Testimonials
ordered by feedback arrival date...
Dear Ozgur,
My husband and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Istanbul. I wanted to write and commend you on your tour guide, Eren Bolek, who provided us with an excelent introduction to Istanbul. Eren was very knowledgeable, personable, and a perfectt tour guide. We enjoyed our entire tour with him, learned a lot, and look forward to returning to your beautiful city.
Thank you for your well-planned tour and for Eren!
Sincerely,
esta[@-sign]wccnet.edu
(December 2011)
We had two amazing days touring around with Eran. I can\'t imagine having a more in depth, fun time with anyone else. I would highly recommend City of Sultans Tour Company to anyone coming to Istanbul for the first time. You will get a personal, private tour of everything the city has to offer. Thank you Eran for showing us such a great time in Istanbul! Can\'t wait to come back with the kids!
lkarimpil[@-sign]gmail.com
(November 2011)
Thank you. We enjoyed our tours with your company. We really liked the guide that we had for the 2 days in Istanbul. He did a fabulous job.
Sincerely,
tt3[@-sign]twcny.rr.com
(October 2011)
Thank you for a wonderful tour of your beautiful city. Our guide was very good. She was knowledgeable and very helpful. We really enjoyed our time in Istanbul. We will definitely recommend your agency to friends and relatives.
Thank you again
sdvashi[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2011)
A big salute to a very efficient and excellent staff City of Sultans Tours ever has. It was a big privilege choosing you to tour Istanbul and to see so many interesting places and to experience Turkish culture in such a short 3 days. The itinerary was so tailored and very well organized from the time we arrived Istanbul. Though our flight was delayed for over an hour, we were met by a very patient and reassuring COS tour professional, Charlie (hope I spell your name right) who brought us to a centrally located nice hotel at the old city of Istanbul. The actual tours itself was beyond belief. To our tour professional, Eren, a million thank you\'s. You made our visit to Istanbul memorable, enjoyable, worthwhile, and very personalized - really fit for a Sultan. You made us feel like Royalty by doing beyond what was not included in the tour. Thank you so much for everything.
Fred and Vicky Mayuman, Houston, TX
Dora Rizarri, Houston, TX
Monina Jafarpour, Houston, TX
Maria M. Allen, Burpengary, Australia
alfredmayuman[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2011)
Dear Mr. Ates,
In September 2010, I have 5 passengers/clients interested for a private tour of Istanbul. Using TripAdvisor’s website, I found great reviews for City of Sultans (COS). So, I booked them with COS. The COS feedback from my clients was very positive, i.e. tours, hotel, and dining were all high standard. I emailed and contacted Ozgur about the amazing experience of my clients. I told him that when I go to Turkey, I would definitely book with COS.
Well, in October 2011, my group of 67 passengers recently returned from a cruise on RCCL Vision of the Seas, 10 Nights Holy Land Cruise, and visited Turkey (Istanbul and Kusadasi), Israel (Haifa and Ashdod), and Athens, Greece. For Turkey tours, I contacted Ozgur long before we went on our cruise. Whenever I have questions, he immediately emailed or call me back, like Turkey visa information, pre Istanbul packages, etc. He was extremely knowledgeable. With Ozgur, we booked all my group’s transfers, 3 days tour of Istanbul, a day tour of Ephesus, and Pre Istanbul packages for 4 couples.
When we arrived into Istanbul, our tour guides were prompt and escorted us to the two (2) air-conditioned buses. For the 3 days Istanbul tour, COS took us to the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Hippodrome, Spice Market, Grand Bazaar, leather factory, rug company (not hard sell and no pressure), and Topkapi Palace. FYI, on our 2nd day of Istanbul tour, Ozgur was in the first bus (my bus) as the tour guide – an EXCELLENT tour guide.
For the Ephesus tour, COS outsource it to a company and we were not disappointed. My group enjoyed the Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey port. It was a full day tour that included House of Virgin Mary, Ephesus, pottery, and Turkish delights/nuts factories.
I HIGHLY recommend City of Sultans for all your Turkey travels. Kudos to Ozgur and his team! Everything was organized and made Turkey a fascinating country to explore - a trip of a lifetime!
THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!
Best regards,
jngcabarlo[@-sign]verizon.net
(October 2011)
Dear Ozgur ATES
Please accept my belated thanks for everything you and your staff have done for me. I have brought back home a lot of wonderful memories of Istanbul and Cappadocia. I am still putting in order all the photos and video clips that I took with my digital camera. More than 2,000 photos/video clips combined. Without your assistance, I would not have been able to visit all the places I wanted to visit and to see almost all that I wanted to see during my limited time of stay there.
I am well aware that you are extremely busy person, some time taking care of (a little bit too demanding) customers like me. I hope that when you reach my age, say over 65 years old, you will find time to travel to whatever countries you may dream to visit. I sincerely hope that Japan will be one of them.
May I wish you best of luck in your career!
Warm regards
tmorizuka[@-sign]gmail.com
(September 2011)
Mr. Ates:
I want to thank you for the excellent tours I had with your company while in Istanbul October 8-11, 2011. On the day I arrived the weather was beautiful but the forecast for the following days was calling for rain. Without me even inquiring, you proposed that I start my tour on that day with a small group. This must have created extra logistical problems and expense for you and your team but you made it work. This was very much appreciated and I had a great tour. Eren was my tour guide for two days. He was very knowledgable, professional, courteous, cheerful, friendly, on-time, helpful, funny and more - he was great. It must be encouraging for you to know that Eren is such a harding working member your team and a good ambassador for your company. For example, when he heard that I had a room in the basement of the Ayasultan and had to ask that someone tappapers on the windows so people could not look down into my room, Eren made a call to see if they could change my room. He is always working to accommodate his clients and although my basement room was comfortable my reassigned room, thanks to him, on the fourth floor is very nice. I want to thank you, your team and especially Eren for making this a wonder stay in Istanbul. I will be posting something on trip advisor letting others know about my great experience and passing your companies name to my friends and professional colleagues.
Captain Denis Brunelle
Civil Aviation Inspector
Transport Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
dbrunelle[@-sign]rogers.com
(October 2011)
Dear Ozgur
Simon and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jem for the fabulous personal guided tour we had in Istanbul on 19 September. Although the tour was only for 3 and a half hours as we were only actually in Istanbul for a short time Jem made it a most memorable visit. He was so incredibly accomodating and showed us all the wonderful sights that we wanted to see and was really knowledgeble. He then left us in the care of the driver who delivered us to the airport in time for our flight. This was the last port of call on our 13 day cruise and the whole experience in Istabul was definitely the highlight of our holiday. We hope to come to Istambul again soon and will most most certainly use City of Sultans and have already recommended them to our friends.
swhcampbell[@-sign]btinternet.com
(September 2011)
Hi,
I want to thank you for the wonderful tour of Istanbul that we experienced. Everything was really wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Istanbul. We particularly enjoyed our tour guide "Isay", not sure of the spelling. I would like to contact her or have her contact me. She gave me her email and I misplaced it. Could you please either give me her email or give mine to her and have her get in touch with me?
We will certainly recommend your services to anyone we know of visiting Turkey. We have traveled extensively and feel that Istanbul is certainly one of the most special destinations we have ever visited.
Looking forward to getting in touch with our tour guide one way or another.
Thank you,
TBSegal[@-sign]aol.com
(September 2011)
City of Sultans and Eren
Thank you for a memorable trip to Istanbul, it was a wonderful and enlightening experience. Full of beautiful sights and great food. The tour was especially grand and Eren\'s, our tour director, expertise in history and the local lore was the best. Thank you again and will be sure to return to Istanbul and ask for Eren.
What a wonderful city you have
patz.908[@-sign]comcast.net
(September 2011)
Ozgur:
We just got home last night from our trip to Turkey. We had a WONDERFUL time. What a beautiful country you live in!!!! The historical sites are so interesting, the scenery so lovely, the food so delicious and the people so warm and friendly. Thank you for putting our trip together for us. We would recommend your services without a doubt. An extra thank you for the upgrade to the Yunak Elvevi hotel in Ugrup. It was great -- we felt so lucky to be staying in such a beautiful hotel. The staff there are really exceptional; the facilities were so comfortable and charming. I hope you are well and having a good week.
prvbettencourt[@-sign]gmail.com
(September 2011)
Thanks for making our trip to Turkey so FABULOUS!! We appreciated your being so efficient & a pleasure to work with
janicebarb[@-sign]gmail.com
(September 2011)
Good evening, Ozgur,
I just wanted to thank you for a well planned and enjoyable tour of your wonderful country and especially for all your courtesy extended to me during my holiday.
I am not sure if the survey form that I filled out and gave to Burcur has reached you. In case it has not, I wanted to let you know what a wonderful tour guide Burcur is and the driver. What a gentlemen he is and extremely patient too!!!! He is an excellent driver, not for one second I was and even the rest of the tour group concerned as to his driving behavior. He saw to it that if I was eating a peach, without asking, he would bring me extra napkins. I cannot say enough about this \"gem\" of a person. And I am not the only one in our group that did not feel the same towards him. Burcur is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge which was thoroughly enjoyed by all of us. We felt that she went beyond the \"usual\" tourist guide information as to a place.
