Wild Frontiers

Flight Information

Flight time to Istanbul from London is 3:45hrs, with British Airways or Turkish Airlines. A number of charter companies fly direct to the regional airports in other parts of the country.

Useful Tips

• Don't be tempted to buy caviar in Istanbul's Spice bazaar - its likely to be lump fish roe!

• Try an Iskender kebab - a tasty interpretation version of the classic "doner"

• Have a beer (or a raki) sitting on top of the deserted amphitheatre at Selge

• Check out a Belly Dancing show in Perla, Istanbul (all very James Bond!)

• If walking St Paul's Trail take your trunks, there are wonderful rivers to swim in

Recommended Reading

If you want to read up on your destination we recommend a variety of guidebooks such as the Bradt Guide, Odyssey Guides, The Rough Guide and Footprint Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the areas you visit.

Good books and maps of Turkey are available at Stanfords in Covent Garden, London or online at www.stanfords.co.uk

Relevant Reading:
A Traveller's History of Turkey, by Richard Stoneman is a concise account covering everything from the legendary Flood of Noah, the early civilisation of Catal Huyuk 7000 years before Christ, the treasures of Troy, Alexander the Great, the Romans, Selcuks, Byzantines and the Golden Age of the Sultans to the changes of the 20th century.

Europa Minor, by Lord Kinross may now be out of print but if you can get your hands on a copy it gives a lovely taste of the country you’ll be travelling through.

Kinross also wrote The Ottoman Centuries, and A life of Ataturk which are both recommended.

St Paul: the Traveller and Roman Citizen, by William M Ramsay " Ramsay also wrote many other books about St Paul and his excavations and travels in Asia Minor.

Ancient Turkey " Seton Lloyd gives a summary of all the ancient races that influenced and occupied the peninsula of Asia Minor, finishing with the Romans.

A Short History of Byzantium, by John Julius Norwich is the best-known, quirky Byzantine history that covers the court in great depth but, as most others, neglects the regions.

Osman’s Dream, by Caroline Finkel is the latest scholarly history of the Ottoman Empire, with much more information than usual about what happened in the regions.

Turkey Unveiled " Ataturk and After, by Hugh and Nicole Pope is the modern history of Turkey, bringing you almost up-to-date.

When To Go

During June, days in the east are generally warm (in the region of 25 degrees) and dry.

In the Taurus Mountains from mid September to early May it is pleasantly warm to hot (around 30°C) during the day and cool to cold (around 15°C) at night. If you are at altitude it can be cold at night. In spring you will also be treated to blankets of wild flowers if trekking.

Packing List

Below is a list of general items you might take with you on a Wild Frontiers trip to Turkey. With your booking confirmation you will receive a packing list specific to your tour, so please treat this as a general guideline only.

Luggage:
It is best to use a soft bag - rucksack/hold-all/duffel bag - so it can be transported and stored more easily.

On all our trips a small daypack is practical for keeping general items (e.g. camera, books, wallets etc.) at hand when your main pack is out of reach. It is also handy for day trips and excursions.

Clothing:
In general you should bring clothes you feel comfortable with but do be aware that if you are travelling in Eastern Turkey you will require a little bit of preparation as it more conservative than the better known west. Therefore as a guide we suggest a packing list like this:
• 3 x Light cotton shirts or T-shirts, short sleeved and long
• 1 x lightweight jumper, fleece or sweatshirts
• 2/3 pairs recreational trousers (not shorts) or women can wear dresses (but not skirts)
• Waterproof jacket
• Socks suitable for walking as well as light weight ones for evenings
• Pair of comfortable light walking boots or shoes
• Pair of recreational shoes (adventure sandals, trainers or pumps)
• Sun hat or cap

Equipment:
The following is useful extra equipment for your trip:
• Travel towel, travel soap and toiletries
• Torch (LED head-torch keeps your hands free)
• A bandanna or large handkerchief is useful for dusty tracks
• Pair of good quality sunglasses
• Water bottle
• Plug adapter (see ‘Electricity’ section)

Personal First Aid Kit:
While we do carry a large medical kit we would advise that you take some of the basics with you. This should include:
• Any prescription medication required (please inform the tour leader at your pre-departure meeting about these)
• Antibacterial dry hand wash
• Painkillers: paracetamol & ibuprofen
• Rehydration salts (Gastrolyte)
• Malaria Tablets (if necessary)
• Travel motion-sickness tablets if required (e.g. natural ginger tablets)
• Diarrhoea remedies
• Antihistamines
• Cold/flu decongestants
• Mosquito Repellent
• Insect bite cream
• Laxatives
• Plasters/Bandage/Steri-Strips/Blister pads
• Sunscreen (30+ factor)
• Moisturiser/after sun cream/lip balm
• Contact lenses and solution if required
• Tweezers

