About Us

Name: Fairy Chimneys Travel
Address: Burwood, VIC, 3125, AU
Telephone: 1300 766 595

At Fairy Chimneys Travel, there are no templates or fixed itineraries. Each journey begins with a conversation and is shaped around the traveller, their interests, and their pace.

For more than twenty-five years, we have been designing custom journeys from Melbourne, guided by local knowledge and lived experience. While the industry has evolved, our passion has not. We approach travel today with the same excitement and care we had on day one.

What truly drives us are our clients. Many journeys that started as simple conversations have grown into lifelong friendships, shaping who we are as a business.

Our philosophy is simple. We care.

OUR STORY

Fairy Chimneys Travel was built on a deep-rooted connection to tourism and hospitality, beginning as a one-desk operation in a small suburban home, with a single phone and a clear belief in doing things properly.

Over time, that modest beginning evolved into a boutique travel company with oﬃces across multiple countries, including a long-standing presence in Camberwell for more than fifteen years. As the business grew, Fairy Chimneys Travel became an active participant in the Australian travel industry, attending major trade events nationwide and designing journeys for a wide range of travellers, including high-profile Australian clientele.

Türkiye has always remained at the heart of the business. Over the years, Fairy Chimneys Travel has taken thousands of Australian and New Zealand travellers to Gallipoli and has been involved in significant historical and commemorative projects, including the AE2 submarine expedition.

A defining moment came in 2015 during the ANZAC Centenary, when Fairy Chimneys Travel chartered the Azamara Cruise Line for a commemorative voyage. During this journey, the children of the last living Turkish and Australian soldiers met for the first time, a moment broadcast nationally and remembered as a powerful symbol of shared history.

Today, the same care and attention that shaped Fairy Chimneys Travel’s Türkiye expertise continues across neighbouring regions, following the historic paths of the Ottoman and Roman worlds, with every journey designed thoughtfully and with purpose.

2001

Fairy Chimneys Travel founded

2005

Our first oﬃce in Camberwell

2011

Cappadocia branch opened Partnership with Istanbul oﬃce

2014

New oﬃce in Camberwell, opened 1st Travel and Coﬀee Lounge Partnership with Athens Oﬃces

2015

ANZAC Centenary Azamara Cruise charter project.

2020–2021

COVID survival and restructuring

2025

Boutique custom design journeys across multiple regions

Meet the team

Marcus

Founder and Managing Director

Travel has shaped my life from the very beginning.

I was born and raised in Cappadocia, where my family operated a small hotel welcoming travellers from around the world. From childhood, hospitality was part of everyday life. By the age of twelve, I was fluent in English and, during school holidays, naturally found myself accompanying and assisting visiting travellers. Long before formal licensing existed, those early summers combined guiding, hosting, storytelling, and problem-solving, quietly forming the foundation of a life devoted to travel and hospitality.

In 1994, I began my oﬃcial and licensed professional guiding career in Türkiye, transforming that early passion into a vocation grounded in deep cultural knowledge, historical understanding, and genuine care for the traveller experience.

Over the decades, I have travelled extensively across the world, not as a casual visitor, but as an avid traveller with a deep curiosity for people and place. My own journeys have taken me from Halong Bay in Vietnam to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, from Stonehenge and the Cliﬀs of Moher to Edinburgh Castle, the Empire State Building, and beyond. I have climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, flown by helicopter over the Grand Canyon, and stood quietly at multiple ANZAC Day Dawn Services at Gallipoli.

One of the proudest moments of my career was chartering the entire Azamara Journey cruise ship for the ANZAC Centenary, creating a deeply meaningful and seamless commemorative experience for Australian and New Zealand guests.

As Founder and Managing Director of Fairy Chimneys Travel, I bring this lifetime of experience into every journey we design. I personally inspect hotels, refine routes, and guide the vision of each itinerary. Clients value the reassurance of working with someone who has truly been there, understands nuance, and knows how to elevate a journey from good to exceptional.

I believe luxury travel is not about excess, but about knowledge, access, pacing, and confidence. My role is to simplify complexity and design journeys that feel eﬀortless, refined, and deeply rewarding.

Elise

Travel Curator and Creative Manager

Hi, I’m Elise and I have been travelling since I was ten months old and grew up immersed in diﬀerent cultures and languages. With a background in art, history, and design, travel has always been both personal and creative for me.

I am currently studying architectural design and contribute to Fairy Chimneys Travel as a tour curator and creative director, shaping journeys through a design-led and experiential lens. In 2024, I spent four months solo backpacking across more than ten countries,

Ibrahim

Turkiye Operations

My name is Ibrahim. I was born in Istanbul and have been working in the tourism industry since 2008. I graduated from Istanbul University in 2011 and have been a professional tour guide since 2012. Over the years, I have assisted many guests from all over the world, helping them leave Türkiye with great memories. I specialize in creating tailor-made itineraries based on individual time constraints and interests. I love what I do and look forward to serving you as well.

Start a conversation

Tell us the shape of it. We will do the rest.

Every enquiry is read personally. We will come back with questions about timing, pace and style before designing anything.

Plan my custom journey Call 1300 766 595