Congratulations on having these two wonderful people on your team. I hope that when I return (which I am already planning!!!!) I have the pleasure again of being guided by Burcur and driven around by the driver. Unfortunately, I did not catch his name at all. My apologies.
sashabella44[@-sign]gmail.com
(September 2011)
Dear Ozgur,
All three people were very helpful, and had many good qualities.
Eren was clearly the best of the group, and we see why you have him as your chief guide! He tells stories well and with great enthusiasm, his English is excellent, and he is familiar with many different areas of the city. We truly appreciated his excellent introduction to the connections between historical Turkey and modern life here, and his willingness to share observations and opinions, which were very educational. He was great with both adults and teens. Even more important, he is determined to help clients have a pleasant stay, and he is amazing in his ability to avoid lines and waiting time. He is very reassuring in his ability to demonstrate competence and organization in a city which is new and confusing to travellers. He was also generous and gracious with help on various travel-related issues. He is in general very resourceful and an excellent person to travel with. (...) His introduction to the city made us feel very comfortable for the following days we were here, and we are so glad he was the first person we got to know here.
Aysenur was very pleasant in her manner. (...) We also appreciated her generously sharing her knowledge of current life in Turkey.
Gulkan (do I have the spelling right?) was extremely flexible, friendly, and understanding. We enjoyed working with him and wish him all success as his English and experience continue to develop.
Overall we are very happy to have worked with City of Sultans and would recommend it gladly to our friends. We are happy to provide any additional information that may be helpful to you.
Sincerely,
tom[@-sign]halcyonllc.com
(August 2011)
Hello Ozgur,
We just finished our 2 day tour of Istanbul with Eren. Eren was amazing and we could not have asked for a better tour guide. He was very knowledable, friendly, patient plus great with our four children. Eren made our stay in Istanbul a perfect 10!! We truly enjoyed our tour and will recommend City of Sultans and Eren to any of our friends who plan to visit Istanbul.
Best Regards,
rdgellis[@-sign]me.com
(August 2011)
We have returned from our trip and just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful vacation in Turkey. Thank you for all your help and everything was well planned.
Hope to be able to return some day. Thanks.
sudarshandaniel[@-sign]hotmail.com
(July 2011)
Hello Ozgur,
How are you? Michael and I are having a lovely time in istanbul. It's been incredibly adventurous and we never thought we'd enjoy istanbul this much. Although were excited for our boat trip coming up tomorrow we wish we had more time here in Istanbul.
I wanted to let you know that Eren Bolek was tremendous. Were just sad that he won't be with us today. Eren was not only a tour guide but also became a friend. At first I was unsure about whether we wanted a tour guide as Michael and I usually like exploring cities on our own. But after our day with Eren I'm extremely delighted that we had him at our disposal. Eren was a great help with communicating with locals. At the bazaar, we had difficulty understanding the locals as some didn't speak much English. It was fantastic to have him translate and negotiate prices for us. He was incredibly patient as it took me awhile in each store at the bazaar. We had lots of laughs throughout the day. Lunch was like hanging out with a good friend versus that of a tour guide.
It was great to have Eren with us inside the blue mosque, hagia Sophia. He was able to give us more information than what we would have received in a large group tour. The tours felt intimate and Eren was able to answer all the questions we had about history, politics, current economy in turkey. We had a lot to talk about, only because Eren was friendly and genuinely wanted to know more about us. I think it was even a treat that we were relatively in the same age group. That is one thing that I was concerned about when booking a tour guide, as I have previously been in Egypt and the tour guides were catered more to the 'older' generation.
We would highly recommend Eren to our friends and family. We had a fantastic time with him yesterday and once again sad to know that we won't be with him today. The tour guide today will have big shoes to fill and will need to meet our highest expectations after spending the day with Eren yesterday.
Please thank Eren once again for his hospitality!
deliatan[@-sign]hotmail.com
(July 2011)
Hello Eren!
I really enjoyed the time I got to spend in your wonderful country. I wish I\'d had a bit more time there but isn't that always the case? I'm sorry I didn't call you when I got back into Istanbul but I got my days confused and it was Saturday when I got back, not Friday. But I can at least keep my promise to send you an email.
Thanks again for the great tour of the places we went to in Istanbul, it was a great way to start my trip. I had a really good time, saw a lot of beautiful sites, met some very nice people, and everywhere I went I had a really good guide (yourself included). I have already been recommending to people to go to Turkey, and will also recommend City of Sultans tour company. Now I have to start saving for my next trip wherever and whenever that will be!
Take care,
mybusco[@-sign]hotmail.com
(June 2011)
Dear Ozgur: Just want to thank you for the whole trip. We have the great time and also really like Turkey. We are going back to Turkey and visit some other good places in the future. Please keep contact and we will refer your company to my ralatives and friends.
Thanks!
ieruwang[@-sign]gmail.com
(May 2011)
Dear Ozgur,
Just wanted to tell you how wonderful your company was with our Istanbul tour. Your guides were very knowledgeable, the hotel clean and very comfortable as well as a great location, everything went very smoothly and we had a wonderful and very interesting tour. We would highly recomend your company to others. Thank you for all that you did to make our Turkey trip GREAT!!!! Hope to visit again one day.
Kind regards,
billstephl[@-sign]yahoo.com
(May 2011)
Greetings, Ozgur.
I should like to take this time to thank you and the CoS team for arranging such a fantastic tour of your beautiful country! We had an absolutely fantastic time, and have to come to hold a much deeper appreciation, and admiration, for Turkey. The Old City tour with Hal was most informative, well-paced and enjoyable. We especially appreciated his knowledge and insight into the things we saw and experienced. The 'Treasures' tour through Anatolia and along the West Coast with Polat (and our awesome driver, Burc!) was most excellent. Polat did an awesome job of keeping our small group moving through the many sites and wonders at a pace that allowed us to take everything in but at the same time linger a bit to absorb our surroundings. Polat's depth of knowledge and great sense of humour was appreciated by us all. We were sorry to lose him at the tail end of the trip as we felt we'd made a good friend in him. A great big thank to both tour guides and to the driver - they afforded us some great, great experiences and memories.
I would also like to say thanks, Ozgur, for aiding in arranging the Blue Cruise with Barbaros Yachting. We joined the Ugur Kaan, captained by Turgut Kaya, with hand Mehmet and Dursan and we had a blast with a great mix of folks from Australia, USA, Germany and Turkey joining us - a true global mix! That time on the Mediterranean was a perfect cap to the land tour. Of course, we now have a special place in our hearts for Istanbul - was a glorious city!
And, finally, a special thank you to you, Ozgur, for your adept and professional touch in organizing our time away... and for putting up with my myriad questions before arriving! I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you and will have no qualms in highly recommending your services and expertise to all friends and family interested in traveling to Turkey. After hearing about our recent adventures, I have more than a few friends who are now seriously considering their own journey to Turkey. When they wish to travel, I will make sure they contact you. You gave us 5-star service throughout and we thank you. Should any of your prospective clients wish to query a former client directly, do not hesitate to provide them my name/email... I'd be happy to dialogue with them!
I have attached a few pics of our time with your team, and of your lands, and also wanted to let you know I have posted a review on Tripadvisor.com as well - it should be posted by tomorrow. I wish you many great, good successes in your endeavours and may CoS prosper and grow (serefe!) -- keep up the great work!
Warmest regards,
cazthomas[@-sign]gmail.com
(June 2011)
Attn: Ozgur Ates
I should like to report that we have been very pleased with the two tours you organized for us. The tour guides have been very professional and the transportation first class. We will certainly recommend you to our friends who may travel to Turkey.
Sincerely,
travelcompanions2003[@-sign]yahoo.ca
(May 2011)
We would like to thank City of Sultans, Eren and Ozgur for a wonderful experience on our tours of Istanbul. Thanks to Eren's experience and advise our time in Istanbul was made both informative and enjoyable.We would like to return to Turkey and would definitely use their services again.
robert.frank[@-sign]att.net
(May 2011)
Our tour of Istanbul was top notch. The representatives were there at prescribed time, did everything as your company described, and made it a very memorable day. Our tour guide, Bulent, was exceptional. His knowledge of Turkish history and his command of English made the tour so special. You are fortunate to have a person with his skills. I will certainly recommend your company to anyone touring Turkey.
lkulick11[@-sign]verizon.net
(May 2011)
Hi Ozgur, I will make sure to recommend your services, I actually did already to someone planning to Turkey in the fall. (...)
thanks
cecilia.lacombe.kuhn[@-sign]gmail.com
(March 2011)
Hi Ozgur,
We got home about a week ago from Switzerland where my husband\'s family is. I had planned to send you a note, but I\'m glad you contacted me. We had a great trip and we were very happy with your service. We certainly appreciated having Eren as our guide in Istanbul. He is very charming and helpful. It was like seeing Istanbul as with a friend and we certainly were surprised that we\'d be seeing Istanbul only with Eren and no one else, which was just great! Thank you! (...)
Take care and we certainly will recommend you to others!
wegli[@-sign]xplornet.com
(April 2011)
Ozgur, we rate the tour and your professionalism as exemplary. Our guides, Erin and Ozkan were extraordinary in their knowledge and their service. The hotels that were provided were the best available in all cases. I would rate the rooms and facilities in Cappadocia and Brodrum as 5 star. We were very pleased with your choices, the van were luxurious and the drivers were excellent. Janis and I and the Eskinds could not have been more pleased with your service. We rate the trip with Sultan City a 10 out of 10. Please keep in touch. Erin says that you and him will becoming to the US in November or December and you are welcome to stay with Janis and me if you come to Los Angeles. Tell Erin we say hello and thank you for getting Ozkan as our guide outside of Istanbul ( he was fantastic ).
russellcarslan[@-sign]gmail.com
(April 2011)
The tour was one of the best we have ever taken. We have recommended you to many of our friends and colleagues.
