DESTINATIONS TURKEY
✈
FAIRY CHIMNEYS
Sitting slap bang in the centre
of the country, Cappadocia is an
area with a turbulent past – even
its geology has been pretty exciting.
Nearly 70 million years ago, three of
the towering mountains were active
volcanoes, spewing lava and ash
across the landscape. Layers of this
‘tuff’ have been eroded unevenly
over time, leaving strangely shaped
formations behind. Some of these
‘fairy chimneys’ have been turned
into homes, and some are hotels, so
you can even stay in one.
For the best views, send clients
to Pasabag, where they can see
chimneys with shelters built into
them by monks. There’s even a small
police station built into a chimney.
And in the Devrent Valley, also known
as Imagination Valley, clients can spot
incredible shapes visible in the fairy
chimneys there. (Tell them to look out
for camels and sea lions).
UNDERGROUND CITIES
Its location meant that trade routes –
including the all-important Silk Road
– passed through Cappadocia, so it
saw the infl uence of many cultures
over the centuries, including
Assyrians, Persians, Romans
and Byzantines. The area was
so frequently invaded and looted
that locals found refuge by living in
caverns in the hills and by excavating
huge underground cities beneath
existing towns, to which they could
retreat when danger was near.
Forty-four of these underground
cities have been unearthed, ranging
in size from small villages to the
largest, Derinkuyu, which is 10
storeys deep. Recommend that
clients head to Kaymakli, in the south
of the region. It’s the second largest,
at fi ve storeys, and the easiest to
make your way around as there is a
circular route so they won’t end up
colliding with tourists trying to go
the other way. Built in the seventh
or eighth century, it could hold a
mind-boggling 15,000-20,000 people
– something almost impossible to
believe as you crawl through its
tunnels, bent double.
✈
ΗΙΓΗ ΘΥΑΛΙΤΨ ΑΝΔ ΓΡΕΑΤ ςΑΛΥΕ
32 | Travel Weekly | July 3 2009
Forty-four underground cities have been
discovered in Cappadocia, the largest of
which is 10 storeys deep
BALLOONING IN CAPPADOCIA
Taking an early morning balloon ride
over the stupendous landscape of
Cappadocia has long been on the
must-do list for visitors to the area.
Tragically, a British tourist died
after an accident occurred during
a balloon ride in May.
Each client will feel diff erently
about what level of risk is acceptable
on their holiday, but it may help to
give them the facts. Two balloons
collided in mid air, damaging the
canopy of the lower balloon, which
then fell 50 metres to the ground
very quickly, killing one passenger
and injuring others. This is the fi rst
crash in the 20 years that balloons
have been fl ying over Cappadocia.
ΤΕΡΡΙΦΙΧ ϑΥΛΨ ΟΦΦΕΡΣ
0845 408 2681
FAST
FACTS
In Cappadocia’s
Pigeon Valley
there are
hundreds of
pigeon houses
carved into the
rock, and the
birds fl ock
and perform
strange
somersaults
mid-fl ight
A spokesperson for the Turkish
Tourist Board said balloons are now
fl ying again as usual, and that safety
standards require that all pilots have
licences and that companies are
monitored by a local association.
The tourist was travelling with
Explore, and the operator has sent
further groups out to Cappadocia
since the accident, but has removed
the balloon fl ight from its itinerary,
pending further investigations.
My personal experience went
without a hitch – take-off and landing
were incredibly gentle and the fl ight
itself was a magical experience,
allowing unsurpassable views
of the landscape.
Αλτινκυμ ∠ 12 ϑυλψ ΛΓΩ
ΓΑΡΔΕΝ ΟΦ ΣΥΝ ∗∗∗∗∗
7 ντσ αλλ ινχλυσιϖε ≤390
Ολυδενιζ ∠ 15 ϑυλψ ΜΑΝ
ΟΛΥΔΕΝΙΖ ΡΕΣΟΡΤ ΗΤΛ ∗∗∗∗
7 ντσ αλλ ινχλυσιϖε ≤599
Μαρμαρισ ∠ 09 ϑυλψ ΓΛΑ
ΓΡΕΕΝ ΠΑΡΚ ΑΠΤΣ ∗∗∗
14 ντσ Σελφ Χατερινγ ≤379
www.travelweekly.co.uk
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