Who we are
About Likya Scholars
Likya Scholars was created to offer something different — a deeper, more personal way to experience Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast. The curated program grew out of years spent exploring Kaş: learning from local guides, hiking ancient trails, swimming in hidden bays, and building friendships with the people who call this region home.
We started Likya Scholars to share that side of Türkiye — the one that most travelers never get to see — with people who want connection, meaning, and a sense of belonging in a new place.
Our Mission
To design a program that brings a small groups of curious, like-minded people together for an immersive, all-inclusive 14-day journey. We believe travel should do more than entertain — it should challenge you, open your perspective, and inspire lasting personal growth.
Our program blends cultural learning, outdoor exploration, meaningful conversation, and local relationships to create an experience that stays with you long after you leave.
Why We’re Different
A Real Home:
You stay in a villa that feels lived in and welcoming — not a hotel built for tourists.
Local Connection:
Our guides are friends and partners who live here year-round and share their culture firsthand.
Authentic Experiences:
Every meal, activity, and excursion is intentionally designed for real connection and meaningful learning.
Slow, Immersive Travel:
You settle into one region instead of rushing from place to place, allowing a deeper understanding of Kaş.
Customized Trips and Hosted Stays
In addition to our core programs, Likya Scholars occasionally designs custom, hosted stays for individuals or small groups seeking a deeper, more private engagement with Kaş.
These stays are built around the same principles that guide our programs: time, context, and presence. Rather than offering a fixed itinerary, we work collaboratively to shape a rhythm of days — conversations, excursions, shared meals, and quiet — grounded in local culture and place.
A host is present throughout the stay, not as a guide or entertainer, but as a thoughtful companion: providing context, facilitating introductions, and helping the experience unfold with intention and care.
Custom stays may be well-suited for:
Individuals or families seeking an immersive, unhurried stay
Scholars, writers, creatives, or remote professionals working on short- or long-term projects
Small groups interested in a customized itinerary grounded in learning and place
Because these stays overlap with our ongoing work and community, they are limited and offered selectively. Availability is more constrained during the summer months, with greater flexibility from September through May.
If this approach resonates, we invite you to reach out with context about who you are, how you hope to spend your time, and the kind of engagement you’re seeking.
Contact us
Want to learn more about the program? Shoot us a message.
We are people just like you. If you have any questions, please email us and we will get back to you soon!
Information: info@likyascholars.com
Marketing & Media: media@likyascholars.com
Sales: sales@likyascholars.com
Book a phone call with me to learn more about our available programs or to speak with us. Click Here.
Meet the Team
-
I was born and raised in İstanbul and have spent my life exploring Türkiye’s coastlines, mountains, and ancient cities. After earning my bachelor’s degree, I moved to Germany for a master’s in Biology. I loved the academic experience, but lab work made it clear: I belong outdoors, connecting with people and the natural world.
Kaş is the opposite of a lab—warm, alive, and full of stories. Guiding here felt instantly right. I’ve spent years leading visitors through ruins, markets, trails, and coastal villages, helping them understand this region in a genuine, human way.
When you arrive, I’ll be the one welcoming you, helping you settle in, translating the language and culture, and introducing you to the places that mean the most to me. Sharing Türkiye—its food, humor, history, and daily life—is something I’ve loved doing with the Savad family and now with every group.
This program is built on real relationships and years of living here. It reflects the Türkiye I grew up in and Kaş I chose as home. I’m also licensed by TÜRSAB, Türkiye’s official tourism association.
I’m also very exited to take your to a traditional Turkish dinner we call it rakı gece and it’s serious. You’ll see why.
-
Growing up spending summers at our family home in Kaş, I always imagined one day sharing this place with others. Kaş has an energy unlike anywhere else with its friendly locals, adventure, and landscapes that will stay with you long after you leave.
I founded Likya Scholars to offer students and adults the opportunity to experience that same sense of connection: to live like a local, learn from the region, and engage meaningfully with one of the most historic corners of the Mediterranean. The program is designed around immersion by blending culture, nature, and thoughtful exploration – with the belief that understanding grows through time and presence.
