We chose True Blue Tour because several friends of ours from the Philippines raved about them, and we were not disappointed. First, they listened to what we told them we wanted to do, made helpful suggestions, and really tailored our trip so that it would hit all of the most important points/places/experiences, and keep things flexible because we were traveling with six kids (ages 12 to 16). Yes, there were three sets of parents (so six adults too), but taking two local flights, staying in three different hotels, and spending time with three tour guides and three bus drivers - along with several optional activities - leaves much room for lack of coordination, balls being dropped, or general dissatisfaction and whining (you're going to compare across your different guides, experiences, etc).This entire trip was spectacular. There were no gaps, no "oh we didn't think of that" - everything went according to what was planned and what was communicated to us. To be fair, a big part of this is luck and fit. True Blue Tour does not control the weather, or airlines, or restaurant staff. But they were with us every step of the way. Merve Aydin was always preternaturally present, answering questions at all times of day or night despite time zone differences (one family was in Denmark, two were in the U.S.). From planning our itinerary to sending our boarding passes for our local flights in time - we never had to follow up with Merve. The entire True Blue team - Eyup Karapinar, Anastasia Aksu, our guides Alp Watmough, Recep Yüce, Nizam Adsız (shout out to Nizam for somehow getting me Ayran for every single meal while we were together!); our drivers Göksel (Yoko) Özlük, Ömer Kanlı, and Erdal Acıg... they were all incredible. From the time we arrived at the airport in Istanbul to our early morning Sunday flight out of Izmir (which required a 2:30am drop off), everything went smoothly, with nothing to worry about.But how does the tour company respond and handle any mishaps or misunderstandings? They were great, too. They found a 5-star hotel for us in Kapadokya, which as it turns out was an upgrade from our cave hotel (at no additional cost). We put up a fuss, actually: "Hey we're tourists, we want a cave hotel!" But Eyup and Merve were gentle and persuasive and convinced us to give this one a try. We LOVED IT. From a fully equipped gym to sauna, pool, etc, to fantastic food and an amazing patio view of the sunset - so happy they "convinced" us to do this. Two of our kids also ended up eating foods at a restaurant that triggered allergic reactions: this was NOT True Blue's fault, they had called ahead and told the restaurant of these allergies; I spoke a little Turkish and reemphasized the allergy risk when we were seated - apparently my Turkish need a LOT of work. But the kids ended up allergic anyway - our driver Ömer Kanlı made multiple trips to make sure we were okay, resettled back in the hotel, and safe. I'm not even sure he needed to be there that evening (dinner was not included and the tour for the day had ended), but there he was, driving us to and from the hotel and looking out for us.And what about the post-trip follow-ups? Heck, I am still bugging several team members of True Blue Tour. "Hey, how is this place's name spelled again?" "Could you recommend a book or movie I'd enjoy that would reinforce our visit? I mean, aside from Muhteşem Yüzyıl (Magnificent Century) - of course I've watched that...?" "Do you remember taking a picture here and can you send that to me?" "Hey Nizam can you send me some Ayran?" (Just kidding, I already figured out where to source them here where I live in the US). Just really good peeps, super kind, super responsive.I'm not going to spend too much time talking about Türkiye because I will then write an entire book or two about how amazing the place is. It's been more than a week since our trip ended and I am still posting 2x a day or more on my social media accounts, sharing details about our INCREDIBLE (all caps required) experience that we just didn't get to share "real time" - even though we were posting 3-5x a day WHILE we were in Türkiye from April 12-20! I actually can't wait to go back. There are so many more things I want to do, places I want to see - people I want to meet and talk to (in my 'rather mid' Turkish)!All of this I attribute to the Divine (thank you!), or luck if you prefer (it's hard to thank "luck"). And really and truly - True Blue Tour. I can't say enough fantastic things about True Blue Tour and our trip to Istanbul. I am now in fact looking up whether they offer tours in other places, as I would not hesitate to hire them again for our next tour. They are PHENOMENAL.
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As a leading tour operator based in Istanbul, True Blue Tour is your trusted partner for unforgettable journeys. We specialize in crafting bespoke tours that cater to your unique travel aspirations. With a passion for exploration and a deep understanding of our diverse destinations, we bring your dream adventures to life.
