Mr & Mrs Jansen were kind to share with us their experience while cruising with Oceania Cruise Lines, and in particular their stop in Kusadasi. Here is what they had to say:
Asli Kumari
Our day with Asli Kumari in Kusadasi turned out to be the highlight of our trip.
She is a wonderful, warm, friendly woman. As we had already experienced Ephesus on a former trip, she decided to take us to a little town called Sirince, in the mountains about 20 minutes from Kusadasi.
Everything there was organic!
They made everything themselves, dried herbs, soaps, wines
fabric art
beautiful fabric arts, olive oils, as well as jewelry, Asli bargained for us everywhere.
olive oils
from outside
After that she took us to her mother’s home for a Turkish meal prepared by her
family (all organic from their garden)
the Turkish meal that was prepared for us
All served on colorful Turkish dishes, outside on Turkish furniture. It was such a personal experience. After a tour of her mother’s house, she took us to a leather outlet nearby.
Within minutes we (just John, I and her) were honoured with a complete fashion show on a runway with several models. With Asli again bargaining for us we came away with wonderfully soft sheepskin coats for a fraction of the price. Back in Kusadasi, Asli took us to her favorite candy store, where the locals
hand made goods
go to buy Turkish delight. Again, bargaining for us, we soon (after receiving complimentary cups of apple tea) walked out of there loaded with Turkish sweets for our grandchildren What hospitality!! Returning to our ship, Asli’s warm hugs made us feel like family. She is a wonderful ambassadress for her country and we highly recommend her as a tour guide. Sincerely Wilma Jansen. For more information, or if you are interested in booking a tour, contact Karen at Roblin Travel. karen@roblintravel.host or 604 792 4696
