Gulet Dear Lila is a stylish crewed deluxe gulet with six cabins, including two very spacious master cabins, accommodating up to 12 guests.

Based in Fethiye and built to a traditional ketch-gulet design in 2012, she is 33 meters in length and runs with two powerful engines as well as having a full complement of sails on two masts.  The crew is made up of the Captain, Chef, Steward and Deck hand, and the gulet plies the waters eastbound between Fethiye and Kekova and westbound between Fethiye and Marmaris.

Dear Lila’s accommodation comprises 6 cabins in total, made up of two triple cabins (with 1 x single and 1 x small double bed), two double bedded cabins and two extremely spacious master cabins with seating areas. All cabins have a cupboard, small dressing table and ensuire bathroom (shower only).  They are all on the same level, above the waterline, and feature portholes/small windows except for the aft cabin which has larger windows.  Rooms are made up every day and towels and linen are changed twice-weekly.

The gulet has a spacious main deck, with 12 sunbeds and a lovely al fresco dining area which can be covered with a sunshade on request.  The aft deck has a large dining table where most meals are served, and a spacious rear seating area with comfortable cushions for lounging or reading on. The whole of the aft deck is shaded by an awning.  A few steps down from the main deck is the indoor saloon which has banquette seating around an indoor dining area and bar.  Cabins are reached via a short flight of steps running down to the aft or stern portions of the boat from either end of the saloon.

The yacht carries a better than average selection of water toys, including waterskis, a ringo (crew will operate these on request using the tender boat, guests pay for fuel only), two sea kayaks, a paddleboard, and assorted snorkelling equipment which can be used to explore the shoreline.  There aren’t many fish to be found so the snorkelling equipment is just for fun – anyone who wishes to snorkel frequently or who requires a particular size may prefer to bring their own equipment.

The gulet carries a 50 horsepower tender boat which the crew use to take guests to and from the shore when moored in a bay.  The water in the bays is usually extremely clear, with visibility down to 20m or more, so swimming in the sea in this part of Turkey is one of the very great pleasures of a gulet holiday such as this.  The crew hang a ladder from the side of the gulet once the engine is switched off for guests to access the water. for swimming.  The sea warms up throughout the summer, from a rather bracing start in June to a very pleasant finish in September.  The gulet is usually moored in fairly deep water so swimmers will be out of their depth when swimming near the boat, however the sea water is very buoyant and there are usually quite a few foam ‘noodles’ carried on board which make keeping afloat absolutely effortless.

Cabin layout

Food on board
All meals (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner) are prepared freshly on board by the gulet’s hard-working chef, and the healthy Mediterranean cuisine makes much use of seasonal fruit and vegetables.  Breakfasts consist of fresh local bread, cheeses, olives, yoghurt, boiled eggs, jams and fruit. Lunches are often a selection of beautifully prepared vegetable dishes such as stuffed vine leaves okra in a tomato sauce, bean salads, aubergine in yoghurt and so on,  plus bulgar wheat/rice/pasta and bread.  A simple afternoon tea of Borek, cake or fruit plus tea and coffee will refresh guests after an afternoon on shore, and then dinner will usually consist of grilled meat plus a wide selection of vegetable side dishes, salads and rice/orzo/bulgar wheat followed by fresh fruit.  Meals are included in your tour price, but drinks are not. The bar keeps a tally of your drinks consumption over the course of the week and you pay your bar bill at the end.

Vegetarians and Vegans will find themselves well catered-for with a variety of vegetarian dishes served at each mealtime (although please note, vegan cheese or meat-replacement products are not widely available in Turkey so the chef cannot prepare alternatives to some dishes), and with advance notice the chef can also adapt the menu to accommodate most allergies or food intolerances.

Celiac/gluten free bread products are not widely available outside of Istanbul so we recommend bringing any essential replacement products from the UK – especially for breakfast. However,  typical Turkish cuisine does not rely on wheat-related products or use flour etc in preparation of sauces so there will always be several non-gluten containing dishes at each meal time.  Where pasta/bulgar is served the crew will always be able to serve rice instead. Turkish cuisine makes very little use of flour in sauces or  the menu contains very little

A note about fish: Turkey has been extensively over-fished as until recently there was scant regulation of this industry, so fresh fish is actually rather scarce and expensive along the Turquoise coast, with fewer than six commercial fish species now found, down from 30 a few decades ago. In a bid to combat this, most large-scale commercial fishing is now banned in the summer months to allow breeding fish to replenish the dwindling stocks.  The best fish are now to be found in Istanbul but and much fish sold along the coast is actually pre-frozen, imported fish. For this reason fish does not commonly form part of the daily menu aboard the gulets, but we endeavour to serve it at least once during the week subject to availability.

A note about gulets in general
Gulets are traditional Turkish sailing vessels, made by hand in the boatyards of Southwestern Turkey from teak and other high-quality, durable timber.  Evolving over time into extremely comfortable passenger boats with many of the mod-cons found on modern day luxury yachts, gulets generally have either a large rounded stern  or a higher, squared off stern,  and are fitted with ketch (marconi) rigging or  schooner rigging with one, two or three foresails.  Gulets range in size between 15 and 55 meters and the number of cabins varies from 3 to 12. Modern gulets are fitted with engines and sail only occasionally, due to the distances that need to be covered on most of their charters,  but there is a cup held at the end of the season each year in which many of the gulets race by wind power alone. Winning the Bodrum Cup Regatta is a matter of great pride for the captains and crew of these gulets and the competition ensures they keep their sailing skills sharp despite not being required to use them on most of their charters.

A note about air-conditioning
Air conditioning requires electricity or fuel so when moored in a bay this means using the generator, which is a little noisy. For this reason we generally put the air-conditioning on for a few hours before bed-time and again for an hour or so first thing in the morning to keep cabins cool when needed for sleep. Air conditioning is not usually included (or required) throughout the day and there is no air-conditioning in the public areas of the yacht as these are not able to be sealed. If guests wish to have the air conditioning on all night this is usually possible for an extra local fee to cover the fuel used. Air Conditioning at night is not possible in port due to noise restrictions,  but the gulet can always pull into a small nearby bay for the night.

We have been operating gulet tours and gulet charters in Turkey for over 20 years so there is very little we don’t know about the gulets and the coastline.   Please contact us if you have any queries about life on board, the yacht itself, or the logistics of travelling by gulet along the Turquoise coast.

Private gulet charter
We can arrange private gulet charters using yachts of a variety of sizes and standards in Turkey, Greece and Croatia.  As well as this lovely gulet there are a whole host of alternatives, which we recommend to clients based on their group size or individual requirements.  Some are small and simple, some are incredibly luxurious.  As we’ve operated charters and tours in this region for such a long time we know which boats have the best chefs,  the most knowledgeable captains, and most amenable stewards, which helps when so many of the yachts look wonderful in the pictures that you can’t choose between them.    If you have a private group of 6 or more, a gulet charter is a luxurious and surprisingly economical way to explore the Greek Islands, the Turquoise or the Dalmatian Coast.  Fully crewed and catered, and, with none of the usual ‘added extras’ associated with yacht charter elsewhere, we can create a bespoke itinerary to suit your interests and even source guides or an expert lecturer to join you if desired.   Contact Alice in our tailor-made team at alice@templeworld.com for more information or a quote.