I am an ocean engineer and lifelong traveler, and much of my life has been spent on and around the water. From two Atlantic crossings to expeditions in Alaska and scientific voyages in the Caribbean. I honed my skills working on boats, in travel and hospitality.
In recent years, I’ve lived in Kaş for extended periods, working on engineering projects, volunteering with a local dive company, and building relationships within the community. Learning the language and daily rhythms of the town reshaped how I understand the place.
Likya Scholars is an extension of that lived experience. It is my way of inviting others into a slower, more intentional way of being here – offering context, guidance, and care so that time in Kaş feels grounded rather than overwhelming.
What began as a program for students has naturally expanded to include adults who value learning, curiosity, and meaningful engagement with place. The focus remains the same: creating the conditions for deep connection, trust, and understanding – without rushing or performance.
-
I’m Denizhan — but you can call me Denis.
I guess that’ll be easier for you. I was born and raised in Kaş, and I’ve spent most of my life here. My father was a captain, and I’m following in his footsteps. Since I was a baby, I’ve been sailing on the beautiful sea of Kaş. I know this town like the back of my hand — no one knows better than me where the sun rises and where it sets.
I can’t wait to be a part of your adventure! I’m sure that the most fun memories of your twenty days in Turkey will be the ones you make with me. Just come, see, and experience it. You definitely won’t regret it. I’d be so happy to have you among us, and I hope we meet very soon.
By the way, don’t forget to bring your best shirt for our classic Turkish rakı night! And if you forget, don’t worry — I’ll lend you one from my own.
-
Halil is a Kaş local who grew up in the region. He works in tourism and runs his own company, which partners with us to ensure smooth operations and proper local logistics.
He collaborates with a range of tour operators, arranging trips and helping visitors experience the area in a thoughtful and well-organized way. Beyond his professional role, Halil is a close friend who has taught me a great deal about tourism, local culture, and how things truly work on the ground.
-
Hatice is a local to Kaş and has been part of our extended family for many years. She even helped care for me when I was a baby. She is kind, attentive, and deeply familiar with the rhythms of the home.
During your stay, Hatice will prepare meals and make sure you are well fed, keep the house clean, and gently remind everyone to take off their shoes. Although she doesn’t speak English yet, she communicates with remarkable ease and is wonderfully tech-savvy. Many guests enjoy practicing their Turkish with her.
For many participants, Hatice becomes a steady, mother like presence – the kind of care that makes a place feel like home.
-
Steve is a senior leader specializing in strategic partnerships, business creation, and revenue growth. With early experience in the Turkish stock market during the 1990s and a career built around intrapreneurship, he brings a deep comfort with volatility and change. He has led new initiatives within established organizations, built and coached high-performing sales teams, and helped businesses unlock momentum in complex environments.
-
As Likya Scholars’ Lead Marketing Strategist, I focus on how the program communicates—favoring clarity, restraint, and depth over urgency or scale. My role is to help ensure that the way Likya Scholars presents itself remains coherent with the experience it offers and the people it seeks to bring together.
My relationship with Türkiye began in the late 1990s, when I spent time living and working in Istanbul and later in Kaş. During that period, I learned Turkish and developed a lasting connection to the culture, pace of life, and ways people relate to place and to one another. That relationship deepened over time, eventually leading me to purchase the villa where Likya Scholars guests now stay—a decision rooted in care, continuity, and long-term presence rather than transaction.
That experience informs how I approach marketing and strategy today. I am drawn to work that respects context, rewards attentiveness, and allows meaning to emerge over time. Rather than persuading broadly, I focus on articulating purpose clearly so the right people can recognize themselves and engage thoughtfully.
Outside of work, my interests in improv, endurance sports, and yoga shape a collaborative and grounded way of working—one that values listening, adaptability, and showing up fully. These same principles guide how I contribute to the Likya Scholars experience and community.
Our Partners
Local guiding and coordination on the Lycian Coast.