(A kit with most of this in is available at www.nomadtravel.co.uk)

Optional Extras:
• Ear plugs (if sharing a room / camping)
• Alarm clock
• 3-4 plastic carrier bags are very useful for dirty washing, dirty shoes and rubbish
• Binoculars
• Flip flops/sandals for bathrooms
• Sleeping bag liner (cotton or silk)
• Small packs of tissues
• Money belt or secure pouch for money and passport etc.
• Eye patches if light affects your sleep
• Sewing kit/scissors
• Writing materials
• Spare batteries/camera memory cards
• Swiss Army knife
• Universal bath plug
• Calculator (for currency conversion)
• Trekking poles
• Lyons coffee bags if you cannot survive without ‘proper’ coffee.

NB: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are uncommon. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

You might be tempted to buy a few souvenirs here and there, so leave a little room for those extra purchases!!

Hand Luggage:
Although it is very rare that luggage goes missing on flights, it has been known to happen and so it’s a good idea to carry a spare top, toothbrush, wash kit, underwear and any other essentials in your hand luggage so that you can at least freshen up while waiting for your bags to catch you up. If you wear your sturdy shoes/boots it will also reduce weight in your luggage and keep them safe.

Practical Information

Time:
Turkey is 2hrs ahead of GMT.
A useful website to check the time zone differences is www.worldtimezone.com

Food and Alcohol:
Some specialties include pide, or Turkish pizza " flat bread with various toppings " köfte (meatballs), dolma (peppers or vine leaves stuffed with rice). Fish and seafood are also good and include freshly grilled sardines and mackerel. Another great option is the mezes " an extensive array of cold appetizers. For dessert, there's every imaginable concoction, the best being the honey-soaked baklava, and of course Turkish delight " solidified sugar and pectin, flavoured with rosewater or pistachios, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Tea is the national drink, served in tiny tulip-shaped glasses, with sugar on the side but no milk. Turkish coffee is served in tiny cups; don't drink the last mouthful (it's the grounds). Alcoholic drinks are available - the main locally brewed brands of beer are Efes Pilsen and Tuborg; imported beers are available, but at an horrendous mark-up. The national aperitif is anis-flavoured raki " stronger than Greek ouzo, it's usually drunk with ice and topped up with water.

Electricity:
Those bringing video & digital cameras that require battery chargers should also bring a two-pin, continental style adapter. In most hotels you can charge from the mains using a travel adaptor plug.

Money:
The currency in Turkey is the Turkish Lira.
To check out the latest exchange rate for the places that you are visiting you can go to www.oanda.com

A few points to help you plan:
• Don’t bring travellers’ cheques as banks take a long time to change them and charge a hefty commission.
• You can change Pound Sterling, Euros or US Dollars in Trabzon and other major cities.
• If using ATM machines, be sure to notify your bank before you travel and be aware they often carry a service charge.
• Payments are mainly made in cash.
• It is useful to bring lots of small denomination notes.

Language & Religion:
Turkish is the national language of Turkey, spoken by about 75% of the population. The remaining 25% is mainly comprised of Kurdish speakers and other local languages or dialects. Turkey is a secular state with no official state religion although roughly 97% of the population are Muslim.

Cultural Sensitivity:
At Wild Frontiers we are very aware of the ethical impact tourism can have on ancient cultures. We realise that taking a group of tourists through such a region can have a negative impact on the lives of those who live there and on all our tours we therefore go to great lengths to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive…after all, there are also many good things that the tourist can bring.

To help this process we ask that our clients do not hand out pens or sweets to children. As one sign in Egypt emphatically put it, ‘Please don't make beggars out of our children!' No matter how well intentioned, in our opinion the dolling out of free gifts fosters a ‘beggar mentality' that is ultimately extremely destructive to a society. In addition we do not condone giving out money to beggars or ‘students'.

However, we also realise that we are exceptionally privileged to be travelling in areas where most of the people have far less than us and that the desire to ‘help' can be very powerful. As a result we ask that you refer to your trip dossier for information on the Wild Frontiers Foundation which supports specific projects in the areas where we travel.

Photography:
Please remember, we are guests in the countries through which we travel and we may sometimes inadvertently cause offence by taking photographs without first asking permission. There may also be strict rules about taking photos of army, police or any official personnel; restrictions apply at borders, bridges and any government building.