Thank you.
masoofi2002[@-sign]yahoo.com
(March 2011)
Dear Ozgur,
I will definitely let others know of our terrific experience with you and your company. Our trip to Turkey was truly great.
Best,
BBates[@-sign]mofo.com
(May 2011)
Ozgur, I want to thank you for the new tour guide. We were with him until last night and he was informative, professional, and had a great command of English. I would rate him as one of the best guides I have had the pleasure of being with in all of our travels. (...) Thank you again for our wonderful tour. Hopefully we will get to see you.
russellcarslan[@-sign]gmail.com
(April 2011)
Hello
Just want to say thank you for your service, all parts of our tour were wonderful and each guide having different insights to offer. We found Os very cordial and polite, but not sure he wastotally comfortable with us, but the lady you sent this morning 'life' was verey, very good, happy to share her knowledge, we would recommend her absolutely, Special tahnks to your wonderful drivers, nice work keeping us safe.
Sincerely
Alan & Terry
alanmac_d[@-sign]yahoo.ca
(April 2011)
Dear Mr. Ates: I just wanted to drop you a quick line and let you know Corina and I are safely back home. But more importantly I wanted to thank you and your company for arranging a fabulous tour for what turned out to be a wonderful vacation. I will be definitely recommending your services to anyone who might be planning a trip to Turkey. Feel free to use my comments for any reviews about you and your services. Once again thank you for everything and have a great day.
mchardy[@-sign]wispertel.net
(April 2011)
Hello Ozgur, We have just returned from our Mediterranean Cruise and want to say how much we enjoyed the tour we booked with you on our own. It is definately better than booking with the ship! The price was fair and you were happy to make any changes in the itinerary to suit our needs. The service was prompt and knowledgable. We very much enjoyed all the sights. Istanbul has many wonderful things and we fit a majority in without a problem. Thank you.
laura.broyles[@-sign]hotmail.com
(February 2011)
Hi Ozgur,
We arrived this week from our extended tour in Germany.
We wish to thank you for all your help and all the best you offered us on our stay there in Turkey.
I tried to post comment and pictures via tripadvisor.Im not sure if it went through.
Bottomline- we had a lot of discovery of Turkey and we remember if for a lifetime. Extend our grateful hearts to the staff of COS/MTI
Thanks and regards,
claramd21[@-sign]yahoo.com
(February 2011)
Greetings to everyone at City of Sultans
We had the most wonderful experience in Turkey and we owe it all to you. Our short stay in Istanbul was amazing, due in large part to our wonderful guide, Eren Belek, whose expertise and knowledge, made ancient history come alive before our eyes! Then our wonderful, magical day in Ephesus, where Harun Yildirim showed us the glories of this incredible place. We have promised ourselves we will return to Turkey one day and we know that the only company we would even consider using to make the arrangements will be City of Sultans.
We will always be grateful for the wonderful experience.
pennyglee[@-sign]comcast.net
(November 2010)
Hello Ozgur,
I’m sorry not to have gotten back to you sooner.
We really enjoyed our wonderful tour of Turkey.
Everything your company promised for our tour took place as advertised, especially for the portion that started in Ankara and ended in Istanbul several days later. Our guide and driver were excellent. The guide Polat was very flexible with our itinerary to avoid crowds at certain locations at particular times of the day. We were also allowed a good amount of free time. Polat’s knowledge of the historic and scenic sites we visited was outstanding, and he was very peronable and professional at all times. We also enjoyed the small size – nine – of our group. This enabled Polat to be especially sensitive to the needs of our group. The hotels were all clean and quiet. The food was ample and in general, quite good.
...
On the other hand, the visits we made to the leather, pottery and jewelry stores in the Cappadocia area were pleasant experiences. We learned a lot and were not high pressured by sales people.
Thanks again for a wonderful, once in a lifetime experience. We are still reminiscing through our photos. And we appreciate your personal attention to our questions and needs from the time we first inquired about the tour all the way through our time there.
gatewood42[@-sign]comcast.net
(October 2010)
We were VERY fortunate to have Aaron as our guide while in Istanbul, Oct. 28th, 29th and 30th. It was a wonderful experience and Aaron was able to make us feel like his special guests in ‘his’ city. He was courteous, prompt and very caring. He anticipated our needs and wants and was on top of it all. He made our visit to Istanbul all is could have been and more. We would highly recommend his services to anyone contemplating Istanbul as a holiday destination.
Thank you for a wonderful experience.
Sincerely,
bnicholson13[@-sign]cogeco.ca
(October 2010)
Thank you for your help during our stay in Turkey past 7 days and for the wonderful LUNCH we had.
We truly enjoyed our tour in Istanbul and around Kusadasia area.
Thank you again and wish you success in ALL your endeavors year after year.
jhdkim[@-sign]yahoo.com
(November 2010)
As we wait for our ride from the hotel to the airport, we are still basking in the glow of our two days in Istanbul under the care of Ozgur and our guide, Eren. We had a wonderful itinerary that covered all of the important sites all the while learning from our excellent teacher Eren. It was his knowledge and sharing that made our time here feel so special. We cannot say enough good things about COS or our guide without sounding too enthusiastic. If and when we return to Turkey, we will not consider using any other tour company.
pennyglee[@-sign]comcast.net
(November 2010)
Sirs: Three items. 1. We wish to inform you that our tour guide Tanner was wonderful. He was very knowledgeable and was extremely helpful to my wife and myself who were experiencing some mobility problems at the time. We highly recommend him. You may also furnish him with our email. 2. Our drivers very very good and very helpful. 3. We wish to express our thanks for adjusting our tour times. Cunard had furnished us with the wrong information and your representative was very kind in adjusting our tours. We had a wonderful time in a magical city.
msommerv[@-sign]smumn.edu
(November 2010)
Dear Mr Ozgur Ates:
This letter is to express my gratitude for the tour service your organization provided to my colleagues and I during our recent visit to Istanbul last September. We all brought back fond memories of our trip to your beautiful city.
Mr Eren Bolek, our tour guide, was outstanding. His deep and insightful knowledge of your city's history combined with his obvious commitment to create a pleasurable experience for us was much appreciated.
I will certainly recommend your services to friends and family that intend on visiting Istanbul.
Again, on behalf of my colleagues and myself, I wish to thank you and commend you on the quality of your services
linda.lizotte-macpherson[@-sign]cra-arc.gc.ca
(September 2010)
Sorry it took so long getting back to u. We enjoyed our trip very much. We thought your company did a very professional job. Also your understanding of the changes we and the burkes made was wonderful. Your representatives were always prompt and took us everywhere we wanted to go in the most efficient way possible We would definately recommend you to anyone we knew who was visiting turkey. Thank you for making our visit so memorable.
carenbrooks[@-sign]aol.com
(October 2010)
Hi, the trip was great and fantastic everything went smoothly. (...) I enjoyed and liked turkey and I would/have been recommending your company to friends/family. I wished you handle tours for other parts of the world as I'm a avid traveler, I would use you company all the time. Thanks for a fantastic, beautiful and stressfree vacation.
iradwill[@-sign]aol.com
(September 2010)
We are very Happy with CityofSultans 's Services during our September 2010 tour, Overall rating 9.5 out of 10. We will glad to recommend to our friends from USA.
Services: Outstanding in Helping & Planing tour.
Price: Best price
Trust: For us Turkey was unknown country with no past experience but Cityofsultans deliver more than what they promised.
Tour guide: Outstanding
Vehicle: Very clean, comfortable and new
Driver: Very experience and good
Night Show: Very good
Lunch: Lunch was excellent Very good food and place.
Regards
anilvashi[@-sign]yahoo.com
(September 2010)
Ozgur
Our trip to Turkey was outstanding and made even better with your upgrade of the hotels in Istanbul and Cappadocia, arranging for my son Michael to join us in Cappadocia and arranging for a spectacular balloon flight for the 3 of us on very short notice. All in all we had a very memorable and informative visit.
The guides we had were very good with Eren Boleck being by far our favourite. We learned more from Eren than all of the others and his English was excellent. All of the hotels except one were above our expectations and all were very close to the centre of the attractions. (Pine Bay Marina had a great view of the sea but it was very old, was not an easy walk to downtown and the meals were not of the same quality as the other hotels. This impression was compounded by being left by mistake at the Pine Bay Hotel and then the guide did not come back with the driver to sort it out). The breakfasts at the hotels (except Marina) and the lunches we had as part of the tour were also very enjoyable. We also like the idea that our tour groups were very small and intimate and MTI was very open to tailoring the tours to our requests. The personalized, professional, first class pickups to and from the hotels and airports were very much appreciated.
...
All in all, we had a wonderful experience thanks to you, MTI and Eren. I will be recommending your agency to all of our friends and acquaintances.
All the best and hope to use your services again.
Regards
dcallan[@-sign]sympatico.ca
(October 2010)
Ozqur
Our thanks to you, Eren, Tanner and our great driver, we had a memorable trip to Turkey.
Please tell them how much they contributed to the quality of our stay in your country.
