Sail the Sapphire Seas of Turkey TRIP LEADER TO BE ANNOUNCED
September 12 - 27, 2010
Picture yourself sitting on the teak deck of a 90-foot wooden yacht surrounded by breathless vistas, azure seas with an indigo sky above. Imagine watching a glorious crimson sunset and then the canopy of stars as it slowly appears overhead. Dream of the relaxation as a smiling crewman brings you a frosty drink and serves you delectable Turkish dishes created by your personal chef. See yourself standing next to the captain as he steers the craft into a silent bay, once an ancient port. Each day presents a new discovery! Explore the dazzling 
remains of former civilizations, fascinating crusader's castles, and remote fishing villages. Enjoy the leisure time to hike, swim in the crystal clear water of the Eastern Mediterranean or simply snooze on deck. And during the voyage, enjoy informal lectures on the culture, archaeology, and history of Turkey.
Far Horizons proudly presents a 16-day trip to western Turkey that includes nine days onboard a traditional wooden gulet, or motorsailer. Today, as in antiquity, the ancient cities along the Turkish Caria and Lykia coasts are most accessible to the outside world from the sea. This part of the Turkish coastline is so lush, verdant and bountiful in natural beauty and history that it takes your breath away. Join only eleven others for what is truly a trip of the lifetime.
“When I want to picture paradise, I just think of the days we spent onboard our gulet and I know it cannot be better than that.” Barbara Matula
(B) breakfast, (L) lunch, (D) dinner
Day 1: Leave New York’s JFK Airport.
Day 2: Arrive Antalya. Transfer to our home for the next two nights - the Hotel Doğan, housed in an old Ottoman house and located in the Kaleiçi, the delightful old port section of the city. After the long flight, we will want to enjoy the outdoor swimming pool encircled by lush gardens. Dinner is on our own.
Day 3: Begin in the Antalya Archaeological Museum, where we meet with the archaeologist in charge of restoring sculptures for a private talk and tour of the stunning marble sculptures from nearby Perge. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour of the kaleici, the ancient port, to study both the Ottoman and Roman architecture within this picturesque quarter. Winner of several national and international awards for its renovation, the charm of the ancient Roman and later Ottoman architectural styles has been maintained with outdoor cafes, restaurants, hotels, and shops housed in the old buildings along the twisting cobblestoned streets. We will see a beautifully decorated three arched monumental Roman Gate built into the city wall to celebrate Emperor Hadrian’s visit in 130 A.D., the Karatay Medrese (theological college) that exemplifies the best of Selcuk stone carvings, the elegant fluted minaret of the Yivli Minareli Mosque, and the 19th century Iskele Mosque that is built of cut stone and set on four pillars over a natural spring. Gather this evening for our gala welcome dinner party in Antalya’s finest restaurant. (B/L/D)
Day 4: Depart Antalya and drive along the lovely southern coast with stops to see the remains of two memorable cities. Ideally positioned to be an important commercial center, Phaselis was settled many centuries before Christ by Greeks from the island of Rhodes. Tucked between the rocky crags of the mountain and the azure sea, the location is stunning with Roman and Byzantine ruins still standing within a grove of pine trees, encircled by beautiful beaches. Nearby Olympos was named for the nearby mountain, one of more than 20 mountains of the same name throughout Greece and Asia Minor. Built in the Hellenistic period, it was a hidden home for pirates during the Byzantine period. Located where a river meets the Mediterranean Sea, the site is especially striking in the summer when it is overgrown with flowering pink oleander bushes. Overnight at the Blue & White Chimera Hotel. (B/L)
Day 5: Travel to the rarely visited site of Arykanda, perched high in the Taurus Mountains. Its strategic location allowed it to control ancient trade routes, and the city’s remains are truly magnificent. Built of huge basaltic stone blocks, many of the monumental buildings still stand, and we will explore its odeon, theater, stadium and immense Roman bath. This afternoon, we board our gulet, or wooden yacht, our home for the next nine nights, and cruise to the Kekova region. All breakfasts, most lunches, and all dinners will be created onboard by the vessel’s fabulous chef. (B/L/D)
Day 6: Kekova is a national underwater park that features submerged ruins of an earlier civilization, still visible beneath the crystal-clear waters. The area includes a protective island as well as an ensemble of picturesque scenic bays and ancient remains. One of these cities, Theimussa, existed as early as the ninth century. A multitude of sarcophagi from Hellenistic and Roman times lie scattered in the nearby fields, and the remains of a massive dock can still be seen. Along the northern shore of Kekova Island, earthquakes have disturbed the land causing some of the ancient houses to sink below the sea, creating a sunken city. Our vessel will motor along the island’s shore in order for us to see this city. The village of Kale is set on the ancient city of Simena. Our climb up the hillside takes us to both the Lykian citadel and a crusader's fortress, perched at the top of the mountain. As e climb down, stop to investigate a theater that is the smallest built in a Lykian city and take some time to explore the teahouses and shops dotting the fishing village below. (B/L/D)
