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Eastern Turkey & Black Sea 19 Day Conducted Tour
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Tour :
| Eastern Turkey & Black Sea 19 Day Conducted Tour |
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| Tour Cost :
| AUD$4,985.00 per person twin share. This price includes taxes and levies of $600.00. |
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| Tour Departs:
| 10 October 2010 |
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| What's Included: |
This great price includes all of the following:
Return Air fares from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to Istanbul with Malaysian Airlines, plus a flight within Turkey.A fascinating 15 day tour of eastern Turkey, the Black Sea coast, the 'fertile crescent' where civilization began, and view of Mt Ararat of Noah's Ark fame.A 2 day stopover in Kuala Lumpur.Excellent accommodation, mainly 4 to 5 star and special class heritage hotels.
All transport and transfers.Entrance fees to many attractions.Many meals.Services of Turkish and Malaysian tour guides, and if there are 12 or more tour participants there will also be an Australian tour leader.
If you do no have a travel partner but still want to travel at twin share rates we will do our best to match you up with someone else, but this is not guaranteed. For a single room there is an extra charge of $675.
For anyone with an interest in history, Turkey is a fascinating place. Eastern Turkey is very much off the usual tourist track, but is quite beautiful with a wonderful history and culture. |
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| Notes: |
| Note: There is an optional extension of a 15 day West Turkey tour for an additional $1,845 per person twin share or $2300 single room. |
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| Tour Itinerary: |
Note: Included meals are indicated as B = Breakfast, L =Lunch, D = Dinner.
09.10.10
Depart Brisbane at 11:20pm on MH 140, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 5:45am the next morning.
10.10.10
Depart Sydney at 3:00pm on MH 122, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 8:30pm.
Depart Melbourne at 4:00pm on MH 148, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 9:10pm.
All flights will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel in central Kuala Lumpur.
11.10.10 (B/L) Kuala Lumpur
This morning there will be a Kuala Lumpur City tour followed by lunch. Visit the National Mosque or in Malay the Masjid Negara, which is the most distinguished mosque in Kuala Lumpur. Another must see is the Tugu Negara or War Memorial, where we honour those who perished in the war. Chinatown, located in Petaling Street is full of good bargains and deals, food of sorts and rich Chinese culture. You will also pass the Moorish-styled Federal Court, the old Railway station which is a striking piece of Mohammedan architecture, the Tudor-styled Cricket Club and the King's Palace. Visit the Thean Hou temple situated in Robson Heights, which is the home to patron Goddess Thean Hou of the Hainanese community, This striking six tiered temple is regarded as one of the biggest Chinese Temples in South East Asia.
12.10.10 (B/D) Kuala Lumpur - Istanbul
Morning free in Kuala Lumpur. Early afternoon departure for the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory & Showroom. Then we depart for Kampung Tour and Firefly Watching. Kuala Selangor is only 1 1/2 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur and yet it has much to offer, especially to those who wish to take a peek at Malaysian rural life. Fishing and farming are main occupations here, although a large part of the area has also been cultivated with both palm oil and rubber. Upon arrival you will visit Bukit Melawati, an ideal site for monitoring shipping in the Straits of Melaka, Bukit Melawati once contained two forts. continue your tour to Taman Alam Kuala Selangor. With almost 150 sighted species of birds, makes this an ideal nature park for bird watching. This is followed by a sumptuous local seafood dinner, after which you will be treated to the highlight of the evening - firefly watching. You will be rowed upstream to watch thousands of fireflies flickering like Christmas lights in mangrove trees which line the banks of the river. After this tour, you will be driven back to the airport.
13.10.10 (D) Istanbul
Depart Kuala Lumpur at 12:30am on MH 30, arriving in Istanbul at 6:15am. After passport and visa procedure, you will be met and taken to your hotel. There will be time to relax before the guide takes you for dinner at a local restaurant.
