TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

8 days from GBP829 to GBP949 including flights
Tripcode: MTK

Countries Visited: Turkey

Review your Exodus adventure now

Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 10 reviews.

Lesley Pearson

TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

Written September 2011
For me,, what a great trip! The guides made it fun, the group all got on, the food was great and the weather was hot! I was already a fan of Turkey but Kas was a fabulous place.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
For me this trip ticked all the boxes. Good challenging cycling but not too much of it, a day off in the middle to do something different, 2 shorter days in Kas giving me time to explore the place, great food, fun guides, a great group and fabulous weather...What more could anyone want?
What did you think of your group leader?
Ali and Yasshaf were brilliant.
Ali did an excellent job of hosting and making sure people knew what was going on and what needed to happen. He also arranged great group meals out when we arrive in Kas. He never favoured anyone or left anyone out - he did a perfect job.
Yasshaf led the cycling and he was great at setting a pace so that the nutters could have a bit of fun but stopped frequently enough and in all the right places to allow the slower cyclists to catch up. He was ALWAYS maintaining the bikes which gave everyone a great level of confidence that everything possible was being done to make sure things were safe!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This trip is listed as Moderate because there is a day off in the middle and because the last 2 days are quite short. But this does NOT mean that the cycling is not challenging. So if you think that you are going on a gentle riverside pedal...think again. There are tough climbs and tough descents. I think the notes romanticise this trip a little and make it sound as though it is easy....it's not!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The one thing I didn't like was the amount of transfer travel at the start of most rides. Most noticeably the transfer from the airport...no details of whcih are given in the notes. It was over 4 hours. I'll be a lot smarter in checking that sort of detail out next time because that was painful....
Exodus Response
It's great to read that this trip is running well. Regarding the airport transfer, a refreshment stop is often made en route which makes the overall journey time longer than the approximate 2.5 to 3hrs it would otherwise take. Fortunately, with the imminent completion of a road project, the journey time to and from Kas is set to drop to 2 hours, meaning there will no longer be a need for a refreshment stop.
- Exodus Staff
Jane Butterworth

TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

Written September 2011
This was a fantastic holiday, the two guides (Ali and Yashir) were great fun and ensured we had a good time. We saw parts of Turkey you wouldn't normally visit. The hotel in Kas was really comfortable and I'd certainly like to go back at some point.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The ride along the coast on the last day had some fantastic views, the long slog up the mountain was worth it!
I also enjoyed the sea kayaking on our free day, it was great fun and scenery fantastic.
The hotel in Kas was very comfortable with friend staff and excellent facilities - the pool was a welcome treat after a hard day in the saddle!
What did you think of your group leader?
Ali was great, he was able to adapt the tour to suit the group and took us to some great restaurants. He was very knowledgable and helpful. Yashir also did a brilliant job. The guys worked really hard to keep the bikes fully functional.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
keep cycling, you get to the top in the end and hold on tight on the downhills!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If there's one thing I'd change it would be a couple of the bus transfers to our start point, these were a bit long on a coupe of occassions.
Anne Leete

TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

Written May 2011
A great trip, made even more enjoyable by the small friendly group that I was in. Cycling was as expected and I was delighted with variety of tracks and that they were mostly quite wide which meant we had almost 100% support by the vehicle which added to the comfort factor. Scenery was quite spectacular and I loved the feeling of cycling on top of the world with snow topped mountains in the distance and views through lovely forests into the valleys below.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Managing to cycle every bit of the track zig-zagging up the mountain - the pain was eased by the beautiful sea views along this route which ended with a lovely ride into Kas. My first mountain biking holiday and the level was fine for me but then I just used my brakes a lot and was very cautious around the scary hair pin bends.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ali was excellent in looking after those at the back - mostly me - and checking we were wearing our helmets! He could have been a bit more informative but I think his recent break meant that his English was a bit rusty.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Our second night's accommodation at the home stay was very basic and we would have appreciated sheets but maybe we stayed somewhere different as there were only five of us. But I'd take a sleeping bag liner/duvet cover just in case! And don't be surprised if the days switch around from the trip notes as ours did, not that I think it really mattered.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
On our day off I went sea kayaking and they combined us with the walking and activity groups which meant we were over 20 and so had delays getting sorted out with kayaks etc - a smaller group would have been a pleasanter experience, but I was a complete novice and still managed to get from A to B to C and back again. It was a whole day out and I'd have preferred a half day's kayaking without so many breaks and peering into the sea to see virtually non-existent ruins!
Tom Wilkinson

TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

Written May 2011
A really good start to my summer and it's given me the determination to cycle even more.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Zipping down the mountains in the sunshine with the sea stretching out before me, and managing the climbs.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ali and Yasar are both very likeable characters, they worked well together and with the group and knew their stuff. Yasar in particular took great care of the bikes and was unbeatable up and down those mountains!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Cycling gloves come in really handy (pardon the pun), I was sceptical beforehand but will now invest in a good pair, it's definitely worth it.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I really enjoyed the chance to further explore Turkey and mix a bit of a challenge with real adrenaline on the descents. The group were great company to spend a week with. The fresh fuit and veg was a big plus and every day was different.
Justin Cherriman

TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

Written May 2011
My first Exodus trip and I had a superb time with the small group I was with. The scerery was sensational, with cedar trees, a dusting of snow on some of the surrounding mountains and breathtaking terrain with thrilling rides downhill.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The family we stayed with were both friendly and were greeted warmly, we all got a rare insight into Turkish semi-rural life. Kas is a beautiful town, not yet destroyed by English tourism, a lot of local people and culture made the place friendly. The excursions are worth every penny, I did the kyaking over the sunken city, Turkish Bath and for our last day we did a BBQ on a boat recommended by Ali, all were really special.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader for this was Ali and his sidekick driver Mustafa. Both were warm, generous and friendly. All the group gelled well together. We certainly had a few laughs as both of them had a good sense of humour. This really made the holiday for me. Ali was well organised and certainly made a good leader. His recommedations were good and on the last day he gave us a few choices. If you go on this trip I would recommend the boat trip BBQ with the captain Ottoman, we all had the best time with tasty food and danced; complete with disco lights at the end of the night.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Yes bring a hoodie, jumper or fleece! I went at the end of May and for the first 3 days it was chilly especially up in the mountains also I would also recomend a thinner layer for some of the downhill sections.
Bring a gel seat saddle (or your own saddle) and cycling shorts with padding is recommended because it does get bumpy.
Depending on your skin, plenty of high factor suncream. Banana Boat is a good sports cream and worked well without sweating into the eyes.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I will be booking with Exodus again next year!
Steve Andrew

TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

Written May 2011
A first class trip. We rode through small villages in lovely scenery with spring flowers in abundance on the snow capped mountain side. The trails were a good mixture which required little technical knowledge but demanded care and concentration.
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The numerous long fast descents were exhilarating & made even more enjoyable by the normal morning transfers high up into the mountains
What did you think of your group leader?
Both Ali, the tour leader and Mustafa, the support driver were excellent. Nothing was to much trouble for them, they were always cheerful and gave us lots of moral support.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Southern Turkey may be on the Mediterranean but some of the cycling is at almost 5000' it can be quite cold so be prepared, pack a jumper or fleece.
Alexander Workman

TRAILS OF THE TURQUOISE COAST

Written October 2010
Excellent trip! A great group of people where everyone clicked. Interesting (in good way) countryside, warm weather and some good cycling. The optional sea kayaking on 1 day was just brilliant: the water was as blue as it is in the brochure (at that one place).
Read full review
What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Descending a mountainside through cloud; that was both eerie and very tranquil.
What did you think of your group leader?
Oz, Yashar and Cirvet were good, pleasant tour leader/guide/driver. Oz and Yashar led the cycle rides at a good pace, and one of them was always at the back to ensure no one fell back. Cirvet was always driving the van behind us so those who wanted to rest their legs could.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Obviously, the more you have cycled beforehand, the more you will enjoy the trip. There were 3 long climbs on separate days - 16km, 8km and 7km - so some hill practice would be good. That said, I'm useless riding up hills and still managed (well, not all of the 16km ... then I was SO glad to jump in the van ...)