Your Gulet and Life On Board

What is a Gulet?

A Gulet is a traditional wooden ketch, originally used for trading along the Turkish coastline. However, nowadays gulets are specially built with modern fittings and equipment, for the comfort of their passengers on a cruising holiday! Normally with between 6 & 10 cabins below deck, the spacious back deck (aft) is designed for dining and lounging in the shade, whereas the forward deck (bow) invites you with its numerous comfy sunbeds. The mid-section of the ship is home to a small indoor lounge area, the bar and the kitchen.

With just a small group onboard there is a calm atmosphere and relations between passengers and crew tend to be relaxed and casual. Unlike cruises on large ships you will have the opportunity to explore the secluded and often deserted bays and coves of Turkey’s fantastic coastline.

Usually the daily duration for sailing is between 3 – 4 hours and the rest is spent in gorgeous coves enjoying the sun & sea. Gulet cruises originated in Turkey and due to the Turkish expertise and hospitality, it still remains the No.1 destination for this unique kind of holiday.

Your Cabin

Due to the fact that the majority of gulet life is spent up on the spacious deck, you will find your cabin to be quite compact and consist mainly of a double bed and a little wardrobe. All cabins have small en-suite bathrooms where the shower is usually of the hand held variety in the same space as the WC. One set of linen is provided per person, however if you like your bath towels big and fluffy - you might want to bring your own! Should you wish to do so, the crew are more than happy for you to take your sheets and blankets up on deck to sleep ‘al fresco’ on one of the comfy mattresses under the stars – one of our favourite parts of the Gulet experience.

What Clothes to Pack

As little as possible is the key when packing for a Gulet holiday! You will find soft holdalls to be most convenient for stowage whilst on your Gulet. Attire on board both day and night is very relaxed and casual. Generally you will live in your swimming gear by day and shorts and t-shirts for dinner on an evening. For the three nights of your stay that the Gulet spends moored in a harbour, you may want to bring along something smarter in case you want to venture ashore to sample the local night life, although shorts and t-shirts would again suffice if you would prefer.
You won’t need shoes on deck, but don’t forget your flip flops or trainers for when you go off exploring. If you are planning to cruise early on or late in the season, it's a good idea to bring along a light cardigan or sweatshirt as there can be a cool breeze out at sea late on in the evening.

Essential Items

A beach towel, hat and suncream are all essential items and don’t forget insect repellent for the early evenings if you are prone to being bitten.
Your week will be packed with amazing photo opportunities so don’t forget your camera. A Gulet holiday is also the ideal opportunity to catch up on all those books you’ve been meaning to get round to, you might also want to pack some playing cards and your Ipod.

Your Crew

There will be 3 to 4 crew, a Captain, a cook and 2/3 boat boys, working onboard to look after your comfort and safety during the voyage. The Turks are extremely hospitable people and if there is anything you need they will do their utmost to help you – be it fishing tips or teaching you a bit of Turkish. The crew will usually ask the guests on board for a consensus of what time meals will be served at, as everyone sits down together to dine. All meals are cooked fresh on board.

Health & Safety

You will be given a briefing about safety onboard before your gulet sets sail. Every boat is fitted with all necessary safety equipment including: a life-vest per passenger, life-rings and a motorised lifeboat. The captain will advise you of when and where you are able to swim off the boat and we ask that you respect that the captains word is final onboard the gulet. Under no circumstances should you swim under the influence of alcohol.

Weather

The Turkish climate also contributes to the experience of Gulet holidays, with a season that begins in late April and ends in October. In our opinion, June and September are the best months for cruising as the temperatures are cooler and it is not too crowded. July and August are of course the hottest months but being out on the open sea is still a pleasure. April and October still offer up to 8 – 9 hours of sunshine.