We just returned from a Mediterranean cruise and had the most wonderful guide in Ephesus and Selcuk! His name is Mutlu Bulut ([email protected]). He met us at the port (Kusadasi) with a van and a driver for our family of 12. We then went to Ephesus for a few hours. He is so knowledgeable which is important in Ephesus and his English is great! Then he took us to the town of Selcuk where we went to his favorite Turkish restaurant. He ordered for us because we wanted the true Turkish food experience. It was wonderful and even the kids ate it. Then on to the Saturday market and he took us to another place for dessert (baklava and goat's milk ice cream) and it was delish! Then onto the Ephesus museum (fascinating) and St. John Basilica. Then he asked if we would like to go see how turkish rugs were made. It was again fascinating to see how they make them. Then back to the boat. Of course, you don't have to do a full day with Mutlu but we feel like we got the full experience of a day in Turkey!
Posted by
1 posts
We were so impressed with Mutlu as well! Highly recommend!
Posted by
2 posts
I posted this already on another forum, but I have also copied it here as this is the forum where I first learned about Mutlu.
We just returned from 3 weeks in Turkiye, and we hired Mutlu to be our private guide for Ephesus and the adjacent town of Selchuk.
We contacted him earlier this summer and he was prompt in all communications we had with him and showed up on time for our tour day.
He was an engaging guide on the history of the area, the culture of Turkiye and the civilizations that preceded modern times. He was very knowledgeable on the historical sites we wanted to visit and accommodated us in our preferred choices. We had great conversations comparing Turkiye and our life in Canada, and his passion for his home shone through.
We have hired many private guides through our travels in Europe, and Mutlu ranks amongst the best we have used. We would highly recommend using Mutlu for any guiding you need in Turkiye. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and you will be happy you did.
Posted by
Noblesville, Indiana, USA
1412 posts
Nearly a year ago we spent 3 nights in Selcuk and had a wonderful time visiting Ephesus and all the other notable sites in the area. Although we didn't have the luxury of a private guide, we did our research using travel guides and the internet. On the last day we visited the village of Şirince but weren't able to make it over to Kusadasi. Our trip started in Istanbul and after Selcuk we went back and stayed 2 nights in the resort town of Kilyos on the Black Sea by the Istanbul airport (IST) before flying home. We enjoyed it all!