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 on the Gay Gulets 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.
Wining & Dining
You will be on full board throughout your stay and all meals will be freshly prepared for you by your crew. Whilst it is not possible for our gulets to offer an 'A la Carte' menu, you will find a selection of foods served at each meal time, enabling you to try a bit of everything or pick and choose what you eat from the plates served. Wonderful traditional Turkish fare is the basis for most of the dishes on board, for example
Breakfast
Breakfast onboard the gulet is a traditional Turkish breakfast which consists of jams & honey, olives, white & yellow cheeses, fresh eggs, juicy tomatoes, cucumber, fruit and fresh Turkish bread. Tea & coffee is unlimited.

Lunch
Your lunch will vary throughout your cruise but a few examples would be, grilled chicken, a traditionally cooked Turkish aubergine dish, a green bean dish, yogurt with mixed vegetables, stuffed peppers, spaghetti or rice, French fries and fresh fruit.
 

Tea Time
Tea & biscuits are unlimited
Dinner
Your dinner onboard the gulet will vary through your Gay Gulet cruise but again a few examples would be, fresh grilled fish (often caught just minutes before), meatballs (the famous Turkish Kofte) or chicken, turkey fillets, French fries, mashed potato, seasonal salad, green salad, Turkish beans, cacik, rice or spaghetti, and fresh fruit.
Drinks on board
There is a bar onboard your gulet, which serves soft and alcoholic drinks. Local beer, wine & spirits are available, along with some imported spirits. If you have any favourites for the bar to stock, please let us know in advance so that we can inform the crew. You will generally keep a tab at the bar throughout your cruise and will settle your bill with the captain on your last day. Your captain will have a drinks price list on board your gulet, a copy of this will also be found in our gulet information book. You will notice that imported spirits can be quite pricey in Turkey. When choosing wine there will be several different priced bottles to choose from, so it's best to ask to see the wine list before you decide which to choose.

Special dietary requirements
If any of your party has any special dietary requirements then please let us know in advance and we will do our utmost to meet them.
If you have a penchant for any particular snacks, such as British chocolate or a breakfast cereal you can't start your day without - don't forget to bring it along with you, the crew won't be offended as long as you aren't smuggling your own drinks!
Special Occasions
If you are celebrating a special occasion while onboard, please let us know in advance so that we can inform the crew.