You can be assured that we will highly recommend you and your fine company whenever possible.
clberen[@-sign]comcast.net
(October 2010)
Thank you for your follow-up e-mail!
Life has been hectic since we arrived home!
We loved BOTH tours of Ephesus and Istanbul!!!!
The Tour Guides were professional, knowledgeable and most accomodating!!!!
The itinerary was excellent, comprehensive and most interesting!!!!
The transportation arrangements were prompt, comfortable and most efficient!!
I would highly recommend your Company to all our friends!!
Thank YOU for making our first trip to Turkey so very memorable!
Sincerely,
Lin Lepore Cross and "five" Friends
tomlincross[@-sign]q.com
(October 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
You may recall I called you from Ciragan Palace to tell you how much we enjoyed our day with Elgin. We missed Topkapi Palace, but he had us running all over Istanbul and we loved every minute of it.
Thank you for your professionalism and your wonderful service. I certainly will pass the word along about Cityofsultans.
cheers!
elsegail[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2010)
Dear Mr. Ates,
I sent you an email yesterday to tell you how pleased our group was with your tours. Of all the tours we had, cruise critic and Holland America, yours were the best. We were also very pleased with Eren our guide.
Sincerely,
lizlincoln[@-sign]hotmail.com
(October 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
We had a great time in spite of Carla's fractured leg. We are definitely letting our friends know what excellent service we had. We especially appreciated the private tour which was the only way we could have managed with Carla's condition.
carlcornwell[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2010)
Dear Ozgur - thank you for your email.
We are doing just fine, thank you.
We very much enjoyed the tours that we arranged through City of Sultans. Both of the guides were very pleasant and knowledgeable. The drivers were also expert drivers and the cars provided were first class - so thank you so much. I will have no problem recommending your services to my clients and friends.
...
Many thanks
caledoniands[@-sign]mindspring.com
(October 2010)
We were very pleased with the services of your agency while in Istanbul and Ephesus. We especially enjoyed being with Muge in Istanbul. We consider her our friend. She is an excellent guide. We also enjoyed being with Mahmet in Ephesus. We have decided that booking a private tour is the best use of our money and time while cruising. We would recommend your agency to others.
Thank you,
jess1nc[@-sign]microsoft.com
(October 2010)
Mr. Ates,
We had a wonderful time in Turkey. We fell in love with the country and its people. Istanbul was fabulous and even better than we imagined. The people were friendly and the food fantastic.
The guide, driver and van were all of the highest quality. We have already recommended your services to a friend planning a trip to Turkey. We look forward to our return to Turkey in the future.
cfm66[@-sign]comcast.net
(October 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
Wanted to let you know what a wonderful time my wife and I had during our visit to Istanbul. Our guide Eyub was great and we will recommend you to friends and family who may be travelling there in the future and we ourselves will most definitely return someday.
Best regards.
abaddi2001[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2010)
Ciao Ozgur:
We just wanted to thank you for your services while in Turkey and thought you would appreciate some feedback. Our tour in Kusadasi was the best we had on the entire trip. Our guide, Enver Kurt, was absolutely wonderful and we will recommend him to all of our friends. He was especially attentive to me since I had a leg injury and needed additional time. He took us to a glass factory for handpainted items which I had requested. He was extremely attentive and informative. We would like to send him a special Thank You. Can you tell us how we might do that? Would we send it to him, in care of you, or directly to him with an address you would need to provide. We would appreciate your helping us get in touch with him.
...
We thank you and the City of Sultans tour company. We will definately use you again and will recommend you anytime.
Sincerely,
smyers111[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2010)
Good day Ozgur,
Thank you for being a gentleman and honoring the price you had quoted us. We have been very happy with the services your company has provided. As Turkey has become a very popular vacation destination we have 9 more couples, friends and family, who will be visiting in the next 10 weeks. Everyone is waiting to hear about our experience and to know whether or not we would recommend City of Sultans. These people, like us, want the privacy, service and the flexibility of a private tour. We are leaving very happy, with very positive feelings and feel confident recommending you to many others now and for many years into the future. Also, you should know that Mr. Bolek and our driver were superb; extremely professional, knowledgeable and accommodating.
Many thanks for helping to make our trip to Turkey so enjoyable,
drjmuller[@-sign]aol.com
(June 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
Thanks to you and City of Sultans for making our stay in Istanbul exceptionally pleasant and memorable.
Your 800 phone number answered by a 'real 'person who replied promptly to my requests and suggestions made trip planning easy. You customized our trip beautifully. I especially appreciated your professionalism, prompt business like correspondence and care in meeting out needs.
The airport pickup was prompt and effortless as was the drive to the city with a pleasant young man pointing out the sights of interest.
You found us a superb hotel - small, in a pedestrian only area near Taksim Square, reasonably priced, clean, neat with a bountiful breakfast.
Your Mercedes van was comfortable and clean. Our guide, Eren, was charming, spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable. We had an excellent Turkish lunch with at least 5 courses! You even provided a wheelchair for me as I have walking difficulties.
I highly recommend City of Sultans and have already referred several friends.
Be well,
joanoakley[@-sign]comcast.net
(September 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff. We had a lovely time.
The driver was most pleasant and always smiling.
The Guide was very knowledgable and very professional.
Once we are back to Chicago we will definitely recommend your Travel Agency to our friends.
Thank you again.
zahmed555[@-sign]hotmail.com
(September 2010)
Ozgur,
Our first day in Istanbul was quite a memorable experience. Eren was our guide and will be a hard act to follow. We really appreciated his vast knowledge of the historical sites. Topkapi Palace, The Blue Mosque, The Hagia Sofia were stunning. Our lunch was delicious and the atmosphere so charming. Eren was also very helpful with my mother, who uses a walker. Also, our driver was very professional and courteous. Thank you for a wonderful day.
Jeanne Montano, Kelly and Ruth Cunningham
kcunnin40[@-sign]yahoo.com
(September 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
Now that we are home and getting over our jet lag, thank you so much for the tours you provided in Istanbul and Ephesus. Burhan was smashing, a terrific guide and very knowledgeable. He was kind and a "real" person. Serdar in Ephesus was also well versed and another good representative. Without your services we would have been as blind people. We would never have seen the true brilliance of both Istanbul and Ephesus.
I am giving your company's name as a referral to a colleague at work.
Thank you again and may life be good to you.
arosenberg[@-sign]earthlink.net
(August 2010)
Me and my wife had the pleasure of spending the day with Mamett on July 21st, where he showed us the sights of Kusadasi. It was a spectacular day, where we felt that we were escorted by a professional. His passion and knowledge of Kusadasi made this such a memorable day. It was amazing how much we saw in just 8 hours and also not to forget the great lunch we had at the restaurant in Sirince Village.
Our time in Kusadasi could not have been spent any better!!!
Thank You
lst561[@-sign]hotmail.com
(July 2010)
Ozgur,
How are you?! Just a quick note to send you a few pics and let you know that I had an unforgettable experience during my trip to Turkey and Egypt over the past couple of weeks! I think I mentioned to you that Istanbul is now my favorite city in the world!
All of the guides were knowledgeable and helpful, especially since I was traveling by myself. Most notable:
1) The adorable driver (I'm embarrassed because I don't remember his name, but he was a retired teacher) who took me to a Billetix outlet in the suburbs to pick up my Sonisphere/Metallica ticket, and the guide Tamer, who helped me get it. They were wonderful!! I am probably a little bit more adventurous than your average tourist, and neither one thought I was weird when I asked to be dropped off at the nearest tram/metro stop, to find my way back to Sultanahment on my own.
2) Eron, who is basically Mr. Popularity in Istanbul, knew everyone, and his passion for his job was obvious. He was helpful to me when I bought a couple of carpets. (Pics attached! They are cute! I would appreciate it if you could pass along to him!)
3) The guide in Ephesus, Yellis, was such a sweetheart, her English was great, and her knowledge of the area was wonderful.
4) The guide in Kapydokya, Omur, was very friendly and his command of the English language was OUTSTANDING. Please pass along my thanks to him!
5) Thank you for changing my hotel to Taksim area for the Sonisphere concert. It was a great location, and although I really liked the Mina Hotel and walked over to Galata Tower from there on a couple of occasions, I liked being close to all of the "action" of Taksim.
6) Things also went smoothly in Egypt, although I was disappointed that my hotel, although very nice, was located in Hieropolis, 45 minutes (in no traffic!) from the city center in Cairo. As I mentioned before, I am a little bit more adventurous that your average tourist, and I wasn't able to walk to any sites or even take the metro to any place on my own, which I often prefer to do. (I would rather walk or take public transport vs. taking a cab.) HOWEVER, I stayed at that hotel for only one night and then they changed me to a hotel in the center of Cario, which was perfect, if not a little TOO fancy-schmancy for my simple tastes!
7) My guide in Luxor, Adel, was an ENCYCLOPEDIA, or let's say a WIKIPEDIA, of knowledge about all things Egypt! I was shocked that after Arabic, the language he spoke best was Italian, not English, because his fluency was remarkable.
Thanks again, Ozgur, to you and your team for organizing a wonderful trip for me!! I wish I would have had the pleasure to meet you in person! Come to visit when you are in the US! I live in Washington, DC, literally 8 blocks from all of the museums and monuments at the Smithsonian Institution! I can be YOUR guide!
