MIDDLEEASTTURKEY 78 " I cannot believe how much of the country I saw and I don't just mean the temples. Hiring bikes was a fabulous way of touring the ' back streets' and getting a feel of the area." Barbara McKenna middle east Eastern Images Imaginative Facts Tour code: TTIM • Activities: Opportunities for walking in Cappadocia and at Mt Nemrut • Accommodation: 13 nights tourist class hotels, 1 night local house ( multi- share) • Transport: Private air- conditioned coach, boat trip on Lake Van, plane • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader days 1- 13, services of local representatives days 14 & 15, services of local guides • Imaginative Traveller Suggests: Add our ' Istanbul Heart of the City Tour' DAY 1: ANKARA- Arrival day. DAY 2: ANKARA - HATTUSAS - AMASYA-A guided tour of Ankara's Museum of Anatolian Civilisations before heading east to the ancient Hittite capital of Hattusas. Overnight in Amasya, historic capital of the Pontic Empire. ( BD) DAY 3: AMASYA - HOME STAY- Today we have a leisurely morning in Amasya then continue to Ordu Golkoy where we will be guests of one of the families in the village ( BD) DAY 4: TRABZON- In the morning there will be time to explore the area. Later we drive to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. ( BD) DAY 5: SUMELA - ERZURUM- Morning visit to the striking Sumela Monastery. Later we drive to Erzurum, an important city from the Selcuk period. ( BD) DAY 6: KARS - ANI- We drive to the grasslands of Kars and visit the fabulous ruins of the 10th century Armenian capital of Ani on the border with the modern Armenian Republic. DAY 7: MT ARARAT - ISHAK PASA - VAN-Visit Mt Ararat, ( supposed landing place for Noah's Ark!), and the stunning Ishak Pasa Palace. Afternoon drive to Van. ( BD) DAY 8: TATVAN- An excursion by boat to Akdamar Island on Lake Van to visit the Church of the Holy Cross. Continue to Tatvan, a small town on the shores of Lake Van. ( BD) DAY 9: MARDIN- Drive to Mardin via Hasankeyf, where we can see the remains of old Artukids and a picturesque citadel. ( B) DAY 10: MT NEMRUT- Free morning in the old quarter of Mardin with time to visit the castle. Afternoon drive to Kahta, near Mt Nemrut. ( BD) DAY 11: MT NEMRUT - CAPPADOCIA- A wonderful sunrise excursion to Mt Nemrut. A short walk takes us to the summit where we see the massive Commagene stone heads. After breakfast we leave for the fabulous landscapes of Cappadocia. ( B) DAY 12: CAPPADOCIA- Visit Uchisar ' castle' for a panoramic view of Cappadocia's bizarre rock formations, then hike through some of the most spectacular valleys. ( B) DAY 13: CAPPADOCIA - ISTANBUL-Morning flight to Istanbul. ( B) DAY 14: ISTANBUL- Full free day. ( B) DAY 15: ISTANBUL- Tour ends after breakfast. ( B) Exploring the hidden gems of Eastern Turkey • Journey to the far eastern grasslands and the borders of Armenia • Travel along the Black Sea coastand take a cruise on Lake Van • Take excursions to ' Noah's' Mt Araratand Mt Nemrut ( at sunrise!) • Hike amidst the extraordinary landscapes of Cappadocia • Enjoy the sights of bustling Istanbul and Ankara Istanbul Gallipoli Canakkale Assos Ephesus SelcukPamukkale Konya Mt NemrutMardin TatvanVan Mt Ararat Ani Kars Erzurum Trabzon Amasya Egirdir Ankara Fethiye Kalkan Kas Arykanda Eastern Images The Best of East & West TurkeyCappadocia Ordu Golkoy Turkey Turkey in Style Istanbul Izmir Ephesus SelcukPamukkaleKonya Cappadocia Ankara Safranbolu Antalya Single Supplement £ 170 ( optional) Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 4.85 * Price includes tour price of £ 965and local payment of € 