Writing Retreat with
Lisa Morrow
31 May – 7 June 2025

Full Board

• Breakfast: Turkish breakfast cheese, eggs, olives, jams, local honey, bread, tea, coffee
• Lunch: Cooked lunch with salad
• Afternoon tea & biscuits
• Dinner: includes Mezes, main course, salad and dessert of fruit
• Water for hiking and singing provided in your refillable bottle
• Juice and filter coffee available as extra

We have a very good reputation for our food which is cooked using fresh, locally grown vegetables; our olives, honey, fish and meat are locally sourced from truly organic smallholders.

Vegetarian, gluten free and dairy free are available but please advise at the me of booking to help us with our provisioning. We may not be able to provide your food choices if you advise us on arrival.

Cabin: 7 nights in a twin or double cabin with ensuite private bathroom

Diesel: 3-4 hours cruising per day

Harbour Fees , 

Crew: food and wages

Flights: Please book your own flights. Dalaman is the local airport.

Turkish Bath: book onboard.

Drinks: there is a reasonably priced bar onboard stocked with water, soft and alcoholic drinks including beer, wine and spirits. Please do not bring your own drinks onboard.

Tips for the Crew. Tips are optional and discretionary – but if you have enjoyed your holiday a suggested recommendation is £40 per traveller for the week

Port Fees 50 euros pp payable on arrival onboard

Travel Insurance: please remember to arrange your own travel insurance and provide a copy to the Captain on arrival.

The Headlines!

1. To remove any admin duties from the Leader, Meridian Travels & Yachting will process all bookings for this private charter.
2. All payments you make to Meridian Travels & Yachting are non-refundable.
3. If the trip is cancelled by Meridian Travels & Yachting, any payments you have made will be refunded.
4. After paying your deposit, if the departure doesn’t go ahead because insufficient people have booked, your deposit will be refunded by Meridian Travels & Yachting.
5. If you cancel for any reason, you will still be liable to pay for your place, otherwise the others on the trip would need to pay extra to cover the cost of your place.
6. It is a condition of booking that you have Travel Insurance. You are recommended to book your travel insurance when you have paid your deposit.
7. For full terms and conditions click here
8. If you have any questions about the holiday please email 

Flights

You will need to book your own flights to/from Dalaman airport. Please check that your booking is ATOL protected and that you pay by credit card.

Transfers

There will be one group transfer between the airport and the gulet, the charge will be 15 euros pp each way. The time for the transfer will be arranged to meet flights carrying the highest number of our passengers.

If your flights arrive outside the time of the group transfer we recommend that travellers book their transfers directly with us because occasionally the start/finish ports can change at the last minute due to weather conditions. If transfers are booked with us it is easy for us to ensure travellers are delivered to the correct port.

Writing retreat program – onboard and off

Each of the six full days of the cruise will combine teaching sessions with offshore activities such as walks through ancient ruins, swimming in secluded coves, a riverboat tour, a visit to a local family and more. Using these activities for inspiration, you’ll learn skills to improve your writing, be that travel stories, memoirs or private journalling. Then you’ll practise these skills through a range of activities so the words you produce are a more accurate reflection of your inner self and the physical environments you inhabit and explore.

You’ll come away from the cruise with a skill set comprising the use of observation, questioning, note taking, knowledge of pertinent grammar and style factors (don’t worry, it won’t be an English lesson), the importance of word choice and how much detail is too much, as well as perspective and learning from constructive criticism.