14.10.10 (B/D) Safranbolu
The next morning we will drive to the historic town of Safranbolu which is one of the UNESCO's world heritage sites of Turkey. The town is graced with many traditional old houses and mansions. The friendly people of Safranbolu will welcome our interest in traditional Turkish culture as we wander through the town, admiring its charm and beauty. Our stay will be at a historical market complex, which is called Cinci Han, and was built in 1645 and is a well restored historical hotel of Turkey. This town is full of unusual photo opportunities with thousands of Ottoman houses.
15.10.10 (B/D) Amasya
We will drive to the Hittite ruins at Yazilikaya to see the private temple of Hittite kings and then to Hattusas, the capital city of the Hittite Empire which is the one of the UNESCO's world heritage sites of Turkey. At this site we will follow the ancient city wall constructed nearly 3,400 years ago and see the ruins of the Great Temple of the Storm God, the Lion Gate, the King Gate (guarded by a relief of the Hittite War God) and the Great Fortress. Afterwards, we will depart Hattusas and continue to Amasya, the one time capital of the Pontic Empire. It is a lovely little town nestled in a small mountain valley formed by the Green River. Some of the most striking features of Amasya are the tombs of the kings of Pontus carved into the high cliffs surrounding the city. Here, we will explore the old streets of Amasya and attend a local bazaar.
16.10.10 (B/D) Trabzon
Today is a driving day. We will travel from Amasya to the beautiful wooded coast of the Black Sea, following the coastline to Trabzon. The scenery on this drive is unbelievable. Trabzon is an ancient Silk Road Black Sea Port, with its recorded history dating back to 746 BC. With lush, green vegetation throughout the region, this area is a very unique part of Turkey. hazelnut and tea plantations are the major contributors to this region's agricultural exports.
17.10.10 (B/D) Erzurum
We will visit the Sumela Monastery in the morning, which is from the Byzantine era, and enjoy a lovely picnic by a rushing stream there. One of the remarkable features of this site is that it is carved into a cliff face!
From Sumela we will drive to Erzurum, with many stops along the way. This is a very beautiful drive, which follows carious rivers. Erzurum rests at the base altitude of 2000 metres and although it is somewhat remote, it is one of the largest cities in eastern Turkey. Despite its size, the people maintain quite a conservative outlook. Here, one will frequently encounter more women waring veils than in other cities. While in Erzurum we will have lunch in a restaurant converted from old Ottoman houses decorated with antiques everywhere. We will visit Ulu Cami (the Great Mosque) and an old Selcuk Medrese (schoolhouse) as well as see several Kurdish villages in the area.
18.10.10 (B/D) Kars
An early morning departure from Erzurum will take us on a beautiful drive to Kars. We will arrive in Kars to visit Ani at the Turkish-Armenian border. A 45 minute drive will take us to the medieval Armenian City of Ani, which lies mostly in ruins. Impressive fortified walls still encircle the ruins of numerous churches, mosques and caravanasaries. Walking around the ruins, we will be able to see a beautiful view of Armenian across the Arpa River, which creates the border between turkey and Armenia. Other attractions in the city of Kars are the immense citadel, its old bridges and an Armenian church (the Church of the Twelve Apostles).
19.10.10 & 20.10.10 (B/D) Van (Mt Ararat)
Early in the morning, we will drive along the beautiful yet rugged border between Turkey and Armenia and arrive in Dogubeyazit. On the way, we will stop for photo opportunities, especially of the beautiful flowers in this region (depending on the season). We will also have the opportunity to see Mt Ararat, where Noah's Ark is believed to be, and visit the spectacular Isah Pasa Palace. This complex is a combination of mosque, fortress, and 17th century palace. We will then drive 2 1/2 hours to Van, stopping again for various photo opportunities. one of the stops will be by a gorgeous waterfall. We arrive in Van and overnight.