270All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 1170pp Land Only * traveller Tour duration 15 days © Imaginative Traveller © Imaginative Traveller Starts SatEnds Sat AnkaraIstanbul 2009 25- Apr- 0909- May- 09 23- May- 0906- Jun- 09 20- Jun- 0904- Jul- 09 18- Jul- 0901- Aug- 09 15- Aug- 0929- Aug- 09 12- Sep- 0926- Sep- 09 Starts SatEnds Sat AnkaraIstanbul 2010 24- Apr- 1008- May- 10 22- May- 1005- Jun- 10 19- Jun- 1003- Jul- 10 17- Jul- 1031- Jul- 10 14- Aug- 1028- Aug- 10 11- Sep- 1025- Sep- 10 The remains of Noah's Ark are thought to be buried on Mount Ararat, the highest point in Turkey. amazing fact ... We can also offer Extra Accommodation, Adventure Travel Insurance& Flights Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243

TURKEY 79 MIDDLEEAST The Best of East & West Imaginative Facts Tour code: TTBO • Activities: Opportunities for walking in Cappadocia and at Mt Nemrut • Accommodation: 17 nights tourist class hotels, 1 night historic hotel, 2 nights homestay, 2 nights gulet cabins • Transport: Private air- conditioned coach, boat trip on Lake Van • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader, services of local guides • Imaginative Traveller Suggests: Add our ' Istanbul Heart of the City Tour' ( DAYS 1- 12 as per ' Eastern Images') DAY 1: ANKARA DAY 2: ANKARA - HATTUSAS - AMASYA- ( BD) DAY 3: AMASYA - HOME STAY- ( BD) DAY 4: TRABZON- ( BD) DAY 5: SUMELA- ( BD) DAY 6: KARS - ANI DAY 7: MT ARARAT - ISHAK PASA - VAN- ( BD) DAY 8: TATVAN- ( BD) DAY 9: MARDIN- ( B) DAY 10: MT NEMRUT- ( BD) DAY 11: CAPPADOCIA- ( B) DAY 12: CAPPADOCIA- ( B) ( DAYS 13- 21 as per days 6- 14 of the ' Turkey Land & Sea') DAY 13: KONYA - VILLAGESTAY- ( BD) DAY 14: EGIRDIR - ARYKANDA - KAS- ( B) DAY 15: KALKAN - GULET- ( BD) DAY 16: GULET- ( BLD) DAY 17: FETHIYE - PAMUKKALE - SELCUK- ( B) DAY 18: EPHESUS- ( B) DAY 19: ASSOS- ( BD) DAY 20: CANAKKALE- ( B) DAY 21: GALLIPOLI - ISTANBUL- ( BD) DAY 22: ISTANBUL- ( B) DAY 23: ISTANBUL- ( B) Combine ' Eastern Images' with ' Turkey Land & Sea' • Enjoy scenic variety from Istanbul's bustling alleys to picturesque rural villages • Travel via the Black Seaand far eastern grasslands to the Armenian border • Relax on a cruisealong the Turquoise Coast and on Lake Van • Walk on Mt Nemrut and amidst the extraordinary landscapes of Cappadocia • Visit Troy, Gallipoli, ancient Ephesus and the calcified falls at Pamukkale Turkey in Style Imaginative Facts Tour code: TCTS • Activities: Extensive walking at sites, hiking in Cappadocia, swimming • Accommodation: 14 nights special category or 4* hotels • Transport: Private air- conditioned coach • Fully Escorted: By Imaginative Traveller tour leader DAY 1: ISTANBUL- Arrival day. DAY 2: ISTANBUL- Morning visit to the Blue Mosque and an afternoon boat cruise to the picturesque Princes' Islands, named after the princes who were exiled there in times gone by. ( BD) DAY 3: ISTANBUL - SELCUK- This morning we enjoy a guided tour of the Aya Sophia, the Basilica Cistern and the Hippodrome before taking a short flight to Izmir. On arrival we transfer to Selcuk where we stay for two nights in an Ottoman- style hotel beautifully furnished with antiques. ( BD) DAY 4: SELCUK- A full morning guided tour of the ancient Ionian city of Ephesus, still brilliantly preserved. Free afternoon to explore further. In the evening we have dinner in Sirince, formerly a Greek village. ( BD) DAY 5: PAMUKKALE- A short drive takes us to Pamukkale, famous for its calcified falls and hot springs. We visit the falls in the late afternoon to avoid the crowds, and also explore the ancient ruins of Hierapolis. ( BD) DAY 6: ANTALYA- Travelling