Aegean Coast and Lakes Ride

Our Clients’ Reviews

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Average Review Rating: from 16 reviews.

Andrew Hewitt

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written May 2011
Overall a very enjoyable holiday with some good rides and spectacular scenary, particularly Lake Bafa and group of nice people who all got on well. But the route could be improved so that less time is spent on busy roads - we probably spent in the region of 30-40% of our time on what were really quite large, busy, fast roads (though the third day's cycling was cancelled due to fog of all things so I can't comment on that).
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Lake Bafa. The sunset was spectacular, the scenary beautiful. I would also say coming down a 10% incline on a dual carriageway overtaking cement mixers and lorries at 30mph+ on the Saturday morning inspired a certain amount of adrenalin and fear. On the other hand the descent on the second day was wonderful - quiet roads, sweeping bends, spectacular views. Ephesus was also good value - it was worth paying the money for the guide, as he was really knowledgable and made the place come alive.
What did you think of your group leader?
Semih is a very nice, personable bloke and I think could potentially be a good tour leader. He was anxious to please and was always on hand to help if needed. He and his team did a great job of finding a really nice restaurant to go to when the cycling got fogged off on day 3. However, I felt he could perhaps benefit from some training in what is expected of a tour leader, eg a more detailed briefing on where we were going in the morning / the previous evening, some indication of how long the route was going to be and generally being a bit more proactive at sharing information rather than waiting for us to ask questions. I also perceived a bit of a langauge barrier (though his English is infintiely better than my Turkish!). I think Semih may also have benefited knowing the route a bit better (or at least having a decent map - Google maps seemed to offer more detail than the one he had!). I understand that revisions to the route to avoid using the big D400 dual carriageway so much are being considered (we must have done at least 30km on it on the last day - not much fun). I couldn't encourage that more. Finally, I think more care could have been taken to ensure those who tended to cycle towards the back of the group got sufficient food and support, particularly on the first day.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
By the end of the week the group was of the settled view than this was at least on the tough end of "moderate", particularly the climb on the first day (contrary to what the trip notes might say, it was far from flat or mostly downhill). Be prepared to do some cycling on fairly busy, albeit wide, roads and to cycle for fairly long periods without stopping too much. Bring your own energy bars etc as although energy was available there could have been more of it. I really enjoyed the trip and would recommend it to anyone who has a bit of road cycling experience / confidence and doesn't mind a bit of traffic. That said, there were parts of the ride which were just wonderful, quiet undulating roads - eg day 2 was great as involved cycling by a lake for about 15km, climbing a hill and then coming off it in to wide open plain with great views and at considerable speed - although the downhill on the morning of the fifth day was, as I mentioned above, pretty scary because there was just nowhere to stop and some nasty blind corners, so the only option was to just keep going down the hill. Not for the faint-hearted.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I, like others in the group were puzzled by the route selection. For example, why stop with something 3-4km to go on roads where the only other traffic appear to be donkey and carts by Lake Bafa when we had been cycling down an (albeit very scenic) stretch of dual carriageway most of the afternoon? Ditto on Day 5. If the aim is to limit length to c60km a day, why not start a bit later on the busy road so as to have the enjoyment and sense of acheivement of actually cycling to the destination? I got the impression that there was a safety concern re the narrowness of some of the roads; but when the only oncoming traffic is a donkey cart and the odd car or tractor, it's really not as dangerous as being overtaken by enormous trucks on a multilane highway with a gravelly hard shoulder and there are plenty of English country lanes which are narrower but fine to cycle down.
All the hotels (bar maybe the second one, which was not geared at foreign tourists and garishly decorated but the food was excellent) were good, particularly the last one in Dalyan (though I'm not a massive fan of Dalyan itself - very touristy). I'm giving it 4 stars as I had a great time both cycling (most of the time) and in the evenings though that might be a little generious as the routes on Day 4 and 5 need serious revisions, and more warning needed to be given of the climb on day 1.
I was very grateful to Yasser for his mechanical skills and Mustafa for his driving - they made a great team and it was fun hanging out with them and Semih in the evenings.

