Cappadocia walking vacation in Turkey
Highlights
Ancient cave dwellings | Underground city of Kaymakli | Akvadi Valley | Citadel of Uchisar | Kavak | Pancarlik and Kizilcukur Valleys | Goreme open air museum | Pasabaglari Valley | Zindanonu Valley
Travel Team
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Responsible tourism
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Activity:Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a trekking trip. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem in certain places and therefore our trip leaders encourage clients to stick to advised routes in order to minimise this. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although we do intend to have a positive effect by encouraging engagement with locals, visiting local cafes and restaurants and supporting small businesses at craft and food markets. By operating with a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy, we are able to raise awareness for a kind of tourism which puts environment and community before financial gain.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Accommodation and Meals:
We will spend all seven nights in a comfortable, 3 star hotel. All accommodation is locally staffed, which has a very positive effect on employment levels and also ensures that any income generated remains within the local economy. Most meals are included and wherever possible will be made from locally sourced, fresh ingredients. Sampling local cuisine is a great way to get in touch with Turkish culture and there are plenty of Cappadocian specialties to try including Biberdomasi (Bell peppers stuffed with rice and ground lamb), Pide (Oblong pizza-like flatbread) and Moussaka. We will also stop at a number of villages and Turkish teahouses where our custom is really appreciated by local people.
Local Craft and Culture:
Although the majority of the trip is spent in remote, mountainous areas, there are still opportunities to connect with local communities and their cultures. As well as the villages we pass through, we also encounter semi-nomadic tribes, who often pitch their goat hair tents along our route and sometimes we are fortunate to share a homemade, traditional ‘ayran’- which is a refreshing yoghurt based drink. The peaks and valleys of Cappadocia are dotted with churches, monasteries and remains of ancient cave dwellings- which are of great cultural interest. If there is time on the trip, we also recommend seeing a whirling dervish display and investigating some of the crafts shops and bazaars in the region. In the Cappadocia area, carpet making and hand painting pottery are popular and traditional forms of craft. By purchasing souvenirs from local people, we can benefit the community.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
Activity:Few vacations have as little detrimental impact on the environment and local residents as a trekking trip. Erosion on and adjacent to popular paths is a growing problem in certain places and therefore our trip leaders encourage clients to stick to advised routes in order to minimise this. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although we do intend to have a positive effect by encouraging engagement with locals, visiting local cafes and restaurants and supporting small businesses at craft and food markets. By operating with a strict ‘leave no trace’ policy, we are able to raise awareness for a kind of tourism which puts environment and community before financial gain.
UK Office:
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK Offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.
The Impacts of this Trip
Accommodation and Meals:
We will spend all seven nights in a comfortable, 3 star hotel. All accommodation is locally staffed, which has a very positive effect on employment levels and also ensures that any income generated remains within the local economy. Most meals are included and wherever possible will be made from locally sourced, fresh ingredients. Sampling local cuisine is a great way to get in touch with Turkish culture and there are plenty of Cappadocian specialties to try including Biberdomasi (Bell peppers stuffed with rice and ground lamb), Pide (Oblong pizza-like flatbread) and Moussaka. We will also stop at a number of villages and Turkish teahouses where our custom is really appreciated by local people.
Local Craft and Culture:
Although the majority of the trip is spent in remote, mountainous areas, there are still opportunities to connect with local communities and their cultures. As well as the villages we pass through, we also encounter semi-nomadic tribes, who often pitch their goat hair tents along our route and sometimes we are fortunate to share a homemade, traditional ‘ayran’- which is a refreshing yoghurt based drink. The peaks and valleys of Cappadocia are dotted with churches, monasteries and remains of ancient cave dwellings- which are of great cultural interest. If there is time on the trip, we also recommend seeing a whirling dervish display and investigating some of the crafts shops and bazaars in the region. In the Cappadocia area, carpet making and hand painting pottery are popular and traditional forms of craft. By purchasing souvenirs from local people, we can benefit the community.
Group Size:
This small group tour has a maximum of 16 participants, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.
5 Reviews of Cappadocia walking vacation in Turkey
Reviewed on 13 Oct 2019 by Barbara Hayers
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Watching the hot air balloons go up every morning at 6.15 right next to the hotel about 100 of them.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Go To Cappadocia in October the temperature is low 20s .
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Had lunch out every day at small out of the way places in restaurants and water was out of big contenders so no plastic bottles
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Brilliant amazing walks and loads to see great guide who told us about history of Cappadocia.
Reviewed on 17 May 2019 by Asma Abu-Taleb
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
The hikes and the scenery were amazing.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
The time of the trips makes a difference if you want to do the balloon, some are cancelled because of weather conditions
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Very much
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Reviewed on 24 Sep 2018 by Martin Cox
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
From day 1 the vacation had so many different memorable experiences but not many can compare with the early morning Balloon trip
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Good shoes with good grip, poles and a water bladder are a must
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
This is a fantastic destination and so much to see and do
I would rate this vacation as excellant and an 11 ot of 10
From the routes to the food and the care of the staff and guide were brilliant
Reviewed on 22 Oct 2017 by Vicky Barrett
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Beautiful scenery, which was amazing to walk in, but almost more spectacular when seen from a hot air balloon. Lovely, like-minded people to travel with; we shared lots of laughs.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Ensure you have plenty of small denomination Turkish Lira notes rather than the larger ones you often get when exchanging money in the U.K.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes to the first one. Locally based tour guide & driver. We ate at excellent nearby restaurants.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent.
Reviewed on 04 Jun 2017 by Roger Willis
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Hot air ballooning over the terrain of Cappadocia early in the morning with 100 other balloons
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
We stopped in Goreme where there are a number of places to obtain Turkish currency, including Bank, Post Office, Money exchange offices, ATMs so no need to take lots of currency out with you and the exchange rates are excellent. There are lots of local providers of hot air ballooning with 100 balloons in the air each day. We ballooned with Rainbow Balloons which were excellent and the pilot (Mustafa) was very professional and finished the flight with a champagne celebration upon successful landing and presentation of flight certificates to everyone.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
The hot air ballooning was provided by a local company. During our daily trekking we stopped at local cafes for lunch. Evening meals were taken at different local cafes and restaurants.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Excellent
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