Are you dreaming of exploring a European City in luxury without breaking the bank?
Then look no further than Bodrum, Turkey, an incredible city in the Turkish Riveria that offers beautiful picturesque views, the bluest of waters, warm weather, history, leisure, culture, luxury, and delicious Mediterranean cuisine.
Its beauty is often compared to the Amalfi Coast, Greece, and the South of France. All places we love and could return to over and over again, and now Bodrum is added to that list! While we find them to be different in their own ways, it was comparable.
Bodrum has a plethora of accommodations. We did an Airbnb our first night, sailed with SCIC Sailing for seven days; slept on a Turkish Gulet, and stayed at the Bodrum Edition for three days.
Regardless of your accommodations, you should include some time sailing with SCIC Sailing. It is the most affordable way to experience Bodrum in luxury while also getting a taste of the culture.
With SCIC Sailing, you’ll have a private chef, meals, a ship captain, and sailors who provide the best service and experience, along with time to go on excursions, do water sports, and simply relax on the ship. You can get all of this for less than 1000 Euros per person!
We were hosted for seven days on the first ever SCIC Sailing Black Press Trip, along with other content creators and journalists from the UK and the USA, covering several different niches- Wellness, History and Culture, Food and Wine, and of course, Couples Travel.
This article will share information about SCIC Sailing and our experience.
Background on SCIC Sailing
SCIC Sailing was established in 1983, and they are very experienced when it comes to sailing the Southwest coast of Turkey and the neighboring Greek islands. They offer themed itineraries such as Digital Detox, Wellness Weight Loss, and Culinary. You can also do a customized or theme-free itinerary.
Our itinerary allowed for ample opportunities to swim, go snorkeling in the crystal clear water, visit unspoiled fishing villages, and visit interesting historical sites in the area, we took a walk and enjoyed a jeep ride through the countryside.
They offer classic wooden yachts in both comfort and luxury styles. The luxury styles are roomier and have options for jacuzzis. You can book one cabin or charter the entire yacht.
Pricing
One week on a comfort yacht with breakfast/lunch/5 dinners/all snacks in-between and all drinks, including alcohol range from €951-€1141 per person for seven days. The cost to charter the entire yacht ranges from €3875-€8890 for seven days, and then you pay €396 per person for all the meals.
The cost to charter a luxury yacht ranges from €12,000-€28,000, excluding food and excursions. Food is also 396 Euro per person for breakfast/lunch/5 dinners/all snacks in-between and all drinks, including alcohol range.
The price varies depending on the date, the number of people, excursions, and upgrades to the food menu. Either way, you go, it’s a really great value given the experience. For more information on SCIC Sailing, check out their website.
Now that you’re familiar with SCIC Sailing let’s get into the trip!
Getting There
The ships dock from Bodrum. So you have to get to Bodrum. We flew from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Munich International Airport (MUC) and then MUC to our destination, Milas–Bodrum Airport (BJV).
It took about eight hours to fly to Munich from Newark and about three hours to fly to Bodrum from Munich. Several airlines will get you here. Many require a layover in Istanbul.
Currency
In Turkey, the Turkish Lira is used. Currently, $1 is about 18 Turkish Lira. Here is a currency converter to see the current exchange rate.
Weather
Day 1 on the Turkish Riviera
We boarded the ship around 3:30 PM and got to know our yacht, The Nemesis. This was considered a comfort yacht and had eight cabins. We thought it was lovely. There was a ship captain, chef, and two sailors to help with everything that we needed and make sure we had three meals and snacks every single day.
The yacht was comfortable and clean and offered ample space to lay out in the sun. However, if you want more space in your cabin and bathroom then you should consider a luxury yacht.
After getting to know the yacht, crew, and other passengers, we had a champagne toast and then sailed to our first bay, Cleopatra’s Island. We docked there for the first evening and had a delicious dinner prepared by the ship’s chef.
Day 2 on the Turkish Riviera
Like most mornings, we started our day with the ringing bell alerting us that breakfast was ready. Most people came to breakfast in their PJs and then got ready for the day afterward.
After breakfast and getting ready for the day, we took the dingy to Muğla Knidos Archeological Site, an ancient city situated on Tekir foreland where the Aegean and the Mediterranean meet. Here we walked around and learned some really interesting facts like:
- Tea can’t be grown in Britain. Their tea is imported from other countries, including Turkey.
- Turkey is green without rain due to its proximity to the mountains
- It’s speculated that Noah’s Ark was located in Turkey.