Early in the morning a short ferry ride will take us to Akdamar Island. there is a wonderful 10th century Armenian church here called the church of the Holy Cross. the outside walls of the church are decorated with wall relief's depicting various well known tales from the Bible and the Old testament. This church, recently restored to its former glory, is a true gem. In the afternoon we will visit the 3,000 year old fortress built by the Urartians, who inhabited the region between the 9th and 6th century B.C. and called their capital city, Tushba. Before we finish our tour, we will see beautiful handmade Carpets and Klims of Eastern Turkey.
21.10.10 & 22.10.10 (B/D)
In the morning we drive to Batman where we will visit the incredible and ancient city of Hasankeyf nearby. Hasankeyf is on the banks of the Tigris River and is located in an area of the Fertile Crescent where animals were domesticated and grains were cultivated over twelve thousand years ago. After driving ninety minutes, we will arrive in Mardin, capping a long but spectacular day with many stops. Mardin is a very unique and lovely city with many old Arabic style houses. It is a city that played an important role in the early development of Christianity. We will take time to visit, walk in its busy streets and bazaars and take superb photographs. Just outside of town, we will visit the monks in the Monastery of Deyr-az-Zaferan, which was founded in 4th century AD. It was the seat of the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch for almost 800 years. This monastery is built on top of a 4,000 year old temple originally used by sun worshipers.
23.10.10 (B/D) Urfa
Today we will drive three hours to Urfa, the birthplace of the prophet Abraham. We will visit nearby Harran and see the incredible beehive houses. Harran, according to the Bible, was the site where the prophet Abraham lived with his family for several years before moving to Israel, the Promised Land. We will also visit the holy sites at Ainzelha, a lake with domesticated fish. There are exceptional photo opportunities in this area.
24.10.10 (B/D) Mt Nemrut
From Urfa we will drive 2 hours to Adiyaman Kahta. On the way, we will stop to see Ataturk dam, the fourth largest dam in the world built on the Euphrates River. We will drive through the Pistachio orchards and stop to pick them (depending on the season). We will check into our hotel. Soon after, we will hire small mini buses to drive up Mt Nemrut. Resting at an elevation of 2150 meters this extraordinary mountain top features a funerary temple complex composed of two flattened areas strewn with huge statues and fallen heads of Greco Roman gods. Each head measures 2 - 3 metres high, belonging to the likes of Zeus, Hercules, Fortuna, Apollo and the King Antiochus, who considered himself a god. There is also a mound of broken gravel that makes a perfect false peak of crushed rock. Antiouchus built the entire complex 2,050 years ago as a monument to his 'divine ancestry'.
Please note: The hike to Mt Nemrut consists of 20 to 40 minutes of a 30% uphill hike, mostly with stairs. There is no time limit and most can do the hike. There are also donkeys or mules available for hire.
25.10.10 (B/D) Hatay (Antioch)
Today, we will drive to Antakya, ancient Antioch. Throughout the Hellenistic and Roman periods, Antioch stood out as one of the most influential and enduring cities. it was here that Peter preached his first sermon and founded the first Christian community. Just outside the town we will pay a visit to the Grotto of St Peter, erected in the 13th century by the Crusaders. We will visit the Hatay Museum which houses one of the finest collections of Roman mosaics in the world.
26.10.10 (B) Istanbul
Today we will fly from Hatay to Istanbul. Overnight is in Istanbul.
27.10.10 (B) Istanbul - Kuala Lumpur
Morning free in Istanbul. Transfer to Istanbul International Airport, departing at 2:00pm on MH 31, arriving in Kuala Lumpur at 5:40am the next morning (28.10.10).
28.10.10 Kuala Lumpur - Australia
Sydney & Brisbane passengers depart Kuala Lumpur at 9:00am on MH 141, arriving in Sydney at 7:50pm and Brisbane at 9:45pm.
Melbourne passengers depart Kuala Lumpur at 10:05am on MH 129, arriving in Melbourne at 8:40pm. |
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Contact Information:
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Contact Person: Reservations
Contact Phone: 1800 170 100 (Australia Free Call) or +61 2 9505 8555 (International)
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