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Turkey Description: This tour takes the back roads into the heartland of Anatolia to villages rarely seen by tourists. It begins in Istanbul then proceeds west and south along the Aegean coastline. Visitors spend a night as guests of a village family in the agricultural town of Yesil Yurt. They'll have time, according to Kurt Kutay of Wildland Adventures, to walk around the village, meet the locals, visit the coppersmith, hand weavers, farmers, and the "lazy ones," the men drinking coffee and playing backgammon at the local cafe. Kutay says his clients find Turkey perhaps more surprising than any destination he offers. "Turkish people are incredibly open and hospitable," he says, and they are interested in meeting you. Village stays enable visitors to get out early and watch the town come to life. Other points of interest: Istanbul is one of the great cities of the world with such fascinating sites as the Aya Sofia, Topkapi Palace, and the Blue Mosque. Further down the coast is the ruin at Ephesus, one of the most intact imperial cities of the ancient Roman world. Cost: Prices start at $2,995 (land only) for a 17 day tour. For more information: wildland.com |