Day 7: Demre was one of the most important towns of ancient Lykia. The Eastern Roman emperor Theodosius II made Myra, ancient Demre, the capital of Byzantine Lykia. Within the ancient necropolis at Myra hundreds of stunning tombs are cut into the cliff-face, many with finely carved reliefs of funeral scenes. But the fame of the city is primarily due to St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra in the 4th century AD. He is buried in the church dedicated to him that still stands today. Upon return to our vessel, enjoy a swim in the crystal-clear waters of our cove. (B/L/D)
Day 8: This part of the coast, heavily indented and full of isolated caves and islets, encompasses some of Lykia's most spectacular scenery. Hundreds of tombs dot the hillsides, many rising from the waters of the inlets. Aperlae is completed encircled by a formidable wall of perfectly carved stone blocks. Once the capital of a confederation of Lykian cities, today it can only be reached from the sea and stands deserted but for the herds of goats wandering among the silent ruins. Immense middens of murex shells found here suggest that the city manufactured the prized purple dye used for the robes of royalty. Fishing boats fill the harbor of the charming village of Kas where ancient rock-cut tombs and sarcophagi are scattered among today's buildings. After walking to the ancient theatre and tombs, there will be time to wander in the sleepy town square, or sit down to tea in one of the shore-side gardens. (B/L/D)
Day 9: Cruise to the fishing village of Kalkan, still protected by an ancient Greek mole, or breakwater with time to investigate the tiny shops. We then anchor in nearby Yesilkoy Harbor and take some time to enjoy this lovely bay either lolling on the deck admiring our view of white-washed homes sparkling amidst the green of the surrounding hills, reading a favorite novel, taking a dip in the sea which never ceases to beckon, or even snoozing in the warm sun. For the adventurous explorer, the afternoon offers an optional hike through olive groves and with views of the Aegean at our feet to the Delikkemer Aqueduct. Built by the Romans to deliver water to the city of Patara, the aqueduct is considered an engineering feat. Unlike other aqueducts that are built on a gradual gradient to allow the flow of water by gravity, in this instance the interlocking square stones form a siphon allowing the water to be transported uphill. (B/L/D)
Day 10: Today we travel by minibus to visit three important cities of the Lykian federation. Letoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a shrine dedicated to the goddess, Leto, and her children by Zeus - Apollo and Artemis - the principal deities of Lykia. In Xanthos, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fine theater is dominated by monumental tombs. After the 4th century BC, nearby Patara became the capital of the Lykian Federation and its port. Today the harbor has completely silted in and the resulting five-mile-long beach is considered the most beautiful in southern Turkey. Over the centuries, the magnificent buildings have been covered by the blowing sand. Turkish archaeologists have been excavating here for the past several years, and if onsite, we meet with a member of the team to learn how they are restoring the city to its former grandeur. (B/L/D)
Day 11: Cruise to Gemiler Island, a Byzantine trading port dominated by a basilica. Remains of the city completely cover the small island and are visible beneath the water's surface along the shore. As we climb to the summit, we pass the ruins of churches, small chapels, tombs and sarcophagi, and walk along an immense covered walkway which leads to the cathedral dominating the island to observe exquisite, still intact mosaic floors. Following lunch onboard, drive by minibus to visit Pinara one of the three major cities in the Xanthos Valley and one of the six principal cities of Lykia. These rarely-visited remains are dramatically located in a mountain setting of fragrant pines, ancient olive trees, wildflowers, and thyme-scented breezes. Explore Kayaköy where Anatolian Greeks lived until a1923. The ghost town, now preserved as a museum village, consists of hundreds of mostly intact Greek-style houses and churches covering a small mountainside. (B/L/D)
Day 12: The Gulf of Fethiye is surrounded by the lower slopes of the Taurus Mountains, pine clad to the water's edge and surrounded by the ruins of ancient sites. Dotted with small islands, the bay is a naturally protected harbor. The adventurous will want to hike to Lydae, twice visited by Cleopatra. Off the beaten path and rarely visited, the city features the remains of mausolea, basilica, temple walls, cisterns, Corinthian column parts, and inscribed pedestals from the Roman and Byzantine periods as well as a vaulted Carian rock tomb in two levels dating from the 5th or 4th century BC. Tonight will be spent in a tranquil cove in the bay. (B/L/D)
Day 13: We meander further north to Ekincek, where in the afternoon we climb aboard a small boat to putt-putt up the meandering Dalyan River. As we travel between the reed-lined banks of the river, we will see royal temple tombs cut into the cliff face towering above. At the end of the short boat ride is Caunos, an important Carian fishing center in ancient times. Although initially settled during the 9th century BC, the buildings standing today are Greco-Roman and include a recently-excavated Byzantine church. (B/L/D)