All best,
amylux[@-sign]gmail.com
(June 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
We had a wonderful time on our two tours in Turkey. Both Erkan and Selda were wonderful and knowledgeable guides and we learned a great deal from them both. We appreciated that you came out in person to apologize for the misunderstanding regarding the time in Istanbul. I greatly appreciated how prompt you were in responding to e-mails and questions during the planning of our trip. Your reliability made the planning much easier and gave me great confidence.
We have already recommended you to my wife's parents who are will be visiting Turkey on a cruise in October. I am sure you will hear from them soon.
All the best,
ravmich[@-sign]hotmail.com
(July 2010)
I got in touch with City of Sultans when my husband and two more friends decided to visit Turkey. I grew up in Turkey and I kew there is so much to see in the short time period we had. City of Sultans representatives were responsive to all our questions and concerns. They customized the itinerary based on our feedback. The tour guides and the shuttles were always on time during the trip and we did not have any unpleasant suprises.
For the first time visitors, I would recommend doing your own research to most effectively use your time in Turkey. The things to do and see are so diverse that a standard itinerary may not cover the things you really want to see. The agents at COS were very helpful customizing the itinerary based on your needs. However, once the itinerary is final, it is hard for the agents to change it due to insurance constraints.
One observation I had was that the tour guides suggest taking the group to vendors that is not on the itinerary. Unless you are in Turkey to shop for carpets or souvenires or learn how they are produced traditionally, let your tour guide know that you prefer to visit a site or take a rest. Once the tour guides know what you prefer, they are very helpful.
I would certainly recommend COS to all my friends!
fatma_yilmaz[@-sign]yahoo.com
(June 2010)
I have already told everyone I have run into since my return about the wonderful experience we had with City of Sultans in Turkey! Everything was absolutely marvelous. I hope to be able to visit Turkey again one day, and soon!!!!
cpadill[@-sign]hartdistrict.org
(June 2010)
Our experience with the City of Sultans tour package was excellent! We booked a 7 day tour to Istanbul, Izmir/Ephesus, Miletus, Didyma, Priene, Pamukkale, and Cappadocia. The guides at each location were great. The transportation was always on time, both at the airports and at the hotels, and the guides were well prepared. Everything ran very smoothly, which we all really appreciated. The guides were knowledgeable, and they all tried to ensure that we could see what we wanted to see in the way that we wanted. Two of the people on our tour took a lot of pictures, and the guides patiently waited for them and showed them the best places to take photographs. I truly felt that they all wanted us to have the best experience possible.
I would absolutely recommend the City of Sultans to my friends, and if I tour Turkey again, I would use them again!
Thanks for a great time!
lindakee[@-sign]mac.com
(June 2010)
Hello Ozgur, I am sorry it has taken me so long to write back to you.
We were so pleased with our tour of Turkey. I have already recommended you to friends who are planning a visit to Turkey in the near future.
The driver in Istanbul was such a gentleman and always on time to drive us to our locations. In fact, all of the driving arrangements were fantastic.
Although we had already experienced a little of Istanbul prior to the tour, seeing Istanbul through the eyes of our tour guide, Aran (sorry if I have misspelled the name), made it all the more special. He went out of his way to treat us to food and insights most tourists would have missed. His knowledge of the sites we visited was fantastic and his passion for the Hagia Sophia was such a delight to experience. He was also very kind in helping us to solve a small problem we had encountered. This was well above our expectations as a tour guide, we are most grateful.
I don't think we can say enough positive things about our guide for Ephesus. His name was also Ozgur. When it was time to say goodbye at the end of the day, I felt as if we were leaving a very close friend behind. Ozgur's love and knowledge of this magnificent site cannot be captured in videos or books. He made Ephesus come alive for us during a most memorable day.
Last but not least, the tour of the islands with Celal Turnali on his beautiful boat "BARANTA" along with his crew Miha and Jehan was spectacular. The hospitality, care and food was outstanding. We started as tourists but quickly developed into "friends". I would highly recommend them for those travellers seeking a real feel for Turkey and its people.
Wishing you all the very best and look forward to a return trip to your magnificent country and the warmth of the Turkish people.
Regards
churley[@-sign]unb.ca
(May 2010)
Dear Mr. Ates
Our experience with City of Sultans tours was excellent!!! We were in Istanbul for 2 days, and our guide, Eren, was wonderful! We all loved him! He related really well not only with the adults, but was so good with the kids. We also learned so much from him. He knew to dose the information he gave us so not to overwhelm us, was so very helpful with our shopping wishes, took us to a great restaurant for lunch, and was so caring and attentive with me since I was feeling sick to my stomach. We would not have had the same wonderful experience of Istanbul is it were not for Eren. Wish we could have taken him with us to all the other ports of call we had.
In Ephesus, our guide was also very knowledgeable and nice. We learned a lot from him, as well.
Whenever we decide to go back to Turkey, we'll definitely use your services again
Best Regards,
liciafreeman[@-sign]comcast.net
(May 2010)
Dear Ozgur,
We echo the many testimonials from your clients on your website... That is, we had a superb memorable time. The chauffeur Suleyman was always so pleasant and made it a point that we always arrived to our destination safely and promptly. We were also impressed by his driving skills in the traffic-filled Istanbul and how he still managed to keep everyone alive, :-)
Our guides Eren (Istanbul), Guler (Ephesus), Onur and Esin (Capadoccia) were impressively knowledgeable about the tour sites. Every time we were asked if we had questions, we replied with NONE as everything was explicated so well pre-during-post tours.
Most of the restaurants were an experience in itself. The ones in Ephesus and Cappadocia were unique. That aside, the lunch on the 2nd day in Istanbul (close to Matis) was below mediocre. It was fast-food like in many ways.
The airport pick up and drop offs were impressive and smooth-sailing. That certainly alleviated any types of stress!
Elkepevi Cave Hotel was magnificent!!! No words to describe it but WOW! We highly recommend the two restaurants in the vicinit - Ziggy and Dimirt.
Everything was very positive... However, to improve on your client experiences , we also have to point up a tour discrepancy on the itinerary. In Cappadocia, it may have been that we ended up following he itinerary of our travelmates from India. The highlights on the 2nd day in Cappadocia didn't match the itinerary, therefore we missed a couple of what seems to be important highlights of the trip. My impression is that we didn't do the full SOUTH tour with Selime and Yaprakhisar Monastery. when we came back to Toronto, I looked up Selime and wished that it wasn't missed. At any rate, it's done and we came back with good memories of Cappadocia.
Many thanks for your consideration of our constructive feedback.
We will definitely refer you to many of our friends and family.
Best wishes.
karen_lee_frost[@-sign]yahoo.com
(May 2010)
Dear Ozgur ATES
We had a wonderful time in Turkey! Our guides were great. On our full day tour our guide arranged a lunch we all really enjoyed. Both guides were informative, gracious and very nice. I would reccomend City of Sultans and we all would love to come back to Turkey. Thank you for making our trip to your country so enjoyable! I will post a great review on the internet.
Sincerely,
brendastuart[@-sign]hotmail.com
(June 2010)
Dear Ozgur
COS itinerary was comprehensive and tailored to what we wanted to do and see, the price was reasonable, the guides knowledgeabale and sensitive to the needs of the different people/groups on the tour, the meals delicious, and the Turkish people warm and welcoming . In all, our vacation was truly a delightful one without any downpoints.
We would love to go back to Turkey again for vacation!
We are broadcasting this to all our friends and family- hope some of them - at least- find out for themselves
Thank you again
amcofva[@-sign]cs.com
(June 2010)
Ozgur
We want to thank you for everything that you provided us in Istanbul. We had a wonderful time and Mr. Bolek was excellent. We have already recommended your company to two other friends
Thank you in advance.
nathanmuller[@-sign]aol.com
(June 2010)
Dear Ozgur
We certainly loved our trip. We had a marvelous time. All drivers were punctual, the guides were informative and helpful, and the trip was exactly as you said it would be. Our only complaint is that we didn't have more time in Istanbul, We would definitely book with your agency again. Do you have tours such as this to Egypt? In the future we would be interested in looking into it. Our son is still in Dubai so we will probably incorporate another trip to the Middle East at the beginning of 2011. Let us know if you can think of anything that might interest us
Thanks,
diran[@-sign]comcast.net
(June 2010)
Osgar, we are way overdue in writing to you and thanking you for making our visit to Turkey such a memorable experience. Your organization and itinerary were like clockwork and your knowledgeable and professional guides made our travels most interesting and informative. We have been back in Canada for a couple of weeks now and have not stopped raving about your country, it's people, it's sites and culture.
In addition to our friend Sandi Grant who you worked with earlier this year we have other friends who are planning a trip to Turkey later this year. Per and Janet Palm may be contacting you for information and some suggestions on itinerary. We have recommended you and the City of Sultans Group as an excellent resource and a professional group to work with.
If you would like us to write a recommendation on Trip Advisor or any other site please let us know.
All the best to you and your Team. We hope the rest of this year is good to you
Sincere Thanks
moore-dempsey[@-sign]shaw.com
(June 2010)
THANK YOU for your awesome tour guide Eren Bolek. He was kind, patient, generous, knowledgeable, friendly, plus so sweet and cute!
Great tour - he helped my friend buy a Turkish rug - VERY very kind & patient as we visited multiple stores! He's awesome - he should get a raise!! ;)
THANK YOU - we will recommend this tour to all people we know!
