Bougainville Travel has pioneered Adventure Activities in Kaş, Turkey since 1994. During that time we have met with many travel writers who have graciously given us their time, their advice and their recommendations or articles in a varitey of publications. Thank you all for your comments…
(Online Guidebooks and Forums noted below) and for (Online Newspapers)
Travel Guide Books
Lonely Planet 12th Edition, March 2011 (Western Mediterranean pp. 295-360, Kaş pp. 336-342) Website: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
(Kaş) “is a yachter’s heaven and the atmosphere of the town is wonderfully mellow. The surrounding areas are ideal for day trips…and adventure sports are on offer, in particular some excellent wreck diving.” Bougainville Travel is “a long-established English-Turkish tour operator with a solid reputation and much experience in organising any number of activities lasting a full day…”
The Rough Guide to Turkey by Marc Dubin and Terry Richardson 7th Edition, June 2010 Website: (Turquoise Coast pp. 309-378, Kaş pp. 354, 355, 358 and 362) Website: http://www.roughguides.com/
Travel Agents: “British/Turkish run BT Adventure is the foremost adventure-travel agency in the area for diving, mountain treks, canyoning and sea-kayaking, but also offering more conventional excursions.(p. 358)”
“Scuba diving around Kaş…in terms of boat comfort, safety standards, equipment condition and thorough instruction, only three companies stand out…BT Diving, Sundiving and Anemone.(p. 354)”
Adventure Activities:”BT Adventure and Dragoman in Kaş remain the principal organizers of sea-kayaking day-tours in the kekova area. Kaş remains more youth-oriented and more cosmopolitan; aspiring Istanbul or Ankara yuppies flock here, and it’s still a fixture on the foreign backpacker’s trail.(p. 362)”
National Geographic Traveler by Tristan Rutherford and Kathryn Tomasetti 2011 (Turquoise Coast pp. 207-220, Kekova p. 218, Travelwise p. 265)
Sea Kayaking Around Kekova: “In the isolated bays east of Kaş lie a lost Roman city, Lycian rock tombs, and a striking Byzantine castle…the best way to get up close to them is by sea kayak. This wonderful day out is suitable for ages 8 to 80. Of several firms in Kaş who offer sea-kayaking trips, Bougainville Travel is the most reliable.”
Footprint Turkey Handbook by Dominic Whiting 1st Edition 2001 (Western Mediterranean pp. 311-402, Kaş pp. 351-357) Website: http://www.footprinttravelguides.com/
“With its back to the craggy Lycian mountains, Kaş looks out across a calm bay to the Greek Island of Meis floating offshore…Kaş retains something of its original character and easy-going charm.” Bougainville Travel offers “Rent-a-car, airline ticketing, airport transfers, guides, as well as diving and a range of adventure activities…BT organises daily sea-kayaking trips to the area east of Kaş. The same company also have a programme of guided walking and mountain biking excursions in the nearby mountains, with a canyoning trip down the Saklıkent Gorge…”
Online Guidebooks and Forums:
Lonely Planet
Bougainville Travel was named # 1 of 25 activities in the Mediterranean Coast, ranked number three of 31 things to do in Kaş, and number 30 of activities in Europe.
Rough Guides
2007 by Rosie Ayliffe, Marc Dubin and John Gawthrop. (Published by the Rough Guides, distributed by Penguin.)
“The British/Turkish run, BT Adventure & Diving/Bougainville Travel…is the foremost adventure Travel agency in the area for diving, mountain treks, canyoning and sea-kayaking, though they also offer more conventional excursions.”
Kaş is the subject in this article Turkey Guide The Turquoise Coast
“Tourism has utterly transformed Kaş. It first sprang to prominence after about 1850, and until 1923 was a Greek-populated timber-shipping port known as Andifli.”
Frommer’s
Frommers Online nice things to say writes about diving and suggests Bougainville Travel…”dive outfitters with certified dive masters provide a gateway to the reefs, caves, and shipwrecks (there’s even a plane wreck)”
Fodors
The Turquoise Riviera Places to Explore notes Kaş as “one of those special places.”