through the beautiful scenery of the Taurus Mountains we visit the spectacular hilltop fortress of Termessos. We spend the night in an Ottoman Mansion in the old harbour of Antalya. ( BD) DAY 7: ANTALYA- Morning tour of the well-preserved theatre of Aspendos. The afternoon is free to explore Antalya and its picturesque harbour. ( B) DAY 8: KONYA- A spectacular drive today as we pass through the Taurus Mountains and Turkey's Lake District before arriving in Konya. This was the capital of the Selcuk Empire and is famous for its Whirling Dervishes. We visit the local museum. ( BD) DAY 9: CAPPADOCIA- Continue through the Anatolian steppe to Cappadocia, a volcanic region of outstanding natural beauty. We spend three nights in a beautifully restored Cappadocian villa with traditional Turkish furnishings. ( BD) DAYS 10 & 11: CAPPADOCIA- A full day to explore the world famous underground cities and open air museums by bus and on foot. At night we visit a local caravanserai to see the Whirling Dervishes. The following morning there is an opportunity to take an early hot air balloon ride over the amazing landscape. Later we visit Goreme open air museum and Uchisar ' castle'. In the evening we visit a restaurant in one of the ancient caves for some folk entertainment. ( BD) DAY 12: ANKARA- We leave the Cappadocia region, stopping at a large salt lake en route to Ankara. In Ankara we visit Ataturk's mausoleum and the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, one of the best museums in Turkey. ( BD) DAY 13: SAFRANBOLU- Drive to Safranbolu, one of the best preserved towns from the Ottoman period with restored wooden houses and a small handicraft market. ( BD) DAY 14: ISTANBUL- Return to Istanbul. On arrival the remainder of the day is free to explore further. ( BD) DAY 15: ISTANBUL- Tour ends with a departure transfer to the airport. ( B) Experience an intoxicating combination of scenery and history • Enjoy scenic variety from the Taurus Mountains to the Turquoise Coast • Discover hidden Istanbul- by foot and on a cruise boat • Visit Pamukkale, the fortress at Termessos and ancient Ephesus • Enjoy days exploring the extraordinary landscapes of Cappadocia • Stay in Ottoman- style hotels, mansions and beautifully restored villas • Seasonal Supplement £ 40 Single Supplement £ 270 ( optional) Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 4.85 * Price includes tour price of £ 1385and local payment of € 350All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 1655pp Land Only * Single Supplement £ 510 ( compulsory) Voluntary Carbon Offset £ 4.52 * Price includes tour price of £ 1399and local payment of € 330All prices are subject to currency fluctuations £ 1649pp Land Only * travellerconnoisseur Tour duration 23 daysTour duration 15 days Starts SatEnds Sun AnkaraIstanbul 2009 25- Apr- 0917- May- 09 23- May- 0914- Jun- 09 20- Jun- 0912- Jul- 09 18- Jul- 0909- Aug- 09 15- Aug- 0906- Sep- 09 12- Sep- 0904- Oct- 09 • Starts SatEnds Sun AnkaraIstanbul 2010 24- Apr- 1016- May- 10 22- May- 1013- Jun- 10 19- Jun- 1011- Jul- 10 17- Jul- 1008- Aug- 10 14- Aug- 1005- Sep- 10 11- Sep- 1003- Oct- 10 • • Seasonal supplement applies Starts SatEnds Sat IstanbulIstanbul 2009 23- May- 0906- Jun- 09 20- Jun- 0904- Jul- 09 18- Jul- 0901- Aug- 09 15- Aug- 0929- Aug- 09 12- Sep- 0926- Sep- 09 10- Oct- 0924- Oct- 09 Starts SatEnds Sat IstanbulIstanbul 2010 22- May- 1005- Jun- 10 19- Jun- 1003- Jul- 10 17- Jul- 1031- Jul- 10 14- Aug- 1028- Aug- 10 11- Sep- 1025- Sep- 10 09- Oct- 1023- Oct- 10 Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243 Save up to 15% on your tour - see page 243