Bo Karen Lee, happy in Istanbul! ;) THANK YOU for sharing your BEAUTIFUL CITY with us! ;)
bokaren[@-sign]gmail.com
(May 2010)
Ozgur
Thank you so much for creating a customized package for our trip to Turkey. We were pleasantly surprised that most of our tours were semi private, which made it feel special. We felt that the tour guides were friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating; especially Amir, who was our guide in Ephesus.
The hotels were both comfortable and had very good locations and/or views.
The three days on the yacht was the highlight of our trip. The staff was professional and courteous.
We will recommend the hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia ... worth every penny.
The only negatives of the trip was the excursion to Pamukkale. The guide (Vedat) was difficult to understand and did not give us an agenda. We also felt that this site has too many tourists, making it lack the charm that it deserves.
We were also taken to at least three rug manufacturers, but one should have been enough.
Lastly, we would like to thank you and City of Sultans. We will certainly recommend our friends to your agency should they want to visit your beautiful Country
With kind regards,
Marina Danilenko and Erik Lundberg
danilenkom[@-sign]yahoo.com
(May 2010)
We had a fantastic tour of Pergamum. The guide couldn't have been nicer or mire knowlegable. Looking forward to a good experience in cappidocia
kshare49[@-sign]gmail.com
(May 2010)
Hello Ozgur
We arrived safely back in Toronto. Thank you for the wonderful time we had in Turkey. The arrangements you made were perfect - the drivers, hotels, guides, etc.
Thank you once again for a most memorable holiday. One day, inshallah, we will return to Turkey as we have left our hearts there. This time, hopefully, we will get to meet you
Warm regards
sunderji20[@-sign]rogers.com
(May 2010)
Dear Mr. Ates
I wanted to get back to you much earlier, life just got so busy again after our return from our trip to Turkey.
I am so glad I found City of Sultans on the Internet and that we've chosen your agency for our vacation. We spent 7 unforgettable days in the company of 3 very friendly, professional and knowledgeable guides. There were absolutely no glitches in the itinerary, we were greeted everywhere promptly and were taken care off to our fullest satisfaction. This included the excellent service provided by the respective drivers. Eran showed us around in Istanbul, even found us a way into the Blue Mosque during prayer time. We were especially impressed by Melish's knowledge and enthusiasm for ancient history, Greek mythology and archeology. He taught us so much about his country and it's history by visiting Ephesus, Pamukkule and Pergamon. Our third guide greeted us with flowers and we concluded our trip with a tour through the old town of Antalya. Aysia (spelling?) was also very helpful in arranging a transport to Side which we needed the next day. Her English was a little limited, but we managed well.
All together a very memorable trip with long lasting impressions. We told all our friends already, that they should visit Turkey and of course we recommended City of Sultans to them as well.
I hope we will return soon!
Thank you and kind regards
uschellenberger[@-sign]gmail.com
(April 2010)
Dear Mr. Özgur
My daughter, my wife, and I immensely enjoyed the Turkey tour we took through your company. Our guide was very kind and willing to help, and our driver, Mr. Suleyman, was exceptional: he was attentive, curteous, and very pleasant. The car was very comfortable, and the itinerary was interesting. The food was generally good throughout. The dinner in Tusan Hotel, the lunch in Konya, the lunch in Istanbul, and the breakfast in Point Hotel were particulary impressive. Most of the hotels we stayed in were comfortable and convenient, and we could access the Internet for free in all but one hotel. The Turkey tour went above the low expectations that we had set from visiting Egypt and other neighboring countries. I would definately recommend your company to anyone interested in touring Turkey.
On a related note, we appreciate your endeavors to upgrade our hotel in Istanbul
Sincerely
sbleesimon[@-sign]yahoo.com.sg
(December 2009)
Dear Mr. ATES
Thank you for all pleasure you all gave us on a visit to Istanbul. we will always refer you
rtantod[@-sign]yahoo.com
(November 2009)
Hi Eran
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for making our trip to your beautiful and historic country one of the best trip we ever had. We cannot stop talking about it. The group started as strangers as we come from different parts of United States and as we parted we became as one big family. You were a factor to the success of our trip. In behalf of the group tour from American Academy of Family Medicine of Oct. 14, 2009, I would like to say THANK YOU!!! I have attached pictures of the group for you to select.
May God bless you always, Shukar Alhamdulilah....
Very sincerely,
gardenofed[@-sign]aol.com
(October 2009)
Hello Ozgur
We apologize for the lateness of our reply to your email dated November 9th. We arrived safe and sound at home and have returned to our busy work schedules.
Our overall experience was very positive. We found the guides in Istanbul to be very knowledgeable and accommodating. The guide and driver on our last day in Istanbul accommodated us by driving us to an additional site that we wished to visit. This was greatly appreciated.
The Seven Churches tour was amazing. We both enjoyed being driven through the country side and seeing smaller cities and towns. Our guide, Serkan Bakilan, was very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. We had many spirited discussions during our time with him about many topics and this greatly added to the richness of the experience of your country.
Our experience of using your company was been very positive. We would highly recommend your services to others and have done so already
Additional notes:
Best Hotel: Seres Hotel in Istanbul. We were treated very well and breakfast was fantastic.
Not so good Hotel: Tusan Hotel. Very old with the appearance of being run down.
Recommendations for improvements: These are very minor . . .
It would have been beneficial for our guide of the Seven Churches to have known earlier that he would be accompanying us for the return drive to Istanbul. This may have alleviated the need for back tracking.
Additional time at all sites during the tour would have been appreciated as we would have liked to have had time to explore in more depth.
Despite these two recommendations we thoroughly enjoyed our time in your country and your company's services.
Feel free to use any of the above comments on your website. However, we would prefer anonymity
God bless you all and thank you for everything...
blaiseandkaren[@-sign]gmail.com
(October 2009)
Dear Mr. Ates
My wife and I are finally home and "back on track." Ha ha.
I "THANK YOU" for all the assistance in our vacation and education in (of) Istanbul and Ephesus. We enjoyed both
Sincerely,
daveg8859[@-sign]gmail.com
(October 2009)
Ozgur
The trip was great! I think I need to go back and spend some more time in Istanbul, and I would love to see Bodrum, Konya and the Black Sea Coast, so I am sure I will be contacting you again
Thanks,
mchugh.jen[@-sign]gmail.com
(October 2009)
Hello Ozgur again..
Anxious for you to know our Holiday was absolutely perfect!!! The ONLY problem was our stay was not long enough!!
Witt Hotel is Chic and staff wonderful!!
Yanak is incredible and Again Staff and service very special! Words cannot describe Cappadocia?
Antalya Marmara revolving is spectacular---elevator and tunnel to beach was a fabulous surprise!! WHAT a VIEW!!! Absolutely Stunning. City and coast!!!
Every transfer and all guides very dependable and knowledgeable--and with our interest at heart. All flights were great---..food was delicious..
The kind and pleasant Turkish people made us enjoy your vast history and beautiful diverse country. Very Clever and enjoyable sales men at the Carpet-Leather-onyx-and pottery shops. I am sure we will Cherish our purchases...
We have been fortunate to have traveled outside of U.S many times. We are making a list of extended stays. To some of our favorite countries ---hopefully in the future and as $$ allows. Istanbul and Turkey has definitely been added... We have world traveled and expat friends that say Istanbul is their very Favorite city in the entire World.
Sorry I lost the first lengthy message --if retrieve will send also.
We want to thank you so much for your diligent, professional work arranging our Holiday!! Would be more than happy for anyone who might want a referral. And we will contact you--- if and when we might possibly be able to return or look for extended stay accommodations.
Thank you again Ozgur and we wish you and your family all the best!!!
Sincerely,
WJones1146[@-sign]bellsouth.net
(October 2009)
Dear Mr. Ozgur
Thank you for the good service provided during our trip. This was a very good experience with you guys and for sure we will recommend you to our friends
Regards,
aliaboumelhem[@-sign]hotmail.com
(September 2009)
Dear Ozgur!
Thank You very much for excelent service.Sprcial thanks to your gides and drivers. I will definitely recomend your services to all my friends and reletives
tatat[@-sign]verizon.net
(June 2009)
I had tours in each port - and yours were the best organized and the highest quality. Thank you. Please feel free to use my email address as a reference. I will also recommend you to my friends
gethelp4parents[@-sign]cs.com
(September 2009)
I do not know where to start in thanking your company for the experience we enjoyed in Ephesus and Istanbul. Because of the cruise we were on, we only had the three days to see your country. The guide, Abdul, met us at the ship for the tour to Ephesus. He was so knowledgeable and had a wonderful personality to go with it. This was one of the must see places on our tour. As Christians, we wanted to see where Paul taught and where John came to live out his days. It was a fascinating place and we found the ruins there to be some of the best we had visited on this trip. I cannot say enough about our guide and am so happy we got him for that day
Day two we were met by Eren Bolek for our tour of the Mosques of Istanbul. What a wonderful guide he was! He is perfection in the area of tour guides with remarkable knowledge of the history of Turkey, Istanbul and the Mosques. We felt we had been so blessed to get him as our guide. He got us right up to the door and avoided the long lines of the groups. He told us unique things about the places we visited. He is a genuine treasure to your company and so happy we were able to have him
Day three we were met at the ship by our guide Bryhem (Spelling probably wrong). Again we had an excellent quide for our cruise on the Bosphorus, the spice market, and the Topkapi Palace. He was very knowledgeable on the history of the country and was so helpful to us in understanding customs of the people. We were transferred to our airport hotel with sadness to be leaving one of the most fascinating countries we have ever seen. Thank you again for making this trip of a lifetime so much more enjoyable
janice_hurst[@-sign]hotmail.com
(September 2009)
(to Eren Bolek; tour guide of City Of Sultans)
Thank you again for an unbelievable experience in Istanbul. We were so greatful to have gotten you for our guide. Your expertise, knowledge, and genuine love for the country was evident in everything you said and did. You are an excellent ambassador for your country. We feel that we truly saw as much of Istanbul as was possible in such a short amount of time. Thank your for the private visits to the pottery and carpet stores... we look forward to receiving our purchases and putting them in our home. The restaurant recommendation was excellent. Everything went just like it was supposed to and the service by you and the driver was splendid. The best luck to you, your wife and your precious new baby girl, Sophia (Sofia?)