Days – 1 to 8

1. Arrive in Marmaris. Join the gulet and settle into your cabin before dinner. The Turkish kitchen is very diverse and these meal choices are described to give you an idea of the variety of foods prepared for you  
2. After having your Turkish breakfast onboard we take a short cruise across the bay for your first opportunity to write. Dinner of Sea Bass, Aubergine meze, Purslane and Yoghurt salad, Green salad 
3. A wonderful day cruising on a riverboat amongst reedbeds to the village of Candir where we can write amongst Nomadic artefacts in the garden of a local family; see the ancient ruins of Kaunos and Lycian tombs. 
4. An early cruise sees us in another turquoise bay where you we can walk to the ruins of a Roman settlement with an afternoon of writing after lunch. Delicious lunch of Green Peppers stuffed with rice and tomatoes, Courgette and Aubergine Salad served with yoghurt 
5. Overlooked by Lycian tombs, sing in the atmospheric bay of Bedri Rahmi; walk along a coastal path with fabulous views of the Gocek Islands. Delicious lunch of Green Beans in Tomato Sauce 
6. Plenty of opportunity to swim and snorkel or just relax as we cruise from one bay to another; writing when the mood takes us. Dinner of Dalyan Kofte , Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic Yoghurt, Broad Bean Salad 
7. A day of cruising, writing and relaxation. Healthy lunch of Chickpeas and Lamb in a fresh Tomato sauce, bulgur wheat and salad 
8. Say your goodbyes to the Captain and crew after breakfast. 

Note
*The itinerary is flexible and could operate between Marmaris and Bozburun or Marmaris and Fethiye in either direction. The final itinerary won’t be dcided until just a few weeks before departure. Dalaman airport serves each of these ports although you could even take the ferry for the Greek Island of Rhodes to Marmaris or Fethiye.

Depending on sea and weather conditions, Meridian Travels & Yachting reserves the right to make necessary changes to the tour itinerary to ensure the safety and comfort of our guests. The Captain’s decision is final.

twin 750

bathroom c

We’ll be staying aboard the luxury handcrafted teak and mahogany gület East Meets West. This traditional two masted sailing boat is owned and operated by Meridian Travels and Yachting. Based in Marmaris. they’ve been cruising the coasts and bays of Western Turkey for more than 18 years and are members of the Turkish Chamber of Shipping. The vessel is captained by Adil Bektaş, an experienced seaman and manned by his well trained and organised crew.

Having undergone a re-fit gulet East Meets West has been handcrafted using oak, teak, iroko and ash so has the traditional feel and look of real wood. East Meets West is comfortable with cabins which  are smaller than you’d expect in a hotel but larger than on a sailing yacht.

Cabins have a small wardrobe with storage under the bed for luggage and either two single beds or one double bed. Every cabin has a private en-suite bathroom with toilet,  hand basin and shower; hot water is available in the evenings. A bath towel and hand towel are provided together with a beach towel.

With plenty of sunbeds on the fore and aft decks choose how to relax; sunbathing, reading, chatting or perhaps you’ll even sleep here under the stars. Meals are usually taken on the aft deck where you have a different view for almost every meal.

Writing

I’m a sociologist, author and travel writer who has lived in Istanbul and other parts of Turkey for more than 15 years. https://www.insideoutistanbul.com/

I started tutoring in essay writing techniques at universities in Australia then moved on to teaching general writing and creative non-fiction skills to adult students there and in Turkey.

As well as writing for my website my bylines have appeared in BBC Travel, The New York Times, Fodors, CNN Travel and many other international websites and publications.

I’ve published five books https://amzn.to/3XXWivv my travel memoir Istanbul Dreams, three non-fiction creative writing collections Inside Out In Istanbul, Exploring Turkish Landscapes and Longing for Istanbul, and Istanbul 50 Unsung Places, a guide to lesser known city sights.

Low to Intermediate Walking

We will be walking along forest and goat trails which are rocky, stony and uneven – this isn’t a hiking or walking holiday but rather these trails give us the opportunity to find inspiration and quiet space in nature, whether that’s under the canopy of the pine forest, in an olive grove or at the water’s turquoise edge. Probably not everyone will choose to walk but if you decide to come you will need to wear appropriate footwear such as hiking boots/shoes/sandals (trainers/sneakers or regular shoes are not robust enough) 

You will need a reasonable level of fitness to participate in optional hikes and will need to bring a small backpack, suitable footwear (with/without ankle support), and you will find hiking poles are very useful. Bring a refillable, reusable container for water.