The reality of yacht charter in Turkey – facts and bullshit Part1

The Why

Since the first year of the major tourism decline in Turkey, there was a discrepancy between what’s really happening and the media version. This is not new to us – the media, albeit crucial for the democratic freedom we enjoy – often focus on the negative, the captivating and especially the shocking elements in order to boost their ratings. And this is how the annihilation of the Turkish yacht charter began.

My decision to sail Turkey this year was naturally met with skepticism from all sides. My intention was to have a nice sailing vacation with my wife but also to move the general opinion if only by a thread.

In these 14 days I will report my impressions as true as I can, without an agenda or bias.

The Arrival

We flew Zagreb – Istanbul – Dalaman. There was an option to fly directly from Graz or Vienna to Antalya but we opted for the lazy version with no driving involved. The cost of airfare was in the area of 300 EUR – not the cheapest fare but far from pricey.

After touchdown in Istanbul you get re-routed to the domestic terminal which is not as colorful as the international one. Even though small and quite a bit rowdier, it offers everything one needs to feel at home; a cozy Starbucks, a few stylish independent coffee shops and a large food court with an impressive offer of Turkish food and snacks. The layover time flew by as it would elsewhere. The flight to Dalaman was uneventful. On arrival we were greeted by our friendly host Idris Ucar, scorching sunshine and a heat wave – a clear sign that the holiday is about to begin.

To be continued…