Culture
Adventure
Fun
Culture
Adventure
Fun
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"This trip is short but "sweet!" Lots of variety, thanks for a great time!"Anne, NZ. 
Life is uncertain
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Turkey
Turkey has long been a popular travel destination, and it is easy to see why: Turkish food is really tasty, the sun seems to shine all the time, the markets are full of exotic treasures, and there is more history than you can poke a stick at. On top of all that, the locals are warm and friendly and it has a fascinating culture! What more could you want?
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| Date & Duration: | 23rd September - 4th October 2009 - 12 days |
| Cost: | £1,600 / NZ$3,800 / US$3,200 - What's included? |
| Arrival & Departure points: | Istanbul / Istanbul |
| Group size: | min 5, max 12 |
| Accommodation: | Hotels |
| Meals not included: | 4 lunches, 2 dinners |
| Adventures: | Easy sea-kayak trip, optional hot air balloon ride |
Welcome to Istanbul, the bustling capital of Turkey, standing with a foot in Asia and a foot in Europe. You will be picked up from the airport and taken to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours until the group arrives and we go out for some delicious Turkish food.
Meals - D
Today we spend a full day in and around Old Istanbul taking in all the highlights. In its history Istanbul has had 17 different names, Byzantium and Constantinople being the 2 most famous. This shows us the importance that earlier Empires attached to controlling this city by imposing their own mark on it.
Straddling two continents, it controls both the Dardanelles and Bosphorous Straits and has been the home of Emperors, Patriarchs, Sultans and Caliphs.
We visit: Haghia Sophia (Aya Sofia), originally the Church of Holy Wisdom built in the 6th century by Justinian and the largest church in Christendom for many years, converted to a Mosque by the Ottomans, and then to a Museum by the secular Republic. The Blue Mosque, built by the brilliant architect, Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, the Hippodrome situated at the heart of Old Stamboul, and the Yerebatan Sarayi, an underground "Cathedral" built to supply water to the Byzantine City.
We finish our day with a trip to the Grand Bazaar. Prepare your eyes for a feast of exotic wares that you may not be abel to resist!
Meals - B,L,D
Yesterday those Turkish tiles, rugs or other beautiful handicrafts may have caught your eye, so this morning you have the option of going shopping, followed by visiting the Topkapi Palace (optional), or maybe you would rather take in the sights by taking a boat trip on the Bosphorous – it's up to you. We catch an evening flight to Cappadocia.
Meals - both B, D
The landscapes of the Cappadocia region are unique and unusual. You may like to take an early morning ballon ride (optional) to get a breathtaking overview. The Cappadocia region owes its existence to the volcano Mount Erciyes. The eruptions of this volcano 10 million years ago covered an area of 4000 square km with tufa, a soft rock that has been weathered into the unique lunar-like landscape of Cappadocia. You will marvel at the tall fairy chimneys and large caves - because the rock is so soft, people have carved their homes into the caves and pinnacles.
We visit Pigeon Valley where the homes of monks and churches, as well as whole villages are carved out of the rock. We visit the famous ceramic workshop at Avanos as well as the famous Open Air Museum at Göreme and Uchisar Castle.
Meals - B, L, D
Today we head into the outer Cappadocia region, to visit Derinkuyu, an underground city with 9 different levels. We explore a section of this maze of tunnels. The tunnels have adequate ventilation and had enough room for supplies to hide its population almost indefinitely from marauding armies. Later we walk in the Ihlara valley, famous for its almost inaccessible rock-cut churches.
In the afternoon we visit Sultanhani Caravanserai. A caravanserai was, in mediaeval times, a fortress-hostel, and these were dotted along important trade routes to shelter merchants and protect them from the predatory instincts of bandits and wolves.
Our journey then takes us to Konya, Turkey's most conservative and Islamic City. Konya is the home of the famous Whirling Dervishes, a fascinating dance with a whirling movement, which symbolises the rotation of the universe around God! Konya is also the birthplace of Nasreddin Hodja, the country's most famous storyteller.
Meals - B, L, D
Today is a long day driving, but still interesting. In the morning we visit the Mevlana museum, home to the school of Sufism, founded by Muslim philosopher and poet Celaleddin Rumi and also known as Mevlana by Muslims. The atmosphere is distinctly spiritual. The buildings contain the tomb of Mevlana and other important leaders of the sect, as well as ancient carpets, musical instruments and handwritten originals of Rumi's works, which are best examples of Islamic calligraphy.
This afternoon we visit Aspendos, the best-preserved example of a Roman-type theatre in Asia. In ancient times four important rivers carrying the melted snow from the Middle Taurus Mountains back to the sea irrigated the flat plains around Antalya. The area was known as Pamphylia, which means the land of all tribes, testimony to the attraction these fertile plains had had for many previous civilisations.
Meals - B, L, D
Going North out of Antalya we visit the ancient site of Termessos which hangs 1000 metres above sea level. It is about an half an hour walk to the site and has to be one of the most spectacular in Turkey. The remainder of the afternoon is free for you to relax or explore.
Meals - B
Today we travel along the beautiful, turquoise Mediterranean coast and stop off in Cirali, on our way to visit the amazing Chimera. After an uphill walk of 30 minutes we come to the main site of the Chimera, where 12 to 15 flames, burning continuously for thousands of years, remind us this is the place where, according to legend, Bellerophon on his winged horse Pegasus, defeated the fire-breathing monster, the "Chimera".
Meals - B,L,D
Kas is a beautiful little seaside town, nestled against a backdrop of wild hills. It has a quaint town centre with a labyrinth of interesting shops and cafés. Today you have a free day to do as you wish – relax, swim, take a stroll along the coast, shop, or just enjoy the sunshine.
Meals - B
A lovely day trip is planned for today: we take a bus journey around the coast, where we then take an easy sea-kayak trip over to the sunken city of Kekova. There is time for a break on the beach and a swim, before we paddle over the sunken ruins, before returning back to the mainland for a well-deserved lunch and then heading home.
Meals - B,L,D
Today we transfer to Dalaman and fly back to Istanbul. You have a free afternoon in Istanbul to soak in the atmosphere, shop, or visit more sights. We finish off the day with a Turkish "hammam", the traditional way of bathing, and a great way to relax after your fantastic trip.
Meals - B, D
Your wonderful trip to Turkey is over. Transfer to airport for flight home.
Meals - B
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