janice_hurst[@-sign]hotmail.com
(September 2009)
Hello Ozgur
Greetings from New York. We had a wondertful time in Turkey, we feel bad it was for a short period of time. We have to plan another trip... The tour and the guides were very nice. All went well and according to plan. Thank you again and hope to see you soon in Turkey
Eid Mubarak and Jacqueline Zayegh
jax462[@-sign]hotmail.com
(August 2009)
I would like to thank City Of Sultans for providing a memorable experience in Istanbul, Turkey for my friend Kat Odom and me. We were apprehensive about what was in store for us, but both agree that the tour provided by Eren Bolek was the high point of our entire trip. City Of Sultans provided excellent care and attention to every detail including transportation from the airport to the hotel and to the yacht at the end of the tour. The service provided to us exceeded all expectations
Eren Bolek, our Tour Guide, met us the night of our arrival to discuss the itinerary for the two day tour. When he found that my luggage had been lost, he enlisted the Hilton concierge to follow up with the airlines. Eventually, Eren and Mukat were able to secure confirmation from Air France that my luggage was found and would be delivered. This was above and beyond anything that we had contracted with City Of Sultans and I am grateful
Mr. Bolek provided a very informative and entertaining tour of Istanbul. I was impressed by his command of English and his pride in and passion for the history and people of Turkey. We saw all the historical sites agreed upon and had transportation available without any waiting. Eren and Mukat, who drove for the tour, had great rapport. They were attentive, personable and treated us with the utmost concern and interest. We felt completely safe, which is a concern for women traveling alone
My friend and I left Istanbul for a cruise that included Kusadasi and numerous Greek Islands. We had several excursions but none came close to the tour with Eren. It was apparent that Eren is highly respected and well known in Istanbul. Our two days with Mr. Bolek were the highlight of our trip. He is a wonderful ambassador for your company and your country. I feel that I have left a friend in Turkey.
Regards
mcollard[@-sign]cfl.rr.com
(July 2009)
Good Evening
We were extremely pleased with our personal tour of Ephesus with Fahti (spelling?). I think our day in Ephesus was the one of our main highlights of our trip
The tour exceeded our expectations! We especially enjoyed the traditional Turkish lunch. We still talk about it to this day! Our day with Fahti was well worth the money that we paid; it was far superior to any tour the cruise ship could have offered us
We will most definitely refer your company to anybody we know spending time in Turkey!
Thank you for a memorable time in Ephesus,
chrisusan[@-sign]cfl.rr.com
(June 2009)
Dear Ozgur
Both of our tours were wonderful! I will be happy to recommend you to anyone that I know who is visiting Turkey!!
tsoifer[@-sign]cfl.rr.com
(May 2009)
Tour of Turkey arranged by City Of Sultans
We found City Of Sultans on the Internet, and made all of our arrangements for a 9 day stay in Turkey through them. The visit worked out very well. We spent 3 nights at a hotel in old Istanbul and 5 nights at a beach hotel in Kusadasi. For us, not changing hotels every day was a big plus, but we went out every day on tours arranged by City Of Sultans
Eren was our guide for the first day in Istanbul, and he took us up the Golden Horn, to the Financial Distrrict, the new town and along the Bosphorus by road, back to the new town. His knowledge of Istanbul became evident very quickly. The second day, Eren took us to the Blue Mosque, St Sophia and Topkapi Palace. Again, his knowledge of the history and culture was amazing. He also was able to bypass the lines that the large tour groups were in, which saved us a lot of time and frustration. In one day, we saw twice as much a s the average large group
City Of Sultans arranged internal air flights to and from Izmir, and transportation to meet us and take us to our hotel at Kusadasi. The hotel was great, right on the beach with wonderful views and the only noise was the waves running onto the beach at night. We had a tour each day, first to Ephesus, with Yeliz, which was great. What an amazing place, and made so much better by having a wonderful guide who knew so much detail. The second day, we went to Pamukkale, which has natural beauty with massive limestone deposits, and also Greek and Roman ruins right beside them. Guray took us there, and his knowledge of the area we travelled through, plus Pamukkale itself was great. Third day we went to Pergamon, the ancient capital of the Kingdom by the same name. Yeliz was our tour guide on that trip also, and came through once again with her knowledge of the history, culture, development and eventual decline of Pergamon. Our last day was a â??free dayâ?? and we caught the local bus to a National Park 30 km south of Kusadasi. We saw wild pigs and lots of natural beauty in the canyon and on the beaches
No complaints (except maybe taking airplanes too early in the morning â?? which means arriving at the hotels and having to wait to get into your room). The arrangements made by City Of Sultans were very good. They took care of us from the time we arrived in Istanbul until we left. We have some great memories of Turkey and thank City Of Sultans very much for helping to make it so enjoyable.
Sincerely
bob.clayton[@-sign]riotinto.com
(June 2009)
Dear Ozgur
I am not sure if I wrote to you since we returned home. If I have not, I certainly meant to.
I want to thank you for the great time we had in your country. Istanbul is a wonderful city and we fully enjoyed it. Blue Hills was a super hotel and very well located. All our guides, particularly the guide on the first day to Ephesus, whose name escapes me, and Yil in Istanbul, were really great except for that woman, whose name I forget, on the second day in the south.
We have highly recommended to friends that they visit Turkey and have recommended you for your excellent service to us.
Lastly, as I mentioned, Hotel Tatlises was very disappointing in terms of service and food and we should have stayed in or close to downtown.
All the very best to you and your family and thank you for putting up with all my questions and requests.
Sincerely
richardzuker[@-sign]sympatico.ca
(June 2009)
Dear Ozgur
I just wanted to thank you and the rest of the COS staff for an amazing trip. I must commend you personally for going out out of your way to accomodate our extra needs while travelling with small children. The hotels were very comfortable and well located and the tour itinerary was great. The COS guides were very helpful, informative and friendly. You must thank Tamer, Derya and Hakan for being so personable with us. It was a memorable trip and I must give your team the credit for it. If anyone I know is planning a trip to Turkey I will be sure to give them your name and contact.
Kind regards
azzkickerkami[@-sign]hotmail.com
(June 2009)
Dear Ozgur
It has been a week since we returned to the U.S. from our unforgettable adventure in Turkey, but the images of your beautiful country pursue all of us every day. The vacation experience was TERRIFIC !
Your services is not simply impeccable, they are SUPERB !!!! The whole booking process, itinerary negotiations, promptness of your responses, attentiveness for the needs, eagerness to accommodate itinerary changes and additions, on time performance of the guides and supporting personnel - everything is simply the BEST service from any travel operator that I have ever experienced. I will definitely recommend your company to all my friends who are very responsive to many stories about wonderful places we visited in Turkey. If anyone from the future customers of your company wants to hear firsthand my opinion and insight about Turkey or your services, let them feel free to e-mail me at orlickalec[@-sign]yahoo.com or call my New York number: 1-917-355-3984
Sincerely
orlickalec[@-sign]yahoo.com
(June 2009)
Dear Ozgur
We were very pleased with our trip arranged by 'cityofsultans'. We have given your name to several friends planning on coming to Turkey and we will continue to refer clients to you.
Best regards
elsa.marziali[@-sign]utoronto.ca
(March 2009)
Merhaba Ozzie
Thanks for being the architect of our journey through your wonderful country. We were so impressed with the coordination, efficiency and flexibility of your central and local offices. Our guides were fantastic, and Turget's (?) suggestionto go to Priene and Meletus when Pergamon didn't work out turned into a high point of the trip. Also, we fell in love with Akyaka and the Ottoman Konak hotel and staff. Of course we loved the gulet cruise and magnificent Istanbul. Jim took over 400 pictures. We will recommendyour services. All the best to all of you there..
Debbie Elliott and Jim Frieden
delliott[@-sign]teachwithmovies.com
(June 2009)
Dear Ozgur
I would like to thank you and your team for the fabulous tours and service I received from you, it was one of the best trips I ever had.
Best Regards
haitham.laham[@-sign]rj.com
(June 2009)
Dear Mr Ates
We are back in Houston. It was great to meet you in person. We had a wonderful time in Turkey. The tours were a lot of fun . Appreciate all your help and consideration . Thank you once again for everything.
Our best to you and Eren
Warmest regards
izzat48[@-sign]aol.com
(May 2009)
Dear Ozgur
My husband and I arrived home early this morning and wish to thank you for providing us with a memorable first-class Turkey travel experience. Everything from airport transfers to lodging accommodations to tours and tour guides was perfect.
