Peter & Jenny Cooke live in the hills of County Antrim in Northern Ireland. They holidayed with their three children on a gulet for the first time in 2002. Enraptured by the extraordinary unspoilt Turkish coast, the superb cuisine and the welcoming people they met, they felt the whole gulet cruise concept was a strange mixture of amazing and disappointing, failing too often in its execution.
In 2003 they decided to buy their own gulet and start a private charter business. Salamander has since made quite a name for herself. Peter & eldest daughter Tessa do the marketing and sales directly, rather than use agents, as they felt Salamander was more than just another boat thrown in with all the ordinary.
Particularly disappointed by the size of the ‘extras’ bill on that first holiday they were determined to offer a highly inclusive, ‘no surprises’ package, so that their customers would come back raving about the holiday, not dreading that final bill!
Salamander was chosen after a long search, as an example of the original classically styled sailing gulet, beautiful in every way. Every year since her purchase in 2003, the owners have reinvested in re-equipping and improving her until they have perhaps the most successful boat charter business in Bodrum. Those who holidayed on Salamander in the early years would hardly recognise her now, and yet her original character still oozes out of her every pore!
Salamander is chartered for 24 to 26 weeks each year, with more and more guests choosing the peace and quiet of the early and late seasons. With over 40% repeat business, Peter, Tessa and their hand picked crew are clearly getting something right!