Exodus Response
This particular departure encountered some difficulties in the form of a number of roadworks, forcing a last minute change of route. These works are now finished and the trip will return to its original route, and so not need to cycle on some of the busier roads.
- Exodus Staff
valerie murray

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written October 2010
Great holiday and last day at Dalyan beach was good optional end to holiday. Cycling sometimes challenging but most enjoyable, especially the downhills. Turkish food really good and tasty. All the Turkish people we met were friendly and courteous.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
We really enjoyed Ephesus, but the overly long transfer times curtailed our time spent there which was a pity. Having never been to Turkey, this holiday enabled us to get a better understanding of the geography and its people, which we felt was very important. Exploring the rural countryside, rather than the beaches, we thought gave us an insight into the 'real' Turkey, albeit on a very small scale, but that is what one would expect within one week!
What did you think of your group leader?
The group leader and his two assistants were very helpful and friendly. However, it would have been better if the leader's English was better, as often instructions were sometimes lost or misunderstood in translation.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We thought the transfer times did not correspond with the trip notes. Some were far too long, and curtailed the time we could spend visiting two of the most interesting locations - Ephesus and the salt spas.
Brian Helsdon

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written October 2010
Overall I enjoyed the trip. I thought the cycling at times was tougher than the B rating suggested: you should be fit for this trip.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing Ephesus at dusk after a long day cycling and travelling by bus.
What did you think of your group leader?
The group leader was friendly and we all bonded. My reservation would be his standard of English which I don't consider good. It prevented a closer relationship between him and the group and led to occasional misunderstandings. For example he seemed to pronounce village and bridge the same; important if that was the next meeting point.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Be fit, be prepared for a couple of 5-7k uphills, the one on the first cycling day is particularly challenging. Only one person - me!!! - did this without either stopping or walking. The scenery is breathtaking at times with the mountains and lakes. The last, free, day at Dalyan was relaxing and there is an excellent beach a river boat ride away fron the hotel.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
My advice to Exodus would be to quality assure this holiday again. As above I think the standard of English of the guide could and should have been a bit higher. I would have rated some of the hotels as basic rather than standard. In particualr the one near Ephesus, though central, was of poor quality. My room had wires exposed in the wall sockets, not reassuring. Perversely the one hotel rated as basic was really rather good in a pretty, albeit islolated, position close to a lake.
Another reservation is that there were several cycling sections on busy main roads. Indeed for one short section we cycled on the hard shoulder of a motorway!
Terry Greening

AEGEAN COAST AND LAKES RIDE

Written October 2010
Wonderful, friendly people. First trip to Turkey and was presently surprised.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Arriving at Lake Bafa, wonderful accommodation in a village overlooking the lake. In the evening after dinner the guides took us to a Turkish wedding where taking the lead from the guides we did Turkish dancing, even had the bride and groom joining us.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent guide as was the driver and other guide. Integrated well within the group, even understanding our sense of humour and joining in with our jokes, became much more than just a guide.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Just go with the flow, relax, enjoy yourselves and take the advice of the guides.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Trip notes were not entirely accurate. On the first day after lunch was supposed to be a flat ride. Turned out it was up a mountain. It was horrendous, most of the group had to walk up most of the way. After this though it was much nicer, mostly flat or downhill. Trip notes also mentioned visits to Pamukkale and Ephesus but we arrived so late in the day that we couldn't get the full benefit of a visit because it was so close to closing time. The rides were not town to town but in the morning we would drive in the minibus to a point, unload the bikes, cycle to a point, load the bikes on the wagon and drive to our overnight stop so I feel that the rides were slightly too long, we could quite easily have stopped short and had more time to relax, explore towns or villages or visit sites at the end of the day.
Harmina Jansen