After spending the morning at Knidos, we returned to the yacht and had a day of leisure, laying out, eating, dream-casting, taking pictures, and watching others swim.
Day 3 on the Turkish Riviera
Every day before or after breakfast, the Captain gave a daily briefing that provided the details of the day. On this particular day, we sailed for three hours to Seven Islands. Seven Islands is a group of five small uninhabited islands and two islets. The original plan was to have dinner and a party on the beach, but it ended up being a little too windy, and folks didn’t want to leave the boat. So, we pivoted.
One cool thing about the trip is that there is always a plan but it’s flexible depending on the weather and how people feel. Instead of the beach, we spent the day lounging on the yacht, doing a Turkish cooking demonstration, and eating yummy meals, as usual.
Lunch was so good on this day that we called the chef up afterward to give him an ovation. That day he made some type of sautéed beef and sauce with pasta, with a Mediterranean salad. It was simple but crazy delicious.
Day 4 on the Turkish Riviera
LJ got up many mornings to watch the sunrise. On this particular day, I joined. We did some stretches, watched the sunrise, then went back to bed for another hour before breakfast and excursion.
Our excursion for the day was exploring the Sedir Adasi Archeological site, and returned to Cleopatra Island, an island off the coast of Marmaris named after the pharaoh who allegedly met her lover Marc on its secluded shores. This site also has an amphitheater, a walking path, and a market.
Later that evening, We had dinner at a local Turkish restaurant near where the boat was docked for the evening. LJ had Turkish meatballs, and I had shrimp and lamb. Everyone enjoyed their meals!
After dinner, we went back to the yacht. Some people hung out in their cabins, and others played cards and board games. Ashley, one of the British content creators, wanted to learn how to play Spades (a popular card game in American Black culture). So, LJ and James, another American, taught him. It was cool to see the cultural exchange.
Then the Captain came up with a bag of Jenga, declaring that he was the Jenga Champion and asking if anyone wanted to play with him. Our friend Marty and I played with him, and he did indeed win the tournament!
Day 5 on the Turkish Riviera
Today, we went to the Oren Village Turkish Market, walked around, tried some local desserts, and chatted with the locals. The market sells fruits, veggies, spices, clothes, and yummy Turkish treats. Local markets are a great and affordable way to experience the local culture.
After the market, we returned to the yacht, napped, and created some content for Instagram. Be sure to check out our Instagram page for the final product.
Day 6 on the Turkish Riviera
Today was one of our favorite days. After breakfast, we temporarily traded the yacht for a Jeep Safari Experience with Difference Outdoor. We love that SCIC organized these day excursions for us to experience the Turkish culture. It’s called a safari tour, but the experience was more of an immersion into the culture. We did, however, see running goats, cows, and a turtle even flashed us!
MJ got a lot of gratification feeding the turtles and some of them even ate bread out of LJ’s hand.
We also went to a winery and made wishes on a Wishing Tree. Legend has it that the practice of tying strings and making wishes on the tree has been going on for over 250 years.
Afterward, we went to an olive oil farm where we tried various olive oils like lemon, garlic-infused, chili-infused, and rosemary-infused. So many delicious flavors. Our favorite was the rosemary one. We even brought some home. We had a delicious lunch here and toured a tiny house that the owner’s sons built for her.
Finally, we departed for the yacht. This was an incredible excursion. We felt young, wild, and free in this open-top Jeep driving through the Turkish countryside with the wind blowing through our hair, and appreciated the cultural immersion.
DAY 7 on the Turkish Riviera
Sadly, we’ve come to the last full day of the yacht experience. We woke up and took a bus to a Turkish village. It was an amazing experience and we learned more about people who still live a traditional Turkish lifestyle.
We loved learning more about Turkish culture, hearing personal family stories, enjoying a homemade farm-to-table breakfast, and shopping at a Turkish carpet store. One of the village leaders shared that tourism helps them protect their culture, traditions, and animals because they can resist gentrification by sharing the tourism numbers.
After breakfast in the village, we sailed back to the dock where we got on the ship at. We hung out on the yacht for a bit before going to a local dinner with the owners of SCIC Sailing. We had a yummy Turkish meal and listened to live music live at the Yacht Club.
Seven days went by so quickly and we can’t wait to return to the gorgeous Turkish Riveria! If you too, want to visit, check out the SCIC Sailing Website for booking information. To learn more about the trip, check out our IG Page, the PassportsAndGrub article, or the HeyDipYourToesIn article. The trip was also featured on Ebony, Conde Nast Traveler, Forbes
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