Zehra Alper

This was our first time using KimKim. In fact, it was the first time we had used any travel planning agency. There were times in the planning process that I felt a bit anxious there I gave the planning and booking experience only 4 stars. That said, the itinerary and arrangements that Zehra put together for us far exceeded our expectations! I had originally told Zehra that we wanted to see Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus, and Cappadocia. I later added Pamukkale to that list. Zehra expanded the trip to include Gallipoli, Aphrodiaias, Hierapolis, and Konya to that list. We knew of Gallipoli but the last 3 were places we had never even heard of and all turned out to be fascinating and memorable.
The guides Zehra hired were fabulous. Okan made the battle sites of the Gallipoli Peninsula come alive. We finished that day with an understanding of the importance of the geography of that peninsula and the important role it played in 20th century Turkish history. Okan also guided us patiently and carefully through the ruins of ancient Troy and Pergamum. He went beyond his role of tour guide by recommending an excellent fish restaurant for dinner and arranging a late lunch stop in Çanakkale so we could eat gözleme.
Senem gave us a very good understanding of the importance of Ephesus and took us through the excavation of the “mansions “ near the agora that are now open to the public at a small additional fee.
Rafet is a fabulous story teller! He entranced us with his telling of the Greek myths and their connections to the ancient cities of Aphrodisias and Hierapolis. He also found us good local eateries for lunch!
Gökhan gave us very clear explanations about the geology of Cappadocia and also about the role that the early Christians played in that area. He also steered us expertly through the crush of tourists in the Underground City.
Our itinerary was a private 11 day road trip with a car and driver. Okan, Rafet and Gökhan were each with us for more than one day and all 3 were also very good traveling companions on the drives from one site to another.
KimKim and Zehra truly put together a remarkable trip for us.

We spent 14 days touring Turkey with KimKim We had never done a privately guided trip before and found it to be very worthwhile. Zehra did an excellent job in suggesting an itinerary which included all the highlights of the country. She selected hotels in each locale, diverse and well located, each a different experience.. Our guides in each locale were excellent and knowledgable and adjust the schedule to avoid the crowds in the busy destinations. Lunches were in local restaurants highlighting the local cuisine . We would like to recognize Betul in Istanbul, Gozde in Cappadocia, Senem in Ephesus and Uraz in the southern coast and Antalya. Each provided a great tour in their respective locales.
In country travel, including 3 flights and transfers, was dependable and on schedule and Zehra quickly responded to questions during the trip.
Our trip included 3 days in Istanbul (we would recommend the Street food Tour and a visit to an Hammam), 2 days in Cappadocia (we would recommend the Hot air balloon ride and underground city tours), 2 days in Sirince with a tour of Ephesus and Pamukkale. Two relaxing days on the beach near Fethiye. A guided trip along the coast to Olympos and a day in Antalya.

This is the third time I have used Kimkim to plan a vacation, and again, we were very impressed by how easy it was and the quality of the arrangements that were made for us. We worked with Zehra on part of our trip in Bucharest and then through to Istanbul. Zehra is a KimKim agent specializing in Turkey. Zehra helped us to plan an itinerary that met all our needs. She worked with local guides and drivers to ensure our trip went smoothly. Zehra even met us at the airport and joined us on our first afternoon for a private yacht tour of the Bosphorus Straits. After working with her virtually, it was delightful to meet her in person. She stayed in touch with us throughout the trip. We formed a WhatsApp group for communicating, which we realized was very important after a couple of days in Istanbul. Istanbul traffic is notorious and Zehra's coordination between the local drivers and us ensured that we always knew when our drivers would arrive and the best place to meet them. Zehra also coordinated a local guide, Eda, who was fun to be with. On our last day, Eda took us out for Turkish coffee and then read our fortunes in the coffee sludge. With KimKim you can get the trip that you want, designed by you with input from a local expert. It is wonderful to have someone to contact if something goes awry in a big way. We have appreciate having someone in-country to contact if needed. There were six of us in our group and we all thought that Kimkim, Zehra, the guides and drivers were fantastic.

The time of year I chose to visit definitely made the trip more interesting - from rain to sun to snow, nothing was predictable which made every day fresh and new, not to mention the spectacular destinations. Of all the places I saw, I think Mardin was my favorite - I'd never been there, there seemed to be less tourists (might have been the time of year), the views from the old city were incredible, finally got some sunshine, and the side-trip to the amazing Dara was incredible. Yakup was an excellent driver/guide and added so very much to my knowledge and learning at every destination we visited.