We especially thank you for arranging our last night stay at the Sumengen (Surmeli) Hotel. We really feel as though we received the red carpet treatment from City Of Sultans and we plan to post a positive review on TripAdvisor.com so everyone can know just how good your services are. Please accept our best
skhartz[@-sign]yahoo.com
(Nov 2008)
Dear Umit
Greetings from Boston.Hope you are keeping well.Sorry it took me so long to write to you. First of all,let me thank you & Mehmet for making our trip from Ephesus to Capadoccia a memorable one.We liked it so much that we,the Jiffrys & the Arnolds have decided to have a reunion every year.Inshallah! Every time we get together,we will always talk about the two of you & our trip to Turkey.
One dark cloud in our trip,you are not going to believe this,was the pictures we took.The memory card in our camera has got corrupted & none of the pictures we took after Istanbul could be down loaded.This is one of the reasons I didn't write to you before.We have sent it to a friend who is a photographer in Manila & are waiting to see whether he can retrieve the pictures for us.Thankfully,we have Kathy's pictures to fall back on! If our friend succeeds,I will send you some pictures.If not..........I guess we'll have to do the trip all over again!
Please convey our regards to Mehmet & thank him for us.Don't forget to let us know when you get married!
Thank you once again for everything
Sincerely,
ndesilvaspam[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2008)
Greetings Mr. Ortes (Mr. Ozgur Ates; our tour coordinator) from Texas again:
I arrived home Oct. 29, 08 and I want to thank you again for the wonderful and delightful time I had in your beautiful city. I am so grateful to you for the care and responsibility you offered me while I was making my travels and as it turned out I met so many interesting people through you which just added to my trip.
The hotel was beautiful and I felt very special.
My sincere thanks to you again for everything. I hope your life is blessed and should I come your way again I will let you know.
May you have many blessings.
Fondly,
hardye1[@-sign]suddenlink.net
(October 2008)
Greetings Ozgur
This is Aleksa Pavichevich (we took a tour at the end of August) - Thank you for our wonderful trip throughout Turkey. We hope to return someday with our family - you all live in an amazing country with a rich history!
apaviche[@-sign]svots.edu
(August 2008)
Dear Ozgur
My girlfriend and I would like to thank you and Eran for such a great experience in Turkey. As our first visit to Turkey, the tour exceeded all our expectations and we plan to return someday. We did the 8 day tour visited Istanbul, Ephesus, Pammakule and Pergamum and all 4 tourguides were professional and extremely knowledgeable. We received the rugs we purchased with Eran and they now decorate our new home, and now a reminder of the wonderful experience we had. I would highly recommend Istanbul and Ephesus, thank you for finding us such a nice hotel next to the sea. Service and hospitality was excellent by all the Turkish people and your company
Again thank you for an amazing experience.
Regards,
peterseo[@-sign]aol.com
(August 2008)
City Of Sultans,
Thank you for the wonderful tour you planned for us! My wife and I were worried about traveling so far from home with our one-year-old daughter, but thanks to your planning and flexibility we had a wonderful time. The hotel was in a prime location, close to everything, and our tour guide Eren was knowledgeable, pleasant and even helped us with our daughter Sophia!
I read these testimonials before we decided to choose City Of Sultans for our tour, and let me suggest to anyone else considering a trip to Turkey that this company is professional and excellent. In addition, the people of this fine country are warm and friendly, and Istanbul can certainly be described as a "magical" city.
Thank you for everything!
apaviche[@-sign]svots.edu
(August 2008)
Dear Ozgur
We are home in Orlando safe and sound! I wanted to write on behalf of all 22 of us and thank you and Eran for a wonderful experience of Turkey. Each of us were amazed by the rich culture, beauty, and warmth of the people. We would all return in a heartbeat!!!! We are looking forward to a return visit with you as our guides! You and Eran were wonderful. I would recommend your company for any services in Turkey -they were professional, educational, and tailored to our groups intrests. Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you soon. Please contact us if you are ever in Orlando -we would love to extend some much deserved hospiality.
Sincerely,
househl[@-sign]ocps.net
(Jul 2008)
Hello Eren, (Eren is our tour guide)
How are you? We have returned to Canada, prepaired our photos and we are now prepairing our videos. But it will take some time. For now, we are sending a couple of photos to you.
We are back at home with very good memories, we still can not forget Istanbul. We would like to thank you so much for your personal interest.
Regards,
Info: Original message was in Turkish.
glukidis[@-sign]cgl.ca
(August 2008)
Dear Mr. Ates
I would like to thank you and City Of Sultans for the best holiday ever! I cannot believe that it would have been such a success if it wasn\'t for the way you organized our time for us. Everything you suggested, flights, hotels, places,tours & tranfers couldn\'t have been more perfect. We will definetly go back to Turkey, and without a doubt ask you to organize the next trip for us again! I shall be recomending all my friends to you, it was an effortless and stress free holiday because of all your help!!
Thank you again,
fitchettd[@-sign]smh.toronto.on.ca
(May 2008)
Merhaba!
(...) It was, indeed, a wonderful journey. This was the first time we had ever tried a guided trip, but now I know it is an excellent way to travel.You planned for us so well, and took care of all the difficult details so we could concentrate on the beauty, the rich cultural history, and the kind and friendly people of Turkey.
The success of our trip was due in great measure to Eren (our guide) and Evren (our driver). After ten days with them, we felt like they were part of our family.
Evren went out of his way to drive us to out-of-the-way places (the beach outside of Kusadasi was a nice treat for all of us). He holds a special place in my memory for his wonderful sense of humor and patience even when things didn\'t go perfectly.
Eren was so knowledgeable, especially about Istanbul and the sites along the Aegean coast. He worked hard to take care of us and assure that we were comfortable and happy. (...)
Eren was a conscientious guide and a sociable travel companion. And I believe he must know everybody in Istanbul! We all appreciated his ability to find excellent places to eat, no matter what time of day. The little restaurant overlooking the salt lake on the way to Egirdir, and the one overlooking the Mevlana at Konya stand out.
And once Eren left us, we were delighted with Ali, who was our guide in Capadoccia. Ali\'s excellent command of English, his enthusiasm and as his thorough understanding of the region brought to life the Open Air Museum at Goreme and the underground city.
Our accommodations worked well for the most part. We especially enjoyed the Acadia Hotel in Istanbul. Imagine arriving in the dark, falling into bed, and waking before dawn to hear, for the first time in our lives the exquisite, beautiful haunting call to prayer... from the Blue Mosque just outside our window!
We also enjoyed the El Vino in Bodrum, with its lovely garden, and the Cave Hotel in Capadoccia. At the Cave Hotel, though we had to check out long before our ride left for the airport, they let us sit on the balcony and play backgammon for hours.
(...) Altogether, it was one of the best trips I have ever taken, and a wonderful introduction to Turkey. I\'m already planning our next visit, though it will be a couple of years before we are able to do it.... I\'d love to see eastern Turkey; the National Museum in Ankara, and so much more...... Be assured that we will contact you when we are ready to make arrangements!
Again, many thanks!
Saygilarimla,
oneweaver[@-sign]msn.com
(May 2008)
Just want to thank you for organizing the fantastic tour for us. Everything was excellent. (...) Anyway we had a fascinating, well organized and interesting tour, and may need you for a guide in Ephesus in August. (coming off a cruise for the day.)
Thanks,
Sharen Kolnick and the Libermans
thekolnick[@-sign]aol.com
(April 2008)
Ozgur
Just returned home. Wanted to thank you and your staff for an outstanding experience in Turkey. We had a fabulous time! Everything was GREAT. Thank you for all your efforts. Looking forward to a return visit.
myflag1[@-sign]comcast.net
(April 2008)
Dear Ozgur
Thank you for our wonderful tour of Turkey last month. We enjoyed so much seeing your beautiful country and warm people. Your services were great and guides very knowledgeable. We would love to have had more time.
Thank you again.
Blessings
jacquekb[@-sign]yahoo.com
(October 2007)
Dear Mr Ozgur Ates,
We returned with great memories from Turkey. You have a wonderful country with great people. It was a pleasure to discover Turkey through your team and we have no words to thank you for that.
Best regards
mmmarchetti[@-sign]gmail.com
(August 2007)
We would recommend this company, with zero hesitation, to anybody planning a trip through Turkey. We had two glorious weeks touring the country, rich with history, beautiful landscapes, and most importantly with great hospitable people. City Of Sultans (COS) organized our whole trip. From Canada, it took us less than two days and a few email excanges for COS to develop an intinerary that met all our needs and was customized to our interests. Our rental car was new and comfortable, drove 2500 kms without a glitch. Every hotel we stayed at was absolutely perfect, COS managed to book boutique hotels in every city that were beautifully set, perfectly located, clean and comfortable. The memories of the gullet sailed blue voyage will stay with us for years. The professionalism of the boat's staff, the simple but great food, the clean cabins and totally compatible sailing companions made an already amazing sail through the beautiful mediterrenian even more impressive and memorable. We recommend COS, and escpecially Mr. Ozgur Ates wholeheartedly to anyone planning a hastle free and well organized trip to Turkey. 0zgur was attentive to our needs before the trip and checked in on us regularly by cell phone and email during the trip. He went the extra mile for us at every turn. We intend to use them for sure in the future.
rfonberg[@-sign]rogers.com
(July 2007)
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