and if you are in touch please thank each one of them.I would have no hesitation in recommending both Timeless Tours and Matiana Travel.
Following the trip to Ankara we spent two days in Istanbul (one of my all time favorite cities) and then flew to Gocek to pick up the boat. Then there were two glorious weeks of wonderful weather sailing from Gocek to Finneke and back.
Our last trip to Turkey was 10 years ago and we were very impressed with the progress made but still the people are friendly and delightful. Not yet touristed out! It's a great country. Karen and Peter Wilson.

Gallipoli ANZAC Tours
Just a note to say how wonderful the Gallipoli trip was, we really enjoyed it and it was all down to our fabulous tour leader Will. I've been on a number of tours throughout the years and he was by far the best leader ever. Thanks for a great time - we will definitely be recommending Timeless Tours and their Gallipoli trip.
Kymberly Clifton

Travellers' Comments from Timeless Tours' 2003 Gallipoli Tours

Gallipoli
Traipsing around the (Gallipoli) Peninsula was by far my favourite component of our five week Europe trip. I loved every minute of it.
If the next tour has half as much fun as we had on the trip then they will see it as a trip well spent. Shaun Butler

ANZAC Tour
I took part in your recent tour, the only Kiwi in the group. What a wonderful experience. Will Willis is truly remarkable, so dedicated, enthusiastic and always helpful. And this year of course we had the added bonus of Harvey Broadbent. And I mustn't forget the young local Turkish guide who was excellent, and quite beautiful too!
If you have wondered if improvements could be made, I certainly can't think of any. I will recommend the trip to anyone, and will always look back on my adventure with great pleasure.
[I am a 2nd generation Anzac. My father survived Gallipoli and went on to endure and survive the Western Front]. Michael Broad, Dunedin, New Zealand.

ANZAC DAY 2003 AT GALLIPOLI
The safe and satisfying Gallipoli tour provided by your company last month deserves the highest commendation. Your itinerary has a good balance of travel, accommodation and informed commentary. Will's personal identification with the tour party and his insightful explanations of the Gallipoli campaign were absolutely splendid. My wife and I felt your product was excellent value for money and have recommended it highly to our booking agent here in Melbourne. Please forward this greeting on to Will with our warmest thanks. Doug and Bev Davis.

ANZAC 03
Although it has taken me a good four months to get back to you I would like to take the opportunity to thank you for your assistance in helping me organise my trip through Turkey in April.
I had a great time with the highlight being the ANZAC tour conducted by Timeless. The insight that the four days gave me into a part of my Australian history was unbelievable. Although I knew a little about the history of the ANZACs it was not until I spent the four days with Will and the guy who was writing the book (whose name escapes me) that I truly appreciated what went on there, how it all came about and how it all ended up, truly a great experience. The ANAZC ceremonies themselves were fantastic and made all the better by the great group we had on the tour. It was fantastic how well we all got along with each other, something not always experienced with other tours, and attributed to the way it was lead and conducted. Will's ability to interact with everyone was fantastic. Jon Brennan.