Day 14: Cruise to Marmaris where we leave our yacht and drive to Bodrum. As a port with a rich history that spans thousands of years of continuous inhabitation, charming Bodrum has an incredibly rich past. In ancient times known as Halicarnassus, this town is the location of the Tomb of King Mausolus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Today this small city is home for Turkish artists and intellectuals and a major boat building and yachting center. We will visit the 15th century Castle of Saint Peter, built by the Knights of Saint John as part of a network of fortresses to defend the southeastern Aegean. It now houses the Bodrum Archaeology Museum, renowned for its wide range of fascinating underwater findings displayed throughout the Castle in myriad of atmospheric halls and galleries. Continue to a tersane, a Turkish shipyard. Here, learn how ancient trading vessels were constructed, and how these techniques carry through to the lovely wooden yachts that are used for charter. Then visit the Turkish headquarters of Texas A&M University’s Institute of Nautical Archaeology, noted for archaeological explorations under the sea where we will enjoy a specially arranged talk on underwater archaeology. Tonight’s dinner party will be in a local seafood restaurant along the shore. Overnight in a charming bed-and-breakfast hotel with views over the Aegean Sea. (B/L/D)
Day 15: Transfer to the Bodrum airport for our flight to Istanbul. Upon arrival, visit The Church of St. Saviour in Chora Monastery, or Kariye Museum, built between the 11th- and 14th-centuries. When restored, a stunning series of mosaics and vibrant frescoes were found within the interior of the building which belong to the last great renaissance of Byzantine art. Lunch will be in the gardens of a restored wooden konak, or mansion, now a restaurant serving Imperial Ottoman cuisine. In the afternoon, walk through the Egyptian, or Spice, Bazaar, and visit Rüstem Pasha Mosque, designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan for the husband of one of the daughters of Suleiman the Magnificent. This exquisite building is renowned for its delicate, tomato-red Iznik tiles of beautiful floral and geometric designs. Dinner is on our own. Overnight in the historic section of Istanbul. (B/L)
Day 16: Return to the USA. (B)
TO BE ANNOUNCED
September 12 - 27, 2010
$9,995.00 (per person, double occupancy) includes international flights from North America to Istanbul; two Turkish domestic flights on Turkish Airlines; all hotels; most meals (as listed in the itinerary); all entry fees; and yacht and ground transportation.
Cost Does Not Include: A tax-deductible check for $150.00 per person to ‘The Institute of Nautical Archaeology’; passport or visa fees; airport or departure taxes; alcoholic drinks, beverages or food not included on regular menus; laundry; excess baggage charges; personal tips; email, telephone and fax charges; or other items of a personal nature.
Single Supplement: $1495.00. Should a roommate be requested and one not be available, the single supplement must be charged. NOTE: Only one single supplement is available on the yacht.
Fuel Surcharges: Far Horizons must pass on price increases when additional fuel charges are levied.
Donation Checks: The cost of the trip does not include the separate donation check for $150.00 (per person) to ‘The Institute of Nautical Archaeology’. As a tour company that benefits from the historical, cultural and natural riches of our destinations, we have a policy of donating to scholars, archaeological and cultural projects, and museums in each of our destinations. This has created a bond with the academic community that allows you to gain an ‘insider’s view’ of work being done in each country.
A deposit of $500.00 and the separate donation check for $150.00 (made out to the designated project) are required along with your registration form. Final payment is due 75 days before departure. Upon receipt of your deposit and completed registration form, you will be sent a reading list and a tour bulletin containing travel information. Prior to the trip, we will send links to various websites of pertinent interest to the trip.Click here to download our Registration Form.
Cancellations received in writing at least 75 days before departure will result in an administrative fee of $250.00 per person. Cancellations received less than 75 days before departure will not receive a refund. If for any reason you are unable to complete the tour, we will not reimburse any fees. Registrants are strongly advised to buy travel insurance that includes trip cancellation.
If you do not fly on the group flight, you are responsible for all flight arrangements and transportation (including airport transfers) to join the group. If Far Horizons must change the trip dates or cancel the trip for any reason, Far Horizons is not responsible for any air ticket you may have purchased.
Changes in our itinerary, accommodations and transportation schedules may occur. A good book to read as well as a flexible attitude and a sense of humor are essential.
The private tours of archaeological sites and talks by specialists are scheduled in advance and include a donation to each. Specialists working at these sites are excited about showing their work to interested enthusiasts. However, please be aware that there may be times when the director or a member of the staff may not be onsite when our groups arrive due to other commitments.
Limited to 12 Participants
