Turkey Holidays

Butterfly Valley is a breathtaking Mediterranean paradisic oasis of tranquility which is home to more than 40 kinds of butterflies which come by the million to breed during June to September. The world famous ‘tiger butterflies’ especially the jersey tiger butterfly are among some of the rarest varieties that can be found here.

A waterfall cascades through the valley which flaunts it’s steep cliffs rising up on both sides towards the cloudless blue skies. At foot are vibrantly colored flowers with there aromatic scents gently wafting in the breeze. This is a truly enchanting place which has been granted complete protection from any kind of development.

There are two ways to get to Butterfly Valley, from Oludeniz by boat taxi or by climbing down from the village of Faralya. The regular boat service from Oludeniz takes about 30 minutes to reach the valley and adds an extra dimension of adventure to your trip.

Alternatively you can take a minibus from Oludeniz along the cliff road to the village of Faralya. This is a short journey of about 20 minutes with the most stunning views of Oludeniz, the Blue Lagoon and the turquoise Mediterranean sea with it’s islets and bays.

When alighting at Faralya, ask the driver for Georges House. This little bed and breakfast place is perched on the best cliffs above Butterfly Valley and at the back you will find the track leading down to the valley floor. The views from Georges House are spectacular as you can see the whole of the valley which ending in its sandy cove is about 3 km long and has very steep rocky sides of up to 350 meters high. Read the rest of this entry »

Far from Turkey’s seaside in central Anatolya, Cappadocia is a vast region where volcanic activity has resulted in bizarre, undulating landscapes and “fairy chimneys” – tall tapering spires of rock sculpted out of soft volcanic tuff by wind and water. The region features some of the most spectacular scenery and topography in the world, and is an ideal destination for family vacation adventures.

Besides its topography, Cappadocia is known for its unique dwellings of rock-carved homes and churches built by Greek Christians who inhabited the region until the early 20th century, and for its troglodyte villages – underground cities created to escape persecution.

At the center of Cappadocia, Goreme, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the most remarkable of these sights. Molded from a combination of volcanic tuff, basalt, wind and water, Goreme’s fairy chimneys, fantastic meringue-like shapes with tapering columns thrusting skywards, house entire dwellings which were chiseled into the soft rock – rooms, doors and windows – some inhabited to this day. A part of the Roman and Byzantine empires, Cappadocia was home to a thriving monastic Christian community who carved churches and monasteries into the same soft earth and decorated them with pigments made of local plants and minerals. The Goreme Open Air Museum is witness to some thirty of the most impressive of these rock-cut churches, whose vividly colored frescoes depict stories from the bible. Key-holed shaped doors, leading into arched and domed spaces and split-level structures with stairs running up and down characterize these edifices, and shrines tucked around corners with ornate frescoes adorn the interiors. Read the rest of this entry »

If you want to get off the beaten track and discover some of the best Turkey walks, head to the Kaçkar Mountains.

The Kaçkar Mountains – Turkey’s Hidden Secret

Away from the overcrowded coastline of Western Turkey lies a hiker’s paradise – the Kaçkar Mountains. Located in the north east of the country close to the Black Sea, this dramatic mountain range offers some of the best walking landscapes in Turkey but is rarely visited by outsiders. If you are looking for an unusual Turkey walk, this is definitely one worth considering.

What To See

If you want to go on a scenic walk in Turkey, there are few places that are better than the Kaçkar Mountains. The variety of scenery that is to be seen here is truly wonderful. There are glaciers, mountains, lakes, meadows, forests and farming valleys, with the sea to the north completing the picturesque landscape. It is a fertile region, with the rich valleys used for growing apricots, walnuts, and many other varieties of fruit and nut. With the area having escaped any kind of mass tourism, a visit to this region allows travellers to see some of Turkey’s more traditional ways of life up close, including the nomadic Hemsin people who live here. Particular highlights in the region include the stunning Yedigöller Lakes, located high up in the mountains themselves, and the remote Sumela Monastery, dramatically located right on the edge of a steep ridge.

Above all, it is the mountains themselves that continue to draw dedicated walkers, climbers, and nature lovers to the Kaçkars. The steep, rocky mountains resemble the Alps, and are in fact a continuation of the Himalayas. The highest peak, Kaçkar, reaches 3,937 metres, and to reach the summit of any of the high peaks is to be greeted by spectacular views out across the entire region. Read the rest of this entry »