AEGEAN COAST & LAKES RIDE CYCLING HOLIDAY

Written June 2008
Great trip through varied country side - stunning views, lovely villages and some challenging rides!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
THe final, optional ride (over the last hill) to Iztuzlu beach was one of the high points - we had cycled for nearly a week and here was the sea at last! Jumping into the water on this beautiful long beach was wonderful relief for the inevitable saddle sores. Ephesus of course was awe inspiring - I particularly enjoyed visiting the 'terraced' houses with their colourful interior decor. And we could not have been made more welcome by the Yildiz family in their family home, our evening with them felt very special.
What did you think of your group leader?
Tuna was excellent - he was very friendly, calm, informative and a very good organiser in a low-key way. His experiment with camping at Lake Salda (apparently the previous group did not like the first village house) would have worked very well if the sudden extreme wind had not interrupted our sleep quite so much - that was just our bad luck. It was a stunning setting to wake up to in the morning. Given that he did not know the planned route he guided us well and made some adjustments to timing and distance to suit the group.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Wonderful countryside and stunning views - and on your bike you do get away from the tourist areas along the coast. But get your legs in shape - getting up those hills in the mid-day heat can feel a challenge!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
really enjoyable overall - maybe not a grade B though..... (it included a climb of 1100m one day)
Patrick Byrne

AEGEAN COAST & LAKES RIDE CYCLING HOLIDAY

Written June 2008
Great team, Tuna the guide was very well informed on sites, history and current affairs as well as biking. The routes were sometimes quite demanding in the heat. I loved it and was pleased how I managed to stay in the saddle with the younger riders, but some suffered a bit. the team were not familiar with some of the route which was new, so there was some uncertainty at times on distances and stage lengths. The camping night was primitive and we were not really prepared for the lack of running water and food nearbye. [we had to drive to a village for dinner] It was though a stunning semi wilderness area and that largely compensated. Most of the route was brilliant, beautiful or rugged countryside and we really felt we were getting away and seeing the real turkey. The overnight in the family home in mountain village was tremendous, I loved every minute. the Turkish people were charming and hospitable.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Downhill into Tire after a climb of 1100m which could have featured on the Tour de France. the downhill was fun fun fun all the way with spectacular views.
Dinner in Dalyan by the river with view of tombs - incredibly romantic, rates against many best world sites. The unspoilt coast and beach at Dalyan is a marvel and must be preserved at all costs.
White water rafting was sublime - the best ever. could not fault it, superb guide and ecstatic river
I played some celtic music on the mouth organ to local residents and group and got a great reception. Irish jigs can sound a bit Turkish??
What did you think of your group leader?
a great guy, super conversationalist and so proud of his country. we learnt a lot from him about every aspect of Turkey and we have been reading more since.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
do this trip, but make sure you are moderately fit to get the best out of it
Is there anything else you would like to add?
great value holiday
Exodus Response

Exodus would like to add that there is no longer any camping on this trip, and all accommodation has running water.

- Exodus Staff
Carole Caligari

AEGEAN COAST & LAKES RIDE CYCLING HOLIDAY

Written April 2008
A really great holiday.......so much seen/experienced/enjoyed in such a relatively short space of time made possible by Exodus, terrific tour leaders and, (most importantly), the superb people that we met.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Although the holiday is a new route and perhaps the route-finding was a little "impromptu" at times the holiday was a huge success. The scenery/places visited were excellent and the whole experience was unforgettable.
A key element for the enjoyment of the holiday was the people that we met. Our tour leader, (Maho), his assistant, (Emin), and driver/assistant, (Ali), were a perfect team. Helpful, friendly, always there to help and advise and great fun. I suppose on a holiday of this kind you expect to meet, generally, like-minded people and we "gelled" such that at the end of the tour we were so sad to part.....but will be meeting up again for more cycling adventures/experiences/fun!!! Lastly, but by no means least the people of Turkey that we met, who were, without exception friendly, welcoming and a delight to meet.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader, (Maho), was a superb leader assisted by Emin and Ali. Due to the "early development stage" of the tour route some improvements could/need to be made but, in spite of this, our leaders did an exceptionally good job. Exodus should be proud to have such excellent representatives.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
My advice would be to carry clothing etc. for a wide range of conditions. Certainly if travelling early or late season it can be wet/cold especially at 1,000m plus above sea level!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This tour could perhaps be considered as being at the "developmental stage". There is a great deal of fantastic scenery/rides in this area but some routes that we travelled were, perhaps, not the best that were potentially available. Our guides recognised this and , I have no doubts, will be suggesting improvements. Even with this said the holiday was a hugely enjoyable experience.