Culinary Vacations in Turkey: The Cuisine of Sultans

I loved the sightseeing, which was my principal interest--especially the Topkapi Palace (including the Harem), Aya Sofia, Blue Mosque, Chora Church, Rustem Pasha Mosque in Istanbul. Also liked the Grand Bazaar, Spice Bazaar, and boat ride in Istanbul. Highlights outside Istanbul were the ruins at Pergamum and Ephesus, and just about everything we did in Cappadocia. Cappadocia was quite an experience, with the beautiful natural scenery, caves and early churches, and the very memorable hotel--a highlight was eating dinner outside watching the cave swallows fly by and having the light of a full moon! Another memorable moment was seeing all the balloons as we left our Cappadocia hotel for the airport. The internal flights all worked well, and I was glad that the arrangements enabled us to see a couple of other regions of Turkey besides Istanbul--although I could have used another couple of days in Istanbul, notwithstanding that we had added an extra day to our itinerary. The arrangements went smoothly, and our drivers and guide were very good (more about the guide below). Although shopping is not as important as sightseeing, I enjoyed the shopping too, including the stops at the carpet and ceramics places--whoever selected those places did a good job. I would suggest for future trips that you make it clear that certain parts are pretty strenuous. Not everybody may be up for climbing to see ruins and caves. I did everything except on one day when I wasn't feeling well, but it was tough for the people on the trip who were older than I was. However, the flexibility of a small group was helpful--people who didn't want to do something were able to stay at the hotel and find other things to do, or rest someplace and rejoin the group later. One of the things I liked best, in fact, was the small group. And having such a good guide (Ayse) added greatly to the trip. She was extremely knowledgeable as well as warm and friendly. I would be happy to go on another trip guided by Ayse. While cooking is not my main interest, the cooking lessons were enjoyable, although the second one (in Cappadocia) should have had pre-printed recipes available for us. The most memorable meals were the welcome dinner at Bursa Restaurant and the lunch at Lil'a in Cappadocia. The dinners at the hotel in Cappadocia were memorable not only for the food but for the setting. Some people didn't like the buffet at the hotel in Kusadosi, but I did--it was nice to have choices and a break from the 4 and 5 course meals, even though I really enjoyed those meals too. The resort at Kusadosi was pleasant but not spectacular as resorts go. However, it was a good choice, being well-located for the excursions we took--and it also was near a town that had food and shopping options. The handling of the tips was a little confusing. Toward the beginning of the trip we were asked to pay the tips in advance, which we did, and then twice toward the end of the trip we were asked for extra money to increase the size of the pool. I actually gave my additional money directly to Ayse because she had been very nice to me when I wasn't feeling well and I wanted to recognize that in person. Taking this trip was not only enjoyable in itself but also gave me a great appreciation of the history of Turkey as well as its present-day situation. It was truly an educational trip. The International Kitchen made very fine arrangements and choices, and I appreciated the ability to add extra things to our itinerary. Mauri O., MD

This was a fantastic trip! Turkey is an exotic, complex and completely fascinating country. Every element of the trip was great; the hotels, excursions, guide and driver (new, comfortable vehicles), meals and cooking classes. It exceeded my expectations in every way and I give the trip my highest recommendation! Karen H., IL