Food and Drink when sailing Turkey on Salamander

Where do we eat when on gulet charter?

In normal circumstances your meal will be served al fresco on your own gulet, at a table which comfortably seats 12 on the aft deck just behind the deck-house. This is always protected by a sun-awning to allow a rest from the bright sunlight on gulet charter.
On those rare occasions where the weather is less clement, there is an alternative large dining table in the saloon. The crew eat separately in their own private mess below decks, where they can also relax when not on duty.

What kind of food will be served, and can we influence the Menu?

If you haven't eaten good quality Turkish food before, you are in for a pleasant surprise on sailing holidays- Turkey offers a very fine and wide choice of healthy foods and our chef delights in surprising you with endless new dishes and plenty of choice! He will prepare a variety of healthy, appetising and filling dishes throughout the week, and you will not often see the same dish twice. On our gulet holidays he will use lots of fresh vegetables, such as aubergines, beef tomatoes and cucumber, along with local cheeses, meat and fish. If you have particular preferences or dislikes, let us know in advance and he will do his best to accommodate you. Also expect rice, potatoes and cous cous. Several dishes will appear cloaked in fresh yoghurt, with spices and garlic. You will also get appetisers and mezes. Vegetarians well catered for! The preparation and presentation of the food is to a very high standard. Look at some of the pictures to get a better idea, but be prepared to over-indulge unless you are careful.

What about drinks on gulets Turkey has a reputation for charging big premiums on alcoholic drinks?

Unlike most other gulet operators we do not set out to make any money from the bar. We believe that our clients want an 'all inclusive' and 'no surprises' holiday sailing Turkey, and we set out to get as close to that as we can. Nothing spoils good gulet holidays quicker than a big bill as you leave to go home!

From 2010 we are pleased to include free house wines (Turkish wines to a good standard, typically Angora White, Lal pink and Synfonie Red) Efes Beer, mixers, soft drinks, tea, coffee and bottled water included in your holiday price. We do NOT include spirits in the above, as they are both very expensive and difficult to find in Turkey, but we do recommend that you buy any spitrits you want DUTY FREE from your departure airport and bring them on board with you. Typically most European countries allow you to buy 2 litres of duty free spirits when flying to gulets Turkey.

What if we want to eat ashore?

Remembering that all your meals except 2 per week are already included in the gulet charter price, please feel free to eat ashore more often if you wish, but please tell the crew early in the day before any shopping or food preparation have been done. Generally we find the best food where the locals eat, not necessarily the same as where the tourists eat!
(You may find that one of the crew stays up inconspicuously awaiting your return from late night runs ashore, as they take your safety in getting on and off the boat seriously, but do not let that effect your enjoyment, as they want to you to enjoy yourselves)