TripAdvisor UK
Bougainville Travel is the number two attraction of things to do in Kaş.
Paragliding on the Lycian Coast of Turkey says “In this region, Oludeniz and Kaş are the premier paragliding locations…A man who has been on the paragliding scene for many years is Hüseyin Veske who is currently the captain of the paragliding team for Kaş Adventure Travel and Diving…”
Scuba Diving in Kaş, Turkey gets its mention from this article in TripAdvisor “Kaş is arguably one of the best dive sites in the Mediterranean…Kaş diving centres are well known in Turkey for their responsible practices, sometimes a surprise to visitors…”
ZemZem Boat is also mentioned on TripAdvisor “…a private ketch or gulet-type charter for up to 10 persons…Wonderful day out aboarda beautiful boat (a) Perfect relaxing day out.”
Oreo Hotel is called a “Blissful place to stay”
Turkey Travel Planner
Tom Brosnahan writes an overview of Kaş with links and other useful information.
Simon Seeks
In their article title Getting Active on the Lycian Coast, Southern Turkey says “Activities can be booked from any one of the various agencies lining the main streets, although some internet searching beforehand will ensure you don’t waste your first day sorting yourself out.”
MyGola
A Couple’s Trip to Turkey suggest “some active pursuits that you can indulge yourself in…” and recommend Bougainville Travel.
Turkey Handbook
Dominic Whiting, in his Turkey Handbook writes; “Turkey has a huge and barely realized potential for adventure tourism…Bougainville Travel…Local agents for several large international adventure travel firms, they also organize their own programme of trekking, mountain biking, canyoning and sea-kayaking trips in the are around Kaş.”
Online Newspapers:
Today’s Zaman
A rollercoaster ride of new experiences and adventures – 07 August 2011 by Theresa Day
“Phil Buckley, who is British and who has been living and working in the southern coastal town of Kaş for nearly 20 years, tells us how coming to live in Turkey has been — and still is — an adventure in many senses of the word…Both Phil and the company are now part of the Kaş community, as the Bougainville newsletter shows. “It started out as a commercial marketing tool and was part of a general initiative to give us a better social media presence,” he points out.”
The Independent
The Complete Guide to: Turkish shores
“A dream location for explorers and history lovers, the coastal areas of Turkey are packed with ruins and idyllic beaches. Ben Crichton offers advice on making the most of your trip.”
“A great town within striking distance of all the above is Kas, halfway between Antalya and Fethiye. It is one of those places where tourism and local-life have forged a happy marriage. It’s a pretty town set around a harbour; its white-washed streets are filled with bougainvillea and jasmine and the whole place is overlooked by mountains.”
“To get a better view, try a sea-kayaking trip. Bougainville Tours in Kaş …runs trips for all levels that include lunch and transfers…They’ll pick you up from your hotel in Kas or Kalkan and drive you to Uçağız, a charming seaside village.”
Sunday’s Zamen
The three Ks: Kaş, Kaleköy and Kastellorizo
24 July 2011, Sunday by Pat Yale, Antalya
“Ask Turks to name their favorite holiday resort and most will plump immediately for Bodrum…Ask an expat the same question and most will chorus KaşYou won’t need to be in Kaş for long to fall for its charms.”
Planning a Turkish holiday the western Mediterranean coast of Turkey
27 February 2011, Sunday by Pat Yale, İzmir
“Kaş: Everybody’s favorite medium-sized Turkish resort, Kaş is known not for its sands but for a pretty harbor backed with a great choice of restaurants and for the Uzunçarşı (Long Market), a cobbled street of bijou shops running uphill to end beside a huge Lycian sarcophagus. The ruined theater here is sometimes used for performances in summer. Excursion boats float over submerged Lycian ruins to moor at exquisite Kaleköy (Simena) with a clutch of boutique pensions. With a little more advance planning you can also make the day trip to the pretty Greek island of Kastellorizo (Meis) to compare and contrast the care taken of their historic buildings by the two countries.“
